This is an excerpt from EERE Network News, a weekly electronic newsletter.
October 07, 2008
DOE and USDA Release National Biofuels Action Plan
DOE and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released on October 7 the National Biofuels Action Plan (NBAP), an interagency plan that details the collaborative efforts of federal agencies to accelerate the development of a sustainable fuels industry. The NBAP outlines interagency actions, federally supported research and development efforts, and future goals and required steps in seven areas: Sustainability; feedstock production; feedstock logistics; conversion science and technology; distribution infrastructure; blending; and environment, health, and safety. Interagency working groups have been chartered with near-term deadlines to deliver key results, such as the development of science-based sustainability criteria and indicators; 10-year forecasts for research to develop cost-effective methods of producing cellulosic biofuels from non-food feedstocks; the advancement of these next generation biofuels to commercialization; and the creation of recommendations on infrastructure issues.
The NBAP was developed by the Biomass Research and Development Board, which is co-chaired by both USDA and DOE officials in order to coordinate the activities of federal agencies involved in biomass research and development. The NBAP was created in response to the president's "20 in 10" goal, which calls for cutting gasoline consumption in the United States by 20% over the next 10 years by investing in renewable and alternative fuel sources, increasing vehicle efficiency, and developing alternative fuel vehicles. See the DOE press release, the NBAP report (PDF 4.9 MB), the DOE fact sheet for the NBAP, and the USDA Energy Matrix Web site. Download Adobe Reader.
