Algae Biofuel Leaders Converge on the Capitol

Jun 11, 2009 - PR Newswire

Leaders of the algae biofuel industry will meet on Capitol Hill today to brief congressional legislators on sector-wide technology and production advancements allowing for commercially-viable fuels, and advocate for continued federal support to help see the technology to maturity.

Algae-based biofuel has captured widespread interest for its ability to deliver significantly higher yields than plant-based technologies, recycle CO2 directly from industrial sources and not compete with agricultural land or water supply. To better inform legislators in setting a Renewable Fuel Standard, Tax Code and Recovery Act funding inclusive of such promising technologies, executives from leading algae biofuel companies Aurora Biofuels, LiveFuels, and Solix Biofuels - together with representation from the Biotechnology Industry Organization - will gather in Washington D.C. to provide government representatives with contextual information relevant to this rising interest in algae fuel generation.

"We applaud the leadership of the United States in forwarding carbon sequestration initiatives like the Carbon Capture and Storage Program," said Bob Walsh, CEO of Aurora Biofuels. "Algae biofuels provide superior benefits in trapping and eliminating industrial carbon waste, and present a great opportunity to attain these program goals."

"Nurturing an algae biofuel industry in the United States will create jobs that cannot be outsourced," said David Jones, COO of LiveFuels. "By supporting this industry, we can ensure new high-quality, well-paid jobs - not only in science and technology, but operations as well."

Doug Henton, CEO of Solix Biofuels, commented that "at the end of the day, no one single solution will address our domestic energy demands, but a continued focus on energy independence and technology neutrality will allow algae biofuels and other promising technologies to rise up and meet these 21st century energy demands."

"The decisions Washington will make in the days ahead will determine the future of our industry, and our ability to fulfill demand for an abundant renewable fuels marketplace," said Matt Carr, Policy Director, Industrial & Environmental Section at BIO. "We want to help inform representatives to the realities of algae biofuel production and encourage measures that are inclusive of systems like these and with other advanced biofuels in any mandates to come."

The meeting will take place at 5:00pm in the Rayburn House Office Building, Room 2103. The session will last 45 minutes, including a Q&A opportunity after the group presentation. A videotape of the proceedings will be made available after the event.

ABOUT AURORA BIOFUELS:

Aurora Biofuels manufactures fuel from optimized algae in a patented production process. Leading technologists at Aurora Biofuels have engineered a cost-competitive and scalable method for fuel generation, using robust and highly-productive custom algae strains. The Aurora Biofuels process is carbon-mitigating and non-competitive with agricultural resources, and capable of industrial yields with a minimal land requirement.

ABOUT LIVEFUELS

Based in Menlo Park, California, LiveFuels is a privately-backed company working towards the goal of creating commercially competitive biocrude oil from algae by 2010. LiveFuels is partnering with top scientists, national laboratories and commercial institutions in order to speed the research and development process of creating algal biocrude. The company addresses the challenge of economically-competitive energy from algae by reducing cost at every step of the process.

ABOUT SOLIX BIOFUELS

About Solix Biofuels Solix Biofuels, based in Fort Collins, Colo., is an alternative energy technology company focused on biofuels derived from algae. The three-year-old early-stage company has developed technologies to produce oil derived from algae cost effectively at commercial production levels.

Solix Biofuels is an intellectual descendant of the U.S. Department of Energy's Aquatic Species Program, which started in 1978 to explore ways to produce biodiesel from algae. In early 2006, Solix Biofuels was created to continue this work, with a goal of creating a commercially viable biofuel that will help solve climate change and petroleum scarcity, without competing with global food supply.

ABOUT BIO

BIO represents more than 1,200 biotechnology companies, academic institutions, state biotechnology centers and related organizations across the United States ad in more than 30 other nations. BIO members are involved in the research and development of innovative healthcare, agricultural, industrial and environmental biotechnology products. BIO also produces the BIO International Convention, the world's largest gathering of the biotechnology industry, along with industry-leading investor and partnering meetings held around the world.