Land, water and CO2 resources can support substantial biodiesel production and CO2 savings.

The ASP regularly revisited the question of available resources for producing biodiesel from microalgae. This is not a trivial effort. Such resource assessments require a combined evaluation of appropriate climate, land and resource availability. These analyses indicate that significant potential land, water and CO2 resources exist to support this technology. Algal biodiesel could easily supply several “quads” of biodiesel—substantially more than existing oilseed crops could provide. Microalgae systems use far less water than traditional oilseed crops. Land is hardly a limitation. Two hundred thousand hectares (less than 0.1% of climatically suitable land areas in the U. S.) could produce one quad of fuel. Thus, though the technology faces many R&D hurdles before it can be practicable, it is clear that resource limitations are not an argument against the technology.

A Look Back at the U. S. Department of Energy’s Aquatic Species Program:

Part I:

Program Summary

Background

Origins of the Program

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). In 1978, the Carter Administration established what was then called the Solar Energy Research Institute (SERI) in Golden, CO. This was a first-of-its kind federal laboratory dedicated to the development of solar energy. The formation of this lab came in response to the energy crises of the early and mid 1970s. At the same time, the Carter Administration consolidated all federal energy activities under the auspices of the newly established U. S. Department of Energy (DOE).

Among its various programs established to develop all forms of solar energy, DOE initiated research on the use of plant life as a source of transportation fuels. Today, this program—known as the Biofuels Program—is funded and managed by the Office of Fuels Development (OFD) within the Office of Transportation Technologies under the Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy at DOE. The program has, over the years, focused on a broad range of alternative fuels, including ethanol and methanol (alcohol fuel substitutes for gasoline), biogas (methane derived from plant materials) and biodiesel (a natural oil — derived diesel fuel substitute). The Aquatic Species Program (ASP) was just one component of research within the Biofuels Program aimed at developing alternative sources of natural oil for biodiesel production.