The Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) within the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) supports the research, development, and demonstration (RD&D) of technologies aimed at mobilizing domestic renewable carbon resources for the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across the U.S. economy.

a montage of the different BETO feedstocks. Algae pongs, airplanes, labs and fields.

Bioenergy can help ensure an economically sound and secure future while reducing environmental impacts through:

  • Developing affordable domestic fuels and co-products
  • Advancing clean energy sources
  • Generating domestic jobs to support the growth of the U.S. bioeconomy.

Building a Low-Carbon U.S. Bioeconomy

BETO supports the research, development, and demonstration (RD&D) of technologies that mobilize renewable carbon resources across the U.S. economy. Including a variety of biomass and wastes, renewable carbon resources can be converted into sustainable, high-performance fuels as well as renewable chemicals and materials while lowering greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Download BETO’s Fact Sheet on Building a Low-Carbon U.S. Bioeconomy.

BETO's Strategic Approach

BETO funds work in collaboration with industry, academia, and DOE national laboratories to develop advanced technologies and innovative solutions to reduce the costs of biofuels. The R&D supported by BETO and its partners is creating cutting-edge technologies used in the processing of biomass and waste, from harvesting and preprocessing to conversion.

BETO is focused on technologies to efficiently convert organic materials and biomass into affordable biofuels and bioproducts. These bioenergy technologies will help decarbonize the transportation sector, while mitigating greenhouse gas emissions to combat climate change.

A montage of men and women working in a lab.

BETO R&D program areas enable BETO to leverage diverse sources of biomass and waste across America and use innovative technologies to enable a thriving bioeconomy. This bioeconomy will be grounded in achieving national priorities for a clean energy economy that address the climate emergency while spurring economic growth and job creation. The five BETO program areas are:

Bioenergy Industry Benefits Job Creation

A robust bioenergy industry will generate a variety of U.S. jobs across several sectors, from farming and trucking to microbiology and chemical engineering. Bioenergy and bioproduct production has significant potential to serve as a vehicle for domestic job creation and economic opportunity for communities throughout the nation. Learn more at BETO's Careers and Education web page.