Bioenergy Technologies Office

The U.S. Department of Energy Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) supports research, development, and demonstration to enable the sustainable use of domestic biomass and waste resources for the production of biofuels and bioproducts.

2022–2023 AlgaePrize Competition

Launched in January 2022, the AlgaePrize is a new competition from DOE BETO that encourages students to pursue innovative ideas for the development, design, and invention of technologies within the commercial algae value chain. Learn more about this student competition.

Sustainable Aviation Fuel Grand Challenge

The U.S. Department of Energy is working with the U.S. Department of Transportation, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and other federal government agencies to develop a comprehensive strategy for scaling up new technologies to produce sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) on a commercial scale. Learn more about the SAF Grand Challenge and BETO's SAF R&D.

a image of a jet refueling at an airport.

Bioenergy Technologies

Advanced Algal Systems

Bioproduct Production

CO2 Utilization

Conversion Technologies

Data, Modeling, & Analysis

Feedstock Technologies

Sustainable Aviation Fuels

Systems Development & Integration

Waste-to-Energy

Bioenergy News

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Meet Clean Energy Champion Sheila Dillard

Thinking she would work in legal research, Sheila Dillard found herself being professionally rewarded for her communications and outreach abilities. Learn more about her 27-year journey that took her from buildings to bioenergy.

April 27, 2022

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U.S. Department of Energy Passes $100 Million Milestone in American-Made Challenges Prize Program

Secretary Granholm Honors the People and Prizes Supercharging the Clean Energy Revolution Through Innovation and Entrepreneurship

April 22, 2022

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Co-Processing Part 3: LANL Studies Quicker Method to Identify Renewable Carbon Percentages in Fuel Blends

Co-processing biomass-derived oil with crude oil in existing refineries is an effective way to stimulate the market for sustainable transportation fuels. With this approach, the fuel produced by co-producing bio-oil and petroleum can still be “dropped in”

April 21, 2022

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Co-Processing Part 2: Co-processing Waste-Derived Biocrudes in Petroleum Refineries Improves Diesel Quality

PNNL research elevates possibility of co-processing and looks to reduce deployment risks

April 21, 2022

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Co-Processing Part 1: With Carbon Isotopes and Catalytic Cracker, NREL Proves Co-Processing Can Result in Greener Fuel

Upgrading bio-oils with petroleum feedstocks at existing refineries—known as “co-processing”—could offer a fast pathway for lowering the carbon footprint of today’s transportation fuels.

April 21, 2022

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Not Your Average SOS: Research Methods to Respond to and Prevent Algae Crop Collapse

Algae are an exciting renewable feedstock for the future of sustainable fuels and products. One particularly interesting application, which the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) is exploring, shows the potential to turn

March 29, 2022

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Department of Energy Announces $34.5 Million for Improved Bioenergy Resource Recovery and Conversion Systems

DOE announced a new $34.5 million funding opportunity to improve the current science and infrastructure for converting waste streams, into valuable biofuels and bioproducts that can benefit the local energy economy

March 22, 2022

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In Search of a Later Biomass Expiration Date

How Idaho National Laboratory's Dr. Lynn Wendt has come to understand and mitigate the detrimental impacts of biomass decay after harvest.

March 15, 2022

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Three partners, two problems, one bioenergy research article published

One of the most exciting things about bioenergy is the potential for one innovation to solve multiple problems. Last September, the U.S. secretaries of energy, transportation, and agriculture announced the Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Grand Challenge,

March 7, 2022

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Climate Friendly Jet Fuel: 3 Strategies for Accelerating Its Production

Supported by the U.S. Department of Energy Bioenergy Technologies Office, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory is striving to bring more low- and zero-net-carbon sustainable aviation fuel to the market.

February 17, 2022

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