Following President Obama’s speech on America’s clean energy future, the U.S. DOE announced $12 million available in funding for advanced biofuels. The money will be given to support projects at the laboratory or small pilot-scale levels and, according to the DOE, the research efforts will be focused on “technologies that will be able to replace refinery feedstocks or directly replace gasoline, diesel or jet fuels without requiring modifications to vehicles or fueling infrastructure.” The DOE also said the funding may support as many as five projects over the next three to four years, and the feedstock will range from materials like woody biomass or corn stover, while the methods of production will include thermochemical conversion involving gasification or pyrolysis.

During his speech, Obama pointed out that the U.S. government will help to construct four advanced biorefineries in the next two years. Several bioenergy-based organizations commented positively on Obama’s speech. Michael McAdams, president of the Advanced Biofuels Association (ABFA) was encouraged by the statements of Obama, on the commercial deployment of advanced and cellulosic biofuels. “Many of today’s most promising and potentially impactful technologies will simply not be commercialized without the support of our government in the short term,” McAdams said. “America stands at a deciding juncture for deploying clean energy alternatives and particularly, the future of all biofuels, just as we were when our cell phones made the technological jump to today’s smart phones.”

Jason Pyle, CEO of Sapphire Energy, applauded the president’s comments and the ambitious goal of reducing the country’s oil imports by a third by 2025. “As the president and his administration understand, to do this we must have a longer-term energy strategy that includes the use of alternative energy solutions such as biofuels.”

Even the Air Transport Association of America had something to say about his speech. The ATA also applauded the president’s comments on the need for biobased jet fuel and continued work by the U.S. Navy, the USDA and the DOE to make that happen. The ATA and its members “remain firm supporters of a comprehensive national energy policy that increases U.S. energy security, is climate friendly, and results in more predictable and stable energy supply and costs,” said Nicholas Calio, president and CEO of ATA. “We look forward to stepping up our work with the USDA, DOE and the nation’s military in furthering advanced biofuels development and deployment.”

For a description to the eligibility requirements for the DOE funding, visit the FedConnect website under Reference Number DE-FOA-0000467. Applications are due no later than May 5, submitted through Grants.gov.