The U.S. Department of Energy has published a notice announcing an open meeting of the Biomass Research and Development Technical Advisory Committee on May 20-22 in Washington, D.C.

According to the DOE, the purpose of the meeting is to provide advice and guidance that promotes research and development leading to the production of biobased fuels and biobased products. The tentative agenda includes an update on respective USDA and DOE research and development activities, an update of the biomass research and development initiative, an overview of biomass interagency working groups and a panel on bioenergy activities.

Information published on the Biomass Research and Development Technical Advisory Committee website indicates the committee is made up of approximately 30 volunteers from industry, academia, nonprofits, and local government. Meetings are held quarterly. The committee provides guidance to the DOE, USDA and others. It also facilitates consultations and partnerships among federal and state agencies, agricultural producers, industry, consumers, the research community and other interested groups, and evaluates and performs strategic planning on program activities.

Current committee members represent New Page Corp, Washington State University, Tennessee Department of Agriculture, Agri-Tech Producers LLC, General Motors, South Dakota State University, University of Illinois, Texas A&M University, Purdue University, University of Michigan, American Academy of Microbiology, State University of New York, Battelle, University of Arizona, DuPont, NexSteppe, Back and Veatch, University of California, North Carolina A&T State University, O-Innovation Advisors LLC, Georgia Tech, Genera Energy Inc., MARC-IV Consulting, Archer Daniels Midland Co., Cornell University, University of California, Berkeley, Cascade Science and Technology Research, Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative, Novozymes North America Inc., BIOFerm Energy Systems, BioAmber Inc., and Michigan State University.

Members of the public are welcome to observe the event. Instructions for those who would like to attend the meeting and/or make oral statements are included in a meeting notice published in the Federal Register. According to the DOE, the minutes of the meeting will be made available for public review and copying after the event.