The Chemical Catalysis for Bioenergy Consortium (ChemCatBio), a consortium of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office, has launched an effort that aims to gather community input on the development of new biomass processing facilities.  

The consortium in April launched a voluntary survey that asks respondents to imagine that an industrial complex that processes biomass is planned for construction half a mile from their homes. The survey then asks the respondents to answer several specific questions, including those focused on the respondents’ general feelings on the proposed project, any questions they might want to ask, and any concerns they might have. Respondents are also asked what could be done to address their concerns and make the industrial complex a welcome part of their community. 

The ChemCatBio consortium aims to help decarbonize the economy by accelerating the development of catalytic technologies to convert biomass and waste into renewable fuels and chemicals. 

In announcing the survey, the consortium explained that to be successful in its mission it needs to reduce barriers to the deployment of new technologies. As part of that effort, ChemCatBio is working to learn about what communities think when approached by a company that wants to build a new industrial complex. 

The consortium estimates the survey takes approximately 5-10 minutes to complete. Additional information is available on the DOE website.