U.S. Department of State
June 6, 2014
BY Erin Krueger
The U.S. Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration is organizing a renewable energy and energy efficiency trade mission to Peru. Scheduled for November, the policy mission will promote the export competitiveness of U.S. renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies, including biomass, waste-to-energy, wind, solar, geothermal, hydropower, and smart grid.
According to a notice published in the Federal Register, Peru offers several renewable energy policy incentives, including priority dispatch for renewable electricity, accelerated depreciation of up to 20 percent for investments in machinery or equipment that support renewable energy deployment, and technology-specific auctions. A 5 percent clean energy target is currently in place, along with a 7.8 percent biofuel blending mandate.
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In the Federal Register notice, the ITA said it expects export opportunities in all six renewable energy and energy efficiency subsectors, including biomass and renewable fuels. In particular, it is expected there will be export opportunities for companies capable of supplying equipment or services to support ethanol or waste-from-energy development.
According to the ITA, between 10 and 25 companies will be selected to participate in the trade mission. The opportunity is open to all companies already doing business in Peru and those seeking to enter the Peruvian market for the first time. The notice indicates recruitment for the mission will begin immediately and conclude Sept. 15. Applications received after that time will be considered only if space and scheduling permit.
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During the trade mission, participants will receive market briefings, including an assessment of upcoming opportunities. They will also receive a market assessment report and be introduced to key government and regulatory officials. In addition, a networking reception is planned.
Additional information on the trade mission and application details are available on the Federal Register website.
The U.S. Department of Energy Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) announced up to $23 million in funding to support research and development (R&D) of domestic chemicals and fuels from biomass and waste resources.
The U.S. DOE has announced its intent to issue funding to support high-impact research and development (R&D) projects in two priority areas: sustainable propane and renewable chemicals and algal system cultivation and preprocessing.
Sens. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, and Pete Ricketts, R-Neb., in August introduced the Renewable Chemicals Act, a bill that aims to create a tax credit to support the production of biobased chemicals.
The Chemical Catalysis for Bioenergy Consortium, a consortium of the U.S. DOE’s Bioenergy Technologies Office, has launched an effort that aims to gather community input on the development of new biomass processing facilities.
USDA on March 8 celebrated the second annual National Biobased Products Day, a celebration to raise public awareness of biobased products, their benefits and their contributions to the U.S. economy and rural communities.