The Department of Energy’s Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI), led by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab), was selected as one of four Department of Energy (DOE) Bioenergy Research Centers (BRC) to be awarded a combined total of $590 million to support innovative research on biofuels and bioproducts.
These new BRC awards, announced today by the U.S. Department of Energy, will kick off JBEI’s fourth five-year funding phase. “To meet our future energy needs, we will need versatile renewables like bioenergy as a low-carbon fuel for some parts of our transportation sector,” said Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm. “Continuing to fund the important scientific work conducted at our Bioenergy Research Centers is critical to ensuring these sustainable resources can be an efficient and affordable part of our clean energy future.”
Each center will initially receive $27.5 million for fiscal year 2023 with the possibility of additional funding for the next four years of the program cycle. JBEI and the other centers conduct basic science research to create biofuels and bioproducts from non-food plants. Each BRC has their own distinct research mission and programmatic goals, however, this new funding also specifically earmarks funds for all four BRCs to collaborate together on shared strategic goals.
“We are very excited that the Department of Energy has awarded us with another five years of funding to continue our path-breaking research,” said Jay Keasling, JBEI’s chief executive officer. “This work will enable the cost-effective production of carbon neutral biofuels and carbon negative bioproducts from lignocellulosic biomass. Usage of these fuels and products will reduce the nation’s dependence on fossil fuels while significantly reducing the amount of carbon added to the atmosphere and contamination of the environment.”
