The first quarter of 2012 delivered a significant amount of activity in the advanced biofuels sector, with initiatives at the Department of Defense (DOD), the Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the Department of Energy (DOE) continuing to unfold. Following a 2011 Request for Information1 that formally launched the tri-agency Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to utilize the Defense Production Act (DPA) authority for supporting drop-in biofuels, each agency continues to implement a variety of programmatic efforts that directly or indirectly support the MOU. The following update provides a summary of current and forthcoming opportunities in the biofuels sector, as well as the implications of recent DOD announcements and USDA activities.

Department of Defense Initiates Second Comment Period and Notifies Industry of Forthcoming Solicitation

Most directly related to the DPA initiative, on March 29, 2012, the DOD issued a Special Notice indicating its anticipated issuance of a Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) that would request proposals for advanced drop-in biofuel production projects. The notice contains specific guidance related to eligibility, project costs, and project activities, and invites comments to the announcement until May 31. The specific guidance provided therein includes the following key provisions...

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