News Coverage 
ALGAE BIOMASS ORGANIZATION ANNOUNCES 2013-2015 BOARD OF DIRECTORS
ABO BlogDiverse group from across industry’s value chain represents algae production, end-users and professional services
MINNEAPOLIS–May 14, 2013 – The Algae Biomass Organization (ABO), the trade association for the U.S. algae industry, today announced the election of seven members to its Board of Directors for the 2013-2015 term. The new and re-elected board members join eight others that are already serving terms on the board.
Big Thinking at Fortune's "Brainstorm Green": Why Are We Politicizing Good, New Ideas?
Tanya M. Acker, HuffPost BlogDuring Fortune's recent "Brainstorm Green" conference, a panel of biofuel executives discussed the scalability of algae fuel technologies, which present an exciting new(ish) front in the energy equation. Richard Branson thinks that commercializing the fuels for use in jets would be "not so difficult" and both United and Continental Airlines, among others, have flown jets powered by an algae-fuel mix. Sapphire Energy, whose CEO, CJ Warner, spoke on the panel, manufactures an algae-based crude oil that can been refined into gasoline, diesel and jet fuel (it was used in the aforementioned Continental flight).
Former U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu to Address Annual Rutgers Energy Institute Symposium
Rutgers Energy Institute, RutgersTodayNobel Prize laureate and former U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu; Al Darzins, research and development director of the Gas Technology Institute; Steve Conerli, senior vice president, sustainability, policy and strategy, NRG Energy, Inc.; Thomas Dietz, professor of sociology and environmental science and policy and assistant vice president for environmental research at Michigan State University; and Cynthia Warner, chair and CEO, Sapphire Energy, Inc.
Renewable jet fuel key to compliance with Europe’s GHG rules — Vilsack
Tiffany Stecker and Julia Pyper, E&EThe five-year extension of the Agriculture Department’s “Farm to Fly” initiative will help airlines comply with international greenhouse gas caps, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said yesterday.
New online map of North American algae projects
Jim Lane, BiofuelsDigest67 percent of algae producers said they plan to expand capacity in 2013: new online map of projects from ABO
Sapphire Energy's Warner discusses efforts to commercialize green crude
Monica Trauzzi, OnPointWhat role could green crude play in the United States' energy future? During today's OnPoint, Cynthia Warner, CEO of Sapphire Energy, discusses her company's attempts to bring green crude to commercial scale. She also talks about the public acceptance and water usage challenges that exist with this technology.
Vilsack, LaHood to lead parade of biofuels, finance, policy leaders as ABLC 2013 gets underway
Jim Lane, BiofuelsDigestIn Washington, the 2013 Advanced Biofuels Leadership Conference will kick off at 8am ET this morning.
Among the highlights for today (April 15): US Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood will take the stage at 2pm for separate addresses, and jointly sign a renewal of the “Farm to Fly” agreement aimed at developing a feedstock supply chain for aviation biofuels.
Sapphire Energy Inks Deal to Supply ‘Green Crude’ to Major Oil Refiner
Carlin Rosengarten and Jeff BenzakAt its algae farm in the high desert of southwest New Mexico, San Diego-based Sapphire Energy is helping to change the way America’s fuels are produced. And recently, one of the largest petroleum companies in the world signed on as its first commercial customer.
Sapphire strikes agreement with Tesoro for Green Crude
Sapphire Energy has entered into a commercial agreement with Tesoro Refining and Marketing Company, LLC, a subsidiary of Tesoro Corporation, to purchase crude oil from Sapphire Energy’s Green Crude Farm in Columbus, New Mexico. This begins the first step of a commercial relationship to process Green Crude oil from Sapphire’s future commercial facilities. Tesoro Corporation, a Fortune 150 company, is an independent refiner and marketer of petroleum products, with a retail-marketing system including over 1,400 branded retail stations
Why it’s a big deal that 0.0003% of Tesoro’s fuel will come from algae this year
Todd WoodyOn the scale of oil production, from supergiant oil fields to marginal shale reserves, Sapphire Energy’s output ranks as “artisanal.” In a deal announced yesterday, Sapphire will, for the rest of 2013, supply US oil refiner Tesoro with precisely two barrels, or 84 gallons, of oil a day. Tesoro’s refineries can handle 675,000 barrels a day.
