🛢️ BIOFUEL: Iowa State University researchers are studying how to boost farmers’ interest in and profits from technologies that make biofuels from manure and other biomass, reports the Energy News Network. The process, called anaerobic digestion, produces renewable natural gas from biomass and has not widely caught on in the United States, although it’s popular in parts of Europe.

• Iowa’s existing anaerobic digestors — less than a dozen — aren’t producing renewable natural gas as efficiently as they could and that prevents them from being profitable. The research team hopes to solve barriers that prevent the technology’s growth in Iowa by making it more efficient and lowering costs.
• Iowa is an ideal location for expanding this technology because it produces more manure than any other state.
• More widespread farmer adoption of anaerobic digestion could reduce the state’s greenhouse gas emissions and waterway pollution.

🌞 SOLAR: Illinois is one of the places named in a HuffPost article where schools are adopting solar technologies not just for generating power, but also to teach students about green energy and possible clean energy careers.

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🚗 TRANSPORTATION: Vehicle testing has begun at Indianapolis-based Allison Transmission’s recently opened high-tech technology testing facility intended to advance the rapid development of both conventional and alternative fuel vehicles, reports Automotive World.

🌱 AGRICULTURE: A plant-growing dome from IOT-enabled indoor hydroponics startup Evergreen CLE will be installed at the Cleveland Public Library’s downtown branch to spark discussions about indoor urban farming, according to Cleveland.com. It’s one of six new projects supported by The Lab @ Cuyahoga County, a program connecting entrepreneurs with the public sector for real-world innovation testing.

💰 FUNDING:

• The U.S. Department of Energy listed its first small business funding opportunity for FY 2021. About $30 million in research grants will be available for energy and environmental innovations.
• ClearFlame Engine Technologies, previously featured in Centered, received $1.1 million from the DOE for the continued development of its clean fuel diesel engine for heavy-duty trucks.
• The Nebraska Environmental Trust awarded a combined $1.9 million to 21 university research projects. They include work toward efficient recycling operations, improved water quality, and transforming manure and cedar mulch into a valuable resource.