On March 23, 2023, the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) announced the release of its 2023 Multi-Year Program Plan (MYPP). The MYPP is used as an operational guide, setting forth BETO’s mission, goals, and strategic approach. It also serves as a resource to help manage and coordinate BETO’s activities and communicate its strategy to stakeholders and the public. The new plan identifies BETO’s forthcoming research, development, and demonstration (RD&D) plans and activities and outlines why these undertakings are critical to meeting the energy and sustainability challenges facing our nation.

According to BETO, due to the urgency of reducing greenhouse gases (GHG) across all modes of transportation, BETO has shifted its focus to low-carbon and net-zero carbon fuels for the aviation, marine, rail, and heavy-duty, long-haul industries, which have fewer options for reducing carbon impact. The MYPP prioritizes strategies to enable the decarbonization of the industrial sector via the advancement of renewable chemicals and materials, recognizing the potential for bioenergy technologies to decarbonize communities and other economic sectors through sustainable agriculture, improved waste management, and additional beneficial uses of biomass.