The Joint BioEnergy Institute is a partnership is led by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, which conducts unclassified scientific research for DOE and is managed by the University of California. JBEI's mission is to speed the development of renewable biofuels – liquid fuels derived from the solar energy stored in plant biomass. Other partners include the DOE's Sandia and Lawrence Livermore national laboratories, the UC Berkeley and Davis campuses, and the Carnegie Institution.

"This type of alternative energy use didn't exist a year or 18 months ago," listing broker Bill Nork of Cornish & Carey tells GlobeSt.com. "This is new capital flowing into a new area of research."

The lease includes options to renew for two additional five-year terms. The negotiated lease rate was not revealed by the parties involved; the triple-net asking rate for the space was $3.50 per sf, including a $100-per-sf tenant improvement allowance. Breck Lutz in C&C's Walnut Creek office represented JBEI