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2011 Biodiesel Production Officially Tops 1 Billion Gallons
U.S. biodiesel production officially topped one billion gallons in 2011, according to final year-end numbers released by the Environmental Protection Agency today. The total volume of nearly 1.1 billion gallons is by far a record for the industry and easily exceeded the 800 million gallon target required under the EPA’s Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). The [...]
Synergies of Livestock and Ethanol
There is a lot made about tensions between the ethanol and livestock industries but the distillers grains co-product of ethanol production is providing significant benefits for animal producers even as it has helped prop up corn prices. A great discussion at the 6th Annual Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit featured corn and cattle organizations on the [...]
Obama Endorses Extending Tax Credit
In the State of the Union Address and other appearances this week, President Obama is endorsing a proposal that would extend the advanced energy manufacturing tax credit. The Security in Energy and Manufacturing (SEAM) Act, authored by U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), is a job-creating clean energy tax cut, which has delivered nearly $125 million [...]
Advanced Biofuels Makes Farm Bill Wish List
Advanced Biofuels USA has released low cost and cost-efficient policies the group feels should be included in the Farm Bill which will be under consideration in 2012. “We have identified two specific problem areas,” said executive director, Joanne Ivancic. “First, the challenges of bringing small, non-contiguous marginal acreage to productivity via an energy crop market; [...]
ACE Invites Members to Attend Capitol Hill Visits
As Congress resumes work for 2012, the American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) is urging its grassroots members and all ethanol supporters to attend the “Biofuels Beltway March” in Washington, DC. ACE's fly-in for Capitol Hill visits will be held Tues., March 27 and Wed., March 28, headquartered at the Washington Court Hotel. “Historic opponents to [...]
Iowa RFA President Pleased with Summit
The 6th Annual Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit this week was another great one, according to Iowa Renewable Fuels Association president Brad Albin, who is VP of manufacturing for Renewable Energy Group (REG). There were over 500 people at the conference on Tuesday in Des Moines and Albin says that’s a far cry from when he [...]
GRFA: FAO Director General's Comments Misguided
As the Global Forum for Food and Agriculture draws to a close in Berlin, the Global Renewable Fuels Alliance (GRFA) has challenged new United Nation's Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) Director General Jose Graziano Da Silva on his critique of biofuels and their alleged impact on commodity prices. “Mr. Da Silva has failed to recognize [...]
USDA Accepting REAP Fund Apps for Blender Pumps
Blender pumps give consumers flexibility and choice of ethanol blends when they are fueling up. Now, the USDA is accepting applications for REAP funds that can be used by retailers who want to install more blender pumps. This is the second year that blender pumps have been authorized as part of the REAP program. Agriculture [...]
USDA Approves Support for Oregon Cellulosic Plant
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has approved a conditional commitment of $232.5 million to build a cellulosic ethanol plant in Boardman, Oregon. The commitment was made to ZeaChem Boardman Biorefinery, LLC (ZBB) through the Biorefinery Assistance Program. ZBB plans to operate a 25 million gallon per year biorefinery to be constructed on an industrial site [...]
Biodiesel Board CEO Says RFS is Top Priority
The CEO of the National Biodiesel Board (NBB) told attendees at the 6th Annual Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit in Des Moines on Tuesday that the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS2) is the number one priority for the industry in 2012. “We have an immediate challenge before us,” NBB CEO Joe Jobe said of the postponed decision [...]
"Fuel the Future" Video Winners
For the second year in a row, Iowa high school students have been rewarded for their creative videos promoting renewable fuels. At the 6th Annual Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit in Des Moines on Tuesday, Ames High School senior Sam Ennis was declared the first place winner of the 2nd Annual "Fuel the Future" video contest [...]
Reaction to State of the Union
Reaction to President Obama’s call for an “all-of-the-above energy strategy” in Tuesday’s State of the Union address was met with applause by many renewable energy interests, who at the same time hope his words will be backed with actions. "We applaud the President's announcement that he is going to push for homemade, U.S.-energy after 40 [...]
Wind Energy Industry Worries About Job Losses
President Obama put a face on the wind energy industry during his State of the Union address on Tuesday. It was the face of Bryan Ritterby who “found work at Energetx, a wind turbine manufacturer in Michigan” after being laid off from a job making furniture and is “proud to be working in the industry [...]
Consumer Energy Alliance Opposes California LCFS
The ethanol industry has an unlikely ally in its opposition to the California Low Carbon Fuel Standard that bans the use of corn ethanol in that state. A diverse multi-state coalition that is primarily concerned with the rule’s impact on oil and gas is also opposed. The Consumer Energy Alliance, a coalition of over 170 [...]
How to Turn Oil into Salt
The idea of turning oil into salt may sound like something that should be done in a science lab but Dr. Gal Luft says it’s something that Congress can do with a simple piece of legislation. Luft, who is executive director of the Institute for Analysis of Global Security, explained his analogy between oil and [...]
Ag Secretary to Speak at Ethanol Conference
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack will be a headline speaker on Friday, February 24th, at the 17th annual National Ethanol Conference, which is being held February 22-24 at the Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center in Orlando. During his tenure, Secretary Vilsack has been a champion for all domestic renewable fuels, including ethanol. Secretary Vilsack has [...]
Iowa Governor Proud of Renewable Fuels Leadership
Iowa Governor Terry Branstad is proud of his state’s leadership in the renewable fuels industry. “The state of Iowa is number one in ethanol, number one in biodiesel, we’re number two in wind energy but that’s number two to Texas and if you look at it per capita, we’re number one in that as well,” [...]
Child Labor Regs For Ag Bad For Farming
Our latest ZimmPoll asked a very timely question since it’s on a topic that is the subject of a cover story on USA Today. We asked, “How will proposed changes to child labor in agriculture regulations affect farms?” Seventy percent said Negatively, seventeen percent said No Effect and only thirteen percent said Positively. You may [...]
Obama Calls for End to Oil Subsidies
In his State of the Union address Tuesday night, President Obama voiced strong support for renewable energy and an end to oil subsidies. “We have subsidized oil companies for a century. That’s long enough,” the president said. “It’s time to end the taxpayer giveaways to an industry that’s rarely been more profitable, and double-down on [...]
Retired Army General Calls Biofuels "Ammunition"
Like oil in World War II, U.S. Army Ret. General Paul J. Kern believes that biofuels are the “ammunition” for America today. Gen. Kern ended his address to the 6th Annual Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit in Des Moines on Tuesday on that note, displaying a WWII military poster declaring “Stick to your job – oil [...]
Iowa Renewable Fuels – Revived and Ready
The 6th Annual Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit kicked off in Des Moines on Tuesday on a very positive note, considering that 2011 was a record year in the state for both ethanol and biodiesel. In his annual address to the summit, Iowa Renewable Fuels Association Executive Director Monte Shaw noted that the state’s 41 ethanol [...]
Judge Denies Attempt to Enforce California LCFS
The federal district court judge who ruled California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) to be unconstitutional has denied a motion to continue implementation of the law. On Monday, Judge Lawrence J. O’Neill denied the California Air Resources Board’s (CARB) motion to stay the decision he issued on December 29, 2011 that had halted the enforcement [...]
POET Partners With DSM for Cellulosic Ethanol
Ethanol giant POET is partnering with a Netherlands-based life sciences company with the intention of making advanced biofuels a reality by next year. POET has announced a joint venture with Royal DSM to commercially demonstrate and license cellulosic bio-ethanol based on their proprietary and complementary technologies. POET–DSM Advanced Biofuels, LLC, is scheduled to start production [...]
On-Site Registration for Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit
If you did not register in advance for the 6th annual Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit, there will be registration available on site at the starting at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday at the Veterans Memorial/Community Choice Credit Union Convention Center in Des Moines. It looks like the weather will be okay tomorrow so it will be worth [...]
American Ethanol NASCAR Partner Plans
The black No. 3 Chevrolet that carried Dale Earnhardt Jr. to four NASCAR Nationwide series championships will boast a new American Ethanol paint scheme in several races during the 2012 season. The new look for the iconic car was unveiled this past weekend during the NASCAR Preview 2012 event in Charlotte, North Carolina, where it [...]
Science Magazine Spotlights Seaweed to Biofuel Technology
The cover story in the latest issue of Science Magazine showcases a California-based company’s technology that converts seaweed to biofuel. The research article details breakthrough technology developed by scientists with Bio Architecture Lab (BAL) using a microbe to extract the sugars in macroalgae that could further the use of seaweed as a feedstock for advanced [...]
Washington Times Editorial by Gal Luft
The Washington Times carried an editorial about ethanol last week from the director of the Institute for the Analysis of Global Security, who will be speaking Tuesday at the Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit in Des Moines. Dr. Gal Luft wrote about how the ethanol industry no longer has the blenders tax credit or the associated [...]
American Ethanol Gears Up for 2012 NASCAR Season
American Ethanol is gearing up for the 2012 NASCAR season with a renewed commitment to the sport that spotlights racing on 15% ethanol fuel. During the NASCAR Preview fan event in Charlotte, N.C. this weekend, American Ethanol announced that it will continue relationships with Richard Childress Racing and RAB Racing for the 2012 season. This [...]
Nebraska Ethanol Sales Top Ten Billion Gallons
Ethanol sales from Nebraska have officially reached 10 billion gallons, according to the Nebraska Ethanol Board. The history making tank-full was pumped in late 2011, after 34 years of ethanol being sold in the state. 2012 projections show that Nebraska drivers could purchase close to seven hundred million more gallons this year. Last year, production [...]
POET Pipeline Project Postponed
Without a federal loan guarantee, POET has put a proposed dedicated ethanol pipeline project on hold for now, according to company officials. "We continue to believe that the pipeline is a viable project with tremendous benefits for the country," said POET Founder & CEO Jeff Broin, "But with little prospects for a federal loan guarantee [...]
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