by David Glass (D Glass Associates)  One of the morning sessions at the Tenth Annual BIO World Congress on Industrial Biotechnology put four of the companies in the forefront of commercial development of cellulosic ethanol …

by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  On June 11 the USDA Rural Business Cooperative Service has published a notice of contract proposals in the Federal Register, announcing the availability of $98.6 million for payments under …

A ONE HOUR FREE WEBINAR ON THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR BRAZIL TO EXPORT BIO-BASED PRODUCTS
The Bio-Based community is becoming increasingly international. With cargoes being production potential and demand requirements playing key roles in the facilitation of …

by Aino Siirala (Advanced Biofuels USA)  The 21st European Biomass conference and Exhibition was held in Copenhagen on June 3-7, 2013, gathering almost 2000 attendees.
Denmark, one of the world’s leading countries in the green energy …

by Jennifer A. Dlouhy (SF Gate)  United Airlines on Tuesday announced it has committed to buy at least 15 million gallons of cleaner-burning renewable jet fuel from a Los Angeles-based refinery, marking a potentially major breakthrough …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  The EPREINC scenario—One chart was prepared by the Energy Policy Research Foundation for its Congressional testimony on the Renewable Fuel Standard yesterday.
…
EPRINC’s scenario foresees a big shortfall between the production …

by  Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  Not quite a year after opening a demonstration facility, Switzerland-based specialty chemicals company Clariant AG announced that it has expanded the feedstocks successfully converted to cellulosic ethanol beyond wheat …

(WiseGEEK)  In an effort to find a viable alternative to foreign oil, many politicians and environmental groups have been heavily promoting the advantages of ethanol fuel. Ethanol is a primarily plant-based fuel which can be …

by Bob Dinneen (Renewable Fuels Association) I’m writing in response to the guest opinion piece that ran on May 18 by Stephen Buck. It was addressed to Congresswoman Bustos and entitled “Stop Using E15 Fuel Until Further …

by Ayesha Rascoe (Reuters)  The Environmental Protection Agency plans to announce targets for U.S. ethanol use in 2013 and 2014 this summer, an EPA official told lawmakers on Wednesday, even as critics of the program …

by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  The Renewable Fuels Association has spoken out to criticize a study published by Rice University and the University of California-Davis that claims climate change will increase irrigation costs for …

by Geoff Cooper (Renewable Fuels Association/The Energy Collective)  …Big Oil’s PR machine regurgitates these myths via conference calls with reporters, meetings with editorial boards, sham studies, paid advertising, social media and many other channels. Their …

by David Glass (DGlassAssociates)  A new study was published last week by two researchers at the University of Illinois Energy Biosciences Institute, James S.N. McCubbins and A. Bryan Endres, regarding the length of time the Environmental Protection Agency …

by Robert Kozak (Advanced Biofuels USA) The car racing carnival came to Detroit this past weekend. The venue was Belle Isle, once a beautiful island park in the Detroit River that served as a verdant …

by Joanne Ivancic (Advanced Biofuels USA)  NASCAR’s sportscar racing division, GrandAm, and Green Racing aren’t words that you see together.  For one thing, GrandAm competitors race on all-petroleum race fuel. Yet, GrandAm and the American Le …

by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine)  Biofuel Weiss Inc. is developing a 7 MMgy continuous flow multifeedstock biodiesel production facility in Atlantic Canada, in Halifax, Nova Scotia. According to Ian Weiss, CEO of Weiss Biofuel, the …

(The Oil Palm)  Spanish MEP and Draftsman for the influential Industry, Research and Energy Committee (ITRE), Alejo Vidal-Quadras, has dismissed the European Commission’s proposal to introduce Indirect Land Use Change (ILUC) factors as part of …

by Bob Dinneen (Renewable Fuels Association)  In an interview published on May 22, Charles Drevna, President of the American Fuels & Petrochemical Manufacturers, disparaged the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) and claimed it negatively effects consumers. He couldn’t …

by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  A new proposed rulemaking from the U.S. EPA includes several possible modifications to the renewable fuel standard program, including categorizing as advanced biofuels ethanol produced from corn fiber and …

by Geoff Cooper (The Energy Collective/Renewable Fuels Association)   Anyone with even a casual interest in energy policy knows that a full frontal assault has been launched against the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). Big Oil has …

(Southeast Agriculture & Forest Energy Resources Alliance)   “We’re the nation’s only comprehensive biofuels agency, and I say that more out of surprise than for the purpose of touting North Carolina,” said Steven Burke, President and CEO of the Biofuels Center of North …

(U.S. Grains Council/Ethanol Producer Magazine)  The U.S. Grains Council, along with the National Corn Growers Association, MAIZAR, representing Argentina producers and the maize supply chain and ABRAMILHO (Brazilian Association of Corn Producers) have signed a …

by Fred Cannon (The Hill’s Congress Blog/KiOR)  More than one-third of the world’s total energy usage relies on liquid fuels – primarily from fossil fuels. In the first quarter of 2013 consumption outpaced production, and …

by Tim Landis (State Journal-Register)  Ethanol supporters in Illinois want to trade a 20 percent sales tax break on E10 fuel sales in Illinois for a 10 percent break on E15, arguing it would mean …

by Paul Kenney (KAAPA Ethanol/Kearney Hub) Opinion:  …Ethanol blends are becoming a staple at pumps across the nation, and ethanol accounts for more than 10 percent of the country’s motor fuel supply. It’s a higher-octane alternative …

by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  As drivers head out for trips over Memorial Day weekend, increasing attention is being focused on gasoline prices. In the meantime, ethanol industry advocates are pointing to the power …

by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com)  The House and Energy Commerce Committee has released its third white paper on the Renewable Fuel Standard, “Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Environmental Impacts.” Executive Vice President of the American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE), …

(ePURE/Ethanol Producer Magazine)  ePURE, the European Renewable Ethanol Association, has asked the European Commission to investigate if EU customs legislation is properly applied in Finland. Evidence from several sources indicates that ethanol blended with gasoline …

(Enerkem/Ethanol Producer Magazine)  Enerkem Inc. announced the launch of a new research project with the government of Canada. The objective of the project is to develop new catalytic processes for the conversion of waste into …

by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  Just months after receiving the first cellulosic renewable identification numbers for a shipment of cellulosic ethanol to its Brazil partner Petrobras, Western Biomass Energy LLC filed for bankruptcy …

by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  Reps. Pete Olson, R-Texas, and Jim Costa, D-Calif., have introduced legislation that would allow ethanol produced from domestic natural gas to meet the volume requirements of the renewable fuel …

(News Press)  A bio-energy company on the Treasure Coast has joined Fort Myers-based Algenol Inc. in calling for Gov. Rick Scott to veto a measure that would repeal the state law requiring most gasoline sold …

by  Judith Namutowe (AllAfrica.com)   Government has said it will start importing ethanol from Zimbabwe with a view to lowering the high fuel prices in Zambia.   And Government will soon sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with …

(Alternative Fuels Americas/PR NewsWire)  Alternative Fuels Americas, Inc. (AFAI) announced today (May 22, 2013) that it has successfully completed research trials targeting Jatropha trees as a feedstock source for profitably produced, sustainable biodiesel, and is …

(Iowa Renewable Fuels Association)  Passage of Retailer “Bill of Rights” Shows Commitment to Local Retailers and Consumer Fuel Choice
The Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IRFA) today applauded the Iowa Legislature’s passage of H.F. 640 as a big …

by Tom Rickey  (Pacific Northwest National Laboratory)   A new analysis shows that the nation’s land and water resources could likely support the growth of enough algae to produce up to 25 billion gallons of algae-based …

by Dan Seif (Mother Earth News/Rocky Mountain Institute)  Advanced, non-food biofuels are gaining momentum in 2013 as several new plants have gathered the capital and momentum for large-scale production.
…
Despite sparse media coverage, significant volumes of …

by Andrew Herndon (Bloomberg)  Exxon Mobil Corp. (XOM), which has invested more than $100 million to develop algae-derived biofuels, is refocusing its research with Synthetic Genomics Inc. after almost four years of work failed to …

(Economic Times/India Times)  China’s commercial hub Shanghai plans to turn recycled cooking oil, some of it seized by authorities, into an environmental asset by converting it into fuel for vehicles, state media said Monday.
The country has …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  In Iowa, Absolute Energy, a 115 million gallon per year ethanol plant near the Iowa-Minnesota border, is now offering E85, a fuel blend containing 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  DoD goes forward, after internal wrangle, with advanced biofuels program via $16M phase 1 investment.
With industry cost share, project totals $33M: aims for sub-$4, drop-in military biofuels.
In Washington, the DoD …

by Ryan Tracy  (The Wall Street Journal)  Instituting a carbon tax could help reduce the deficit and “produce incremental benefits” for the environment, but could also raise the cost of many goods and services, the …

by William C. Holmberg (Physicians for Social Responsibility)  Asthma, $16 billion.  Premature births, $26 billion.  All cancers, $227 billion.  Autism, $126 billion.  Heart disease, $272 billion.  Obesity, incl. Type 2 diabetes, $190 billion.  These are …

by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com)  According to a recent survey conducted by SRI, 65 percent of retail investors and 53 percent of institutional investors are currently expressing interest in fossil fuel-free portfolios in reaction to climate …

(Environmental Protection Agency)  The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing a proposed rulemaking for modifications to the Renewable Fuel Standard program, E15 misfueling mitigation regulations, ultra low
sulfur diesel survey requirements as well as other technical …

by Brent Erickson (Biotechnology Industry Organization/Biofuels Digest)  …Renewable chemicals offer cost-competitiveness with petrochemicals or new properties and features that add value to innovative consumer products. In that way, they’ve captured some market share and created …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Beyond biomass, beyond fossil fuels, beyond light itself.   And now, the direct production of drop-in biofuel blendstocks. All available from a microbial “cow”.
This week in California, a research team from …

by James Stafford (OilPrice.com)  …  Mark Thoma is a macroeconomist and time-series econometrician at the University of Oregon. His research focuses on how monetary policy affects the economy, and he has also worked on political …

(Biofuels, Bioproducts and Biorefining)  The Renewable Energy Directive (RED) has set a general binding target for the European Union to derive 20% of its final energy and 10% of its transport fuels from renewable sources …

by Peter Hannam (The Age)  Whether it’s the use of organisms first found in the guts of rabbits in New Zealand or converting the mountains of rubbish disposed of by Londoners, airlines around the world are …

by Sandra I. Erwin  (National Defense Magazine)  …Although the Pentagon consumes just 1.5 percent of the nation’s fuel, biofuel investors and green-energy advocates have looked upon the military as a catalyst for a massive expansion of …

(Department of Energy)  Dr. Ernest Moniz was sworn in as the nation’s 13th Secretary of Energy by Deputy Energy Secretary Daniel Poneman in a ceremony this morning (May 21, 2013) for the Department’s employees, kicking off …

by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  The USDA has announced $14 million payments to advanced biofuel 162 producers in 38 states under the Bioenergy Program for Advanced Biofuels. The program awards payments to eligible producers …

by Javier E. David (CNBC) Imagine a world where leftover corn, wheat and wood chips can be used to power your car.
That’s the aim of cellulosic ethanol, a budding sector of the renewable fuel industry that …

by Joanne Ivancic (Advanced Biofuels USA)  What used to be known as “The New York Sugar Conference” has become “The ISO and Datagro Sugar & Ethanol Conference” with a record-setting number of attendees (350 from …

by Enos Shumba, et al (World Wildlife Fund for Nature)  The bio-fuel debate has largely focused on large feedstock plantations that produce products for the export market. It has not acknowledged and seriously considered the …

(United Sorghum Checkoff Program)  The Sorghum Checkoff in collaboration with the NCERC at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (formerly the National Corn-to-Ethanol Research Center) is pleased to announce a successful bench-scale evaluation of sweet sorghum juice …

by Michelle Macaluso (Fox News)  …Propel Fuels is launching its Clean Mobility Centers in Fresno. The stations will offer both E85 and biodiesels ranging from B5 to B99 that will be locally-sourced from producers in …

(Edeniq/Yahoo! News)  Visalia Plant Milestone Signifies Greater Commercial Viability for Cellulosic Ethanol and Sugars
Edeniq, a biomaterials and sustainable fuels company, today announced the company’s first demonstration plant, located at its Visalia, CA headquarters, has completed …

by Barry Cohen (National Algae Association/PR Log) The DoE has spent $2.5 billion on algae research but to date nothing has been commercialized. Why? Because their mission is to develop technologies. It’s not their problem or …

(Enerkem/PR NewsWire)  Enerkem Inc. (www.enerkem.com), a waste-to-biofuels and renewable chemicals company, announces the launch of a new research project with the Government of Canada. The objective of the project is to develop new catalytic processes for …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  … In an exclusive Digest interview, Shell’s VP for Alternative Energy, Matthew Tipper, reveals the company’s thinking about RFS2, their increasing re-focus on North America and the EU.   Plus, Shell’s ambition …

by Yuca Waarts, Kor Zwart (LEI Wageningen UR)  Recycling palm oil mill effluent, decreasing greenhouse gas emissions and improving smallholder livelihoods are three important topics in debates on sustainable palm oil production. In Indonesia, Zebra Special Products …

(EurekAlert!)  World’s cassava experts to wage war against cassava viruses; introduction into Nigeria, the largest cassava producer in the world, could result in drastic food shortages in this part of Africa
Cassava experts are reporting new …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  In Canada, around 200 delegates from 44 countries are meeting in Montréal today, in a meet-up organized by the Air Transport Action Group (ATAG), to explore:  the commercialization of aviation …

by Heather Loney (Global News)  The federal government is teaming up with two Canadian companies in a pilot project that would use algae to convert greenhouse gas emissions from the oilsands into biofuels.
The National Research …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  In Washington, BIO begins the week with applause for Sens. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) and Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) and other members of the Senate Agriculture Committee for including mandatory funding for …

by Erin Voegele (Biodiesel Magazine)  During a call to discuss its first quarter financial results, Syntroleum Corp. announced that Dynamic Fuels LLC’s renewable diesel plant in Geismar, La., is expected to resume operations in July. …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Biofuels’s Montagues and Capulets were at it again last week — with a flurry of press releases about court decisions and commercial timelines regarding their respective isbutanol technologies.
At the heart …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  World’s #1 chemical company to produce renewable Butanediol using Genomatica’s process.  The Digest has a one-on-one with Genomatica CEO Christophe Schilling to explore the deal in-depth.
In Germany, BASF announced that …

by Matthew Landau (Aquatic Biosystems) In 2010, Qatar University initiated an algal biofuel project funded by Qatar Airways, and Qatar Science and Technology Park with a 3-year budget of USD 12 million. Completion of the first …

(SB Wire/Eccotopia)  Julian Moses, president of Symphony Trade and Investment 57 (Pty) Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Eccotopia Ltd.,http://www.eccotopia.com/, has announced that  Eccotopia and Pacific Tree West are in the process of signing a …

by RP Siegel (Industry Market Trends Green & Clean Journal/ThomasNet.com)  Four years ago, American LeMans kicked off its first green racing season. The program, which requires teams to use alternative fuels such as ethanol blends (E10 or …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) … Oil refiners have been waging a well-funded war on California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard, which requires oil companies to reduce the carbon pollution from gasoline and diesel by 10 percent …

(The Coordinating Research Council, Inc)  This report documents and compares the results of detailed analyses of the physical and chemical properties of ten advanced alternative and renewable diesel fuels and four commercial ultra low sulfur …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  …“Building on the first gallons of cellulosic diesel we shipped in March, we continue to make progress with operations at our Columbus facility,” said KiOR CEO Fred Cannon. “The on-stream …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Raises $80M at $10 per share; becomes first new industrial biotech company to complete IPO in more than a year.  What went right and how? Is the IPO window re-opening?
…
First …

by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com)  Colorado State University’s Center for the New Energy Economy (CNEE) has launched an Advanced Energy Legislation (AEL) Tracker, a database tracking energy-related state legislation pending in all 50 states. Types of energy include solar, …

by Jeff Dute (AL.com)  Corporate America does not often invite the public into the research and development process of products that could potentially revolutionize how their vehicles are fueled, how plastics are made and even …

(EurActiv)

Leaders of the EU and their partners in the G8 nations are under mounting pressure to reconsider their support for biofuel targets amid concern that plant oil production competes with food output in poor countries.

Britain, …

(E2B) According to the Department of Transport, between 15 April 2012 and 14 January 2013, 965 million litres of renewable fuel were supplied, of which 66 per cent have so proven to be sustainable. 18 per …

by Rachel Leonard  (WestEndAlexandriaPatch)  City Manager Rashad Young is criticizing a request from Norfolk Southern for a permit to increase the number of rail cars containing ethanol that can be offloaded at its Alexandria facility.
In a …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  The sector’s perennial hottest company strikes again — with “potentially disruptive” new technology to change the positioning and performance of triglyceride oils.
In California, Solazyme and AkzoNobel announced an agreement targeting …

(US Environmental Protection Agency)  The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing the availability of up to $9 million through the National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program (DERA) for Fiscal Year 2013 for new projects …

(Green Car Congress)  The California Energy Commission unanimously adopted the 2013-2014 Investment Plan Update to support the development and use of green vehicles and alternative fuels. The update sets funding priorities for the approximately $100 million in …

by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  Gevo Inc. provided updated information on it Luverne, Minn., plant and patent dispute with Butamax Advanced Biofuels LLC as part of its recent first quarter 2013 financial announcement.
During a …

Christopher Doering (Des Moines Register)  President Obama’s choice to head the Environmental Protection Agency, Gina McCarthy, vowed to take a more active role in working with the agriculture community.
During her confirmation hearing before the Senate …

by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  The U.S. Energy Information Administration has published updated data on alternative fuels and vehicles through 2011. The analysis addresses several alternative transportation fuels, including E85, hydrogen, electricity, natural gas …

by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  The International Energy Agency Bioenergy Task 39 group recently published a report that outlines progress on more than 100 advanced biofuel projects under development worldwide. The report, titled “Status …

(NH3 Fuel Association)  Renewable ammonia producer SynGest is now featured on the Fueling Growth website, which aims to show “How clean fuel companies are fueling economic growth in California and beyond.” Fueling Growth is a project of Environmental Entrepreneurs (E2).
SynGest uses a process to …

(Algae Industry Magazine) The National Algae Association’s (NAA) Algae Farming Workshop, held in the Houston, Texas, area on April 11-12, focused on NAA’s battle cry of getting algae production out of research and development and …

(25 x ’25)  With global demand for food, feed, fiber and energy on the rise, the need for critical ecosystem services like flood control, water filtration, biodiversity and carbon sequestration is even greater. The development …

(Hamburg Business Development Corp./Biodiesel Magazine)  The first house in the world to supply its own energy with unique “bioskin” through the cultivation of micro-algae is being presented at the International Building Exhibition IBA Hamburg in …

(Hard Rock International/Biodiesel Magazine)  Willie Nelson and Hard Rock International announced the launch of the limited-edition Willie Nelson Artist Spotlight merchandise program, benefiting the Sustainable Biodiesel Alliance and Animal Welfare Institute. The line, a partnership …

by Cindy Zimmerman (DomesticFuel.com)  Legislation to reauthorize the Farm Bill energy title was introduced in the Senate Monday. Senators Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Al Franken (D-MN) introduced the Rural Energy Investment Act to “help farmers, ranchers, and …

(Tallahassee.com)  Having spent some time on the ground in Tallahassee and talking with several legislators over the past few years, it is clear the ethanol program the state has developed is not understood and certainly …

by Kathy Robertson (Sacramento Business Journal)  Novozymes Inc. is staffing up to support a $2.5 million Department of Energy contract to find new and more efficient enzymes for turning corn leaves and stalks into fuel for …

by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  The University of California-Davis Institute of Transportation Studies has published a new status review of the state’s low carbon fuel standard (LCFS). The review is the second in a …

by Carlin Rosengarten  (Fueling Growth) Nearly 30 years ago, Paul Woods invented the Direct to Ethanol technology that his company, Algenol Biofuels, utilizes today to produce ethanol from blue-green algae at its state-of-the-art commercial development campus …

(EurActiv)  …This conflict is not one between green ambitions and trade rules – it is a conflict between trade rules and a biofuels policy aiming to favour domestically produced biofuels at the expense of foreign …