(North Dakota State University Extension/Farm & Ranch Guide)  …At North Dakota State University, the feasibility of using new sugarbeet varieties, known as energy beets, for ethanol production is under study. Energy beets have characteristics very …

by Mikkel Pates (Prairie Business) Colorado company Agrebon Inc. and North Dakota partners are in discussions with North Dakota’s two largest ethanol plants in Casselton and Hankinson to build small-scale nitrogen fertilizer factories on their campuses.
…Each …

(U.S. Energy Information Administration/Ethanol Producer Magazine)  Beginning in summer 2012, the prices of ethanol and corn reached levels where production costs at relatively simple ethanol plants exceeded revenue. These simple plants, which are not able …

by Jessica Holdman (Bismark Tribune) Research scientists at Northern Great Plains Research Laboratory are testing sugar beets as a new source of ethanol.
Igathi Cannayen presented his research this week at the lab’s annual research conference …

by Christopher K. Wright and Michael C. Wimberly (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences)   In the US Corn Belt, a recent doubling in commodity prices has created incentives for landowners to convert grassland to …

(Renewable Fuels Association)  The Advanced Ethanol Council this morning released a report giving a snapshot of cellulosic ethanol producers in the U.S. and around the world. A look at facilities owned by companies such as …

by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  An alternative energy company looking to build multiple energy beet-to-biofuel plants in Kentucky recently became the first corporation to join the Kentucky Hemp Growers Cooperative Association. Although federal rules …

by Rich Keller (Ag Professional)  “Energy beets” have proven to produce double the ethanol of corn per acre in research studies. But what are the full economics and will a large-scale demonstration ethanol plant using …

(ACORE)  The American Council On Renewable Energy (ACORE) released the 2012 edition of its report, Renewable Energy in the 50 States, as an interactive, online resource. Compiling updated financial data, resource potentials, market and policy …

(National Corn Growers Association)  State corn associations across the country are working diligently to make the increased use of higher ethanol blends a reality through programs to put the necessary infrastructure in place. Laying the …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  … Today, we’ll look at the bigger balance sheets to see who is investing what, and when, with whom, and why.
…We’ve also focused here, for the sake of brevity, on those …

by Sue Roesler  (Minnesota Farm Guide)  Energy beets are growing hardy for the second year in a row in crop fields south of Minot’s NDSU Northern Research Extension Center near Minot, N.D.
They will soon be …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Despite low levels of publicity, North Dakota and Montana are making great strides in bioeconomy development – with a combination of strong R&D, feedstock abundance and some hot processing technologies.
…The …

by Adam Monroe (News Observer)  Last week Gov. Beverly Perdue filed a waiver request for the Renewable Fuel Standard, one of the nation’s most successful energy policies and of critical importance to North Carolina’s economy, …

(KSFY.com)   …A local family fun park is trying to beat these costs. They’re the first in the U.S. to use E85 in their go-karts. E85 is a blend of 85% ethanol and 15% gas. The …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  …Yet, even in an era where venture capital has been harder to come by (Why? See these 42 article links under the rubric, “The VC Model is Broken” ) — some great …

(The Energy & Environmental Research Center/Biorefining Magazine)  The Energy & Environmental Research Center at the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks has successfully developed and demonstrated a mobile, trailer-mounted biomass gasification technology that converts …

by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  North American sugar-to-ethanol strategy differs from Brazil’s, Europe’s
…North Dakota-based Green Vision Group is resolutely moving forward with a plan to build multiple 20 MMgy dedicated energy beet plants in …

(Farm & Ranch Guide)  Recently released statistics show a staggering 97 percent increase in the amount of ethanol-blended fuel sold in North Dakota from 2010 to 2011.
…Increased sales of ethanol-blended fuel in North Dakota are …

(Grand Forks Herald)  Energae LP, the group planning to reopen the former Alchem Ltd. ethanol plant in Grafton, N.D., will conduct a meeting at noon Friday for sugar beet growers.
The meeting will be at Marketplace …

(KFYR-TV)  With the price of gasoline increasing to $3.70 a gallon, more and more motorists are choosing E-30 and E-85, a less expensive alternative to gasoline. In fact, sales of ethanol-blended fuel in North Dakota …

(WDAZ-TV) The former Alchem Ethanol plant in Grafton could re-open later this year. When it does, it will be turning sugar beets into the alternative fuel instead of corn.  READ MORE and MORE (Grand Forks Herald)

(The Jamestown Sun)  State Tax Department data shows that more than 1.3 million gallons of ethanol-blended fuel was sold in the state last year. That’s up from about 663,000 barrels in 2010.  Officials credit the …

by Former Sens. Trent Lott (R-Miss.) and Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) (Bipartisan Policy Center/The Hill)  …For example, both parties have helped raise fuel efficiency standards.  First under President Bush in 2007, then under President Obama in …

by Steve Tarter  (The State-Journal Register)  More U.S. ethanol was shipped overseas in 2011 than any year in history.
The Washington, D.C.-based Renewable Fuels Association reported that 1.1 billion gallons of ethanol — worth about $2.5 …

by Bryan Sims (Biorefining Magazine)  A unique noncatalytic thermal-cracking technology developed under the Sustainable Energy Research Initiative and Supporting Education supercluster program at the University of North Dakota is poised for commercialization. UND has received …

by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  A project aiming for energy beet-to-ethanol production in North Dakota hit some significant milestones recently. Putting the project a big step closer to reality is $1 million in funding …

(AgWeek/NDSU Agriculture Communication)  A project that will develop an advanced biofuel from energy beets and provide growers across North Dakota with a new industrial crop is taking another important step forward, fueled by a significant …

by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  Cattlemen are increasingly turning to value-added distillers grains products from SweetPro Feeds
…Using the coproduct from ethanol production as a medium for vitamins, minerals, yeast and enzymes provides benefits that …

(Jackson County Times-Journal)  The United Soybean Board (USB) and soybean checkoff have announced the participants in the 2012 biodiesel and Bioheat® communications program, which helps cities across the United States spread the word about the …

by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine)   The USDA announced the final round of fiscal year 2011 Renewable Energy for America Program awards on Dec. 14. The awards included grants for 12 blender pump projects …

by Erin Voegele (Biodiesel Magazine)  The USDA’s Risk Management Agency has developed a pilot program to insure camelina. The program, which will be available in selected counties in Montana and North Dakota for the 2012 …

by Cole Gustafson, Thein Maung and David Ripplinger (North Dakota State University/Ethanol Producer Magazine)  NDSU quantifies the cost and time involved in corn stover collection
…The research team at  North Dakota State University in Fargo recently …

by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  Despite the promise of methane from anaerobic digestion technology, low natural gas rates and other factors have kept ethanol producers from jumping in with both feet.
…On top of the …

(US Department of Agriculture)  Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today (December 14, 2011) announced loans and grants for agricultural producers and rural small businesses across the country to implement renewable energy and energy efficiency measures in …

by Kevin Skunes (InForum)  In response to Ross Nelson’s “Ethanol? I’ll supply the shovels” column on Nov. 27, we should take a look at these issues using current and correct information.
…Corn-based ethanol is a viable …

(Metso)  Metso will supply the world’s first commercial installation of LignoBoost technology to Domtar in North America. The equipment will be intergrated with the Plymouth North Carolina pulp mill. The LignoBoost process separates and collects …

by Sue Roesler (Farm & Ranch Guide)    Cole Gustafson, department chair of the Department of Agribusiness and Applied Economics at North Dakota State University, said while there’s more concerns about corn ethanol at the …

(US Department of Agriculture)  The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Risk Management Agency (RMA) has announced a new pilot program of insurance for camelina beginning with the 2012 crop year. Camelina is an oilseed crop …

by Russ Newman (Grand Forks Herald)  …Ethanol — made right here in America — is already creating jobs that cannot be outsourced and displacing foreign oil with a clean, renewable and uniquely American fuel.
But we …

(Chron.com)  A state Commerce Department official says many North Dakotans who drive so-called “flex-fuel” vehicles don’t even know it.
They’re among the people who are the intended targets of a proposed marketing campaign to increase ethanol sales.
North Dakota’s Industrial Commission has …

by Bryan Sims (Biodiesel Magazine)  A growing number of restaurants and other industrial facilities that use cooking oil will be frying green as Filta Environmental Kitchen Solutions opened three new franchise locations in the U.S.—North …

by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  Thirty-three projects in 22 states have been approved for blender pump grants in the latest round of funding to be dispersed through the USDA’s Rural Energy for America Program. …

(PR Web/Filta Environmental Kitchen Solutions Franchise)   One of the truly unique services being introduced to the Fargo market is Filta’s FiltaBio service, which is essentially waste oil collection and recycling without the traditional collection bin. Once …

by Sarah Gustin (KXMB TV Bismark)  …(Jeff Zueger / Blue Flint Ethanol) “We really need blender pump infastructure, we need flex fuel vehicle infastructure, so we can get to those higher level blends so consumers …

by Alan Van Ormer (Prairie Business Magazine)  Many industry leaders support a biofuels policy, but also believe that more things can be done to help address any deficiencies in a national policy.
Hunter Roberts, State Energy …

by Cole Gustafson, Thein Maung and David Ripplinger (Ethanol Producer Magazine/North Dakota State University)  If cellulosic biofuel development remains on track, several commercial firms will be contracting for corn stover in 2012.  How will farmers balance …

by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  The USDA’s Aug. 17 announcement of 900 Rural Energy for America Program grants included just 21 awards for blender pumps. USDA officials promise, however, that more funding is on …

(North Dakota State University)  Several crops produced in North Dakota could play a significant role in biobased resins and coatings recently developed by researchers at North Dakota State University. Scientists at NDSU have developed biobased …

by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  …Inbicon conducted an extensive crop study and biomass research project to show just how much biomass is available in the Midwest. “Our findings confirm that North America’s great abundance …

by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  Add-on technology developed for corn ethanol plants
Rather than retrofitting a corn-ethanol plant to produce i-butanol, n-butanol or use other novel fermentation technologies, three companies are collaborating to turn a …

by Cindy Zimmerman (DomesticFuel.com)  The Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory is looking for the best biofuels crops to grow in the northeast Illinois Indian Creek Watershed.
During a recent field tour of the watershed sponsored by …

by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  Hankinson Renewable Energy LLC, a 120 MMgy ethanol plant in Hankinson, N.D., is in the process of starting up an anaerobic digester to produce 54 MMBtu of biogas a …

by Holly Jessen (DomesticFuel.com)  Although the U.S. corn ethanol industry is frequently misunderstood and misrepresented, it’s the only domestic renewable fuel industry to reach significant scale and make a measurable impact on the U.S. fuel …

(US Department of Energy)  The U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Biomass Program will be conducting detailed biennial peer review meetings of its activities throughout the first half …

by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  The USDA’s June 15 application deadline for blender pump funding via the Rural Energy for America Program is fast approaching and state energy coordinators say they have been busy …

by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  North Dakota is poised to continue its impressive expansion of biofuels infrastructure with the continuation of a program to encourage the installation of retail ethanol and biodiesel fuel pumps.
Originally …

Biomass, such as agricultural residues, straws, grasses, wood residues, animal wastes, and algae, is increasing as a marketable renewable resource for production of electricity, heat, and transportation fuels. This will be the ninth conference dealing …

by Cole Gustafson  (Ethanol Producer Magazine/North Dakota State University)  …Why beets? The Northern Plains is the nation’s lowest-cost producer of sugar due to a favorable growing climate and cold winters that extend feedstock storage and …

(Senator Chuck Grassley)  Senators Chuck Grassley of Iowa and Kent Conrad of North Dakota today introduced bipartisan legislation to update ethanol tax policies in an effort to boost domestic energy production and increase America’s energy independence …

by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  In order for ag residues and energy crops to be profitably converted to biofuels, it is expected that biorefineries will need to acquire all of their feedstocks from within …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  …For hot technology companies such as Amyris, Solazyme, LS9, Cobalt and Virent, it all comes down to low-cost sugars.
Which brings us to the case of that other sugar source: your …

(Dakota Spirit AgEnergy)   Dakota Spirit AgEnergy, a proposed cellulosic biorefinery near Spiritwood, N.D., has evolved from a 20 million gallon per year (MGY) cellulosic ethanol plant into a 58 MGY “hybrid” ethanol plant comprised of a …

by Jeff Zueger  (Inforum.com)  To read Ross Nelson’s column on ethanol (“Ethanol’s promise is empty, “ March 14, Forum), one could come away with the impression that ethanol production is an inefficient and outdated technology.
The …

(The Republic)  …Doug Goehring earlier this month led a North Dakota delegation on a trip to Denmark to learn about that country’s efforts to develop a cellulosic ethanol industry.
…Goehring tells Prairie Public Radio that there’s …

by Sue Roesler  (Farm & Ranch Guide)  …The biomass refinery would be a part of Dakota Spirit AgEnergy LLC and would be located next to the Cargill barley malting plant and the Great River Energy …

by Cole Gustafson (Western Farm Press/North Dakota State University Extension Service)  A USDA-funded study is developing new pricing and trading standards for cellulosic biomass feedstocks. A first step in the study is to identify the …

(The Bismark Tribune)  Sales of E85 fuel in North Dakota last year more than doubled. State officials credit a grant program for retailers who install so-called blender pumps.
Gov. Jack Dalrymple said between January and November …

(USDA) Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced new investments in 33 states to support the production and usage of advanced biofuels. Vilsack highlighted these projects as ways the Obama Administration is working to reduce the …

by KXMBTV Bismarck (KXNet.com)    Producing a new fuel mix…right at the station, ethanol blender pumps are helping push the demand for ethanol.
At Wilton Cenex they’re blending their own mix of gasoline and ethanol right at the pump.  Consumers …

(The Forum of Fargo-Morehead)   The use of a specialized sugar beet to produce ethanol could be a breakthrough in weaning the industry off corn. An announcement a few days ago of plans to build a …

by Dave Kolpack (AP/The Daily Republic)   A North Dakota group said Monday it plans to open a test plant that would turn dry land sugar beets into ethanol, with hopes of building a dozen processing facilities …

by Alan Anderson (Energy Boom)  A few brave farmers up in North Dakota have taken on the fight of a lifetime.  The brave folks at Green Vision Group have been working with a high potential new …

(BBI International)  BBI International, a leader in globally recognized bioenergy events and trade magazines, has launched a new magazine and international conference. Biorefining magazine and the aligned International Biorefining Conference & Trade Show will provide …

(Dakota Farmer)  New biofuel crop looks good in 2010 trials.
An organization called Green Vision Group is investigating whether biofuel can made from beets. It and the NDSU Carrington Research Extension Center, Syngenta and Beta Seed …

(The Bioenergy Site)  For the past two years, North Dakota State University Biofuels Economist, Cole Gufstafson, has been working in partnership with Green Vision Group and Heartland Renewable Energy (HRE) to create an energy beet for …

by Cole Gustafson (North Dakota State University Extension Service)  Farmers observing the trials were quite excited to see a new crop being developed
Last week, I participated in North Dakota’s first energy beet field days. Energy …

by Michelle Kautz (DomesticFuel)  Grand Forks, North Dakota is now offering flexible fuel vehicle (FFV) owners the choice at the pump. The Valley Dairy station at 2401 S. Columbia Road is offering the ethanol blends …

(Newswire)   Scientists at the University of Arkansas and their colleagues have found populations of wild plants with genes from genetically modified canola in the United States.
Globally, canola can interbreed with 40 different weed species, and 25 …

by Linsey Davis(North Dakota State University)  Two NDSU professors received $309,357 from the National Science Foundation for research to improve conversion and reduce costs of making ethanol from cellulosic biomass. Andriy Voronov, assistant professor in the …

by Dale Hildebrant (Minnesota Farm Guide)  …Delegates to the Biomass ’10 conference in Grand Forks heard reports on all three cellulosic ethanol plant projects, which are in various stages of development. All have a projected …

by James R. Johnson (Grand Forks Herald)  Officials dedicate GF’s first blender pumps.
The first blender pumps in Grand Forks were formally dedicated Tuesday afternoon before more than a dozen supporters at the Valley Dairy store at …

(Biofuels International)  A biomass plant is currently under construction in Spiritwood, North Dakota, US. Owned by electricity provider Great River Energy, the plant will be constructed in two phases.
…During phase two of the project a …

Accelergy Corporation, a global leader in high-grade domestically sourced liquid fuels, today announced that it has begun production of their highly efficient fuel from coal and biomass, to be evaluated by the United States Air …

by Ryan Howard  (Fergus Falls Daily Journal) …(F)rom North Dakota State University, Dr. F. Larry Leistritz, a professor of agribusiness and applied economics, and Nancy Hodur, a research scientist in the same department, created a …

Biomass is no longer a long-range option for U.S. energy needs—it is a significant player. It has many near-term uses now, as seen in the ethanol and biodiesel industry, and holds hope as the largest …

by Mikkel Pates (AgWeek)  Need some help in deciding what to make into biofuels and what the government should be spending on it?   If you’re a North Dakotan, you’ve hired Cole Gustafson to do some …