donate now
Truly Sustainable Renewable Future
April 17, 2012 – 10:42 am | No Comment

Advanced Biofuels are high-energy liquid transportation fuels derived from: low nutrient input/high per acre yield crops; agricultural or forestry waste; or other sustainable biomass feedstocks including algae.  The key word is “sustainable.”
A technical definition that …

Read the full story »
Business News/Analysis

Federal Legislation

Political news and views from Capitol Hill.

More Coming Events

Conferences and Events List in Addition to Coming Events Carousel (above)

Original Writing, Opinions Advanced Biofuels USA

Sustainability

Home » Archive by Category

Articles in Oklahoma

FAPC Algae Project Ranks No. 1 for OCAST Funding
May 14, 2013 – 2:54 pm | No Comment

(Algae Industry Magazine)   An algae research proposal from Oklahoma State University’s Robert M. Kerr Food & Agricultural Products Center (FAPC) was ranked No. 1 of 28 plant-related research projects, resulting in $100,000 in funding …

Mighty Algae Could Lead to Biofuels Breakthrough
May 14, 2013 – 1:40 pm | No Comment

by Adam Wilmoth  (News OK)  OSU researcher Gerald Schoenknecht and his team recently completed genome sequencing for an algae that thrives inside active volcanoes. The researchers hope to use their findings to help make tough …

Oklahoma State University Using Sweet Sorghum to Develop Biofuels
January 2, 2013 – 11:58 am | No Comment

by Sean Hubbard  (EdmondSun.com)  The U.S. Department of Agriculture, United Sorghum Checkoff Program, Oklahoma Bioenergy Center and the South Central Sun Grant Program have taken note and funded the majority of the research of Danielle …

Teaching Biofuels in School
December 20, 2012 – 4:49 pm | No Comment

by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com)  Shane Robinson, associate professor in the Oklahoma State University Department of Agricultural Education, Communications and Leadership wants to teach students math and science through green energy and biofuels. He is partnering with the …

USDA Grants Support Sustainable Bioenergy Production
December 17, 2012 – 11:47 am | No Comment

(US Department of Agriculture)    Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced $10 million in research grants to spur production of bioenergy and biobased products that will lead to the development of sustainable regional systems and help …

ACORE Releases 2012 State-by-State Resource for Renewable Energy
November 12, 2012 – 12:23 pm | No Comment

(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 …

Kum & Go Opens Two New Tulsa Locations
November 8, 2012 – 12:00 pm | No Comment

by Kyle Arnold   (Tulsa World)  Each of the new stores has 20 fueling stations that offer diesel and unleaded grades of gasoline, as well as a higher ethanol blend, E-85.  READ MORE

Using Manure To Mend Mine-Damaged Soils
November 1, 2012 – 3:43 pm | No Comment

(USDA Agricultural Research Service)  From 1850 to 1950, the Tri-State Mining District of southwestern Missouri, southeastern Kansas, and northeastern Oklahoma produced 50 percent of the zinc and 10 percent of the lead in the United …

Food Crises and Technological Phobia
September 7, 2012 – 4:36 pm | No Comment

by Drew Kershen (BioFortified)  …I do not write to enter the debate focused on fuel standards, markets and commodity speculators.   I acknowledge that other factors also contribute to food crises, particularly in developing nations – …

Functional Characterization of the Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) R2R3-MYB Transcription Factor PvMYB4 for Improvement of Lignocellulosic Feedstocks
August 30, 2012 – 7:36 pm | No Comment

Hui Shen, Xianzhi He, Charleson R. Poovaiah, Wegi A. Wuddineh, Junying Ma, David G. J. Mann, Huanzhong Wang,  Lisa Jackson, Yuhong Tang, C. Neal Stewart Jr, Fang Chen, Richard A. Dixon (New Phytologist)

The major obstacle for bioenergy production from switchgrass biomass is the low saccharification efficiency …

Genetic Manipulation of Lignin Reduces Recalcitrance and Improves Ethanol Production from Switchgrass
August 30, 2012 – 7:30 pm | No Comment

by Chunxiang Fu,  Jonathan R. Mielenz, Xirong Xiao, Yaxin Ge, Choo Y. Hamilton,  Miguel Rodriguez, Jr.,  Fang Chen, Marcus Foston,  Arthur Ragauskas, Joseph Bouton, Richard A. Dixon, and Zeng-Yu Wang  (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences)   Switchgrass is a leading dedicated bioenergy …

Salicylic Acid Mediates the Reduced Growth of Lignin Down-Regulated Plants
August 30, 2012 – 7:24 pm | No Comment

Lina Gallego-Giraldo, Luis Escamilla-Trevino,  Lisa A. Jackson, and Richard A. Dixon (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences)   Down-regulation of the enzyme hydroxycinnamoyl CoA: shikimate hydroxycinnamoyl transferase (HCT) in thale cress (Arabidopsis thaliana) and alfalfa (Medicago sativa) leads …

Mutation of WRKY Transcription Factors Initiates Pith Secondary Wall Formation and Increases Stem Biomass in Dicotyledonous Plants
August 30, 2012 – 7:19 pm | No Comment

Huanzhong Wang,  Utku Avci,  Jin Nakashima,  Michael G. Hahn, Fang Chen, and Richard A. Dixon (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences)  Stems of dicotyledonous plants consist of an outer epidermis, a cortex, a ring of secondarily …

Oklahoma Researchers Look to Refuel Ethanol
August 27, 2012 – 4:42 pm | No Comment

by Adam Wilmoth (News OK)  The extended drought has reduced the country’s corn supply and driven up corn costs, affecting the price of ethanol and gasoline. Oklahoma researchers are working to solve both problems.
Researchers in …

Agriculture Secretary Vilsack Announces Support for Producers to Grow Renewable Feedstocks for Advanced Biofuels
July 31, 2012 – 4:16 pm | No Comment

(US Department of Agriculture)  Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced payments for 125 advanced Biofuel producers across the country to support the production and expansion of advanced biofuels from a wide variety of non-food sources, …

Key Senate Biofuels Critic under Fire over Nat-Gas Fuel Earmarks
July 31, 2012 – 1:51 pm | No Comment

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Arch-critic of the cost of military biofuels — Oklahoma Senator James Inhofe — comes under scrutiny over earmarks for natural gas-based military fuels that cost 29 times more than conventional …

National Ad Campaign Takes off Showcasing America’s Advanced Biofuel
July 23, 2012 – 5:16 pm | No Comment

(National Biodiesel Board/Biodiesel Magazine)  …As the U.S. biodiesel industry shows in its just-launched ad campaign, biodiesel is here, now.
This ad campaign is the second time the industry has taken to the airwaves, television screens, Web …

ERDA Hopes to Turn Red Cedar Liability into National Asset
July 18, 2012 – 2:22 pm | No Comment

by James Neal (Enid News and Eagle)  Enid Regional Development Alliance is hoping to turn one of Oklahoma’s liabilities into a national asset, and boost the local economy in the process, with an ambitious plan …

Dial 9011 for Crop Assistance
June 14, 2012 – 11:13 am | No Comment

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Section 9011 of the Farm Bill – the Biomass Crop Assistance Program – USDA deploys $9.6M in new investments in bioenergy crops as questions revolve around the program’s future and …

Yecch, Ptooey! The 13 Oddest and Strangest Biofuels Feedstocks
June 4, 2012 – 1:34 pm | No Comment

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Most of the stories we write at the Digest on the subject of biofuels feedstocks fall into the well-established realms of normal. But every once in  a while, a feedstock …

Ethanol Blends Overtaking Gasoline Supply Chain
March 23, 2012 – 5:51 pm | No Comment

(OPISNet.com)  It’s been a long time coming, but ethanol now dominates the U.S. gasoline blending landscape. The number of wholesale terminals supplying only conventional clear gasoline for truck loadings has trimmed down to just nine …

Gasoline’s Comeback in the Bio-Based Era: 5 Cleantech Companies Vie for Green Gasoline Breakthroughs
March 20, 2012 – 4:47 pm | No Comment

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  …But in the past two years, five technologies have emerged that are focused on renewable gasoline (along with some others that have the capability of producing gasoline-like fuels but are …

Production of Castor Beans as a Biofuel Source Would Be Outlawed under Oklahoma Measure
February 9, 2012 – 2:07 pm | No Comment

by Michael McNutt  (NewsOK)  Oklahoma House panel passes measure that would prohibit growing the ornamental plant commercially as a biofuel crop. The flowering plant still may be grown by nurseries.
Growing castor beans for commercial purposes …

Iowa State University Scientists Part of US-Japan Team Set to Research Gene Chemistry to Enhance Biofuel, Biochemical Technology
December 8, 2011 – 10:08 am | No Comment

(PressZoom/Iowa State University)   An Iowa State University research team is collaborating with scientists at the Samuel Roberts Nobel Foundation and also with scientists in Japan to develop an international partnership to help make strides …

Two Oklahoma Lawmakers File Bills to Bar Castor Beans
November 29, 2011 – 10:08 am | No Comment

by Randy Krehbiel (Durant Daily Democrat)  …Ricin, which can be extracted from crushed castor beans, is so potent a toxin that a dose equivalent to a few grains of salt induces a slow, agonizing death …

Sundrop Announces $450M Biofuels Project in Louisiana
November 28, 2011 – 2:23 pm | No Comment

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  In Colorado, Sundrop Fuels announced that they have agreed to purchase about 1,200 acres of land near Alexandria, Louisiana to build their first plant.  Using forest waste and hydrogen from natural …

Amtrak: Biodiesel Trial Results Encouraging
November 2, 2011 – 10:07 am | No Comment

(Railway Age)  Amtrak says that it found the use of a renewable biodiesel fuel blend to power its daily Heartland Flyer train “resulted in no more wear on the locomotive than traditional diesel fuels and …

Agriculture Secretary Vilsack Announces Payments to Producers in 41 States to Expand the Production and Availability of Advanced Biofuels
September 28, 2011 – 9:16 am | No Comment

(US Department of Agriculture)  Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today (September 27, 2011) announced that USDA will make payments to more than 160 energy producers in 41 states to support and ensure the production and expansion …

Ford F-250 Super Duty Breaks Two Land Speed Records
August 24, 2011 – 7:03 am | No Comment

by Greg Emmerson (EuroTuner)  Using the new 6.7-liter Power Stroke V8 turbo-diesel engine, the truck hit a top speed of 171.123mph setting the new B Production Diesel Truck land speed record.
The Ford truck broke the …

Steaming Ahead to a Better Fuel: Railroad Companies Investigate Benefits of Using Biodiesel-Blended Fuels
August 23, 2011 – 2:33 pm | No Comment

by Erin Voegele (Biodiesel Magazine)  The railroad is already considered one of the most environmentally sustainable and efficient ways to transport freight. Although most railways address fuel efficiency in terms of gallons-per-mile rather than miles-per-gallon, …

Vilsack: USDA Will Continue to Push for Blender Pump Expansion
August 22, 2011 – 11:30 am | No Comment

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 …

BCAP Helps Abengoa Solve Chicken-and-Egg Feedstock Issue
August 15, 2011 – 12:13 pm | No Comment

by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  With help from the USDA Biomass Crop Assistance Program, Abengoa is on its way to establishing a significantly sized switchgrass plantation in parts of Kansas and Oklahoma surrounding the …

USDA, DOE Award 10 R&D Grants for Advanced Bioenergy Feedstocks
August 12, 2011 – 8:43 am | No Comment

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that the USDA and DOE have awarded 10 grants totaling $12.2 million to spur research into improving the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of growing biofuel and bioenergy …

Oklahoma State Opening $15M Biosciences Center
August 1, 2011 – 1:15 pm | No Comment

by Jeff Latzke (Forbes)  Oklahoma State University is nearing completion of a new $15 million biosciences research center in Ardmore that will serve as a hub for scientists studying alternative fuels.
Vice President for Agricultural Programs …

USDA Awards $45 Million to Four New BCAP Projects
July 29, 2011 – 12:04 pm | No Comment

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced today the creation of four additional Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP) project areas in six states to expand the availability of non-food crops to be …

2011 Biomass Program Peer Review Meetings Final Meetings June 27-28, 2011 Chrystal City, VA
June 24, 2011 – 9:33 am | No Comment
2011 Biomass Program Peer Review Meetings  Final Meetings June 27-28, 2011 Chrystal City, VA

(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 …

Algae Included in Fuel Feedstock Freedom Act Introduced to Senate
May 31, 2011 – 9:23 am | No Comment

(Algae Industry Magazine) …The Fuel Feedstock Freedom Act (S. 1085), gives individual states the option not to participate in the corn ethanol portion of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). It also expands the cellulosic biofuel …

Big Food Shifting the Blame Higher Grocery Costs
May 24, 2011 – 6:20 am | No Comment

by Chris Thorne (Growth Energy/NewsOK) letter to editor:  Regarding “Corn ethanol is burning up food budgets” (Point of View, May 13): J. Patrick Boyle, president and CEO of the American Meat Institute, misled readers about the …

Senators Introduce Bill to End Ethanol Subsidies, Import Tariff
May 4, 2011 – 9:02 am | No Comment

by Jim Snyder (Bloomberg)  …Senators Dianne Feinstein, a California Democrat, and Tom Coburn, an Oklahoma Republican, said the 45-cent credit, which is given to oil refiners for each gallon of ethanol they blend with gasoline, was unjustified …

Q&A with Matt Roberts, Owner of RS Fuels Store Owner Looks to Make Alternative Fuels a Part of Company’s Offerings
April 28, 2011 – 9:53 am | No Comment

by Jay Marks (NewsOK.com)   Q:  RS Fuel recently opened a convenience store at 3330 W Memorial Road offering compressed natural gas and E85 ethanol. Why did you think it was important to offer those …

OriginOil Signs First Major Distribution Deal with Process Partner
April 15, 2011 – 12:01 pm | No Comment

(OriginOil)  Global distribution plan extends to product integration, manufacturing and mutual marketing
OriginOil, Inc., the developer of breakthrough technology to transform algae, the most promising source of renewable oil, into a true competitor to petroleum, today announced …

USDA Grants Support Sustainable Bioenergy Production
April 13, 2011 – 2:53 pm | No Comment

(U.S. Department of Agriculture)  Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced research grants awarded to spur production of bioenergy and biobased products that will lead to the development of sustainable regional systems and help create jobs. …

Harvesting, Storage and Transfer Technology Update
April 11, 2011 – 1:05 pm | No Comment

by Maynard Herron and Bob Matousek   (Kansas Alliance for Biorefining and Bioenergy)     AGCO (Hesston, KS) received an award for biomass feedstock supply demonstration as a partial match of a $5 million renewable …

Syntroleum Reports $9.6M Loss for 2010, Bullish for 2011
March 18, 2011 – 8:50 am | No Comment

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Syntroleum reported a $9.6 million loss for fiscal 2010 in its 10K SEC form, with revenues having declined $19 million compared to 2009.  In a teleconference to discuss Syntroleum’s report, …

Oklahoma State Professor Turns Soda Waste into Ethanol
March 15, 2011 – 1:14 pm | No Comment

by Kristi Eaton  (Bloomberg Business Week)   An Oklahoma State University professor says she’s found a way to turn byproducts from the production of soda pop into ethanol.
Biosystems and agricultural engineering associate professor Danielle Bellmer said …

Genetically Modified Prairie Grass Yields Cheaper, More Abundant Ethanol
February 23, 2011 – 9:55 am | No Comment

By Elizabeth Lopatto (Bloomberg)  Switchgrass, the prairie plant that once fueled the buffalo herds of the American Great Plains, may one day fill automobile tanks in a bioengineered form that’s cheaper and yields more ethanol than …

Agriculture Secretary Vilsack Announces Producer Payments to Promote Bioenergy Production in Rural America
January 21, 2011 – 4:18 pm | No Comment

(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 …

Discovery Means More Plants in Less Space
December 30, 2010 – 10:03 am | No Comment

(UPI)  U.S. scientists have uncovered a gene responsible for plants’ key growth characteristics, specifically their density, a finding that could improve agriculture.
Researchers at the Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation in Oklahoma say denser plants have more biomass …

BioWinol Technologies: A Hybrid Green Process for Biofuel Production
September 14, 2010 – 2:23 pm | No Comment

Oklahoma State University is a recipient of a $10,000 EPA People, Prosperity, and the Planet (P3) Phase I grant for a hybrid green process for biofuel production.
BIOWINol Technologies proposed a unique hybrid technology that uses …

Algae Fuel Effort Grows: Tulsa University Students Researching Alternatives
August 19, 2010 – 3:08 pm | No Comment

by Rod Walton   (Tulsa World)  …”I got into it because of the potential with algae,” said Geoffrey Price, professor, department chairman and part of the research team. “It’s because they take in sunlight more efficiently …

Fort Worth’s Amtrak Rail Service Beefs Up with Animal-Based Biodiesel
April 22, 2010 – 5:46 pm | No Comment

by Gordon Dickson  (Star-Telegram)  Where’s the beef? It’s in the belly of that Amtrak locomotive.
Shortly after noon Tuesday, the Amtrak Heartland Flyer pulled into downtown Fort Worth. It looked and smelled like pretty much any …

Biomass Feedstock Harvest from Conservation Reserve Program Land in Northwestern Oklahoma
March 19, 2010 – 7:27 am | No Comment

by B. C. Venuto and J. A. Daniel (Crop Science)  Development of a biofuel industry based on biomass will require large quantities of cellulosic feedstock. Among the proposals for acquiring this feedstock, without impacting other …

‘Sweet’ Biofuels Research Goes Down On The Farm
September 30, 2007 – 3:11 pm | One Comment

(Science Daily)  Oklahoma State University’s sorghum-related biofuels research is taking a localized approach, with the aim of making possible the effective production of ethanol in the farmer’s own field.
Sweet sorghum can be grown throughout temperate …