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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 …

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Articles in Texas

Bill Aims to Open RFS to Natural Gas-Based Ethanol
May 28, 2013 – 11:01 am | No Comment

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 …

Algae: Times and Needs Have Changed.
May 14, 2013 – 1:50 pm | No Comment

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 …

Out of the Shell: Oil Giant’s Big Biofuels Ambitions
May 14, 2013 – 10:24 am | No Comment

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 …

Colorado to Offer $3.1 Million in Tax Credits for Cool Planet HQ
April 12, 2013 – 5:28 pm | No Comment

by Aldo Svaldi (The Denver Post)   Cool Planet Energy Systems took a step closer Friday to a corporate relocation and expansion that could bring nearly 400 jobs to the metro area and place the state …

2013 Clean Fleet Technologies Conference and Exhibit Show June 5 Sugar Land, TX
April 8, 2013 – 6:17 pm | No Comment
2013 Clean Fleet Technologies Conference and Exhibit Show    June 5   Sugar Land, TX

Early registration is $35.00 per attendee.  Early registration ends Wednesday, May 8, 2013.
Regular registration is $50.00 per attendee.  The deadline for online registration is Tuesday, June 4, 2013 at 10:00 AM.
School District registration is $10.00 per attendee.
Onsite registration will …

Not Ready for Slime Time: Algae Present Challenges as Fuel Source
April 8, 2013 – 2:53 pm | No Comment

by Emily Pickrell (FuelFix)  On Jan. 1, Congress made algae-based fuel production eligible for a $1.01-per-gallon cellulosic biofuel production federal tax credit.
Cellulosic biofuels typically are made from woody, non-food material such as grasses or wood …

University of Texas Researchers Design Synthetic Trees for Producing Water and Energy Efficient Algal Biofuels
April 8, 2013 – 1:20 pm | No Comment

by David Wogan (Scientific American)  The idea is straightforward: grow algae in large quantities and harvest the energy dense byproducts as an alternative to fossil fuels. Like larger plants, microalgae use solar energy to fix …

Engineering Algae to Make the ‘Wonder Material’ Nanocellulose for Biofuels and More
April 8, 2013 – 1:09 pm | No Comment

(EurekAlert!/American Chemical Society)  Genes from the family of bacteria that produce vinegar, Kombucha tea and nata de coco have become stars in a project — which scientists today said has reached an advanced stage — …

ACC Clean Energy Challenge Announces Elite Eight Plus Two, Will Vie to Reach Final Four
April 5, 2013 – 6:07 pm | No Comment

(Maryland Technology Enterprise Institute/PR NewsWire)  The $100K ACC Clean Energy Challenge, a business plan competition supported by the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) encouraging students from universities in the southeastern United …

Bio-diesel Fuel Company Owner Sentenced to 188 Months in Federal Prison for Crimes Connected to Illegal Fuels Scheme / Jeffrey Gunselman also fined $175,000 and ordered to pay nearly $55 million in restitution
March 29, 2013 – 7:07 pm | No Comment

(U.S. Environmental Protection Agency)  Jeffrey David Gunselman, 30, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Sam R. Cummings to 188 months in federal prison, fined $175,000 and ordered to pay more than $54.9 million in …

Algae.Tec Using Shipping Containers to Grow Algae
March 27, 2013 – 4:10 pm | No Comment

by John Davis (DomesticFuel.com)  …And some, such as the folks at Algae.Tec, are looking to green shipping containers to grow a literal green feedstock.
“What we wanted was a significant bulk outcome, in other words fuels and …

Commercial Algae Farming Workshop April 11-12, 2013 The Woodlands, Texas
February 27, 2013 – 10:47 am | No Comment
Commercial Algae Farming Workshop     April 11-12, 2013     The Woodlands, Texas

The National Algae Association (NAA) has announced a Commercial Algae Farming Workshop to be held April 11-12, 2013 at the Homewood Suites by Hilton, 29813 I-45 North, in The Woodlands, Texas.
The workshop presentation topics will include Growing for …

CALL FOR PRESENTATIONS: Commercial Algae Farming Workshop April 11-12, 2013 The Woodlands, Texas DEADLINE: March 15, 2013
February 27, 2013 – 10:45 am | No Comment
CALL FOR PRESENTATIONS:  Commercial Algae Farming Workshop    April 11-12, 2013     The Woodlands, Texas   DEADLINE: March 15,  2013

The National Algae Association (NAA) has announced a Commercial Algae Farming Workshop to be held April 11-12, 2013 at the Homewood Suites by Hilton, 29813 I-45 North, in The Woodlands, Texas.
The workshop presentation topics will include Growing for …

Making Superfuels Affordable, via Biofuels: The JP-10 Story
February 25, 2013 – 1:01 pm | No Comment

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Could a switch to biofuels make super-dense JP-10 military aviation fuels affordable? Could F18A Super Hornets add payload or extend range?
Currently reserved for tactical missiles because of cost, biofuels could …

Residential Cooking Oil and Grease Drop-off Program for Austin, Texas by DieselGreen Fuels
February 22, 2013 – 5:24 pm | No Comment

(PR WEB/DieselGreen Fuels)  After recycling oil from Austin and San Antonio commercial kitchens since 2006, DieselGreen is announcing a drop off program for small amounts of used cooking oil. Oil can be dropped off at …

Bridges to Commercialization
February 14, 2013 – 6:59 pm | No Comment

by Jim Lane (Biobased DIgest)  Bringing your biobased technology forward through the Valley of Death may require a bridge over troubled waters.  Here are partners worth knowing.
… Bioenergy commercialization is long, expensive and risky. Derisking …

Master Limited Partnerships (MLPs) April 17, 2013 Houston, TX
February 11, 2013 – 5:00 pm | No Comment
Master Limited Partnerships (MLPs)  April 17, 2013   Houston, TX

This seminar provides an introduction to Master Limited Partnerships (MLPs). The seminar will explore various aspects of MLPs, including tax issues, financial considerations, how governance of MLPs works, and the process by which MLPs obtain …

Biodiesel Available from Lone Star Terminal
February 6, 2013 – 1:42 pm | No Comment

(Biofuels International)  Biodiesel provider Gulf Hydrocarbon Partners has partnered with Akash Energy to resume operations at the Houston, Texas-based Lone Star Terminal, which now offers renewable and biodiesel.
The Lone Star Terminal has a total capacity …

Analysis: Advanced Biofuel Companies Now In More Than Half Of U.S. States; Clean Fuel Standards Fueling Growth In Top States
February 6, 2013 – 11:11 am | No Comment

(PR NewsWire/Yahoo! News)  Top 5 States For Advanced Biofuel Companies: Calif., Ill., Colo., Texas and Iowa; New Web Site at www.FuelingGrowth.org Documents Impact of Growing Industry
California is home to nearly 30 advanced biofuel companies, but dozens of …

Insects’ Gut Microbes Hint at Biofuel Breakthrough
January 29, 2013 – 6:01 pm | No Comment

by Li Jiao (SciDev.net)  Deep inside insects’ guts may lie the key to one of the biofuel industry’s great challenges: how to cost-effectively turn tough plant waste into profit-making fuel.
About 50 million tonnes of lignin …

Texas Researcher Looks into Biodiesel Production from Lignin
January 25, 2013 – 8:25 pm | No Comment

by Holly Jessen  (Biodiesel Magazine)  A two-year research project aims to crack the lignin question by engineering a microbe to break down the byproduct into a lipid, or fat, and then into biodiesel. The research …

Biodiesel Experts Int’l Rolls out New Enzymatic Skid Processors
January 12, 2013 – 7:19 pm | No Comment

by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine)  Biodiesel Experts International has unveiled its new, fully automated, skid-mounted enzymatic biodiesel processing system. After two years of development work to hone the process and build the first unit, the …

Energy Department Awards $10 Million to Develop Advanced Biofuels and Bio-based Products
January 4, 2013 – 3:00 pm | No Comment

(Department of Energy)  As part of the Obama Administration’s all-of-the-above strategy to develop every available source of American energy, the U.S. Department of Energy today announced more than $10 million to five projects in California, …

Advanced Ethanol Council Releases Snapshot of Cellulosic Ethanol Production around the World
December 19, 2012 – 3:58 pm | No Comment

(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 …

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 …

Texas Farm Bureau Conference Exposes Rift on Ethanol
December 6, 2012 – 4:32 pm | No Comment

by J.B. Smith (WacoTrib.com)  …“It’s farmers vs. ranchers,” said McLennan County Farm Bureau president and delegate Kevin Huffman in an interview.
Huffman, who raises cattle, corn, wheat and cotton near McGregor, opposed both amendments but said …

SGB’s Jatropha Vision: Jet Fuel Grown from Seeds
December 3, 2012 – 5:12 pm | No Comment

by Jennifer Alsever (CNN Money)  …  While most of its rivals raced to commercialize the fuel, San Diego-based SG Biofuels took a different path: It hired plant geneticists. They hunkered down in the laboratory to come up …

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 …

Perspectives on 2013: Ethanol Industry Executives Approach 2013 with Optimism and Concern.
November 6, 2012 – 12:40 pm | No Comment

by Holly Jessen & Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  Looking into the future, Jeff Roskam, CEO of the Kansas Alliance for Biorefining and Bioenergy, fears any modification of the renewable fuel standard (RFS). “Period,” he …

One-Step Algae Harvesting, Dewatering, FAME Production
November 5, 2012 – 11:29 am | No Comment

by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine)  Researchers from the University of Texas at Austin have developed a proof-of-concept design to harvest, dewater and convert algae to biodiesel in a one-step process using resins. In a paper …

Algae Producers Look to Market By-Product of Biodiesel
November 2, 2012 – 6:04 pm | No Comment

by John Davis (DomesticFuel.com)  Just as ethanol producers have been able to market the co-product dried distillers grains (DDGs) as livestock feed, those folks producing algae for biodiesel want to find more uses for what’s …

Cattle, Corn Contribute to Ethanol Bonanza
October 31, 2012 – 11:51 am | No Comment

by Art Hovey (Lincoln Journal Star)  The economic bounce that comes from the combination of corn and cattle in Nebraska “is unmatched any other place in the country,” agricultural economist Bruce Johnson told the Nebraska …

Profiling Team Romney: US Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas
October 29, 2012 – 4:15 pm | No Comment

by Ron Kotrba (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney’s short list of possible energy secretaries includes Tea Party-backed U.S. Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas, the House energy committee chairman who gained infamy for his …

Expert: Southeast Has Potential to Become ‘Saudi Arabia’ for Biofuels Crop Production
October 24, 2012 – 3:17 pm | No Comment

by Blair Fannin (Texas A&M University)  Dr. Bill McCutchen sees the potential for the southeast to become the ‘Saudi Arabia’ for production of dedicated energy crops.
“It’s the Bioenergy Belt,” said McCutchen, executive associate director of …

No Matter Who Wins The Presidency, Addiction to Foreign Oil Will Still Be a Problem
October 23, 2012 – 6:29 pm | No Comment

(National Algae Association) …NAA is proud of its efforts in promoting collaboration between the research community and the commercial algae production industry. Without any grant money from the government, NAA has been successful in promoting collaboration between …

Castor an Oilseed CropThat Can Cure, Kill You
October 15, 2012 – 5:11 pm | No Comment

by Harry Cline (Western Farm Press)  Castor beans are back in California as a possible source crop for making biofuels; Castor’s main toxic protein, ricin, is so potent that a single milligram is sufficient to kill …

Total Energy USA November 27-29, 2012 Houston, TX
October 12, 2012 – 12:59 pm | No Comment
Total Energy USA     November 27-29, 2012    Houston, TX

How will energy security be achieved?
Is the oil and gas industry at odds with renewable energy or will synergistic skill sets and technologies advance the race for a cleaner and more efficient energy economy?
What will …

Global Clean Energy, Inc. Continues Its Algae Development Projects
October 4, 2012 – 10:05 pm | No Comment

(Energy Digital/MarketWire)  Global Clean Energy, Inc., continues to develop its plan to provide the most efficient feedstocks for biomass fuel production. The company has begun to provide for production of Jatropha and switch grass in rural …

Are High Grain Prices Good for Anyone?
October 2, 2012 – 1:25 pm | No Comment

by Roy Roberson (Southeast Farm Press)  • Sounds like a good deal for grain growers and a bad one for livestock producers and consumers, but are such high prices really good for any of us?
• …

Enterprise Holdings Pilots Renewable Synthetic Diesel for Airport Shuttle Buses
September 27, 2012 – 11:52 am | No Comment

(MarketWatch/Enterprise Holdings)  Enterprise Holdings, owner and operator of the Enterprise Rent-A-Car, National Car Rental and Alamo Rent A Car brands, is piloting a program with Mansfield Oil Company to use renewable synthetic diesel fuel in …

SXSW Eco October 3-5, 2012 Austin, TX including i2i Awards
September 19, 2012 – 2:20 pm | No Comment
SXSW Eco October 3-5, 2012 Austin, TX including i2i Awards

SXSW Eco will feature sessions from experts in the public, private and academic sectors committed to finding solutions for a sustainable world.
SXSW Eco is a three-day conference addressing the need for a concerted, cross sector approach …

Finding the Right Biofuels for the Southeast: A Range of Alternatives
September 19, 2012 – 1:56 pm | No Comment

(US Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service)  …Of the five regions, the Southeast has the greatest natural capacity in the continental United States, with sufficient sunshine, soils, water, and other natural resources to produce more …

Arizona State University Lands $15M DOE Grant for Algae Test Bed Project
September 13, 2012 – 7:01 pm | No Comment

by Patrick O’Grady  (Phoenix Business Journal)  Arizona State University will lead a consortium of public and private groups on a $15 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy that will examine test beds for algae research.
The grant, …

Online Course: Biofuel Production Operations
September 10, 2012 – 2:46 pm | No Comment

Name of Provider: ed2go, Cengage Learning 
Type: basic: Overview/technical Course 
Course: Biofuel Production Operations
Course description:   The Biofuel Production Operations Online Training Program will give you the education you need to begin an exciting career in biofuel …

Advanced Biofuels Pioneer Terrabon Files for Chapter 7 Bankruptcy: One-off or Trend?
September 10, 2012 – 10:41 am | No Comment

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Closely-watched green gasoline producer collapses as Waste Management declines next financing round.  What does it mean for companies like Fulcrum Bioenergy, Enerkem, Agilyx, Agnion, Renmatix, Genomatica, and InEnTec? The Digest …

BP Biofuels Targets Gulf Coast for Energy Crop Production
September 7, 2012 – 2:11 pm | No Comment

by Luke Geiver (Biomass Magazine)  A new research effort by BP Biofuels has reaffirmed the energy giant’s role in the Gulf Coast region’s economic health. Through a three-year project, BP Biofuels will work with Texas …

Researchers Develop One-Step Algae Harvesting, FAME Conversion
September 6, 2012 – 8:54 pm | No Comment

by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine)  Researchers from the University of Texas at Austin have developed a proof-of-concept design to harvest, dewater and convert the dried algae to biodiesel in a one-step process using resins.
In a …

Major Changes in the Algae Production Industry
September 4, 2012 – 4:05 pm | No Comment

(National Algae Association/PR Log)  Raceway ponds were never meant to be used for industrial algae production.
When the Department of Energy initiated the Aquatic Species Program years ago, there was no other choice. Raceway ponds were …

The Top 10 Advanced Biofuels and Biorefining Companies in Asia
September 4, 2012 – 12:15 pm | No Comment

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  …While the economic growth in China has been drawing virtually all the headlines in recent years, the “Tiger” economies of Southeast and South Asia have been fast-growing for a long …

Engineers Pursue Flexible Electronics, Self-folding Structures and Controlled Photosynthesis on a Grand Scale
August 30, 2012 – 6:06 pm | No Comment

(National Science Foundation)  The National Science Foundation (NSF) has announced 15 Emerging Frontiers in Research and Innovation (EFRI) grants for fiscal year 2012, awarding nearly $30 million to 68 investigators at 26 institutions.
During the next …

Biofuels Lobby Asks Obama to Keep US Ethanol Mandate Amid Drought
August 28, 2012 – 12:49 pm | No Comment

(Platts)  Eight groups representing a cross section of the US biofuels industry asked the White House on Monday to keep the ethanol mandate in place, despite governors’ calls to shrink it in response to a …

NAA Announces Breakthrough in New Algae Production Growing System
August 26, 2012 – 6:13 pm | No Comment

(Algae News/National Algae Association)  National Algae Association is pleased to announce a new commercial production growing system has been developed at its test center. The new growing system will eliminate contamination and low production issues …

Soybean Quality, Yield Susceptible to Manmade Materials in Soil
August 26, 2012 – 5:58 pm | No Comment

(National Science Foundation/Biodiesel Magazine)  Researchers contend that manufactured nanomaterials—now popular in consumer products such as shampoos, gels, hair dyes and sunscreens—may be detrimental to the quality and yield of crops, as reported in a paper in …

Waste Management and Renmatix Announce Agreement to Explore Conversion of Urban Waste to Low-Cost Cellulosic Sugar
August 24, 2012 – 2:39 pm | No Comment

(Renmatix)  Companies embark on program to explore viability of MSW as inputs for PlantroseTM process
Waste Management, Inc.
, the leading provider of comprehensive waste management services, and Renmatix, the leading manufacturer of biobased sugar intermediates for …

Drought Sparks Intense Fight over RFS Waiver
August 20, 2012 – 2:52 pm | No Comment

by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  …Talk of a possible renewable fuel standard (RFS) waiver request became a reality in mid-August, when the U.S. EPA was officially petitioned. The clock starts on a 90-day deadline …

2013 SAE Collegiate Design Series Season Various Dates and Locations March-June 2013
August 20, 2012 – 2:09 pm | No Comment
2013 SAE Collegiate Design Series Season  Various Dates and Locations March-June 2013

The 2013 Collegiate Design Series (CDS) competition schedule, registration fees, maximum number of teams accepted for each event and the registration opening and closing are listed below.
You must read and follow the registration requirements and …

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, …

Pursuing Abundance: USDA, DOE Invest $41M to Drive Biofuels Feedstock Yields, Diversification
July 26, 2012 – 12:11 pm | No Comment

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  The recent focus on drought, and the scarcity scare, shows that diversification and yield enhancement remain the bioeconomy’s chief weapons in the war on availability and affordability.   The USDA and …

Former Absolute Fuels CEO Arrested, Criminal Proceedings Begin
July 25, 2012 – 3:00 pm | No Comment

by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine)  Criminal proceedings are underway against Jeffrey David Gunselman, former CEO of Texas-based Absolute Fuels, in U.S. District Court as Judge Sam Cummings filed an official complaint last week authorizing Gunselman’s …

NAA’s 5th Annual Algae Production Certification Program and Commercial Algae Production Growing, Harvesting and Extraction Networking Workshop October 19-20, 2012 The Woodlands, TX
July 25, 2012 – 11:59 am | No Comment
NAA’s 5th Annual Algae Production Certification Program and Commercial Algae Production Growing, Harvesting and Extraction Networking Workshop  October 19-20, 2012   The Woodlands, TX

The National Algae Association is the first non-profit algae production trade association in the US.  To continue the fast-track commercialization and commercial scale-up of the algae production industry, the National Algae Association is offering its …

2nd Annual Renewable Chemicals October 18–19, 2012 Houston, Texas.
July 24, 2012 – 7:33 pm | No Comment
2nd Annual Renewable Chemicals  October 18–19, 2012  Houston, Texas.

Sugar as the New Crude Oil, Fueling a Growing Chemicals Industry
Where are the Key Developments Taking Place in Bio-based Chemicals? Hear from these Outstanding Speakers:

Shefali Algoo, ACS Green Chemistry Institute
Joe Fox, Ashland Performance Materials
Pulakesh Mukherjee, BASF Venture Capital
George …

University of Texas Studies Energy Benefits of Algae Fuels
July 23, 2012 – 4:21 pm | No Comment

(Algae Industry Magazine)  A recent study at the University of Texas at Austin demonstrates that it is theoretically possible to produce about 500 times as much energy from algae fuels as is needed to grow …

Ancient Tree Crop Provides Compelling Investment Opportunity
July 19, 2012 – 2:47 pm | No Comment

(PR Web)  Mason & Morse Farmland Group Partners with TerViva Regarding Pongamia Projects
A California company has come up with a compelling twist on farmland investing for private clients and institutional investors focusing on real assets. …

Zero-Waste Tire Processor Targets Environmental Scourge
July 18, 2012 – 3:37 pm | No Comment

by Steve Clark  (The Brownsville Herald)   After a year in development, Tire Recycling & Processing, a facility unlike anything else in Texas and possibly the United States, has thrown the switch in Harlingen.
On Friday, …

SXSW Eco October 3-5, 2012 Austin, TX including i2i Awards Submission Deadline July 13, 2012
July 4, 2012 – 8:02 pm | No Comment
SXSW Eco October 3-5, 2012   Austin, TX including i2i Awards Submission Deadline July 13, 2012

SXSW Eco will feature sessions from experts in the public, private and academic sectors committed to finding solutions for a sustainable world.
SXSW Eco is a three-day conference addressing the need for a concerted, cross sector approach …

Ohio State Partner in $5.7M Grant to Develop New Biofuel
July 4, 2012 – 12:53 pm | No Comment

by Mauricio Espinoza (Ohio State University/North Texas d-News) Ohio State University’s Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC) will play a key role in the engineering of a novel plant-based fuel, funded by a $5.7 million grant …

Gasification May Convert Mesquite and Juniper Wood to a Usable Bioenergy
June 8, 2012 – 12:52 pm | No Comment

by Kay Ledbetter (Texas AgriLife/Southwest Farm Press)   Biomass gasification is being considered as a possible technology for converting 60 million acres of Texas brush into biofuel, according to Dr. Jim Ansley, Texas AgriLife Research …

A Tale of Two Energy Cities
June 4, 2012 – 2:52 pm | No Comment

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  A major plant opening by Novozymes in Nebraska and a project announcement from ExxonMobil in Texas, highlight the opportunities and challenges for industrial biotechnology
…In Blair, Cargill’s corn-based, wet mill ethanol …

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 …

Big Oil’s Big in Biofuels
May 30, 2012 – 3:28 pm | No Comment

by Ken Wells (Bloomberg BusinessWeek)  …In the last decade, the industry says, it has put $71 billion into zero- and low-emission and renewable energy technologies. The U.S. government, by contrast, has spent about $43 billion on similar …

Texas AgriLife Feeding Algae to Steers
May 30, 2012 – 1:17 pm | No Comment

by Blair Fannin (Texas AgriLife Research/Algae Industry Magazine)  Texas AgriLife Research scientist, Dr. Tryon Wickersham, and graduate student, Merritt Drewery, have been conducting feeding trials of algae leftover products (after oil extraction, in powdered form) …

Renewable Diesel Surges: Emerald Biofuels Announces Major Project in Louisiana
May 21, 2012 – 3:21 pm | No Comment

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  …Emerald Biofuels announced that it will build an 85 million gallonrenewable-diesel refineries at a Dow Chemical site in Plaquemine, Louisiana. The company will use Honeywell’s UOP/Eni EcoFining process technology for the …

Case No. 3: EPA Issues Green Diesel Violation for 60M Bad RINs
May 2, 2012 – 6:35 pm | No Comment

by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine)  The U.S. EPA issued a Notice of Violation to Houston-based Green Diesel LLC April 30 for generating more than 60 million invalid biomass-based diesel (D-Code 4) renewable identification numbers (RINs) …

National Advanced Biofuels Conference and Expo November 27-29, 2012 Houston, TX
April 19, 2012 – 5:59 pm | No Comment
National Advanced Biofuels Conference and Expo   November 27-29, 2012   Houston, TX

The 2012 National Advanced Biofuels Conference & Expo will take place November 27-29, 2012, at the Hilton Americas – Houston in Houston, Texas. This event will unite bioconversion technology providers and researchers from around the …

Algae-Fueled Motorcycle Sets Speed Record
April 12, 2012 – 4:26 pm | No Comment

(Algae Industry Magazine) Below the Surface’s “Driving Innovation” Team established the first official algae-fueled motorcycle speed records during The Texas Mile land speed event on March 24th, 2012. Team leader Kristian Gustavson reached 94.6 mph …

National Algae Association Industrial Testing Center
March 30, 2012 – 3:56 pm | No Comment

(National Algae Association)  National Algae Association is pleased to announce the opening of a Testing Center. This first-of-its-kind initiative has been on-going as a part of NAA’s algae production incubator program to assist new algae …

Gingrich “a Flat Out Liar,” Says National Algae Association, Denying Campaign Contact, Slamming Speaker’s Algae Numbers
March 27, 2012 – 10:51 am | No Comment

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  In Texas, the National Algae Association called on presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich to issue a retraction of statements he made at a campaign speech in Pennsylvania, branding the Speaker’s claim that …

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 …

Forage, Corn Feed Alternative for Cattle May Come from Biodiesel Industry
March 14, 2012 – 3:26 pm | No Comment

by Kay Ledbetter   (PhysOrg.com)  Crude glycerin, a byproduct of biodiesel production, could be an economical ingredient in cattle diets, according to studies by Texas AgriLife Research and West Texas A&M University personnel.
Dr. Jim MacDonald, AgriLife …

Growing Ambitions
March 8, 2012 – 5:26 pm | No Comment

by Pamela Glinski (Highlands Today)  Vercipia is no more. The name has been changed to BP Biofuels, Highlands Ethanol LLC, explained Mike Milicevic, the agricultural operations manager for the company.
Vercipia was a joint-venture company formed …

[LL] Cool Planet Rocks the Bells
March 5, 2012 – 9:51 am | No Comment

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  What are Google, BP, Conoco, and GE investing? Is 3,000 gallons per acre of renewable gasoline possible?
In the past few weeks, news has begun to circulate around the industry – …

Shell Busts a Move: Builds Drop-In Biofuels Pilot Plant in Texas
February 28, 2012 – 10:45 am | No Comment

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  While confusion reigneth on Shell’s plans for cellulosic ethanol, the company quietly builds a drop-in biofuels pilot plant in Texas, based on Virent’s bioforming technology.
…After a stunning move to establish …

IN FOCUS: Pricing and Supply Key to Unlocking Large-Scale US Biofuel Use
February 23, 2012 – 9:45 am | No Comment

by Lori Ranson (FlightGlobal)  Successful commercial biofuel flights operated by US carriers in late 2011 were underpinned by an understanding that price and supply chain infrastructure remain the big hurdles to creating a viable full-scale …

Extreme Biofuels and Those Heat-Seeking X Bugs
February 16, 2012 – 8:06 am | No Comment

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)   …Some of the first American visitors to Yellowstone, who began to record their journeys into the wilds of northwestern Wyoming during the early 1870s, noted the horrible taste of …

Australian Tree Offers Texas Growers Biofuel Alternative
January 30, 2012 – 10:15 am | No Comment

by Logan Hawkes (Southwest Farm Press)

Biodiesel is experiencing a historic surge worldwide.
Pongamiapinnata is becoming a popular oilseed choice for biofuel production and has captured the attention of U.S. growers.
Pongamia is one of the few nitrogen-fixing trees …

Clean Cities Coalitions, Industry Partners Host Texas Workshops
January 25, 2012 – 3:15 pm | No Comment

by Bryan Sims (Biodiesel Magazine)  Clean Cities coalitions in Texas have partnered with Renewable Energy Group Inc. and Omaha, Neb.-based wholesale biodiesel distributor Bosselman Energy to co-host four workshops in four different cities throughout the …

Texas Farmer Wades into ‘Feed versus Fuel’ Battle
January 24, 2012 – 9:18 am | No Comment

(National Corn Growers Association)  Ongoing media coverage on corn usage tends to sensationalize trends by pitting demand from the ethanol industry against that from livestock, but Corn Board member Wesley Spurlock, a Texas farmer, has …

Researcher Sees DDGS as Potential Savior of U.S. Shrimp Industry
January 23, 2012 – 10:14 am | No Comment

by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  …(Addison) Lawrence, a project leader and scientist in charge at Texas AgriLife Research Mariculture Laboratory at Port Aransas, Texas, explains that two things have hit the U.S. domestic shrimp …

The Litmus Test: 8 Projects for 2012 Will Test Perceptions, Reality for Advanced Biofuels
January 12, 2012 – 10:37 am | No Comment

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  …First commercial projects from newly-minted public companies Solazyme, Gevo and KiOR. Two trash-to-biofuels projects from INEOS Bio and Enerkem, located in Florida and Alberta. Europe’s largest biosuccinic acid project, scheduled …

Algae Perspectives: A Look Back…a Look Forward
December 30, 2011 – 1:10 pm | No Comment

by Mary Rosenthal (Algal Biomass Organization)  …Many of you will remember that 2011 began with a discouraging report that claimed algae biofuels could never play a role in US energy security. We at the Algal …

Good Digestion: It’s Been a Bumpy Road to Full-Scale Adoption of Anaerobic Digestion Technologies at Ethanol Plants
December 29, 2011 – 5:51 pm | No Comment

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 …

Texas Issues New Guidelines Facilitating Greater Biodiesel Use
December 29, 2011 – 2:40 pm | No Comment

by Ron Kortrba (Biodiesel Magazine)  Last week the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality concluded that air quality is simply not a reason for concern regarding biodiesel volumes associated with federally required use. The federal renewable …

Hitting a New Stride: The Biorefining Sector Is Poised for Commercial Scale-Up as Funding Strategies Mature and Production Capacity Grows
December 10, 2011 – 1:56 pm | No Comment

by Erin Voegele (Biorefining Magazine)  The biorefining sector reached an important new milestone this year with at least five companies undergoing successful initial public offerings (IPOs). As we move into the new year, members of …

Leaf Energy Adds Third Cellulosic Energy Technology to Portfolio with Exclusive Agreement
November 28, 2011 – 1:04 pm | No Comment

by Angela Kean  (Proactive Investors Australia)  Leaf Energy (ASX: LER) has signed worldwide exclusive licence agreement with Texas A & M University to develop the marine yeast Debaryomyces hansenii as a production platform for high …

Hot Commodity: Thieves Acquire Taste for Used Cooking Oil
November 21, 2011 – 11:10 am | No Comment

by Richard Blackwell  (CTV News/The Globe and Mail)   …The theft of used oil and grease has become a big problem in Canada, mirroring a trend south of the border.
The price of “yellow grease” – …

‘If You Build It, We Will Buy It’ Says Airline CEO on Biojet Fuel
November 17, 2011 – 4:10 pm | No Comment

by Luke Geiver (Biorefining Magazine)  The second week in November could go down as one of the most significant weeks for advanced biofuels, airline companies and the use of biofuel-blended jet fuel in the U.S. …

Firm Says it Was Sold Phony Fuel Credits
November 17, 2011 – 1:32 pm | No Comment

(Courthouse News Service)  A fuel distributor claims two companies sold it millions of “fraudulently created, and thus invalid” renewable fuel identification numbers. RIN numbers are part of the U.S. EPA’s Renewable Fuel Standard program, to …

Energy Sorghum: Researchers Develop High-Biomass Sorghum that Bypasses Flowering
November 17, 2011 – 1:20 pm | No Comment

by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  What happens when sorghum doesn’t have to put energy into flowering and grain production? High-biomass sorghum that grows up to 20 feet tall, that’s what.
Texas AgriLife Research, part of …

Natural Gas Threatens Biofuels?
November 17, 2011 – 11:27 am | No Comment

by Carrin Hall (Energy Digital)  As the natural gas industry targets vehicles, what will happen to biofuels development?
Clean Energy Fuels, a leading natural gas provider in Seal Beach, has teamed up with Quarles Petroleum Inc. …