by Katy Stech (The Wall Street Journal) Struggling Fuel-Making Facilities Are in Danger of Falling to Liquidators Before Market Recovers
When the New Energy Corp. ethanol plant in South Bend, Ind., was idled by its bankruptcy …

by Susanne Retka Schill  (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  Advanced Biofuels Corp. has bought a legacy 7 MMgy ethanol plant in Moses Lake, Wash., with plans to retrofit existing systems and install new pretreatment process equipment, converting …

by Marc Chase (Northwest Indiana Times)  Potential lawsuits are brewing in Lake County’s trash-to-ethanol saga, according to a motion by solid waste officials and statements from the developer who had contracted to build and operate …

by Carrie Napoleon  (Post-Tribune)  Town officials say they remain disappointed after the announcement late last month that the local construction consortium trying to bring a proposed trash-to-ethanol plant had scrapped its plans.
“It’s a sad situation,” …

by Carrie Napoleon (Post-Tribune/Chicago Sun-Times)   The deal to transfer ownership of the long-delayed trash-to-ethanol plant in Schneider has been scrapped.
SMC LLC, the local construction consortium established to purchase the technology rights and contract for …

(Crown Point Community)  …City officials in October approved plans for the 3,300-square-foot brick gas station and convenience store and a free-standing 1,200-square-foot car wash on 1.7 acres at the northwest corner of the intersection.
Six fuel …

(Inside Indiana Business/POET)  Twenty-five of POET’s network of 27 biorefineries have now installed its patent-pending corn oil technology, bringing its total capacity to approximately 250,000 tons per year, enough feedstock to produce 68 million gallons …

by Carrie Napoleon (Chicago SunTimes/Post-Tribune)  Until the first commercial trash-to-ethanol plant in Vero Beach, Fla., is up and running, plans by a local construction consortium to take over a similar project here are in a …

(Indiana Soybean Alliance)  Indiana high school students now have the opportunity to make soy biodiesel from the vegetable oil found on grocery store shelves right in their science classrooms, thanks to the Indiana Soybean Alliance …

by Marc Chase (Northwest Indiana Times)  …The board voted at the beginning of the year to find Powers Energy in breach of contract for failing to deliver on its promise to secure land and financing …

by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  A total of $16 million in investment for 244 projects received funding from the USDA’s Rural Energy for America Program, including several blender pumps and a few biomass-related projects. …

(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 Susan Erler (Northwest Indiana Times)  A nearly $200,000 federal grant will help cover the cost of alternative fuel for six police squad cars through 2015.  The six E-85 equipped police vehicles will fill up …

by Kari Lydersen (Midwestern Energy News)  Purdue University associate professor Richard Meilan is striving to develop a poplar tree that grows more quickly and can be more easily converted to biofuel than the average member of the genus …

by Brian Wallheimer (Purdue University)  If Purdue University researchers have their way, the term “biofuel plant” will take on a whole new meaning.
A team received a $5.2 million U.S. Department of Energy grant to develop a …

by Marc Chase (Northwest Indiana Times)  With new owners possibly on the horizon for the proposed Schneider trash-to-ethanol plant, some Lake County waste officials say it is the perpetuation of a four-year-old game of musical …

(Northwest Indiana Times)  A group of contractors planning to build a proposed trash-to-ethanol plant in Schneider announced Monday it has reached an agreement to purchase assets from developer Powers Energy of America.
The group, SMC LLC, …

by Kris Bevill  (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  Massachusetts-based Agrivida Inc. is conducting the first year of USDA-permitted field trials to grow corn that has been engineered to include enzymes in the corn stalk. The addition should …

by Marc Chase (Northwest Indiana Times)  Powers Energy of America remained in breach of contract with Lake County’s solid waste board but was given another month to try to prove it can finance its long …

by Deborah Laverty  (Northwest Indiana Times) After a lengthy discussion, City Council members agreed Thursday to sign an interlocal cooperation agreement with the Lake County Solid Waste Management District.
The agreement allows the city to take …

by Marc Chase (Northwest Indiana Times)  If a would-be trash-to-ethanol developer doesn’t have the money in hand to complete its project by July 19, it doesn’t have a deal with the county, a top solid …

by Carrie Napoleon (Post-Tribune/SunTimes)  Powers Energy has met the requirements of the 60-day milestone set out by the Lake County Solid Waste Management District board regarding land acquisition for the proposed $360 million trash-to-ethanol plant.
Thursday the …

by Karen Caffarini (Post Tribune)  The City Council has unanimously approved an interlocal agreement to send Hobart-generated garbage to the Powers Energy ethanol plant in Schneider, if and when it is constructed, becoming the seventh community …

(Science Daily/Purdue University)   Sweet and biomass sorghum would meet the need for next-generation biofuels to be environmentally sustainable, easily adopted by producers and take advantage of existing agricultural infrastructure, a group of researchers led by …

by Cindy Zimmerman (DomesticFuel.com)  The future of using corn stover for advanced biofuels was one of the discussion topics at last week’s Corn Utilization Technology Conference in Indianapolis.
…(Nathan) Mosier (with the Department of Agricultural & Biological Engineering at …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  In-field bioprocessing? Dramatically higher plant oil production? R&D breakthroughs offer new paths to victory for Millers vs Drillers.
If you haven’t been getting most of your information on the Renewable Fuel …

(Purdue University)  A new Purdue University-developed process for creating biofuels has shown potential to be cost-effective for production scale, opening the door for moving beyond the laboratory setting.
A Purdue economic analysis shows that the cost …

by Lu Ann Franklin (Northwest Indiana Times) The Town Council will hear public comments about signing the interlocal agreement with Lake County Solid Waste District for the proposed trash-to-ethanol facility in Schneider on June 4 and …

by Kelly Madsen (IowaStateDaily.com)  The Iowa State University-led Cenusa Bioenergy project works to develop a biofuel with both a Midwestern and environmental focus.
Through a five-year, $25 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National …

by Richard Essex  (WTHR.com)   For almost three weeks, the price of gas is going up. On the far west side of Indianapolis, regular unleaded gas is just a tick under $4 a gallon. Staci …

by Marc Chase (Northwest Indiana Times)  The Lake County Solid Waste Management District could avoid potential litigation — but invite other legal problems — if the trash-to-ethanol contract dies between now and April 2.
A canceled …

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 Marc Chase (NWITimes.com)   As time began to run out on Lake County’s trash-to-ethanol plan last week, so did the faith and confidence of solid waste district officials — both in the project and …

by Meghan Grebner  (Brownfield Ag News)   Fort Wayne, Ind. residents will have additional options when it comes to filling up their flex-fuel vehicles.  The flex-fuel pump – the first of its kind offers drivers the option for E85 or …

(Iowa State University)  Now, an Iowa State University-based study over the next five years will examine whether a single, coordinated production system can address all of these concerns while making profits for producers.
A multi-state, interdisciplinary …

by Marc Chase (Northwest Indiana)  The former Lake County sheriff is seeking answers regarding the absent financing for a proposed south county trash-to-ethanol plant.
And the chief political champion of the plan, Lake County Commissioner Gerry …

by Gary Truitt (Hoosier Ag Today)  Jay Berry, with Central Indiana Ethanol in Marion, says many stations do not have the equipment to handle higher ethanol blends. He told HAT there are no regulations that …

by Chris O’Malley (Indianapolis Business Journal)  …But it looks like motorists, rather than ethanol makers, stand to feel the pain.
The reason is the survival of another federal measure, known as the Renewable Fuels Standard. It …

(Network Indiana)  Evansville-based Powers Energy of America is still planning on buying land in south Lake County and building a facility that will convert trash into ethanol in about three years from now.
Lake County Solid …

by Cindy Zimmerman (DomesticFuel.com)  If not for the vision of Paul Dana that ethanol could fuel Indy Racing cars, Ignite Racing Fuel might never have existed.
The Indiana company this week received the 2011 Paul Dana Excellence …

by Andy Eubank  (Hoosier Ag Today)  Homegrown Indiana innovation for farmers was displayed Tuesday in Fulton County when the New Holland Rochester manager climbed aboard a combine with his patented Cornrower and created a windrow …

by Marc Chase (Northwest Indiana)  Offering no firm timeline on when money for a proposed trash-to-ethanol plant would be in the bank, a man claiming to be the owner of a Nevada-based hedge fund said he …

by Jennifer Stewart  (Purdue Newsroom)  Dairy producers looking for a high-quality heifer feed that often costs less than traditional corn and soybean feed grains should consider distillers grains, says a Purdue Extension dairy nutrition specialist.
Distillers …

(R&D)  In May a team of researchers led by Rick Meilan, associate professor of forestry and natural resources, began a five-year study to determine the viability of poplar species as an ethanol feedstock and cash crop for …

(PhysOrg.com/Purdue University)  Not all parts of a corn stalk are equal, and they shouldn’t be treated that way when creating cellulosic ethanol, say Purdue University researchers.
When corn stover is processed to make cellulosic ethanol, everything is …

by Marc Chase (Northwest Indiana Times)  The land deal for a proposed trash-to-ethanol plant in Schneider is off, according to county solid waste district officials, and the town’s top official questions whether it ever will …

by Cindy Zimmerman (DomesticFuel.com)  Senator Dick Lugar (R-IN) and Rep. Marlin Stutzman (R, IN-3rd) have introduced a farm bill that they say would save $40 billion and includes provisions that support the development of advanced biofuels.
“We …

by Marc Chase (Northwest Indiana Times)  A Lake County solid waste management official wants to give Earl Powers 90 days to prove he can finance the trash-to-ethanol plant that he pledged more than 1,000 days …

by Megan Banta (Evansville Courier & Press)  Hoosiers will soon see new flex fuel pumps at a handful of Indiana convenience stores and gas stations funded by a grant program launched Wednesday by the Indiana …

by Brian Wallheimer   (Purdue University)  Purdue University researchers have found an alternative environmentally friendly and energy-efficient way to dry corn ethanol, and their proof is in the pudding.
Michael Ladisch, a distinguished professor of agricultural and biological …

by Brian Wallheimer  (Purdue University)  Adding a pretreatment step would allow producers to get more ethanol from switchgrass harvested in the fall, according to a Purdue University study.
Michael Ladisch, a distinguished professor of agricultural and …

by Erin Voegele (Biodiesel Magazine)  …”We are very excited to strengthen our relationship with our primary feedstock supplier–Green Grease Solutions LLC—and to secure a longer term feedstock supply agreement for our biodiesel operations,” said Jeffrey …

by Gouri Shankar Mishra and Sonia Yeh (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  Study recalculates water consumption with expanded system boundaries and coproduct credit
Recent studies have estimated the “consumptive water use,” “water embodied,” and “water footprint” of corn-based …

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 …

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 Marc Chase (NWI.com)  What had been all excitement regarding a possible economic boon for this south Lake County town is turning into some frustration and deflated spirits, according to one Schneider official.
Town Council President …

by Keith Robinson  (Purdue University)    Growing demand for corn to use in biofuels and for soybeans to help feed a booming Chinese economy are among key forces driving commodity prices higher this year, according …

by Bryan Sims (Biorefining Magazine)  Delving into termite guts to find the best cellulases or lignocellulases to efficiently convert cellulose and hemicelluloses, even lignin, into advanced biofuels isn’t a new concept within the biorefining community, …

by Bryan Christjansen   (Journal Gazette)  In “Ethanol’s subsidies drain on economy” (Opinion, July 3), Wayne Townsend claims that ethanol production in the United States and in Indiana has caused the price of corn to …

(Office of Senator Dick Lugar)  Senator Dick Lugar today introduced his Practical Energy Plan exclusively via Facebook.  Lugar was joined in the live stream by Dave Conover, Senior Vice President of the Bipartisan Policy Center …

by Tom Bechman  (Indiana Prairie Farmer)  Corn growers in Indiana promote more pumps.
One of the highlights of the ethanol summit in Indianapolis a few days ago was an announcement that the Indiana Corn Marketing Council …

by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  A long-proposed municipal solid waste (MSW)-to-ethanol project in Lake County, Ind., has locked in the financing needed to construct the facility and is expected to undergo construction in July. …

(Indiana Corn Marketing Council)  A new program launched by the Indiana Corn Marketing Council (ICMC) looks to give Hoosier consumers a choice at the pump when it comes to purchasing ethanol blends.
The Flex Fuel Pump …

by Gary Truitt (Hoosier Ag Today)  …The facts show that ethanol continues to be a major economic driver in Indiana. The 13 ethanol plants in the state produce over 1 billion gallons annually and generate …

by Bill Dolan (Northwest Indiana Times)  Lake County Commissioner Gerry Scheub, D-Merrillville, announced Thursday that an out-of-state investment firm is committing $600 million to the construction of trash-to-ethanol production.
“The groundbreaking will be sometime after Memorial …

by Annie Ilnicki   (WANE.com)    Nature’s Fuel to open by end of year
A company in Huntington is on its way to turning trash into liquid gold.  Officials from Nature’s Fuel broke ground Wednesday afternoon, on …

(VermontBiz.com)  Saint Michael’s College biologist Dr Mark Lubkowitz and his students join a team of researchers from the University of Missouri, University of Florida, Purdue University and the University Nebraska-Lincoln, on a five-year project to …

by Marc Chase (NWI Times)  Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr. expressed reservation at signing a 20-year agreement to commit his city’s trash to a process that remains commercially unproven.
“I talk to smart people that know …

by Max Resnik (Indiana’s News Center)  Could E-85, the 85% ethanol based gasoline, prove to be the cure to curb the pain at the pump?
In the Summit City, E-85, on average, is going for about …

by Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind (IndyStar)  …Washington over the years has failed to focus sufficient attention on our oil vulnerability and generate momentum behind substantive, concrete proposals with definable goals. In 1999, former CIA director …

by Bill Brandon (Advanced Biofuels USA)  On February 10 & 11, about 120 participants gathered in chilly Chicago for the first Municipal Solid Waste to Biofuels Summit presented by the British firm, Eye for Energy.  …

(NewKerala.com)  Purdue University researchers have made a discovery that could reduce the amount of water required for growing plants and help plants survive and thrive in adverse conditions. They have found a genetic mutation that allows a …

by  (AP/The Republic)  …The Lake County Solid Waste Management District board unanimously adopted a revised contract Thursday that strips away the county’s ownership of the plant that Powers Energy of America wants to build near the …

by Marc Chase   (The Times/istockanalyst.com)  Lake County’s public-private plan to transform trash to ethanol would generate an inferior fuel with a questionable future, a former National Science Foundation official and energy adviser to the federal government …

by Christine Kraly  (NWITimes)   Citing what’s best for Lake County residents, a draft revised contract to bring a waste-to-ethanol plant to Schneider now puts the facility in the hands of its private operator.
A proposed revision to the contract between …

(Chicago Tribune/AP)  A decision by Congress on whether to extend or gradually phase out a tax credit to oil companies and refiners to blend ethanol with gasoline could make or break some of Indiana’s 12 …

(EurekAlert!)   Purdue University scientists have found the last undiscovered gene responsible for the production of the amino acid phenylalanine, a discovery that could lead to processes to control the amino acid to boost plants’ nutritional …

by Diane Krieger Spivak (Post-Tribune)  Earl Powers said he is ready to answer questions regarding his proposed nearly $300 million garbage-to-ethanol plant.
Powers, president of Evansville-based Powers Energy of America, said Wednesday he will attend the Lake …

by Diane Krieger Spivak  (Post-Tribune)  If the town approves any of three recently opened trash hauling bids, residents here would likely pay 60 percent more to have their trash taken to a landfill than to a …

by Diane Krieger Spivak (Post-Tribune)  Project in south Lake County based on same technology.  
A proposed Florida bioethanol plant that will use the same process as a planned Schneider plant will use has been issued an …

by Phillip Fiorini (Purdue Newsroom)  Student-led companies that develop consumer products from the byproducts of ethanol production and a tissue-healing technology that also reduces scarring took top honors at Purdue University’s 23rd annual $100,000 Burton …

by Diane Krieger Spivak  (Post-Tribune)  Lake County (Indiana) Solid Waste Management Commission chief Jeff Langbehn defended a planned $256 million bioethanol plant Friday before the Lake County Advancement Committee.
…Lake County Sheriff Roy Dominguez questioned whether the …

The conference will once again bring the biomass industry’s diverse sectors together focusing not only on supply chain improvements to make the supplies accessible, but also on technological advancements to help them perform better.
A unique …

(Hoosier Ag Today, Indiana Corn Marketing Council)  For the last five years, Madison County farmer Mike Shuter has maintained the same crop rotation on his farm of two-thirds of his fields in corn and one-third …

Indiana Lieutenant Governor Becky Skillman presented a roadmap for continued growth in Indiana agriculture.  This publication updates the Indiana State Department of Agriculture’s strategic plan and will guide that Department’s focus over the next four …