by Mary Rosenthal (Algal Biomass Organization/Biofuels Digest) ...The federal government must follow its long history of investing in national energy initiatives. ...Recently, any call for increased government funding or involvement in this nascent industry has been met with criticism or
Archive
Back TO HOMEFarm Bureau Supports Change in Biofuels Policy
by Cindy Zimmerman (DomesticFuel.com) The American Farm Bureau Federation is supporting a new direction in biofuels policy away from the blenders tax credit and toward increasing infrastructure. “The whole discussion has been evolving within the industry and within the Congress,” said AFBF President
January 12, 2011 Read Full Article
Bright Future for Biodiesel Gains Focus at North American International Auto Show
(National Biodiesel Board) Automakers Back Biodiesel, America’s First Commercially Available ‘Advanced Biofuel’ The North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit has long been known as THE event of the year for the latest vehicle technologies and innovations, setting the pace
January 12, 2011 Read Full Article
Green Dream Team Memories: Gunnar Jeanne
(ALMS) GETG's ace pilot talked green with students from UW-Madison Gunnar Jeannette did not hesitate to raise his hand last season when personally invited by the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón to become an environmental ambassador in 2010.
January 11, 2011 Read Full Article
Study Estimates Land Available for Biofuel Crops
(EurekAlert/University of Illinois-Champaign-Urbana) Using detailed land analysis, Illinois researchers have found that biofuel crops cultivated on available land could produce up to half of the world's current fuel consumption – without affecting food crops or pastureland. Published in the journal Environmental Science
January 11, 2011 Read Full Article
Broomfield's Range Fuels Cuts Staff
by Alicia Wallace (DailyCamera.com) CEO says he's optimistic about future of firm, technology Range Fuels, a company based here that specializes in producing fuel from slash and feedstock, has pared back its local work force amid an industry slowdown. Range
January 11, 2011 Read Full Article
Norway Backs Ethanol Plant
(Argus Media) Norwegian chemicals and technology specialist Borregaard has secured a government grant of 58mn kroner ($9.8mn) to build a 400m³ pilot ethanol plant in Sarpsborg, southeast Norway. ...The Sarpsborg plant will use a diverse array of agricultural feedstock including straw,
January 11, 2011 Read Full Article
The Top Five Heating Oil Stories to Watch in 2011
by Josh Garrett (HeatingOil.com) ...Fitful economic recovery in the US and around the world, looming fights over financial and environmental regulation, and the continuing advancement of alternative fuel technologies are certain to make 2011 an interesting and eventful year for
January 11, 2011 Read Full Article
The Hidden Cost of Oil at the Grocery Store Checkout Counter
by Stephanie Dreyer (Renewable Energy World/Growth Energy) ...The cost of crude is a major inflator of grocery prices, because transportation, manufacturing and packaging cost more as oil prices go up. In 2009, when diesel was $2.67 a gallon, the cost
January 11, 2011 Read Full Article
Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center Announces Summer Programs for Teachers and Undergraduates
Research Experience for Teachers (RET) (UW): The RET allows grade 6 -14 science or agriculture teachers to spend 6 weeks on campus in the summer to develop a classroom lab or activity related to bioenergy. RET participants work with their mentor
January 10, 2011 Read Full Article
National Energy Security: U.S. Government Eyes Biofuels
(BiotechNow) ...Paul Bryan, biomass program manager for the Energy Department, who also spoke at the Pacific Rim Summit, points out that the government’s transition to biofuels must be careful and deliberate. “We get a lot of products from a barrel of
January 10, 2011 Read Full Article
Philadelphia Eagles Go Greener with Eco-Friendly Stadium
by Neela Banerjee (Los Angeles Times) ...(Jeffrey) Lurie and his wife, Christina Weiss Lurie, are retrofitting Lincoln Financial Field with wind turbines, solar panels and a biodiesel-reliant power plant with the goal of making it the first major U.S. sports facility
January 10, 2011 Read Full Article
Pratt & Whitney Military Engines Power Biofuel Tests for U.S. Air Force
(Pratt & Whitney) A Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-220 engine recently powered its first biofuel test flight of a U.S. Air Force F-15 Eagle at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. This flight test, powered by alternative jet fuel, comes on the
January 10, 2011 Read Full Article
Four Clear Lake-Area Inventors among Team Patenting New Process to Make Ethanol
by Andrew Benedict-Nelson (Ultimate Clear Lake) Four inventors in the Clear Lake area are among a team receiving a U.S. patent for a new way of producing ethanol on an industrial scale. According to the patent, the inventors unexpectedly discovered
January 10, 2011 Read Full Article
Ethanol 'All about National Security'
by Daniel Looker (Agriculture.com) To farmers who pioneered the ethanol industry, the goal was creating another market for corn. To retired General Wesley Clark, it’s about patriotism and national security. Clark, who is co-chairman of the ethanol lobbying group, Growth Energy,
January 10, 2011 Read Full Article
Biofuel Grasslands for the Birds
by Tim Wall (Discovery News) Picture the vibrant wildflowers and swaying grasses of prairies covering the Midwestern United States once again, teeming with wildlife and requiring very little management from people, yet providing a renewable energy sources. Managing native grasslands for
January 10, 2011 Read Full Article
Household Sewage: Not Waste, but a Vast New Energy Resource
(American Chemical Society) In a finding that gives new meaning to the adage, “waste not, want not,” scientists are reporting that household sewage has far more potential as an alternative energy source than previously thought. They say the discovery, which
January 10, 2011 Read Full Article
Global Renewable Fuels Alliance: Biofuels Can Ease the Impact of Hazardous Oil Prices
(Global Renewable Fuels Alliance) This week the International Energy Agency (IEA) issued a wakeup call to the world that high oil prices pose a threat to the stability of an already fragile recovering global economy. The IEA went on to
January 10, 2011 Read Full Article
The Formation of The Center for Sustainable Energy Farming, a Non-Profit Research Foundation, Was Announced by Global Clean Energy Holdings, Inc., a Leader in Jatropha and Energy Farming
(Globe Newswire) Global Clean Energy Holdings announced the establishment of a new non-profit research organization: The Center for Sustainable Energy Farming (www.CfSEF.org). The Center's mission is to perform cutting-edge plant science research in genetics, breeding and horticulture, and further develop technologies to allow
January 10, 2011 Read Full Article
The New Economics of Next-Gen Gasification: ClearFuels Technology
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...(S)team reformation, a process by which gasified biomass is converted into a useful balance of hydrogen and carbon monoxide ... itself has struggled with high costs associated with the high temperatures at which the system operates.
January 10, 2011 Read Full Article
International Algae Competition DEADLINE October 11, 2011
The First International Algae Competition was launched at the World Algae Congress held in San Francisco, CA, December 6-8, 2010. Algae Competition objectives are to create an open source collaboratory that expands and shares a vision for algae in our future
January 10, 2011 Read Full Article
Effort under Way to Restore BCAP Funding in 2011 Appropriations Bill
by Sue Sterling (The Daily Star-Journal) Agricultural and environmental groups hope to convince legislators to restore funding for the Biomass Crop Assistance Program in the Senate Omnibus Appropriations Bill that will be considered in March. The BCAP program, enacted as part
January 07, 2011 Read Full Article
POET Helps 4th Graders Study Alternative Energy
(POET) Partnership with Dakota State University adds renewable fuel/energy component to ‘South Dakota Road Trip' The history of alternative fuel is deeply rooted in the Midwest, and POET is helping to bring that proud history to light for about 5,000 South
January 07, 2011 Read Full Article
Tax Holidays, Cheap Loans: Why Mississippi is Attracting Greentech
by Michael Kanellos (GreenTechSolar) In the past year, the state of Mississippi has convinced an impressive array of green tech and other companies to open factories in its borders. How exactly is it pulling this off, considering that the state doesn't even have
January 07, 2011 Read Full Article
Crops to Be Turned into Fuel on Big Island
by Mark Niesse (AP/Washington Examiner) Crops grown on Hawaii's Big Island will be converted into liquid fuel as part of a deal announced Thursday between Hawaiian Electric Co. and renewable energy company Aina Koa Pono. The agreement is the first in
January 07, 2011 Read Full Article
With a Little Help From My Friends
by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com) ...Yet while we lament about high energy costs, we downright howl over the higher costs of alternative energy and try to push today’s development aside for future progress and cost competitiveness. Let’s talk about cost parity for a
January 07, 2011 Read Full Article
How Oil Could Kill the Recovery
by Derek Thompson (The Atlantic) ...(E)xpensive oil is poisonous to an oil-driven economy. Every severe oil spike in the last 50 years has been followed by a deep recession. ...The United States imported $400 billion of oil in 2008, nearly 3
January 07, 2011 Read Full Article
Plug-in Vehicles and Their Dirty Little Secret
by John Petersen (Renewable Energy World) ...The dirty little secret of plug-in vehicles is that they'll all charge their batteries with inherently dirty night-time power and be responsible for more CO2 emissions than a fuel efficient Prius-class HEV that costs
January 07, 2011 Read Full Article
China’s Biofuels Market Grows, Remains on Subsidy Life-Support
(GCiS China/PR.com) China’s pricing controls, subsidies and cultivation policies have played a critical role in shaping this USD 2.3 Bn market, but over-regulation has made it unattractive for profit making ventures and the much needed innovation they bring. GCiS China
January 07, 2011 Read Full Article
The Big Price Build-Up: Are You Ready?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The US economy is just now showing signs of revival, and already we are seeing signs of runaway oil and grain prices that may bring unwanted inflation and dangerous instability hardly before the recovery has
January 07, 2011 Read Full Article
EU Wants Answers over German Animal Feed Dioxin Scandal
by Gregg Benzow (Deutsche Welle) ...The poisonous chemical dioxin was discovered in eggs and poultry last week and is believed to have stemmed from animal feed contaminated with industrial fats. ...The German feed manufacturer Harles & Jentzsch in Schleswig-Holstein said on Tuesday
January 07, 2011 Read Full Article
Banned Four Loko Gets New Use as Auto Fuel
by Zinie Chen Sampson (AP/MSNBC) Virginia company turns alcoholic drinks into ethanol Truckloads of Four Loko and other alcohol-laced energy drinks are being recycled into ethanol and other products after federal authorities told manufacturers the beverages were dangerous and caused users
January 07, 2011 Read Full Article
Confederation of Indian Industry Proposes Bio-Diesel Price Hike
(The Economic Times) The government should raise the price of bio-diesel obtained from the jatropha plant to support the bio-diesel industry's sustainability efforts, the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) says. ...The study estimates that if the industry becomes sustainable and
January 06, 2011 Read Full Article
Biofuels Not Sustainable as Fuels for Automobiles in India: Ramesh
(India Transport Portal) While biofuels are being considered as the alternative fuel for the vehicles in number of countries, they are not the sustainable option as the fuel for automobiles in India, said Jairam Ramesh, Environment Minister of Indian Union
January 06, 2011 Read Full Article
Firm Asks Restaurants to Be Part of the Green Network
by Liza Agoot (Baguio Midland Courier) ...Nathan Angara of the Noble Trends Unbound (NTU) together with Biodiesel Philippines have launched the green network, a group of restaurants and other establishments using oil and lard in cooking, that are willing
January 06, 2011 Read Full Article
Ten Asian Trends to watch in 2011
by Joelle Brink (Biofuels Digest Asia) ...#1 It’s a breakthrough year for Asian biofuels science and technology. Many scientific and technological developments that simmered away in Asian labs and pilot plants in 2010 are set to burst on the scene
January 06, 2011 Read Full Article
German Study Shows Rapeseed GHG Potential
by Luke Geiver (Biodiesel Magazine) The German Biomass Research Center has conducted a study on optimizing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from rapeseed-based biodiesel. The goal of the study was to analyze the current default values for GHGs from rapeseed-based biodiesel,
January 06, 2011 Read Full Article
Biofuels: A Market of Political Opportunities
by Robert Vierhout (ePURE/Ethanol Producer Magazine) In Europe, much more than in the United States, green (but not just) non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are engaged loudly and aggressively in the biofuel debate. For several years now, a number of NGOs have
January 06, 2011 Read Full Article
Another Biofuel Coalition Forms
by Bryan Sims (Biodiesel Magazine) A newly-formed coalition, American Biofuels Now, has been formed in Florida with the mission to educate policymakers, media and consumers about the economic and environmental benefits of biofuels. The group has the backing of various
January 06, 2011 Read Full Article
Firm Plans to Generate Electricity from Ethanol
by Xinhua (Business Daily) A Kenyan green energy firm has announced plans to generate ethanol-based electricity. Gravitas Ltd managing director Lorna Omuondo said the company will introduce ethanol-powered cells into the market by mid year. This is expected to replace
January 06, 2011 Read Full Article
Michigan Pre-Seed Capital Fund Reports Investments Totaling $2.5 Million in 2010
(PR NewsWire) Several Michigan companies recently received investments from the Michigan Pre-Seed Capital Fund, pushing the total investments made through the Fund to over $11.6 million. To date, 52Michigan companies have received seed funding from the Michigan Pre-Seed Capital Fund, a collaborative effort of Michigan's
January 06, 2011 Read Full Article
Popping the Hood on California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard: A Digest Special Series
by Brooke Coleman (NewFuelsAlliance/Biofuels Digest) ...(W)hat’s good and what needs to be fixed in the LCFS? Where should the biofuels industry be happy, be hopeful, or be hopping mad? Brooke Coleman of the New Fuels Alliance – who knows this better
January 06, 2011 Read Full Article
The USDA Loan Guarantee Program and the Congressional Deficit-Reducing Drive
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...At risk in that budget process is the entire funding for the Section 9003 loan guarantee program – in the omnibus spending bill proposed in December by the outgoing Congress, zeroing out 9003 is exactly
January 06, 2011 Read Full Article
INEOS Bio JV Receives Commitment for $75 Million USDA Loan Guarantee
(INEOS Bio) Funding will create jobs through the construction and completion of advanced commercial facility in Florida INEOS Bio and its joint venture partner, New Planet Energy, today announced they have received a conditional commitment for a $75 million loan guarantee
January 05, 2011 Read Full Article
RFA Proposes Alternative E15 Label to EPA
(Renewable Fuels Association) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposed label for E15 (15% ethanol/85% gasoline) “will do little, if anything, to promote the successful introduction of a new fuel to the marketplace” the Renewable Fuels Association wrote in comments
January 05, 2011 Read Full Article
U.S. Lacks Infrastructure to Consume More Ethanol
by Brian Wallheimer (Purdue University/Western Farm Press) The United States doesn't have the infrastructure to meet the federal mandate for renewable fuel use with ethanol, but could meet the standard with significant increases in cellulosic and next-generation biofuels, according to a
January 05, 2011 Read Full Article
Fill Her up with Super Pine
by Rose Stirling (Dargaville News) Pine plantations in the Kaipara can be converted into biofuels as part of a nationwide proposal which will save the economy billions of dollars each year. Scion, formerly the New Zealand Forest Research Institute, have suggested to
January 05, 2011 Read Full Article
Growth Energy Proposes New E15 Label to EPA
(Growth Energy) In formal comments submitted to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) yesterday, Growth Energy proposed a new label for E15 (a blend of 15 percent ethanol and 85 percent gasoline) that will more accurately provide consumers with the
January 05, 2011 Read Full Article
Thorntons Adds E-85 to 36 Locations
(Convenience Store News) Thorntons is now offering E-85 Flex Fuel in 36 store locations -- seven in Illinois, 11 in Indiana, 11 in Kentucky and seven in Tennessee, the company reported. READ MORE
January 05, 2011 Read Full Article
Tennessee Switchgrass Initiative Looking for Investors
(Nashville Public Radio) The state’s switchgrass initiative is looking for new investors. The program aims to turn crops of the tall perennial grass into ethanol to fuel cars. Now it’s using a new East Tennessee biorefinery to demonstrate the technology, in
January 05, 2011 Read Full Article
Quantum Leap for the Q Microbe: Qteros closes $22 Million in New Financing; Global Partnership with Praj
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... Qteros and Praj will collaborate on a highly focused, multi-year development program with the objective of rapidly developing and commercializing Process Design Packages (PDPs) that enable cellulosic ethanol production using Qteros’ Q Microbe-enabled CBP platform
January 05, 2011 Read Full Article
A Primer on Algal Genomics
by Integrated Gemomics (Algae Industry Magazine) To the untrained eye, microalgae are typical photosynthetic, unicellular organisms. Most species are characterized as green, red, or brown in color with a moderate growth rate and size as small as one micron in
January 05, 2011 Read Full Article
Protec Fuel Opens Three E85 Sites in Atlanta
by Cindy Zimmerman (DomesticFuel.com) Protec Fuelalong with Indore Oil Company announce the opening of three new E85 sites in the Atlanta, Georgia vicinity. The three facilities will assist in fueling the nearly 25,000 flexible fuel vehicles (FFVs) in the area. Indore Oil partnered with
January 05, 2011 Read Full Article
Disarming the Food to Fuel Conflict Part 2: The Misinformation Campaign
by Christopher Klug (Tiny Green Bubble) ...According to the Renewable Fuels Association data, the United States produced and used approximately 10.6 billion gallons of ethanol in 2009, making the US the largest producer of ethanol in the world. (Renewable Fuels
January 05, 2011 Read Full Article
Disarming the Food to Fuel Conflict Part 1: The Biofuel History
by Christopher Klug (Tiny Green Bubble) In the United States, domestic ethanol production and motor fuel additives are becoming more and more common. However, a bevy of misinformation campaigns surround the use of resources for these clean energy initiatives. These
January 05, 2011 Read Full Article
Virent and HCL CleanTech Receive Grant to Demonstrate Cellulosic Sugars as Feedstocks for 'Drop-In' Biofuels and Bioproducts
(Virent) BIRD Energy Grant Will Support Virent's Conversion of HCL CleanTech's Pine Tree Sugars Into Hydrocarbon Fuels and Products That can be Sustainable, Cost-effective, and Compatible With Existing Infrastructure Virent Energy Systems Inc. and HCL CleanTech announced today that they have been
January 05, 2011 Read Full Article
National Algae Association End of Year Report
by Barry Cohen (National Algae Association) ... Some of the accomplishments include: - Construction of commercial-scale demo PBR at Lone Star College - Delivery by NAA Engineering Consortium of plans and design for the 100-acre challenge - Delivery by NAA finance team of first financial
January 04, 2011 Read Full Article
Will Biogenic Emission Regulation Curb Biomass Growth?
by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com) ...In December 2010, Forisk Consulting released a study titled, “Economic and Regional Impact Analysis of the Treatment of Biomass Energy Under the EPA Greenhouse Gas Tailoring Rule.” According to NAFO, the study found that the U.S.
January 04, 2011 Read Full Article
Growing Willows as Biofuel
by Jane Milliman (Democrat and Chronicle) Normally the word "willow" brings to mind those huge weepers that hug stream banks or the sticks with big fuzzy buds you can harvest in the early spring. But here in upstate New York we
January 04, 2011 Read Full Article
A Nanoscale Biofuel Cell for Self-Powered Nanotechnology Devices
by Michael Berger (Nanowerk) Nanotechnology researchers working on self-powered nanodevices – nanoscale systems that scavenge energy from their surrounding environment – have been experimenting with various power sources ranging from piezoelectric systems ("Electricity-generating silicone implants could power electronic devices") to sound
January 04, 2011 Read Full Article
Seaweed: The New Trend in Water Purification
(PhysOrg.com) Charles Yarish is, by his own definition, a seaweed enthusiast. Over his 35-year career, the Stamford professor of ecology and evolutionary biology has followed his marine algae instincts around the world, studying seaweeds’ relationships, their physiology, and their interactions with
January 04, 2011 Read Full Article
China Automaker JAC Sends First Batch of Ethanol-Powered Cars to Brazil
(Green Car Congress/FavStocks) Chinese carmaker Jianghuai Automobile Co.,Ltd. (JAC) shipped 500 ethanol-powered cars to Brazil at the end of December, the first batch resulting from a deal signed in August with Brazilian dealer SHC to export 620,000 units to Brazil over
January 04, 2011 Read Full Article
Fears over Impact of £200m Biofuel Refinery due to Open at Saltend
(ThisIsHullAndEastRiding) FEARS have been raised over the environmental impact of a new £200-million biofuel plant due to open early this year in Saltend. The refinery will convert about one million tonnes of wheat every year into bioethanol and animal feed. Once fully
January 04, 2011 Read Full Article
San Francisco Falling Short on Use of Biodiesel for Public Vehicles
by Katie Worth (San Francisco Examiner) In late 2007, Mayor Gavin Newsom announced that every diesel-powered vehicle owned by The City — 1,500 in all — had been converted to run on a 20 percent biodiesel blend. ...But while Muni buses
January 04, 2011 Read Full Article
Biofuels Developers Get a Taste for Waste
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...a lot of strong commentary from the readership on the potential for Fischer-Tropsch technologies. And brought out some very strong feelings about waste. On F-T, one reader wrote: “Expansion of FT? Hardly. Its the narrowing of
January 04, 2011 Read Full Article
Oil Industry Tax Issues in the Fiscal Year 2011 Budget Proposal
by Robert Pirog (Congressional Research Service) ...These proposals included repeal of the enhanced oil recovery and marginal well tax credits, repeal of the expensing of intangible drilling costs, repeal of the deduction for tertiary injectants, repeal of passive loss exceptions
January 04, 2011 Read Full Article
Biodiesel Industry Primed to Flourish
by Philip Brasher (Des Moines Register) Boom times are ahead for a biodiesel industry that struggled just to stay alive in 2010. The industry could produce as much as a billion gallons in 2011, nearly triple this year's production, said Gary
January 04, 2011 Read Full Article
Canada Pulls ahead with Biofuels
(WBCB TV/Driving Today) Although the Obama administration slowed U.S. efforts on biofuels in favor of electric vehicles, a new report card on the renewable fuels industry shows that ethanol and biodiesel are delivering tangible economic and environmental results -- in
January 04, 2011 Read Full Article
Vilsack Pushes to Turn Waste into Ethanol
by David DeWitte (Sioux City Journal) USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack expects a forthcoming round of federal grants to help start non-corn-based advanced biofuel plants outside the nation's traditional ethanol heartland boosting support for ethanol. The government plans to announce measures in early
January 04, 2011 Read Full Article
Hypoxylon sp., an Endophyte of Persea indica, Producing 1,8-cineole and Other Bioactive Volatiles with Fuel Potential
(National Institutes of Health/Department of Plant Sciences, Montana State University) An endophytic fungus of Persea indica was identified, on the basis of its anamorphic stage, as Nodulosporium sp. by SEM. Partial sequence analysis of ITS rDNA revealed the identity of the
January 04, 2011 Read Full Article
Malaysia's Sime Darby, Japan's Mitsui Engineering Sign Biofuel Deal
(Japan Today) Malaysia’s Sime Darby Plantation is collaborating with Mitsui Engineering and Shipbuilding Co to construct and operate a bioethanol demonstration plant in Malaysia’s Selangor State. The plant will convert oil empty palm fruit branches, available year-round and in abundant