by Nina Chestney (Reuters) Fossil fuel subsidies worth $312 billion should be realigned to ensure the growth of renewable energy and curb the world's reliance on carbon-intensive fuels, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said in a report. Demand for fossil fuels
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Back TO HOMEAlgae Farm Education Affiliation
(MSN.com) Algae Farm, (Pink Sheets:ALGF), announces that it has signed an Education Affiliation Agreement with Lone Star College System (“LSCS”), Conroe, Texas. The purpose of this agreement is to provide educational experiences for students enrolled in algae related programs in
April 11, 2011 Read Full Article
A.I.M. Interview: CEHMM's Doug Lynn
(Algae Industry Magazine) Southeastern New Mexico’s Center of Excellence for Hazardous Materials Management, better known as CEHMM, was established in May of 2004 as a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to reducing the impact of hazardous materials on the environment. Somewhat under
April 11, 2011 Read Full Article
A Fiber of Hope: Missouri Plant Wants to Make Ethanol in a New Way
by Steve Everly and Scott Canon (Kansas City Star) This country’s battle to curb oil imports is being plotted in high-tech laboratories and elite universities hunting for breakthroughs in alternative fuels. But the frontlines in the effort to bring such fuels
April 11, 2011 Read Full Article
Spring Ethanol Plant Map Shows 14.31 Billion Gallons of Capacity
by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The Spring 2011 Fuel Ethanol Plant Map is Ethanol Producer Magazine’s twice-yearly look at the industry, being distributed with the May issue, soon to be out. This spring, the printed wall map includes enhancements
April 11, 2011 Read Full Article
USDA Changes Corn Wording after Ethanol Makers Complain
by Charles Abbott and Christopher Doering (Reuters) The government introduced new wording on corn use on Friday following complaints from ethanol makers that they were not getting credit for the corn byproducts that are fed to livestock. Instead of saying "corn for ethanol"
April 11, 2011 Read Full Article
Harvesting, Storage and Transfer Technology Update
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 energy R & D grant
April 11, 2011 Read Full Article
Protecting Big Oil at the Expense of Consumers
by Daniel J. Weiss and Richard W. Caperton (GreenTechMedia) Paul Ryan’s budget proposal eviscerates green technology projects, but leaves massive subsidy loopholes for the oil industry. House Budget Committee Chair Paul Ryan’s(R-WI) proposed FY 2012 budget resolution is a backward-looking plan
April 11, 2011 Read Full Article
National Institute of Technology Trichy Study Links Nanoparticles to Increased Biofuel Performance
(ANI/Daily India) A new study by an Indian researcher has indicated that the addition of alumina nanoparticles can improve the performance and combustion of biodiesel. The idea, said lead author R. B. Anand, an associate professor of mechanical engineering at the
April 11, 2011 Read Full Article
SAIL Capital Creates Louisiana Sustainability Fund
(CityBizListAtlanta) Today, SAIL Capital Partners, LLC of Irvine, CA and SAILSustainable Partners of Louisiana, LLC (SSP), announced the creation of The Louisiana Sustainability Fund (LSF), a new private capital fund dedicated to building a sustainable economic future in Louisiana by investing in
April 11, 2011 Read Full Article
Gevo: The Owner’s Manual
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...The Gevo GIFT system – three innovations in one First, its magic bug that indeed, produces isobutanol at a far higher rate, yield and concentration than traditional yeasts. Second, an extraction system that gets the
April 11, 2011 Read Full Article
Clean Tech Rising
(Scientific American) China outshines the U.S. as the top investor, while Europe is a close third The U.S. has been a major player in clean energy technologies, but China is now the leader. The top six European countries, together, are
April 10, 2011 Read Full Article
Senate Energy Committee Explores Biofuel Infrastructure Expansion
by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The Senate energy committee held a two-hour hearing April 7 to discuss proposed legislation to expand the domestic biofuels market, but expanded its scope through testimony and committee member questions to cover nearly every
April 08, 2011 Read Full Article
USDA Program Provides Consumers More Choices at the Pump With Flex-Fuel Options
(US Department of Agriculture) Funding for Flex-Fuel Pumps Will Help Build Out Critical Infrastructure and Promote Greater Use of Biofuels Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that Americans will soon have more choices at the gas pump through a USDA program
April 08, 2011 Read Full Article
Trends in Renewable Energy Consumption and Electricity 2009
(U.S. Energy Information Administration) Despite an economic recession and a significant fall in overall energy demand/consumption, the use of renewable fuels grew strongly in 2009. This growth has been supported by Federal and State programs, including federal tax credits, state
April 08, 2011 Read Full Article
Auto Industry Willing to Talk Higher Ethanol Blends
by Gary Truitt (Hoosier Ag Today) During Thursday's Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing, Shane Karr, Vice President of Federal Governmental Affairs for the Auto Alliance, stated automakers would commit to a dialog with Congress and the appropriate federal
April 08, 2011 Read Full Article
FACT SHEET: National Clean Fleets Partnership
(U.S. Department of Energy) In 2008, America imported 11 million barrels of oil a day. On Wednesday, the President announced a bold goal of cutting that amount by one-third by 2025. To achieve this goal we will harness a broad
April 08, 2011 Read Full Article
Boeing, Yale University Conduct Jatropha Sustainability Study
by Bryan Sims (Biodiesel Magazine) Boeing issued research conducted by Yale University’s School of Environmental Studies that showed significant potential for jatropha-based aviation fuel. The study showed that, if cultivated properly, jatropha could deliver strong environmental and socioeconomic benefits in
April 08, 2011 Read Full Article
Algal Biomass Organization Presents First Annual Algae Industry Leadership Awards to Advocates in U.S. Congress, Navy
(MarketWire/Algal Biomass Organization) Recipients' Support of Algae Critical to Accelerating Industry's Growth and Reducing Major Barriers to Commercialization The Algal Biomass Organization, the trade association for the U.S. algae industry, presented its first annual Algae Industry Leadership Awards to United
April 08, 2011 Read Full Article
DOE Pulls the Plug on Massive Training Initiative
by Jeffrey Mervis (Science Magazine) In April 2009, President Barack Obama announced an ambitious 10-year, $1.6 billion education and training initiative at the Department of Energy (DOE), dubbed "Regaining our Energy Science and Engineering Edge." But Congress twice declined to
April 08, 2011 Read Full Article
Economics, Physics Are Roadblocks for Mass-Scale Algae Biodiesel Production, Study Finds
(EurekAlert/Kansas State University) "Fossil fuels are limited, and since we can't use more than what Earth offers, a lot of people are looking for alternative fuel sources like algae," said Peter Pfromm, professor of chemical engineering and member of a
April 08, 2011 Read Full Article
POET Corn Oil to Supply up to 60 Million Gallons Biodiesel Production Annually
by POET (Renewable Energy World) "Voilà™" corn oil separated using POET centrifuge technology Planned expansion of corn oil production to all of POET's ethanol plants will produce enough raw material for up to 60 million gallons of biodiesel. POET is now selling Voilà™
April 08, 2011 Read Full Article
The Class of 2011
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Will these biofuels projects make the expected steps towards commercialization? There was a strong response to yesterday’s Top Story about technologies that were approaching make-or-break milestones in 2012. But what about 2011, asked some? What
April 08, 2011 Read Full Article
Come On Seven: Investors Weigh Options, as 7 Companies Near Key Biofuels Milestones
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) As seven projects aim for important milestones, investors face big decisions on whether advanced biofuels companies, even after the run-up in share prices, are still undervalued. ...(I)s it time to get in, hold, or lock in
April 08, 2011 Read Full Article
Biofuels Huge Opportunity for Oil Companies, But Challenges Abound
by Jon LeSage (Green Machine Digest) ... "Biofuels is the area that makes most sense for oil companies, as it aligns most easily to existing infrastructure and knowledge. However, biofuels growth in China will be carefully managed by government departments
April 07, 2011 Read Full Article
Biofuels and Biofuel Research beyond Ethanol is Crucial to Developing Alternative Sustainable Energy Resources
(KQED/Quest/Planet Forward) For years there’s been buzz — both positive and negative — about generating ethanol fuel from corn. The Bay Area is rapidly becoming a world center for the next generation of green fuel alternatives. Meet the scientists investigating
April 07, 2011 Read Full Article
GeneSyst Plans $618 Million Investment in Ethanol Plants on Malta Islands
by Louise Downing (Bloomberg) GeneSyst U.K. Ltd., part of Hudson, Ohio-based Genesyst Inc., is planning to invest 435 million euros ($618 million) in three waste-to-ethanol plants in Malta. The first project will produce as much as 90 million liters of ethanol
April 07, 2011 Read Full Article
AGZAM to Invest $251M in Sugar, Ethanol in South Africa
by Nicholas Bariyo (Dow Jones Newswires) South Africa-based AGZAM Project Developers Ltd. is planning to invest at least $251 million to develop a sugar plant and at least 15,000 hectares of sugar plantations in Zambia's southern province, the state-run Zambia Development
April 07, 2011 Read Full Article
LanzaTech, LCY Partner for Chems, Biofuels Plant Construction
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In New Zealand, LanzaTech is partnering with China’s LCY Chemical Corporation to identify key bio-based chemicals to produce for global fuels and chemicals markets. Mr Lee says LCY plans to investigate alternative bio-C2 to C5
April 07, 2011 Read Full Article
Food vs Fuel: Are Biofuels Moral or Immoral?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The public says “depends on the feedstock,” but generally more moral than converting land for oil & gas or housing. An in-depth Digest survey looks at a wide variety of cases. In Florida, respondents to a
April 07, 2011 Read Full Article
Enabling the Navy's Great Green Fleet
by Louise Poirier (Fuel Magazine/Ethanol and Biofuels News/Hart Energy) Amid persistent concerns about supplying the enormous energy demands of the United States' armed forces, the military is pursuing alternatives, and the Department of the Navy is leading the way. For
April 07, 2011 Read Full Article
GM, Coskata Join Forces to Correct Misconceptions about Ethanol
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) With four decades of experience backing him up, Rathin Datta, chief scientific officer for Coskata Inc. has identified the primary renewable liquid fuel. “There’s no doubt—no technical, thermodynamic or energy or any other doubt—that
April 05, 2011 Read Full Article
Stabenow Wants to Move Quickly, but Methodically on New Farm Bill
by Jerry Hagstrom (AgWeek) Senate Agriculture Commitee Chairman Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., says the Senate will proceed on its own schedule on the farm bill and should finish the bill as quickly as possible, but she will not promise to finish
April 05, 2011 Read Full Article
Agrivida Reports Increased Glucose Yields from Cellulosic Biomass for Fuel and Chemical Production
(Agrivida) —New Data Presented at Annual American Chemical Society Meeting— Agrivida's engineered feedstock and proprietary low temperature, low cost processes release over 80 percent theoretical glucose yield from cellulosic biomass, according to data presented today at the annual meeting of
April 05, 2011 Read Full Article
New Blender Pump in York, NE
by Cindy Zimmerman (DomesticFuel.com) A new ethanol blender pump opened last week in York, Nebraska thanks to the efforts of the Nebraska Ethanol Board and the Nebraska Corn Board. ...The York E85 / blender pump is the 61st in Nebraska to offer
April 05, 2011 Read Full Article
The World Market For Ethanol You Did Not Know About.
by Stu Ellis (FarmGateBlog.com) ...(E)thanol producers who have a pipeline into the export market may find added demand from a variety of nations that need to buy it. At a time when ethanol imports are controversial along with the
April 05, 2011 Read Full Article
Call for Presenter: Algae Growing, Harvesting and Extraction Technologies Conference May 19, 2011 Fairless Hills, PA
In continuing its efforts to fast-track commercialization of algae production, The National Algae Association's next workshop, May 19, 2011 at BARD HOLDING, will focus on progress in growing, harvesting and extraction methods, along with proven technologies that are ready for
April 05, 2011 Read Full Article
Indirect Fuel Use Change (IFUC) and the Lifecycle Environmental Impact of Biofuel Policies
by Deepak Rajagopal, G. Hochman, and D. Zilberman (Science Direct) A common assumption in lifecycle assessment (LCA) based estimates of greenhouse gas (GHG) benefits (or costs) of renewable fuel such as biofuel is that it simply replaces an energy-equivalent amount of
April 05, 2011 Read Full Article
Indirect Land Use Change: A Second-Best Solution to a First-Class Problem
by David Zilberman, Gal Hochman, and Deepak Rajagopal (AgBioForum) Concern about the possible effects of biofuels on deforestation have led to assigning biofuel producers with the responsibility for the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of the indirect land-use changes (ILUC) associated
April 05, 2011 Read Full Article
EU's Airline Emission Goals under Scrutiny
(Euractiv.com) When the European Commission unveiled plans to slash transport CO2 emissions by 60% by 2050 last week, many assumed the figure would apply to road, rail and air travel in the same way. But EurActiv has learned that
April 05, 2011 Read Full Article
Algae Could Make Biofuel Cheaper than Oil
by Megan Detrie (The National) Algae that thrive in sun-drenched wildernesses are an important source of natural nutrition and biofuel. But while most projects have grown algae in closed conditions, there is hope that the open environment of the UAE
April 05, 2011 Read Full Article
Startup Proterro Engineers Bacteria For Higher Ethanol Producing Sugar Yield
by Mihai Sandru (UK.IBTimes Green Economy) Princeton-based startup Proterro has announced the development of a technology that can produce sugar, the main source for ethanol, by using engineered cyanobacteria, photosynthetic organisms that can produce sucrose through a normally-occurring defense system. ...Their
April 05, 2011 Read Full Article
The Band Wagon: Investors, First Gen Biofuels, Oil Companies Join the Advanced Biofuels Parade
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) “Coming out of graduate school at MIT in the late 1990s,” Biofuel Energy CEO Scott Pearce recalls, “everyone was flooding into technology companies, dot coms, and I went back into the boring energy space. I
April 05, 2011 Read Full Article
Are Genetically Modified Algae a Threat?
by Stephen Lacey (Renewable Energy World) No one knows. And that's what scares some people. ...Tom Allnut, the senior vice president of R&D at the algae start-up Phycal, believes some of the concerns about engineered algae are valid. Given that algae are
April 05, 2011 Read Full Article
Key Players: Advanced Biofuels
by David Beattie (Renewable Energy World Magazine) ...Importantly, and what sets these latest fuels apart from their first-generation predecessors, is the fact that they are produced using feedstock that would normally be classed as waste or non-food. These include parts
April 05, 2011 Read Full Article
EPA Solicits Applications for RE-Powering America’s Land
(US Environmental Protection Agency) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is soliciting applications from states, tribes, regional governments, and communities that are interested in the development of renewable energy on current and formerly contaminated properties. The opportunity is offered
April 04, 2011 Read Full Article
Next-Gen Biofuel Depends on Subsidies, Senate Told
by Philip Brasher (Des Moines Register) Even as President Barack Obama renewed his push for next-generation biofuels, an industry official warned that cuts in biomass subsidies could discourage farmers from providing corn residue and other needed feedstocks. If farmers “see the
April 04, 2011 Read Full Article
Obama Announces Clean Fleets Partnership
(SustainableBusiness.com) ...The public-private partnership aims to assist large companies in reducing diesel and gasoline use in their fleets by incorporating electric vehicles, alternative fuels, and fuel-saving measures into their daily operations. AT&T (NYSE: T), FedEx (NYSE: FDX), PepsiCo (NYSE: PEP), UPS
April 04, 2011 Read Full Article
Cape Coral Group Wants to Clean Water, Make Biofuel
by Brian Liberatore (News-Press) ..."I'd like to be able to get excited about this," said Ken Langeland, a professor of agronomy with the University of Florida. "But I've seen too much money go down the tubes in the past trying
April 04, 2011 Read Full Article
Ethanol: Pros, Cons Fuel Debate over Its Worth
by Tyler Ellyson (Columbus Telegram) Robeson, general manager of Frontier Co-op in Brainard, considers the corn-based fuel to be the crutch that the Midwest and Nebraska economies leaned on during the recent recession — keeping our heads above water while
April 04, 2011 Read Full Article
Experts: Farmers not to Blame for High Food Prices
by Michael J. Crumb (Associated Press/Forbes) ...Now, they're concerned again as corn prices rose even higher last week following an announcement that U.S. farmers are planting the second largest corn crop since 1944, but it won't be enough to meet
April 04, 2011 Read Full Article
Students Preparing to Push the Boundaries of Fuel Efficiency and Go the Distance at Shell Eco-Marathon® Americas 2011
(Shell/PRNewsWire) While many students spent the weeks and months leading up to spring break preparing for midterm exams, an ambitious group of students geared up for another important test. They are the 70 teams from 18 high schools and
April 04, 2011 Read Full Article
Interjet and Airbus Test First Biofuel Flight in Mexico
(Biofuels International) Interjet and Airbus tested their first Jatropha-based biofuel flight in Mexico on 1 April 2011, using an Airbus A320 aircraft. The biofuel comes from the local region’s Jatropha plant which is harvested in the southern state of Chiapas,
April 04, 2011 Read Full Article
Waste Management, Total Invest in Agilyx, Waste Plastics-to-Crude Oil Pyrolysis
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...The Portland-based company, once known as Plas2Fuel, is developing a novel, scalable technology that converts difficult-to-recycle waste plastics into synthetic sweet crude oil. Last year, it received TechAmerica’s 2010 Cool Product of the Year Award.
April 04, 2011 Read Full Article
What About Diesel? Group Makes the Case that Obama's Energy Plan Should Include Diesel Fuel.
by Josh Cable (Industry Week) The nonprofit Diesel Technology Forum responded to President Obama's energy speech earlier this week by declaring that diesel fuel "can and must be part of our current and future national energy strategy." ..."The diesel engine is
April 03, 2011 Read Full Article
Scientists Aim to Improve Photosynthesis to Increase Food and Fuel Production
(University of Glasgow) Scientists from the University of Glasgow are working with international colleagues on a £5.4m collaboration to improve the process of photosynthesis. Photosynthesis is the process whereby biological systems convert sunlight into food and the source of all the
April 01, 2011 Read Full Article
Maximizing Efficiency. Minimizing Impact.
by Julie Flannery-Allen (POET/Vital Online) The next generation of engine technology is here. ...Ethanol enjoys a very high octane rating of 113. When blended with gasoline, the octane rating of the fuel goes up improving the fuel's performance. In addition, ethanol
April 01, 2011 Read Full Article
Zambia: Bio-Fuel Association to Enhance Awareness
(AllAfrica.com) The Biofuels Association of Zambia (BAZ) will this year enhance public awareness programmes on biofuel. BAZ chairperson Thomson Sinkala said in an interview that the organisation would increase public awareness activities because they were a participatory industry and wanted to
April 01, 2011 Read Full Article
Low Cost Sugars? The Beet Goes On
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...For hot technology companies such as Amyris, Solazyme, LS9, Cobalt and Virent, it all comes down to low-cost sugars. Which brings us to the case of that other sugar source: your friend, the sugar beet. The