by Margaret Broeren (Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center) ...Much more than a buzzword, “sustainable” means that trade-offs—social, environmental and economic factors—have been measured, modeled and validated against actual “boots on the ground data” measured at agricultural research stations and on Midwestern
Archive
Back TO HOMEEU Biofuels' Indirect Carbon Emissions Debate To Move Forward
(Wall Street Journal/Governors Biofuels Coalition) Top European Union policy makers will next week be faced with one of Europe's most controversial climate policies, as they consider whether biofuels do more harm than good when it comes to greenhouse gas emissions. The
April 30, 2012 Read Full Article
E15 Gas Brings Conflict to Pumps
by David Shaffer (Star Tribune) A new blend of ethanol and gasoline may soon show up at the gas station pumps -- along with mixed messages on whether it's safe to put it in your vehicle. Motorists driving up to pumps
April 30, 2012 Read Full Article
Sustainable Biofuels? From Agro-Fueled Land Conflicts to Algae
by Jack Eidt (WilderUtopia) Fossil Fuel Alternatives: Our Way Out of the Heat and Smog ...Institutionally-Supported Industrial Monocrop Supercedes Peasant Agriculture. The search for alternatives to fossil fuels has created a land boom in Latin American-African- and Southeast Asian-produced agrofuels. Sugarcane and
April 30, 2012 Read Full Article
Green Cars Take Top Prize in U.S. Racing Series
by Julia Pyper (E&E/Governors' Biofuel Coalition) The Audi R18 Ultra, a turbocharged-diesel prototype running on bio-to-liquid fuel, won the 2012 Sebring race and the Michelin Green X Challenge. The checkered flag dropped at the Le Mans Series Toyota Grand Prix this
April 30, 2012 Read Full Article
Energy Department Announces up to $15 Million to Research Biomass-Based Supplements for Traditional Fuels
(U.S. Department of Energy) As part of President Obama’s blueprint for an economy fueled by homegrown and alternative energy sources, the Energy Department announced today up to $15 million available to demonstrate biomass-based oil supplements that can be blended with
April 30, 2012 Read Full Article
Energy Department Announces $2.5 Million to Advance Technologies for Clean-Burning, Efficient Biomass Cookstoves
The Energy Department announced up to $2.5 million available this year for applied research to advance clean biomass cookstove technologies for use in developing countries. The funding will support the development of innovative cookstove designs that allow users to burn
April 30, 2012 Read Full Article
Diesel Cars Make a Comeback in the U.S.
by Julia Pyper (Scientific American/ClimateWire) Sooty, finicky diesel engines are a thing of the past, boosting prospects for the fuel-efficient automobiles in America ...On average, about 85 percent of the particle matter emitted from diesel trucks is black carbon, said Christopher Frey
April 30, 2012 Read Full Article
Commission to Decide if Farms Allowed to Produce Ethanol
by Diane Wagner (Rome News Tribune) The Floyd County Commission is expected to decide at its May 8 meeting if it will allow local farmers to make a limited amount of ethanol onsite, for use as fuel for their equipment. No opposition
April 27, 2012 Read Full Article
Senate Ag Committee OK’s $800M for Farm Bill Energy Programs; DOE OK’d to Move $100M for Advanced Biofuels
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, the Senate Agriculture Committee has approved $800 million in mandatory biofuels-related funding for the proposed energy title in the upcoming Farm Bill. ...Yesterday, Senators Kent Conrad of North Dakota and Richard Lugar of Indiana
April 27, 2012 Read Full Article
The US Bioeconomy Blueprint: the 10 Minute Guide
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The Obama Administration releases its long-awaited, historic strategic plan for the bioeconomy, and US economic revival from advances in health sciences, agriculture, industrial biotechnology and advanced biofuels. No time to read the dense pages
April 27, 2012 Read Full Article
Algae Is Not Endive: The Future of Biofuels in the United States
by Dan Morgan (The Globalist) The plant world has a curious way of providing fodder for Republicans in the midst of important elections in the United States. In 1988, the party cast the Democrat's presidential candidate, Michael Dukakis, as an
April 26, 2012 Read Full Article
A.I.M. Interview: Bioprocess Algae CEO Tim Burns
(Algae Industry Magazine) Many eyes are closely watching the development arc at Bioprocess Algae, in Shenandoah, Iowa, for signs that this might be the model for future farming. ...Tim Burns was also President, CEO and a co-founder of Bioprocess H2O, one
April 26, 2012 Read Full Article
Brown Grease Collection Unit Helps Provide Low-Cost Feedstock
by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) Bio-Energy Holdings Inc. has developed a brown grease collection process unit available for restaurants, trademarked the A-Ceptor, to help avoid clogged grease traps, fines and sewer problems. The unit, which the company says is
April 26, 2012 Read Full Article
EPA Levies Administrative Fines for Invalid Biodiesel RINs
by Erin Voegele (Biodiesel Magazine) The U.S. EPA has announced the amount of administrative settlements levied against 30 obligated parties and renewable fuel exporters due to the purchase of invalid biodiesel renewable identification numbers (RINs) used by EPA to track
April 26, 2012 Read Full Article
Take Courage! Develop a Comprehensive, Strategic Meaningful Energy Policy that Answers the Tough Questions--or Not...
by Joanne Ivancic (Advanced Biofuels USA) In an interview with Kris Bevill of Ethanol Producer Magazine, John Eichberger, National Association of Convenience Stores vice president of government relations and author of the paper, titled “The Future of Fuels: An Analysis
April 26, 2012 Read Full Article
25x'25 Steering Committee Member Michael Bowman, White House 'Champion of Change' Alum, Meets with Obama
(25 x '25) Wray, CO Advocate Urges President to Lend More Support to Bioenergy Development, Support Higher Ethanol Blends Mike Bowman, a member of the National 25x'25 Alliance's Steering Committee, met with President Obama today and outlined the Alliance’s recommendations and
April 26, 2012 Read Full Article
New Survey: Americans United on Renewable Energy Future
(The CLEAN) (The) Civil Society Institute released new survey results that show that the vast majority of Americans are not only ready to grapple with tough energy choices, but also to move toward clean, renewable energy. These results underline the
April 26, 2012 Read Full Article
Report Illustrates Interconnected Web of Alternative Fuel Players
by Kris Bevill (Biorefining Magazine) A report recently released by Boston-based advisory firm Lux Research Inc., titled “Mapping Empires, Goldmines, and Landmines in the Alternative Fuels Network,” examines the role of partnerships within the alternative fuels sector and concludes that
April 26, 2012 Read Full Article
Microbe Engineered to Produce New Product at Lower Temperatures
by Erin Voegele (Biorefining Magazine) A team of researchers at the University of Georgia’s Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology recently published the results of a study relating to hyperthermophiles—or heat-loving microorganisms—that may prove beneficial to biofuel production. The paper,
April 26, 2012 Read Full Article
Trillium FiberFuels, Oregon State University Get Grant for Advanced Biomass Enzymes
(Trillium FiberFuels Inc./Biorefining Magazine) A team of scientists from Trillium FiberFuels and Oregon State University has been awarded a Small Business Technology Transfer grant from the U.S. DOE to further develop innovative enzymes that could lead to new products from
April 26, 2012 Read Full Article
Virdia Opens Its Cellulosic Sugar Demonstration Plant in Va.
(Virdia/Biorefining Magazine) Cellulosic sugar developer Virdia announced April 24 the opening of its demonstration facility at its new technology center in Danville, Va. Located on the campus for the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research, the facility is designed to
April 26, 2012 Read Full Article
America's Biofuel Industry Moves From The Beaker To Barrel, ABFA President Testifies To Congress
(Advanced Biofuels Association) Testifying today before the U.S. House Small Business Committee's Subcommittee on Agriculture, Energy and Trade, Michael McAdams, president, Advanced Biofuels Association – ABFA, said he is, "proud to report to this Committee and to this Congress that America's
April 26, 2012 Read Full Article
Chemrec Enters Into Cooperation Agreement With China Tianchen Engineering Corporation on Advanced Biofuel Plants
(Chemrec) Chemrec today (April 24, 2012) signed a cooperation agreement with China Tianchen Engineering Corporation, TCC, to provide an integrated offering of Chemrec plants on a global lump-sum turn-key basis and co-market the Chemrec black liquor gasification technology - a
April 26, 2012 Read Full Article
Groups Call On U.S. Senate to Authorize Funding for Military Biofuel
(Advanced Biofuels Association) Energy security is a vital part of national security; we can improve energy security with advanced biofuel production in the U.S. The Biotechnology Industry Organization, the Advanced BioFuel Association, the Algal Biomass Organization, Airlines for America, and the
April 26, 2012 Read Full Article
Paper Evaluates Consequences of Dueling CAFE, RFS Policies
by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Increasing fuel efficiency standards are expected to shrink U.S. gasoline demand over the coming years while, at the same time, the renewable fuel standard (RFS) will require increasing amounts of alternative fuels to be
April 26, 2012 Read Full Article
Specialty Fuel Additives Market
by Reportlinker (Sacramento Bee) ...Some of the biggest impacts of the RFS2 regulations will be in the diesel additive segment. Cold flow improvers will grow at the fastest rate relative to other fuel additives due to the rising use of
April 26, 2012 Read Full Article
Novozymes Joins, Invests in Maabjerg Energy Concept, a New Industrial Energy System
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Finding synergy between biogas, ethanol and power generation – the Maabjerg Energy Concept promises a new approach to energy economics and sustainability, through the capture and repurpose of industrial byproducts. ...Last August, the Danish prospects for
April 26, 2012 Read Full Article
EPA Awards More Than $1 Million to College Teams for Innovative Environmental Solutions
(Environmental Protection Agency) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awarded more than $1 million in grants to 15 university and college teams from across the country who participated in the 8th Annual National Sustainable Design Expo on the National Mall
April 25, 2012 Read Full Article
Large Biofuel Purchases Reported Near
by Bob Brooks (Automotive Industries) At least two commercially viable biofuel off take agreements with suppliers are expected to be announced this year with airlines, according to Airline Association VP & Economist, John Heimlich. This information was relayed to AUTOMOTIVE
April 25, 2012 Read Full Article
EU Report Questions Conventional Biofuels' Sustainability
(EurActiv) Conventional biofuels like biodiesel increase carbon dioxide emissions and are too expensive to consider as a long-term alternative fuel, a draft EU report says. The study ‘EU Transport GHG [greenhouse gases]: Routes to 2050’ estimates that before indirect effects are counted,
April 25, 2012 Read Full Article
Forecast Calls for Climate-Smart Business (Part 2): Paul Douglas
by Paul Douglas (Bloomberg Business Week) When will American business wake up to the scientific reality of climate change? When the common-sense moderate middle wakes up. When pragmatic entrepreneurs and investors realize an intransigent, inflexible and, worst of all, factually incorrect
April 25, 2012 Read Full Article
Biofuels and the IMF: Can Three Producer Nations Save the Global Economy?
by Joelle Dent (Biofuels Digest Asia) ...The new boss, acting in the in the person of Brazil, has already wrought what most would consider a miracle by bringing India and Pakistan to the peace table after more than sixty years
April 25, 2012 Read Full Article
Otago University Has Begun a Trial of a Large Asian Grass with the Aim of Using It as Biofuel to Power Its Heating Systems.
(Radio New Zealand) The researchers are putting 7000 Miscanthus giganteus plants on sites near Port Chalmers and Oturehua in central Otago to test its growth patterns and frost-resistance. Lead botanist Janice Lord says the grass has great potential because it is dry, easy
April 25, 2012 Read Full Article
China Seeks to Develop Biofuels Industry Despite Production Difficulties
by Liu Yuanyuan (RenewableEnergyWorld.com) China seeks to promote the development of its biofuels industry through a series of supportive measures despite mass production difficulties. A spokesperson for the National Energy Bureau said that the Chinese government has set a goal
April 25, 2012 Read Full Article
Energy Coalition Disappointed in Farm Bill Draft
by Cindy Zimmerman (DomesticFuel.com) A coalition of trade groups and organizations representing renewable energy, energy efficiency, farm and environmental interests is disappointed in a 2012 Farm Bill draft out of the Senate Agriculture Committee that they say provides “no real
April 25, 2012 Read Full Article
Biofuels and City Air: A Marginal Effect
by Robert F. Service (Science) If drivers switch from gasoline to biofuels, will it lessen the air pollution that shrouds cities around the world? Studies of auto emissions have indicated it might. But the first citywide air quality study of its
April 25, 2012 Read Full Article
SynGas and the Front-End Problem of Biofuels
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Making good, affordable syngas from municipal solid waste to unlock 9 billion gallons of low-cost fuel? Covanta’s hot new gasification technology makes a big dent in the big challenge. ...The bumps in the road are three.
April 25, 2012 Read Full Article
Soy Checkoff Sponsors Tractor Pulls Again to Showcase Biodiesel
(The United Soybean Board/Biodiesel Magazine) ...As part of a larger strategy to promote soy biodiesel’s benefits among diesel users, the checkoff will once again co-sponsor the National Tractor Pullers Association season of approximately 80 tractor pulls across the United States.
April 24, 2012 Read Full Article
Chinese Researchers Improve Camelina Yields, Growth Rate
by Erin Voegele (Biodiesel Magazine) A group of researchers representing two Chinese universities have published a peer-reviewed research paper in theBiotechnology for Biofuels scientific journal that investigates how the overexpression of purple acid phosphatase 2 (AtPAP2) can improve growth rates and
April 24, 2012 Read Full Article
Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center Summer Programs for Educators: Accepting Applications!
The Education and Outreach area of GLBRC supports and collaborates on a diverse array of programs, which complement our mission and goals. These programs mainly address the needs of K-12 and undergraduate learning communities, and topically address bioenergy-related issues ranging
April 24, 2012 Read Full Article
Gold Eagle Helps Fuel Up Consumer Knowledge on Ethanol
(Gold Eagle/PR NewsWire) Understanding Ethanol is as Easy as A,B,C and E Consumer curiosity about ethanol continues to rise as news swirls around possible new regulations and changes consumers may soon see at their local pump. While awareness of ethanol has
April 24, 2012 Read Full Article
Infographic Illustrates How RFS is Working
by Cindy Zimmerman (DomesticFuel.com) The American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) has released an ‘infographic’ entitled “It’s Working” which provides a vivid depiction of how the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS2) and ethanol are reducing oil imports and saving Americans money at the pump. ...The infographic cites
April 24, 2012 Read Full Article
Incentives and Fuel Demand Boost Biofuels
by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com) According to a new report from GlobalData, government incentives and fuel demand are helping to boost biofuels markets. “Biofuels (Biodiesel and Bioethanol) Market – Global Production, Regulations, Export-Import Analysis and Key Country Analysis to 2020,” found that countries
April 24, 2012 Read Full Article
North Dakota Research Center Demos Methanol from Wood for Off-Grid Power
(The Energy & Environmental Research Center/Biorefining Magazine) The Energy & Environmental Research Center at the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks has successfully developed and demonstrated a mobile, trailer-mounted biomass gasification technology that converts wood waste into methanol and
April 24, 2012 Read Full Article
California Wins Temporary Reinstatement of Carbon Fuel Standard
By Karen Gullo and Lynn Doan (Bloomberg) California won temporary reinstatement of its low-carbon fuel standard, which was blocked last year by a federal judge. The U.S. Court of Appeals in San Francisco yesterday granted a request by California officials to put on hold the Dec.
April 24, 2012 Read Full Article
Ethanol Producers Step up to Pay for Required E15 Fuel Survey
by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) A group of 99 ethanol producers has taken on the task of funding the nationwide fuel survey required by the U.S. EPA for E15 implementation. The fuel survey represents the final federal hurdle to
April 24, 2012 Read Full Article
ABO Launches Blog to Track Industry Developments
by Mary Rosenfeld (Algal Biomass Organization) ... (T)the Algal Biomass Organization is launching the ABO Blog to meet a growing need for timely information about the algae industry. The ABO Blog will be offering perspectives and updates on algae industry news in all of the
April 24, 2012 Read Full Article
NIIST Sets up Biofuel Facility
(The Hindu Business Line) The biotechnology division of the National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology (NIIST) here has set up a Centre for Biofuels. It will be a nodal centre for research in the field, a spokesman for NIIST
April 24, 2012 Read Full Article
Trading Firm Sues US EPA over Biofuel Credit Scam
by Ayesha Rascoe (Reuters) * Company registered with EPA sold fake credits * Exxon, Shell, others cited for using invalid credits * Trading firm says EPA did not do due diligence A trading company ensnared in the fallout from massive fraud uncovered in
April 24, 2012 Read Full Article
Americans Show Strong Support for Renewable Fuels Agenda
(Ethanol Producer Magazine/Renewable Fuels Association) By an overwhelming majority, American voters are supportive of the key federal policy driving renewable fuel innovation in America today – the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). In a poll commissioned by the Renewable Fuels Association
April 23, 2012 Read Full Article
Electricity From Liquid Fuel? UCLA Researchers Say Yes
(AOL Energy) Researchers at UCLA say they have come up with a method for converting electrical energy into a liquid fuel, in a development that could lead to regular petrol cars being powered by electricity. The process, which uses carbon dioxide (CO2) as
April 23, 2012 Read Full Article
UF-Led Research Team Selected for $125 Million Joint U.S.-India Energy Project
(University of Florida) A University of Florida-led research team has been selected to participate in a five-year, $125 million energy project involving the United States and India, U.S. Department of Energy officials have announced. Known as the Joint Clean Energy Research and
April 23, 2012 Read Full Article
RFA’s Dinneen Tells House Committee to Support Domestic Fuels Protection Act
(Renewable Fuels Association) Providing flexibility to fuel retailers will be key to the continued growth in availability of higher level ethanol blends like E15 and other renewable fuels, according to Renewable Fuels Association President and CEO Bob Dinneen in written testimony before
April 23, 2012 Read Full Article
UK Climate Advisers Recommend International Aviation Emissions Be Included in National Carbon Budgets
(GreenAir Online) The Committee on Climate Change (CCC), which advises the UK government on national carbon targets, has recommended international aviation and shipping emissions be included in carbon budgets and the UK’s 2050 overall target to reduce emissions 80 per
April 23, 2012 Read Full Article
Whatever Happened to Algae and Biofuels?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...A couple of voices expressed caution, prominent among them, algae’s Doctor No, John Benemann of Benemann Associates, who wanted at the time, “if algae looks good [for fuel], we’re all in trouble.” LiveFuels CEO Lissa
April 23, 2012 Read Full Article
The Promise of Biotechnology Is Here Today, and Dyadic Is Determined to Make a Difference
(CFOCEO Magazine) ...Interview conducted by: Lynn Fosse, Senior Editor, CEOCFO Magazine, Published - April 20, 2012 ...C1 is a very unique fungus we found in the Russian soil in an alkaline lake in the early 1990’s. We selected that fungus because
April 23, 2012 Read Full Article
US House Committee Debates Bill to Protect Makers, Sellers of E15
(Platts) Groups on both sides of the issue of increasing the amount of ethanol in the country's gasoline supply agreed Thursday on one point: refiners, blenders and retailers should not be held liable if higher ethanol blends damage vehicle or
April 20, 2012 Read Full Article
EcoEngineers Announces the Launch of New RIN Indices
(EcoEngineers) EcoEngineers expands into the business of providing RIN pricing data and forms EcoEngineers Indexing Services LLC to better serve biofuel markets. EcoEngineers Indexing Services LLC is an independent, highly-focused indexing company concentrating solely on providing the biofuels sector with reliable
April 20, 2012 Read Full Article
Biofuels Lobbying Could Pay off This Harvest
(NFU Online) The updated Red Tractor farm assurance scheme for crops and sugar beet is on the verge of being officially accepted across the EU in time for this year’s harvest, the NFU said today. The move is designed to help give crops
April 20, 2012 Read Full Article
Porter Airlines Operates Bombardier Q400 Aircraft in Canada's First Biofuel-Powered Revenue Flight
(MarketWire) - Biofuel test program led by Bombardier Aerospace, Porter Airlines, Pratt & Whitney Canada and Targeted Growth successfully concluded - Program funded by the key partners and by Business-Led Networks of Centres of Excellence (BL-NCE) Program through GARDN Porter Airlines today
April 20, 2012 Read Full Article
Boeing, ANA Celebrate First 787 Biofuel Flight
(Boeing) Boeing and All Nippon Airways (ANA) made aviation history today as a 787 Dreamliner flew for the first time powered in part by sustainable biofuels. "The 787 is the most environmentally progressive jetliner flying today, combining fuel efficiency and comfort
April 20, 2012 Read Full Article
Request for Papers: National Advanced Biofuels Conference and Expo November 27-29, 2012 Houston, TX DEADLINE: August 3, 2012
Now Accepting Presentation Ideas Presentation ideas will be accepted for the 2012 International Biorefining Conference & Trade Show through August 3, 2012. Presentation ideas may be submitted in one of four tracks: Track 1: Pathways & Industrial Hosts Track 2:
April 19, 2012 Read Full Article
Forestry and Biofuels Have Great Potential for Growth in Tocantins
(Painel Forestal) Currently, the planting of forests in Tocantins generates about six thousand jobs, a number that should be raised to 60,000 by 2017. According to a survey conducted by Seagro, Department of Agriculture, Livestock and Agricultural Development in 2011, the
April 19, 2012 Read Full Article
Corrections Signs on to Supply Biodiesel New Zealand
(Scoop/Solid Energy NZ) The Department of Corrections has signed on to supply used cooking oil from all 18 of its prison kitchens across the country to Biodiesel New Zealand. The deal will see about 5,000 litres of used cooking oil a
April 19, 2012 Read Full Article
RFA Forms Renewable Fuels PAC
(Renewable Fuels Association) The Renewable Fuels Association today announced that it has formed a political action committee (PAC). The Renewable Fuels Association PAC, to be referred to as the Renewable Fuels PAC, will help RFA members support candidates for federal
April 19, 2012 Read Full Article
Obama Energy Aide Strongly Backs Biofuels
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, Heather Zichal, Deputy Assistant to the President for Energy and Climate Change, addressed the Renewable Fuels Association’s Washington Legislative Forum. ...“Now, as we produce more biofuels, it’s also important that we focus on deployment.
April 19, 2012 Read Full Article
Tinker, Tailor, Sailor, Fly: Aviation Biofuels Advance, Attract Opponents over Costs
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) As Honeywell and Agrisoma collaborate to pioneer aviation biofuels from a new carinata-based feedstock, critics wonder exactly why the military is paying so much for the biofuels it is utilizing for tests. In Illinois, UOP announced
April 19, 2012 Read Full Article
George Washington University Reinvigorates Sustainability Conscientiousness
by Joanne Ivancic (Advanced Biofuels USA) Coinciding with Earth Week, The George Washington University announced the launch of its new Sustainability Minor, a preview of degree and graduate programs to come; and, hosted “GW Moving the Planet Forward: An Innovation
April 18, 2012 Read Full Article
E85 Loyalty: Economist Finds Buyers Willing to Pay More
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Research showing consumers are willing to pay a premium for ethanol was published in the March issue of the Journal of Environmental Economics and Management. Soren Anderson, a Michigan State University economist, calculated that
April 18, 2012 Read Full Article
Ford Puts Faith in Higher Ethanol Blends
(The Green Car Website) Substantial societal benefits could be the result of using higher volume blends of ethanol, according to the Ford Motor Company. It wants to see the higher blends to leverage the inherent high octane rating of the alcohol
April 18, 2012 Read Full Article
Fossil-Fuel Subsidies: Helping the Richest Get Richer
by Bill McKibben (Los Angeles Times) The last industry in need of a public handout is the fossil-fuel companies. The use of subsidies should follow some basic, rational guidelines. ...The Repeal Big Oil Tax Subsidies Act was a curiously skimpy bill
April 18, 2012 Read Full Article
Journal Article Explores Hybridized Life Cycle Analysis Method
by Kris Bevill (Ehtanol Producer Magazine) A recently published article in the peer-reviewed Journal of the Royal Society Interface suggests that in order for life cycle analyses (LCA) of biomass-based products such as biofuels to be most accurately calculated, modelers should develop
April 18, 2012 Read Full Article
Oil, Biofuel Companies Evolve into Uneasy 'Frenemies'
by Matt Daily (Reuters) Rapid growth in the U.S. biofuels markets has often pitted oil companies against small start-ups seeking a toehold in the gasoline markets, despite the need for both sides to work together, according to industry experts. ..."You're faced
April 18, 2012 Read Full Article
Tarter: Fueling Debate on Energy
by Steve Tarter (Peoria Journal Star) ...Michael Klare is a professor at Hampshire College in Amherst, Mass., and the author of a new book, "The Race for What's Left: The Global Scramble for the World's Last Resources." Ron Miller is the
April 18, 2012 Read Full Article
Navy Plan Benefits Biomass: Fuel for Carriers, Jets Adds demand for Biofuel Source Other than Corn
by Dan Piller (Des Moines Register) Cellulosic ethanol could use a break, and it appears that the U.S. military may be riding to the rescue. A Missouri cooperative called (what else?) ShowMe Energy is building an $80 million, 3 million gallon
April 18, 2012 Read Full Article
A Bright Future for the Waste Conversion Market in the US
by Emily McMahon (Renewable Waste Intelligence/Renewable Energy World) Early leaders of the waste conversion market are at the forefront of an incredibly lucrative opportunity, states new research. The drive towards renewable energy targets makes the need for waste management much less
April 18, 2012 Read Full Article
Want to Cut Reliance on Foreign Oil? Replace the Whole Barrel
by Lee Edwards (Virent/The Hill) ...If we really want to succeed in getting off foreign oil, policymakers need to think bigger – they need to think about how we can replace the whole barrel. Currently, the U.S. imports approximately 12 million
April 18, 2012 Read Full Article
Oak Ridge National Laboratory Process Improves Catalytic Rate of Enzymes by 3,000 percent
(Oak Ridge National Laboratory) Light of specific wavelengths can be used to boost an enzyme's function by as much as 30 fold, potentially establishing a path to less expensive biofuels, detergents and a host of other products. In a paper published
April 18, 2012 Read Full Article
VP Racing Fuels Introduces C85 Alternative Ethanol Racing Fuel
by Andrew Wolf (DragZine.com) E85 fuels, an ethanol fuel blend containing up to 85% denatured ethanol and gasoline or other hydrocarbons, have become increasingly more common on roadways as flex-fuel vehicles take advantage of the improved emissions, lower price-per-gallon, and
April 18, 2012 Read Full Article
Air Fuel Synthesis Takes Next Step in Creating Fuel from Air
(Air Fuel Synthesis) ... The company’s demonstration unit fuel reactor has produced methanol fuels from carbon monoxide and hydrogen, and also from carbon dioxide and hydrogen. The production of these first liquid hydrocarbon fuels – a real alternative to fossil
April 18, 2012 Read Full Article
No Project Is an Island: Four Crucial Milestones for Advanced Biofuels
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Four projects, four technologies, four feedstocks, four geographies. Couldn’t be more differentiated, couldn’t be more linked in terms of affirming investor confidence in advanced biofuels. ...Virent CEO Lee Edwards... outlined four basic industry goals for 2012-13 that
April 18, 2012 Read Full Article
Encourage the EPA to Support Biofuels
by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com) A new petition has been launched today (April 11, 1012) to help encourage the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to support biofuels development. The petition is sponsored by Frontiers of Freedom, who says that advanced biofuels allow America
April 18, 2012 Read Full Article
GEM Biofuels Assess Unsatisfying Jatropha Results in Madagascar
(GEM Biofuels) ... Based on the internal review it is clear that, having planted very large areas of land, totalling 55,737 hectares, with Jatropha between 2007 and 2009, a lack of resources has resulted in significantly less success than had
April 18, 2012 Read Full Article
What Are Advanced Biofuels? Part of a Truly Sustainable Renewable Future!
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 focuses on lifecycle greenhouse gas
April 17, 2012 Read Full Article
Community Trap Grease Biodiesel Project Seeks Additional Funding
by Erin Voegele (Biodiesel Magazine) A research team investigating the possibility converting trap grease collected from Cincinnati sewer systems into biodiesel will be presenting the initial results of its project at the U.S. EPA’s 2012 National Sustainable Design Expo April
April 17, 2012 Read Full Article
Butamax and Gevo: Bio’s Montagues and Capulets Get It On, and On, and On
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Here’s a 2-Minute Guide to all the Gevo and Butamax hollerin’, and how to separate the alcohol from the folderol. In case it has escaped your attention, Butamax is suing Gevo and Gevo is suing Butamax.
April 17, 2012 Read Full Article
EU Requires Sustainable Biofuels: How U.S. Ethanol Producers Can Become Certified
by Antje Grzesik (Ethanol Producer Magazine/ISCC System GmbH) ...The EU Renewable Energy Directive (Directive 2009/28/EC) establishes a common framework for the promotion of energy from renewable sources in the European Union. In the area of biofuels and liquid biomass for electricity
April 16, 2012 Read Full Article
Energy Beets: Who Will Leap First?
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) North American sugar-to-ethanol strategy differs from Brazil’s, Europe’s ...North Dakota-based Green Vision Group is resolutely moving forward with a plan to build multiple 20 MMgy dedicated energy beet plants in the state. ...More than 3,000 miles
April 16, 2012 Read Full Article
Steel in the Ground: The Largest Cellulosic Ethanol Plants in the World Are Ready to Prove Their Mettle
by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Guido Ghisolfi is a confident man. A chemical engineer by trade, at 55, he’s already spent three decades leading research and development (R&D) activities at Italy-based Mossi & Ghisolfi Group, a $3 billion per
April 16, 2012 Read Full Article
Intensive 3-crop Rotation May Boost Biofuel Economics
by Vicky Boyd (The Grower) Growing a biofuels crop on old citrus ground or rotating it with vegetables just doesn’t pencil out, even with today’s high fuel prices. But add in a legume cover crop and another short-season oilseed crop, and
April 16, 2012 Read Full Article
Scott Defies Tea Party on Renewable-Energy Bill
by Jim Saunders (The News Service of Florida/Orlando Sentinel) Gov. Rick Scott late Friday disregarded pressure from tea party and conservative groups and a controversial measure including tax breaks for renewable-energy production to become law without his signature. Scott's decision effectively gives a victory to
April 16, 2012 Read Full Article
New Biofuel Could Have an Edge over Ethanol
by David Shaffer (Star Tribune) Scientists who have tested isobutanol, a fuel alcohol made from corn, say it packs more energy and has other pluses over ethanol. A biofuel that will be produced commercially in Minnesota is turning out to have
April 16, 2012 Read Full Article
Why Decades Can Pass Between Idea and ‘Eureka!’
by Matthew L. Wald (The New York Times) How will the world meet its rising demand for energy? Experience suggests the solutions might already be at hand, although it may be years before they are widely recognized because energy inventions
April 16, 2012 Read Full Article
Brazil's Biofuel Boom: Mark McHugh
by Peter Byrne (The Energy Report) Believe it or not, industry experts see biofuels accounting for up to 25% of global energy consumption by 2050. With this long-term vision in mind, Mark McHugh, president and CEO of consultancy firm CenAm
April 16, 2012 Read Full Article
Waste Conversion Technologies a Profitable Solution to Waste
by Oliver Saunders (Renewable Energy World/Renewable Waste Intelligence) The waste conversion market is set to be worth $26bn by 2016. Waste conversion is becoming the only viable answer to the waste problem spreading over the US. With landfills posing greater
April 16, 2012 Read Full Article
Can Natural Gas Help Stop Global Warming?
by Editorial Board (The Washington Post) Will natural gas hinder the fight against global warming? ...But extracting and transporting all that natural gas, which is mostly methane, also results in fuel leaks. When methane leaks, it has a shorter-lived but much
April 16, 2012 Read Full Article
Algae Instrumentation Manufacturer Launches Scholarship Program
(Fluid Imaging Technologies) Fluid Imaging Technologies Supports Biofuel, Nutraceutical Research Worldwide Yarmouth, ME: Laboratory instrumentation manufacturer Fluid Imaging Technologies, Yarmouth, Maine (www.fluidimaging.com) has launched a scholarship program offering students up to $1,000.00 per year for up to four consecutive years. To be
April 13, 2012 Read Full Article
Solutions4CO2 Inc. Announces Joint Venture with BARD Holding, Inc.
(Solutions4CO2) Solutions4CO2 Inc. (“S4CO2”), is pleased to announce a joint venture with BARD Holding, Inc. (www.bardholding.com ) (the “S4CO2 – BARD Joint Venture”) to co-develop waste gas/water to co-products facilities in Canada. The initial phase of the joint venture will
April 13, 2012 Read Full Article
EBI Network and Pennycress Energy to Explore Alternative Energy Source
(City of Galesburg) Pennycress Energy and the EBI Network are promoting Pennycress as a renewable, alternative energy fuel crop for the Galesburg/West Central Illinois Region. The project, generating interest among growers, will identify possible investors and explore a press mill
April 13, 2012 Read Full Article
Que SARA, Será (Whatever Is Sustainable, Will Be): Sorghum, Water and Biofuels
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) There’s water, water everywhere, hardly a drop to use. The latest on Sustainable, Affordable, Reliable, Available biomass feedstocks that keep down the stress on our water tables. ...The basic dilemma in perennial biomass crops is well
April 13, 2012 Read Full Article
Australia's Qantas Makes First Commercial Biofuel Flight
(AFP) Australia's Qantas Friday launched the nation's first commercial flight using a mixture of refined cooking oil, saying it would not survive if it relied solely on traditional jet fuel. The Airbus A330 left Sydney for Adelaide using a 50-50 blend
April 13, 2012 Read Full Article
Algae-Fueled Motorcycle Sets Speed Record
(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 using a 50/50 blend of
April 12, 2012 Read Full Article
Compared to What: the Low-Down on Alt Energy Subsidies
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Hybrids, plug-in electrics struggle to pass the consumer’s “compared to what” test – and how much do those tax credits cost, anyway? ...Take, for example, the trouble with hybrids. We saw a report yesterday that only one in
April 12, 2012 Read Full Article
Growing Risk: Addressing the Invasive Potential of Bioenergy Feedstocks
by Aviva Glaser and Patty Glick (National Wildlife Federation) Without question, America needs to transition to a cleaner, more sustainable energy future. As we move forward with our energy choices, we must be mindful of how short term economic decisions can
April 12, 2012 Read Full Article
Used Cooking Oil Turns to Biodiesel in South Florida
by Doreen Hemlock (SunSentinel) ...A $4 million biodiesel plant is now being built, the largest to serve the tri-county area. The South Florida plant will convert waste cooking oil from suppliers such as restaurants at Miami International Airport to biodiesel, with some to be
April 12, 2012 Read Full Article
University Converting Cooking Oil into Biodiesel
By Caroline Baity (Daily Gamecock) Program aims to offset fuel cost, turn profit Thanks to two grants worth a combined $89,090, USC's Sustainable Carolina program now has the ability to turn all that greasy oil from Chicken Finger Wednesday into
April 12, 2012 Read Full Article
State Bonds Will Build Facilities for Aviation Biofuels
by Jim Camden (The Spokesman-Review) ...Among legislation closely followed by Spokane businesses was an aviation biofuels plan that allows bonds from the state’s Housing Finance Commission to be sold to help build facilities to turn agricultural products into jet fuel.
April 12, 2012 Read Full Article
Back to Bedford Falls
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...How about investing in the world around you? ...What can a leader do? He or she can help you to change your fate, through simple acts of investing your own energy money in your own community,
April 12, 2012 Read Full Article
Lights, Camera, Contest! NCGA Prepares for New Ethanol Education Competition
(National Corn Growers Association) Young ethanol enthusiasts and aspiring actors alike should start shoring up scripts and collecting cameras to create entries for a new video contest created by the National Corn Growers Association’s Ethanol Committee today. This opportunity
April 12, 2012 Read Full Article
On the Road to Gobig: Refinery Intermediates Offer Scale for Advanced Biofuels
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...Honeywell’s UOP announced two projects this week, and generally more attention was paid by ABLC delegates to its ATJ (alcohol to jet) technology release, suggesting that, in the near term, the costs for producing aviation
April 12, 2012 Read Full Article
High Octane Number Ethanol–Gasoline Blends: Quantifying the Potential Benefits in the United States
by J.E. Anderson, D.M. DiCicco, J.M. Ginder, U. Kramer, T.G. Leone, H.E. Raney-Pablo, T.J. Wallington (FUEL/ScienceDirect.com) Ethanol provides a significant contribution to road transportation fuel in the US, Brazil, and elsewhere. Renewable fuels regulations in the US and EU imply that ethanol use will continue to increase
April 11, 2012 Read Full Article
Land Matters: Sizing Up the Bioenergy Potential of Marginal Lands
by Greg Breining (University of Minnesota/Bioenergy Connection) ...Did demand for biofuel feedstocks, such as corn, sugarcane, rapeseed, and soybeans, drive the high cost of food? Many analysts later pinned most of the blame on commodities speculation, oil prices, and weather—not
April 11, 2012 Read Full Article
EPA Approves E15 Ethanol Blend Registrations
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...In Washington, The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency approved the first applications for registration of ethanol for use in making gasoline that contains up to 15 percent ethanol – known as E15. ...Registration is a prerequisite to
April 11, 2012 Read Full Article
New NSF Research Grants for Bioenergy, Renewable Fuels and Energy, Bio-Based Chemicals and Renewable Chemical Process Technology
(Biofuels Digest) In Virginia, the NSF is calling for proposals for biological and chemical technologies, with a deadline of June 19, 2012. The proposals must deal with the potential for commercialization of the innovation and how it would lead ultimately to
April 10, 2012 Read Full Article
USDA Explores Feasibility of Alternative Energy Production at Airports
(US Department of Agriculture) A recent study conducted by researchers from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) highlights the potential for alternative energy production at airports. The study findings were published in an
April 10, 2012 Read Full Article
Mapping Grasslands for Biofuel Potential
(U.S. Geological Survey) USGS scientists have developed a new method for mapping grasslands that demonstrate high potential for growing biofuel crops with relatively little energy input and environmental impact. The pioneering investigation used remote sensing data from satellites to identify detailed
April 10, 2012 Read Full Article
U.S. Announces Funding for 'Bio-Oil'
(UPI) The U.S. Energy Department said up to $15 million is available to help support nearly a dozen so-called bio-oil projects targeted for the transportation sector. ...The Energy Department said the so-called bio-oil precursors could find their way into gasoline, diesel
April 10, 2012 Read Full Article
US Department of Energy Biomass Program Seeks Merit Reviewers
The U.S. Department of Energy's Biomass Program is currently seeking qualified individuals to participate in several upcoming merit reviews. Expertise is being sought in the following areas: Biological conversion of sugars and carbohydrates from biomass (specifically in areas such as synthetic biology, organism development
April 10, 2012 Read Full Article
The Biofuels Pricing Pickle
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... (T)here’s an awful lot of talk about $18 per gallon biofuels and $26 biofuels going around. When mentioned, it is invariably presented as a sign that the industry is run by bunglers, swindlers, the
April 10, 2012 Read Full Article
US Biofuel Groups Back EPA in Legal Challenge of Renewable Fuels Rule
(Platts) Six renewable fuel trade associations have filed a motion in federal court to intervene in support of the US Environmental Protection Agency, which is being sued by a major oil and gas trade group over rules requiring the use
April 10, 2012 Read Full Article
Tidbits from the Advanced Biofuels Leadership Conference
by Joanne Ivancic (Advanced Biofuels USA) Four days of total immersion in advanced biofuels’ language and culture at the Advanced Biofuels Leadership Conference in Washington, DC, 107 presentations, leaves one’s mind spinning and stomach churning. So, in the spirit of
April 06, 2012 Read Full Article
Advanced Biofuels USA Joins Over One Hundred Groups to Urge Support for Farm Bill Energy Programs
(FarmEnergy.org) More than 100 diverse groups representing agriculture, energy, rural development and conservation called on Congress today (April 5, 2012) to renew and fund core energy programs in the Farm Bill that push forward clean, homegrown energy. These programs advance
April 06, 2012 Read Full Article
Advanced Biofuels USA Daily News Posts Limited Due to Funding Constraints
Due to funding constraints, Advanced Biofuels USA is limiting posting of daily news about advanced biofuels. Instead, we will enhance our focus on writing original pieces highlighting what is going on with advanced biofuels policy and production. We will