by Jeremy Martin (Union of Concerned Scientists) ... The good news is that biofuel production can responsibly continue to grow if we switch from corn to biomass as a source material or feedstock. Our recent analysis confirms that biomass is available within the United States at
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Back TO HOMEUniversity of Cincinnati Student Presents Pioneering Fuel Technology
by Arthur Davies (University of Cincinnati) Current and future researchers alike are teaming up to focus on one common goal: to lead America’s energy efforts. The next generation of scientists have put biodiesel, U.S.’s only commercially available advanced biofuel (a
March 30, 2013 Read Full Article
Better Biofuels
by James Hataway (UGA Research) ... Li Tan was examining some of the sugars, proteins and polymers that make up plant cell walls, which provide the structural support and protection that allow plants to grow. Yet his samples contained a mixture of
March 30, 2013 Read Full Article
Bio-diesel Fuel Company Owner Sentenced to 188 Months in Federal Prison for Crimes Connected to Illegal Fuels Scheme / Jeffrey Gunselman also fined $175,000 and ordered to pay nearly $55 million in restitution
(U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) Jeffrey David Gunselman, 30, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Sam R. Cummings to 188 months in federal prison, fined $175,000 and ordered to pay more than $54.9 million in restitution, following his guilty plea
March 29, 2013 Read Full Article
EPA Proposes Achievable Cleaner Fuels and Cars Standard, Slashing Air Pollution and Providing Extensive Health Benefits
(U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) Based on extensive input from auto manufacturers, refiners, and states, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today proposed sensible standards for cars and gasoline that will significantly reduce harmful pollution, prevent thousands of premature deaths and
March 29, 2013 Read Full Article
Renewed Interest in Grain Sorghum in Nebraska
by Ken Anderson (Browfield Ag News) A combination of dry weather and increased demand from the ethanol sector could have grain sorghum poised for a comeback in Nebraska. Grain sorghum plantings in the state plummeted from 550-thousand acres in 2000 to just
March 29, 2013 Read Full Article
E85 Sales Plummet 26 Percent in Minnesota
by David Shaffer (Star Tribune) As the price spread diminished between the high-ethanol gasoline blend and regular fuel, some drivers of Flex Fuel vehicles stopped pumping it into their tanks. Minnesota sales of the high-ethanol gasoline blend called E85 have dropped
March 29, 2013 Read Full Article
Biofuels, Renewables Strongly up Since 2008, Says New EIA Report
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Maryland, the “Monthly Energy Review” by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), with data through December 31, 2012 is showing that renewable energy sources and natural gas expanded rapidly during the Obama Administration’s first term while coal,
March 29, 2013 Read Full Article
Congress’s Affair With Ethanol: Love Gone Wrong?
by Bill Chameides (The Green Grok/Duke University) ...As a libation, ethanol’s been around for a long, long time. As a fuel, it dates back to 1826 when it was first used in an internal combustion engine. Ethanol was also the fuel
March 29, 2013 Read Full Article
WBA: Enough Land for More Food, Feed, Biofuels
by Anna Simet (Biomass Magazine) There is enough land available to produce more food, more feed and more biofuels, which are not the cause of global malnutrition problems, according to the World Bioenergy Association. WBA makes this declaration in a recently
March 29, 2013 Read Full Article
11 Reasons Why You Should Invest in the Biodiesel Industry
by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine/MarketWire) Below is breakdown of the latest, sourced information as to why investment in biodiesel is a sound decision written by Ron Kotrba, Editor of Biodiesel Magazine. 1. Jump in on a growing market: The U.S. biodiesel industry
March 29, 2013 Read Full Article
A.I.M. Interview: Fermentalg’s CEO Pierre Calleja
(Algae Industry Magazine) Founded in 2009 by Pierre Calleja, Fermentalg is a French-based industrial biotechnology company specializing in the bio-production of chemical compounds from microalgae, for use in everyday products. Its patented technologies allow the company to target a range
March 28, 2013 Read Full Article
SCS Expands Biofuel Certification Services into Southeast Asia
( SCS Global Services/PR NewsWire) SCS Global Services has announced the expansion of its biofuel certification services in Southeast Asia. The veteran third-party environmental certification body will now conduct audits under the International Sustainability & Carbon Certification (ISCC) program, which will allow biofuel
March 28, 2013 Read Full Article
The Cutting Edge of Corn Stover and Switchgrass Supply: A Comprehensive Feedstock Solution
(U.S. Department of Energy) Supplying high-quality feedstock for use in a broad range of sustainable conversion processes to produce advanced biofuels is a complex, multi-step process. Each step in the feedstock supply and logistics chain—from harvesting, preparing, and packaging, to
March 28, 2013 Read Full Article
European Commission Publishes Progress Report on RED
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) On March 27 the European Commission published its first Renewable Energy Progress Report under the Renewable Energy Directive, showing that the EU as a whole is on its trajectory towards the 2020 RED targets.
March 28, 2013 Read Full Article
SDTC's SD Tech Fund™ Is Accepting Proposals for Funding from February 20th to April 17th, 2013
(Sustainable Development Technology Canada) Between research and commercialization lie the critical stages of development and demonstration: the points at which technologies leave the laboratory and undergo conclusive real-world testing. Traditionally, development and demonstration have suffered from a financing gap, making them
March 28, 2013 Read Full Article
US Refiners May Boost Renewables Spending if RFS Targets Not Lowered: Moody's
by Beth Evans (Platts) Ratings agency Moody's expects US refiners to increase investments in renewables blending and infrastructure if federal renewables targets are not lowered. "In the absence of any EPA waivers to meeting the renewable fuel requirements, we expect refiners
March 28, 2013 Read Full Article
Study Shows RINs Not Factor in Higher Gasoline, Fuel Group Says
by Mario Parker (Bloomberg) A surge in the value of Renewable Identification Numbers for ethanol compliance isn’t one of the reasons for higher gasoline retail prices, the Renewable Fuels Association said, citing a study by Informa Economics Inc. ... “A fact-based
March 28, 2013 Read Full Article
Carbon Accounting of Forest Bioenergy: Conclusions and Recommendations from a Critical Literature Review
(European Commission Joint Research Centre Institute for Energy and Transport) In the current European energy policy framework, biogenic CO2 emissions from combustion of forest biomass used for energy and transport purposes are set to zero. Biomass is thus considered as a
March 28, 2013 Read Full Article
Zimbabwe: Chisumbanje Ethanol Plant Reopens
by Tendai Mugabe (AllAfrica.com) Green Fuel resumed operations at its ethanol plant here yesterday, raising prospects that the country could soon start the mandatory blending of fuel that has been on the cards for sometime. There was jubilation as workers who
March 28, 2013 Read Full Article
PTT Plans B7 Biodiesel Trial on Buses
(Bangkok Post) Oil giant aims to prove quality of green fuel. PTT Plc, the national oil conglomerate, will hold a field trial of B7 biodiesel on public buses in Bangkok starting next month, with commercial sales planned soon. Ten No.525 buses of
March 28, 2013 Read Full Article
Consortium Dumps Schneider Trash-to-Ethanol Deal
by Carrie Napoleon (Post-Tribune/Chicago Sun-Times) The deal to transfer ownership of the long-delayed trash-to-ethanol plant in Schneider has been scrapped. SMC LLC, the local construction consortium established to purchase the technology rights and contract for the proposed project, cited an
March 28, 2013 Read Full Article
Algae Biofuels and the Prisoner’s Dilemma
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...As can be seen in the research by Perrine, Negi, and Sayre — a more optimal light distribution strategy is available to algae but they don’t take it, because they find themselves in the Prisoner’s
March 28, 2013 Read Full Article
IMF: Governments Need to End Energy Subsidies
by Howard Schneider (The Washington Post) Government subsidies of gasoline, electricity and other energy sources amount to about $1.9 trillion a year and should be ended or offset with taxes used to battle climate change and pay for social programs, the International
March 28, 2013 Read Full Article
IMF: Want to Fight Climate Change? Get Rid of $1.9 Trillion in Energy Subsidies.
by Brad Plumer (The Washington Post) What’s the simplest way to tackle global warming? Make sure that fossil fuels are priced properly and not subsidized. That’s the core idea behind a large new report (pdf) from the International Monetary Fund, which argues that the
March 28, 2013 Read Full Article
Study Finds Technology and Biofuels Will Not Be Enough to Meet Aviation Carbon Targets without Emissions Trading
(GreenAirOnline) The aviation industry regards market-based measures (MBMs) as a temporary fix in achieving the carbon-neutral growth (CNG) goal from 2020 onwards until the benefits of new technology and operational advances, together with the uptake of sustainable biofuels, are realised.
March 27, 2013 Read Full Article
NASA Project Seeks to Assess Biofuel Environmental Performance at Altitude and Impact on Contrails Formation
(GreenAirOnline) A team of NASA researchers has begun a programme of flight tests that will compare the environmental impacts from emissions and contrails of a blended fuel containing 50 per cent biofuel against those from conventional jet fuel. The project,
March 27, 2013 Read Full Article
Nobel Prize-Winning US Economists Urge Obama to Support Carbon Pricing in Global Negotiations on Aviation Emissions
(GreenAirOnline) A group of 32 leading US economists, including eight Nobel Prize winners, have written an open letter to President Obama urging him to advance proposals at ICAO for a global market-based measure that would effectively and efficiently reduce greenhouse
March 27, 2013 Read Full Article
The Algae Biomass Organization Announces Algae Biomass Summit 2013 Student Travel Grants DEADLINE April 17, 2013
(Algae Biomass Organization) The Algae Biomass Organization is pleased to announce that it is offering a minimum of seven $500 travel grant scholarships to attend the 7th Annual Algae Biomass Summit in Orlando, FL, USA, on September 30 to October
March 27, 2013 Read Full Article
Ash from Refuse Could Become Hydrogen Gas
(Lund University) ...The ash is what is left when rubbish has been burnt in thermal power stations. A researcher from Lund University in Sweden has now developed a technique to use the ash to produce hydrogen gas. The method is
March 27, 2013 Read Full Article
Algae.Tec Using Shipping Containers to Grow Algae
by John Davis (DomesticFuel.com) ...And some, such as the folks at Algae.Tec, are looking to green shipping containers to grow a literal green feedstock. “What we wanted was a significant bulk outcome, in other words fuels and possibly food, producing the algae
March 27, 2013 Read Full Article
UC San Diego/Scripps Use Unique DAF Process to Harvest Algae
by Jim McMahon (Biodiesel Digest) Since 2008, the San Diego Center for Algal Biotechnology (SD-CAB) has been conducting research into algal applications for biofuel. This has been a joint collaboration between several departments of the University of California/San Diego faculty
March 27, 2013 Read Full Article
American University to Celebrate Switch to B20 at April 2 Event
by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) For biodiesel fans in the Washington, D.C., area, American University is the place to be April 2 as the Greater Washington Region Clean Cities Coalition co-hosts an engagement highlighting American University’s switch to B20 in
March 27, 2013 Read Full Article
An Animal to Feed Your Eco-Car
by Solrun Dregelid (University of Bergen) The marine animal tunicate can be used both as biofuel and fish food, according to prize-winning research at UiB and Uni Research. On the ocean floor, under the pier, and on ship ropes – that’s
March 27, 2013 Read Full Article
BioNitrogen to Conduct Feasibility Study for Fertilizer Plant in Alberta, Canada
(BioNitrogen) BioNitrogen Corporation, a cleantech company that utilizes proprietary technology to build environmentally-friendly plants that convert biomass into urea fertilizer, announced today that it has signed an agreement with the Battle River Agri-Ventures Co-op in Killam, Alberta to conduct feasibility
March 27, 2013 Read Full Article
ACE’s New Infographic Highlights How The RFS Is An American Success Story
(HoosierAgToday) For the second year in a row the American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) has created an ‘infographic’ promoting the benefits of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). Entitled “An American Success Story,” the new infographic pinpoints how the RFS is
March 27, 2013 Read Full Article
Energy Department Launches New Clean Energy Manufacturing Initiative
(U. S. Department of Energy) As part of the Obama Administration's commitment to revitalizing America's manufacturing sector, today the Energy Department launched the Clean Energy Manufacturing Initiative (CEMI), a new Department initiative focused on growing American manufacturing of clean energy products and
March 27, 2013 Read Full Article
University of Georgia Discovery May Allow Scientists to Make Fuel from CO2 in the Atmosphere
by James Hataway (University of Georgia) Excess carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere created by the widespread burning of fossil fuels is the major driving force of global climate change, and researchers the world over are looking for new ways
March 27, 2013 Read Full Article
ARPA-E Launches $20M Project REMOTE – Bioconversion of Natural Gas to Liquid Fuels
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ARPA-E aims to drive liquid fuel production from abundant, affordable methane — and sees biobased technology as the path forward. In Washington, ARPA-E released its long-awaited funding opportunity announcement for Project REMOTE – Reducing Emissions using
March 27, 2013 Read Full Article
Automakers Ask Supreme Court to Take up Ethanol Challenge
by David Shephardson (Detroit News) Major automakers asked the U.S. Supreme Court to hear a challenge to the Environmental Protection Agency's decision to approve a higher blend of ethanol for vehicles from 2001 and newer. The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers —
March 27, 2013 Read Full Article
Letter to President Obama on Climate Change: From the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology
(Center for Climate and Security) The President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, or PCAS, recently released a set of recommendations for President Obama on addressing climate change. The top-line recommendations include: Focus on national preparedness for climate change, which can help decrease
March 26, 2013 Read Full Article
Florida Bill Would Repeal Ethanol Requirement
by Cindy Zimmerman (DomesticFuel.com) A bill has been introduced in the Florida legislature that would repeal the state’s Renewable Fuel Standard Act. Currently, the Florida law requires that all gasoline sold or offered for sale by a terminal supplier, importer, blender or wholesaler
March 26, 2013 Read Full Article
DOE Gives Southern Research Institute $925,000 for Bio-Oil Work
by Chris Hanson (Biomass Magazine) Southern Research Institute won a $925,000 energy award from the U.S. DOE to develop a mild liquefaction process to convert biomass to petroleum refinery-ready bio-oils. “We hope the project will advance liquefaction by demonstrating cost-effective biomass
March 26, 2013 Read Full Article
Ethanol RINs Fall to Lowest Level in March on Slowing Demand
(Platts) Prices for 2012 and 2013 US ethanol renewable credits, also known as RINs, on Monday fell to their lowest levels in March on slowing demand from obligated parties, sources said. On Monday, 2012 and 2013 ethanol RINs were assessed at
March 26, 2013 Read Full Article
RFS: #1 on Big Oil Hitlist for a Reason
by Brooke Coleman (National Journal/Advanced Ethanol Council) First, let's assess what we know to be true ... RFS2 is just five years old. We are about one-third of the way through a 15-year commitment to diversify the liquid fuels marketplace with
March 26, 2013 Read Full Article
Ministers Block EU Proposal to Limit Some Biofuels
(EurActiv) Several European ministers are blocking the EU’s proposal to curb the use of conventional biofuels, while some dispute claims the demand for crop-based oils drives deforestation and food insecurity in other parts of the world. A majority of EU environment
March 26, 2013 Read Full Article
Iowa City Moving Ahead with Trash-to-Biofuel Research
by Gregg Hennigan (The Gazette) Estimates indicate plan could reduce landfill waste by up to 80 percent Iowa City is moving forward with exploring a project that could divert solid waste from the landfill for use in biofuel production. The City Council Tuesday
March 26, 2013 Read Full Article
Biorefinery 2015 – The Shape of Advanced Biofuels to Come – Part II
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Today in part II, we look at a new set of technologies coming along that are redefining our ideas about scale and cost. ... A barrier to long term deployment? The $11 per gallon average capital
March 26, 2013 Read Full Article
International Regulation of Microorganisms for Biofuel or Chemical Production: Europe, Asia and Australia
by David Glass (DGlassAssociates.com) In two blog entries in 2010, I described the possible regulatory regimes that might affect the use of genetically modified microorganisms or plants in the production of biofuels or bio-based chemicals, focusing on Canada and Europe. In a post last
March 26, 2013 Read Full Article
BSCS Seeks Teacher-Collaborators for Research Project Funded by the National Science Foundation DEADLINE March 31, 2013
(Biological Sciences Curriculum Study) Teacher-collaborators will field test a 3-credit, online, graduate-level course designed to enhance teachers’ knowledge and practice related to energy concepts. The course is titled Energy: A Multidisciplinary Approach for Teachers (EMAT). Teacher-collaborators and their students will take part
March 25, 2013 Read Full Article
The Bioenergy Farm Game
(Great Lakes BioEnergy Research Center) In this board game, players take on the role of bioenergy crop farmers trying to earn a living while being good environmental stewards. In the process, players explore the economic and environmental tradeoffs associated with
March 25, 2013 Read Full Article
Bioenergy Institute for Educators Now Accepting Applications for 2013! DEADLINE March 31, 2013
(Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center) Institute dates: June 24-29, 2013 Application dealdine: March 31, 2013, In this one-week summer program, teams of educators core areas of GLBRC research, get hands-on experience with our education materials, and delve into the development of
March 25, 2013 Read Full Article
You Don’t Say?
by Ron Lamberty (American Coalition for Ethanol/Ethanol Producer Magazine) ...The subhead of the article was “The U.S. will be the world's leading energy producer, if we allow it.” That was a remarkably incomplete description. A more accurate subhead would have been,
March 25, 2013 Read Full Article
Optimistic Bearing: Staying Bullish on Ethanol Even in the Trough of Negative Margins.
by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) ...“Ethanol’s value proposition, as a very cost-effective molecule in the motor gasoline pool, has proven itself over time, and we’re very confident of that in the future,” says Jason Searl, vice president of
March 25, 2013 Read Full Article
Council for Agricultural Science and Technology Paper Says 2050 Food, Fuel Needs Can Be Met
by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The world will be capable of meeting its needs for food, fuel and fiber in 40 years, according to a paper from the Council for Agricultural Science and Technology, “Food, Fuel, and Plant
March 25, 2013 Read Full Article
Senators Ask McCarthy to Outline Response to RIN Price Increase
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Sens. David Vitter, R-La., and Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, have sent a letter to U.S. EPA administrator nominee Gina McCarthy, asking her to outline “how she will protect American citizens from rising gas prices due
March 25, 2013 Read Full Article
Bloomberg New Energy Finance Report More Accurately Compares Renewable, Fossil Resources
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) A new report published by Bloomberg New Energy Finance analyzed wind and bioenergy resources in the U.S. and Brazil using a lifetime production method, allowing for more accurate comparisons to oil and gas reserves.
March 25, 2013 Read Full Article
The RIN Fact Sheet: Understanding the EPA's Flexible System for Obligated Parties to Meet the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS)
(Clean Fuels Development Coalition) Background: The Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) was established under the Energy Policy Act of 2005 and later modified through the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. The RFS requires that specified volumes of renewable fuel
March 25, 2013 Read Full Article
The Bayou State Will Benefit from a Beefed-up Biofuels Sector
Dr. Mike Strain (Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry/25 x '25) ... However, many do not realize that Louisiana’s strong agriculture and forestry industries have also primed us to be a national leader in new forms of energy: like advanced
March 25, 2013 Read Full Article
Study Shows Carbon Sequestration from Corn Production Runs Deep
(25 x '25) The ethanol industry has some good news to share. And it comes in an arena where the domestically produced biofuel has often been challenged – carbon sequestration and the life-cycle assessment of ethanol made from corn. A study
March 25, 2013 Read Full Article
Turning Cow Manure Into Brown Gold
by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com) In the heart of Wisconsin, a project is underway to produce energy from a resource that is in little danger of running low: cow manure, or “brown gold.” Thanks to a $7 million grant from the United
March 25, 2013 Read Full Article
California Farmers Team up to Build Bio-Refinery that Will Convert Sugar Beets to Ethanol
(Associated Press/Washington Post) Amid the vast almond orchards and grape fields that surround Five Points in California’s Central Valley, a once-dominant crop that has nearly disappeared from the state’s farms is making a comeback: sugar beets. But these beets won’t be
March 25, 2013 Read Full Article
Desperate Times for Big Oil
by Dana Blankenhorn (TheStreet) These are desperate times for Big Oil. Fracking (which involves shooting water and sand into a wellhead, at high pressure, fracturing the surrounding rock) brings enormous profits, but anyone can frack. The price of natural gas has rolled
March 25, 2013 Read Full Article
Environmentalists Shouldn't Side with Big Oil against Biofuels
by Bob Dinneen (Renewable Fuels Association) There’s a fight for the future of American motor fuels – renewable fuels versus fossil fuels. Environmentalists shouldn’t have much trouble deciding which side they’re on. After all, the major source of greenhouse gas emissions
March 25, 2013 Read Full Article
Ethanol the Enemy?
(CNBC) ...there's fierce debate that ethanol requirements may be driving up gas prices. from the investor perspective, is there real opportunity inethanol, or is ethanol maybe the enemy? here to debate, retired four star general wesley clark with a big bet on ethanol and dan dicker from thestreet.com
March 25, 2013 Read Full Article
Hemp Bill Passes Second Reading in Hawaii Senate
by Thomas H. Clarke (The Daily Chronic) A bill that would establish a two-year hemp pilot program in Hawaii passed a second reading with amendments on the floor of the Senate last week, and has been referred to the Ways
March 25, 2013 Read Full Article
Peach Genome Offers Insights into Breeding Strategies for Biofuels Crops
(Science Codex) Rapidly growing trees like poplars and willows are candidate "biofuel crops" from which it is expected that cellulosic ethanol and higher energy content fuels can be efficiently extracted. Domesticating these as crops requires a deep understanding of the
March 25, 2013 Read Full Article
Auburn Researcher Receives National Science Foundation CAREER Award to Study Biofuels
by Jessica Nelson (Auburn University) Maobing Tu, an assistant professor in the School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences, has received a $401,155 National Science Foundation Faculty Early Career Development Award for his research in biofuels and bioenergy. The CAREER program offers
March 25, 2013 Read Full Article
Biorefinery 2015 – Transformations in Biofuels Costs, Financing
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The first wave of cellulosic biofuels projects are now reaching completion. But what does the next wave look like – from technology to financing? We explore the trends in our two-part Biorefinery 2015 series. ... Long-term,
March 25, 2013 Read Full Article
Energy Farms: Is the Time Ripe?
by Peter Brown (Biodiesel Magazine/ Euro Marketing Tools) Biodiesel, ethanol and livestock production, wind turbines and photovoltaic installments situated in close proximity make energy—and economic—sense The concept is that if alternate forms of energy can be produced that are nonpolluting, renewable, provide
March 23, 2013 Read Full Article
Zero Waste and Plant Optimization
by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) When Pacific Biodiesel Technologies’ Big Island Biodiesel refinery came online last year, it was marketed as a state-of-the-art, zero-waste plant. The facility, scaled at 16,000 gallons a day, was Hawaii’s first since 2000 and boosted
March 23, 2013 Read Full Article
Biodiesel Growth Opportunities
by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) A sit-down with Dave Elsenbast, vice president of supply chain management for Renewable Energy Group Inc. For more than 25 years, Dave Elsenbast has been a leader in agricultural business development, supply chain management, operations
March 23, 2013 Read Full Article
How Much More Domestic Corn Ethanol and Imported Sugar Ethanol Should EPA Require in 2013?
(Environmental and Energy Study Institute) The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is seeking comments from stakeholders on the EPA’s proposed Renewable Fuel Standards for 2013. The proposed final standards would require the blending of more domestic corn ethanol in 2013 than
March 23, 2013 Read Full Article
Maersk Working on Two Biofuel Projects
(Ship & Bunker) A.P. Møller-Maersk (Maersk) says it is working with partners on two projects designed to develop biomass-based marine fuels. Both projects involve work on an organic polymer called lignin found in plants, which is released during the production of
March 22, 2013 Read Full Article
Response to FT: E10 Blend Wall is Fiction
by Bob Dinneen (Renewable Fuels Association) In regard to your recent editorial (“Bloated biofuels,” March 20), you don’t need Bill Gates’ IQ to really understand what is going on with the so-called “ethanol blend wall” and Big Oil’s calls for
March 22, 2013 Read Full Article
US Congress Committee Examines RFS, Plans Hearings on Renewable Mandate
(Platts) A third key congressional committee has entered the debate over the Renewable Fuel Standard, calling for comment on a series of questions and issuing a "white paper" detailing concerns about the biofuels mandate and some of the proposed solutions
March 22, 2013 Read Full Article
First E15 Gas Station Gets Warning from ConocoPhillips, Might Have to Stop Ethanol Sales
by Jon LeSage (AutoBlogGreen) Ethanol advocates are continuing to throw down the gauntlet with Big Oil. Jabs have been thrown through satire and blogging – now the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) is throwing a hook by going after ConocoPhillips, one of Big Oil's top five conglomerates. RFA
March 22, 2013 Read Full Article
Big Oil, Renewable Fuels Advocates Point Fingers at Each Other for High Gas Prices
by Dan Piller (Des Moines Register) Gasoline prices remain stuck above $3.50 per gallon despite the highest monthly domestic oil production in 21 years. Big Oil and renewable fuels advocates on Wednesday blamed each other for motorists’ continued pain at the
March 22, 2013 Read Full Article
Renewable Fuels Facing Challenges in Face of Drought
by Steve Tarter (Journal Star) ...But Ron Miller, the former CEO of Aventine Renewable Energy, the Pekin-based ethanol supplier, and now an industry consultant, said that the past year wasn’t unique. “No doubt 2012 was a difficult year for the (ethanol)
March 22, 2013 Read Full Article
Big Oil’s Choice: Complain About 70-Cent RINs, or Invest 6 Cents in Modern Infrastructure?
by Geoff Cooper (Renewable Fuels Association) ...Still, all this rhetoric from Big Oil about the economic impacts of RINs and the so-called “blend wall” got us thinking about a simple question: If oil refiners and gasoline marketers actually decided to invest
March 22, 2013 Read Full Article
Cellulosic Biofuels in the US: How Much and How Soon? 2014′s Terrific Ten
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Although no commercial-scale cellulosic biofuels facilities are operating in the United States at present, at least ten projects exceeding 20 million gallons per year are expected to begin operations by 2014. Tristan R. Brown and Robert
March 22, 2013 Read Full Article
I Have a Ream: Biofuels Digest’s 60-Second Guide to this Week’s DC Overload
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) This week in Washington, it has been one for the record books, emailwise and biofuelswise. Reams and reams of emails attest to the seriousness of the stakes — as NGOs, trade associations and Congress paper
March 22, 2013 Read Full Article
Ethanol--Does the RFS Matter?
by Scott Irwin and Darrel Good (University of Illinois/FarmDocDaily) ...The suggestion to waive the mandate assumes that ethanol production and blending is motivated only by the RFS and that a lower mandate would result in less ethanol production and blending and
March 21, 2013 Read Full Article
Upton, Waxman Launch Debate on Biofuels Mandate
by Amy Harder (National Journal) ...Energy and Commerce Chairman Fred Upton, R-Mich., and ranking member Henry Waxman, D-Calif., released the first in a series of white papers on Wednesday seeking input on how—or whether—Congress should change the mandate for production
March 21, 2013 Read Full Article
Senate Rejects Amendment Gutting Military Biofuels Program by 40-59 Vote
by Zack Coleman (The Hill E2Wire) An amendment to a $984 billion Senate government funding bill that would have stripped funds from the Defense Department's drop-in biofuels program failed by a 40-59 vote on Wednesday. Sen. Pat Toomey's (R-Pa.) amendment aimed
March 21, 2013 Read Full Article
Ethanol Plant Gets New Owner
by Leah Small (Progress-Index) The future of the Appomattox Bio Energy Plant is ripe with uncertainties and unexpected turns after Future Fuels LLP of Great Britain agreed to buy the facility for an unknown sum from Osage Bio Energy LLC
March 21, 2013 Read Full Article
Pump E-85 for 85 Cents a Gallon
by Brooke Hasch (ConnectTriStates.com) ... If only for a few hours, Roger Law's Service Station provided ethanol, or E-85, for just 85 cents a gallon. Customers could fill up to 10 gallons worth that amount. E-85 is a renewable fuel made
March 21, 2013 Read Full Article
Big Oil Calls for End of Renewable Fuel Standard
by Dan Piller (Des Moines Register) Major oil companies called on Congress Wednesday to repeal the Renewable Fuel Standard, the six-year-old federal law mandating biofuels use that is the base of demand for both ethanol and biodiesel. The American Petroleum Institute, which
March 21, 2013 Read Full Article
Ethanol Industry Responds to API’s Latest RFS Attack
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. ethanol industry is responding to the oil industry’s latest attack on the renewable fuel standard (RFS). On March 20, the American Petroleum Institute released the results of a new study conducted by
March 21, 2013 Read Full Article
New Committee Working to Ensure Canada’s Renewable Fuels Future
(Canadian Renewable Fuels Association/Ethanol Producer Magazine) The Canadian Renewable Fuels Association has announced a new committee and classification of membership to advance next generation biofuels in Canada. The new committee and its members represent leaders in advanced biofuels with their
March 21, 2013 Read Full Article
Ethanol Plant to Reopen — Mujuru
(News Day) Acting President Joice Mujuru has assured villagers and other stakeholders that the closed Chisumbanje ethanol plant will be reopened next week. ...The ethanol plant has not been operating since last year owing to fighting between villagers and plant owner
March 21, 2013 Read Full Article
Update: Valero Says Ethanoll Blending Costs to Double or Triple this Year
by Alison Sider (Dow Jones Newswire/Lloyds) Valero Energy Corp. (VLO) said it will have to spend two or even three times as much as it did last year to comply with the federal ethanol blending requirement due to the high
March 21, 2013 Read Full Article
California Energy Commission Awards $2.6 Million to Buster Biofuels
(Biofuels Digest) In California, the state’s Energy Commission approved $5,580,773 for clean-energy transportation projects ranging from producing biofuels to making trucks run cleaner. Buster Biofuels, LLC, based in the San Diego area, will receive $2,641,723 to convert a 7,300 square foot
March 21, 2013 Read Full Article
Gevo vs Butamax: Butamax Heads for Appeal after Court Setback
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...To Gevo, Butamax we now attend, And their legal record, we now amend. The Federal judge overseeing the complex patent infringement litigation between Gevo and Butamax has issued a series of pre-trial rulings and orders, days before
March 21, 2013 Read Full Article
Next-Gen Biofuels Making Slow, Slow, Slow Progress in 2013
by Katie Feherenbacher (Gigaom) Companies that are still looking to produce biofuels from plant waste (and not corn) are making slow, but steady progress on milestones in 2013. On Monday, KiOR, which was largely funded by Khosla Ventures before it went
March 20, 2013 Read Full Article
Big Oil's 100-Year Incentive Birthday Bash Hosted by...Biofuels?
by Meg Cichon (Renewable Energy World) Happy birthday, Big Oil! A group gathered in Washington D.C. this week to celebrate 100 years of tax subsidies for the oil industry – but attendees certainly weren’t oil-industry insiders – quite the opposite, in
March 20, 2013 Read Full Article
Idle Ethanol Plants Wait for New Fuel Standards
by Grant Gerlock (KBIA) Ethanol is an up and down industry, and right now it’s down. Ethanol plants in at least 13 states have stopped running over recent months because of higher corn prices and lower demand for the biofuel.
March 20, 2013 Read Full Article
Are Algae Biofuels a Realistic Alternative to Petroleum?
by Ian Branam (Scientific American) Researchers at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory have found that nearly 14 percent of land in the continental United States, or roughly the combined area of Texas and New Mexico, could be used for converting
March 20, 2013 Read Full Article
Fast Stop in Cresco, Iowa Offering E15
by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com) Dave Sovereign from Cresco, Iowa has been busy. Last week he helped to convert the Fast Stop station he owns in his hometown to E15. Then he caught an airplane to Washington, D.C. to participate in
March 20, 2013 Read Full Article
CALL FOR PAPERS: World Clean Technology Summit (WCTS) October 31-November 2, 2013 Kampala, Uganda DEADLINE: August 1
Founded in 2006, Pilot International was the first private sector driven International Organization based in Uganda, whose purpose is to promote global sustainable development for the benefit of humanity and the planet. Since its foundation, Pilot International has continued to
March 20, 2013 Read Full Article
EU Biofuel Policies: DBFZ Explains, Comments on EC Proposals
(UFOP/Biodiesel Magazine) The German Research Center for Biomass (DBFZ) was commissioned by the German oilseed promotional council (UFOP) to explain the proposals by the European Commission regarding the amendment of the Renewable Energies Directive and the Fuel Quality Directive in
March 20, 2013 Read Full Article
Southern Research Institute Wins $925,000 Dept. of Energy Award to Liquefy Biomass for Production of Transportation Fuels
(Southern Research Institute) Research could encourage blending of bio-oils into refinery streams for producing renewable diesel and gasoline Durham, North Carolina — Southern Research Institute today announced it has entered into a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Dept. of Energy to
March 20, 2013 Read Full Article
SGB Confirms Genetic Diversity of Jatropha Is Comparable to Corn
(SG Biofuels/Biodiesel Magazine) ...Through the use of new genetic technologies, SGB’s scientists have revealed that the company’s germplasm collection can be divided into a number of distinct heterotic clades, or genetically related groupings of plants. In contrast to previous studies, these
March 20, 2013 Read Full Article
The Sustainability of Advanced Biofuels in the EU
(Institute for European Environmental Policy) This report focuses on the potential sustainability of an advanced biofuel industry relying on mainly wastes and residues as the feedstock base. Presented as a series of ‘factsheets’ we consider various feedstocks put forward by
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Colonial Pipeline to Ship Biodiesel on Georgia Line by End-March
(Platts) Colonial Pipeline will begin shipping biodiesel blends on its pipeline to central and southern Georgia by the end of the month, the company said Monday, calling it a first for the nation's largest volume pipeline shipper of refined products. The
March 20, 2013 Read Full Article
KiOR Now Shipping World’s First Cellulosic Diesel from Its First Commercial Plant
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Texas, KiOR announced the initial shipments of cellulosic diesel from its first commercial-scale facility in Columbus, Mississippi. KiOR’s facility uses pine wood chips previously feeding a shut down paper mill at Columbus and produces gasoline
March 20, 2013 Read Full Article
Antitrust Complaint Filed against ConocoPhillips over “Anti-Competitive Activities”
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Is ConocoPhillips unlawfully attempting to limit competition in the fuels marketplace? We’ll find out soon. In Florida, Biofuels Digest filed an antitrust violation complaint against ConocoPhillips with the US Department of Justice, regarding alleged activities in
March 20, 2013 Read Full Article
Sapphire Energy Enters Into A Commercial Agreement With Tesoro For Purchase Of Green Crude Oil
(Tucson News/Sapphire Energy) Sapphire Achieves Major Milestone with Continuous Green Crude Oil Production Sapphire Energy, Inc., a leader in algae-based Green Crude oil production, today announced it has entered into a commercial agreement with Tesoro Refining and Marketing Company, LLC, a
March 20, 2013 Read Full Article
Petroleum Use, Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Automobiles Could Drop 80 Percent by 2050; Efficiency, Alternative Fuels, and Strong Government Policies Will Be Needed
(National Academies of Science) A new National Research Council report finds that by the year 2050, the U.S. may be able to reduce petroleum consumption and greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent for light-duty vehicles -- cars and small trucks -- via
March 19, 2013 Read Full Article
Researchers Building Stronger, Greener Concrete with Biofuel Byproducts
(Kansas State University) Kansas State University civil engineers are developing the right mix to reduce concrete's carbon footprint and make it stronger. Their innovative ingredient: biofuel byproducts. "The idea is to use bioethanol production byproducts to produce a material to use
March 19, 2013 Read Full Article
International Regulation of Microorganisms for Biofuel or Chemical Production: North and South America and Africa
by David Glass (DGlassAssociates.com) ... The use of genetically modified microorganisms (GMOs) in manufacturing will likely face a fairly straightforward regulatory process in most countries, because such “contained” uses will generally pose far fewer hypothetical concerns about environmental or public
March 19, 2013 Read Full Article
Energy Security Trust Counterproductive Says Advanced Biofuels USA Preferring a True Carbon Tax and Apollo Program Scale Efforts
Advanced Biofuels USA, an internationally respected nonprofit educational organization dedicated to promoting the understanding, development and use of advanced biofuels as an energy security, economic development, military flexibility and climate change/pollution control solution finds the Obama Administration’s proposal for an
March 19, 2013 Read Full Article
Operation Deathanol, RINs, and the Selling of the Fossil Fuels Story
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Read any stories about renewable fuels lately in mainstream media? Bet they’re bad ones. Here we look at the latest chapter in the “death to all renewables” propaganda war. If you are a reader of the
March 19, 2013 Read Full Article
Construction on Clinton Biofuel Refinery Could Start as Early as Fall
by John Ramsey (FayObserver.com) Construction on a $170 million refinery in Clinton to convert 20 million tons of grass into fuel each year could start as early as this fall. Chemtex, an international company with offices in Wilmington, plans to build
March 19, 2013 Read Full Article
Cleantech Open to Expand to South Florida — Expects Biomass, Biogas, Biofuels, BioEnergy and Algae Startups in Its Mix
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Florida, the Cleantech Open, which has helped startups raise $800 million for over 700 alumni since its inception in 2006, announced that it is expanding to South Florida to attract the best and brightest
March 19, 2013 Read Full Article
Did Little Algae Freedom Fighters Win the Cold War?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...This past week in Rotterdam, I ran into algae biofuels’ very own “Dr. No”, John Benemann — known for his succinct and characteristic analysis of new ventures aimed at making renewable fuels from algae: “It
March 19, 2013 Read Full Article
Biochemical Production of Ethanol and Fatty Acid Ethyl Esters from Switchgrass: A Comparative Analysis of Environmental and Economic Performance
by Scott M. Paapa, Todd H. West, Dawn K. Manley, Eric J. Steen, Harry R. Beller, Jay D. Keasling, Dean C. Dibble, Shiyan Chang, Blake A. Simmons (Biomass and Bioenergy) As advances in biotechnology have continued at a rapid pace,
March 18, 2013 Read Full Article
Lignol Announces Investment and Technology Collaboration with Territory Biofuels Limited
(Lignol) Lignol Energy Corporation (TSXV: LEC) ("LEC" or "the Company"), a leading technology company in the advanced biofuels and renewable chemicals sector, today announced that it has subscribed for convertible notes with a principal value of A$1.18 million ("Notes") issued by Territory
March 18, 2013 Read Full Article
Algaetech International Signs R&T Agreement with EADS and AMIC for Wastewater Remediation Using Algae for Jet Fuel Production.
(Algaetech International) AMIC, Malaysia, and Algaetech International Sdn Bhd, Malaysia, announces the signing of a Research & Technology agreement on a “Waste to Fuel” project today 4th March 2013, at Algaetech International corporate head office. With the signing of this agreement,
March 18, 2013 Read Full Article
Green Bonds Offer Cheaper Debt for First Advanced Biofuel Plants
by Louise Downing (Bloomberg BusinessWeek) Alternative forms of financing such as so-called green bonds may spur companies to build their first advanced-biofuels plants, the head of environmental finance atCitigroup Inc. (C) said. Green bonds for carbon-reducing projects, issued by bodies such as
March 18, 2013 Read Full Article
Biotech Corn Offers Siouxland Ethanol Plants Higher Output, Lower Costs
by David Dreeszen (Sioux City Journal) ...What makes it more valuable? The variety, called Enogen, is genetically engineered to boost ethanol output and reduce energy costs and water use. The hybrid, developed by Syngenta, contains a gene that promotes an enzyme
March 18, 2013 Read Full Article
Alternative Fuels on the Rise in Wisconsin
by Josh Lintereur (htrnews.com/Sheboygan Press Media) ...There are now about 250 Wisconsin retailers and other businesses offering alternative fuels, such as natural gas, biodiesel, E85, and electric, with more in development, according to Wisconsin Clean Cities, a Milwaukee-based nonprofit that
March 18, 2013 Read Full Article
Ethanol Producers Respond to Market Conditions
(U.S. Energy Information Administration/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Beginning in summer 2012, the prices of ethanol and corn reached levels where production costs at relatively simple ethanol plants exceeded revenue. These simple plants, which are not able to recover corn oil, make
March 18, 2013 Read Full Article
Cresco's Fast Stop Becomes Iowa's Newest E15 Station
(Iowa Renewable Fuels Association/Ethanol Producer Magazine) ... Fast Stop in Cresco, Iowa, is now offering E15 as a registered fuel, joining Kountry Korner in Baxter to be the second station to offer the fuel to 2001 and newer vehicles in less
March 18, 2013 Read Full Article
Department of Energy Bioenergy Technologies Office Comments on Air Force Strategic Studies Quarterly Article: Energy Insecurity, The False Promise of Liquid Biofuels
(US Department of Energy/Department of Defense) General Comments Although the author has done an extensive literature reading in the biofuels area, the paper does not have any analysis of critical issues of energy systems including petroleum systems and biofuel systems. Instead,
March 18, 2013 Read Full Article
Another Voice Calls for E85 as a Solution to the RINs Conundrum
by John Kingston (Platts) The idea of using E85 as a way out of the blendwall/RINs issue in the US has another backer. But it’s not a new backer. Well-known energy economist Phil Verleger several years ago first brought up the
March 18, 2013 Read Full Article
National Biodiesel Day Puts Spotlight on America's Advanced Biofuel
(National Biodiesel Board) From the delivery of food and goods, to city fleets and transit systems, to construction and other heavy equipment, diesel-power is driving our economy and with it biodiesel use is on the rise. "You don't have to drive
March 18, 2013 Read Full Article
Clean Edge Report Projects Growth in Global Biofuel Industry
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) ...Regarding biofuels, the report found that wholesale pricing of ethanol and biodiesel reached $95 billion in 2012, an increase from $83 billion the previous year. Production also increased from 27.9 billion gallons to 31.4
March 18, 2013 Read Full Article
U.S. Biofuels & Ethanol Mandate: More Vulnerable Than Ever Now?
by John Voelcker (Green Car Reports) ...Now two bills recently introduced into Congress seek to delay or ban altogether the sale of E15 gasoline, which contains 15 percent ethanol rather than the 10-percent maximum standard since 1978. As Hemmings Motor News noted last
March 18, 2013 Read Full Article
Profitable Time to Venture into Biodiesel
by Intan Farhana Zainul (The Star) ...I was given a chance to attend the Palm and Lauric Oils Conference & Exhibition Price Outlook 2013/2014 (POC 2013) recently. More than 2,000 participants from over 50 nations were there and the two-day
March 18, 2013 Read Full Article
Two New Biofuel Tilapia-Based Plants Built
(FIS) In late March, the opening of two biofuel tilapia- based plants in the towns Jaguaribara and Morada Nova, in Vale do Jaguaribe, was announced by Joacir Moreira, one of the coordinators of the project under the direction of the
March 18, 2013 Read Full Article
Island for biofuel
(Fiji Times) THE people of Rabi are trying to uphold the Secretariat of the Pacific Communities' (SPC) dream of replacing normal fuel with biofuel by 30 per cent in the year 2015. ..."Analysis has been carried out on how viable this
March 18, 2013 Read Full Article
Ethanol Surplus May Lift Gas Prices
by Matthew L. Wald (New York Times) A glut of ethanol in the gasoline supply is threatening to push up prices at the pump and may have exacerbated the growing cost gap between regular gasoline and premium, some oil experts say. Refiners
March 18, 2013 Read Full Article
Biofuels Digest’s 10-Minute Guide to the Obama Administration’s New Energy Policy
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Major push from Obama on energy. From DOE: “Liquid fuels demand can be sufficiently reduced so that biomass can meet all liquid fuel needs.” What’s up? ...“I’m proposing that we take some of our oil and
March 18, 2013 Read Full Article
Sugar Beet Feedstock Use Increases in Germany
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The Bundesverband der deutschen Bioethanolwirtschaft (BDBe), a German ethanol trade organization, has released production statistics for 2012. According to the organization, German ethanol production increased by 7.4 percent last year, which BDBe said is
March 15, 2013 Read Full Article
ETH Bioenergy, Inbicon Partner on Cellulosic Ethanol in Brazil
(ETH Bioenergy/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Brazil-based ETH Bioenergy, a company of the Odebrecht Group, which operates in the production of ethanol, sugar and electricity from biomass of cane sugar, and Inbicon, a Danish company owned by DONG Energy has technology that
March 15, 2013 Read Full Article
Algae from UAE Desert Saltflats Could Be Biofuel of the Future
by Dr. Hector Hernandez (The National) ...One area of particular interest is the energy potential of algae that live in the desert’s saltflats – known as sabkha. Algae is one of the many forms of plant life that can be used
March 15, 2013 Read Full Article
A.I.M. Interview: Dr. Isaac Berzin
by David Schwartz (Algae Industry Magazine) It was in 2001 when Dr. Isaac Berzin, a PhD Chemical Engineer at MIT’s Center for Space Research, started to question the work of the Department of Energy’s Aquatic Species Program, the first major
March 15, 2013 Read Full Article
Time to Stop Subsidizing Status Quo
by Tom Buis (Growth Energy/Ethanol Producer Magazine) It came as no surprise that the American Petroleum Institute recently called for a repeal of the renewable fuel standard (RFS), the most successful energy policy this nation has enacted in the past
March 15, 2013 Read Full Article
Global Warming: We'd Better Get A Move On!
by Mike Bryan (Ethanol Producer Magazine) ... Ironically, the effort to reduce global warming through the reduction of CO2 is one of the clear advantages of biofuels. Ethanol has been demonstrated through multiple studies to reduce the emissions of CO2
March 15, 2013 Read Full Article
Six Sigma Provides Analytical Tool for Ethanol Producers
by James Frugé and Raul Gamboa (Ethanol Producer Magazine) With corn costs comprising over 87 percent of the cost of ethanol production, a small improvement in corn-to-ethanol yield can have a large impact on plant profitability. Three reasons suggest why improvements
March 15, 2013 Read Full Article
ARA Partners for Biojet Demonstration
(Biomass Magazine) Applied Research Associates Inc. and Blue Sun Energy Inc. are partnering to develop a demonstration-scale facility to scale up the Biofuels Isoconversion Process system using technology developed by ARA and Chevron Lummus Global. The process converts renewable oils
March 15, 2013 Read Full Article
Pixley Plant to Recover Ethanol Emissions
(The Business Journal) A new facility opening in Pixley this year will use emissions from a nearby ethanol plant to make liquified carbon dioxide. The plant will be the sixth carbon dioxide liquefaction plant in California built by Air Liquide Industrial
March 15, 2013 Read Full Article
Growing Biodiesel Use in the Existing Consumption Model
by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) Just because the availability of U.S. diesel passenger vehicles is limited, it doesn't mean that biodiesel growth is I often hear people say that the U.S. biodiesel industry is held back by the lack of diesel
March 15, 2013 Read Full Article
Karlsruhe Institute of Technology Announces Commissioning of Biomass-to-Biofuel Pilot Plant
by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) In early March, the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology in Germany announced the successful commissioning of the second stage of its bioliq pilot plant. The achievement was made in cooperation with technology partner Air Liquide Global
March 15, 2013 Read Full Article
Light-Duty Automotive Technology, Carbon Dioxide Emissions, and Fuel Economy Trends: 1975 Through 2012
(Environmental Protection Agency) EPA’s annual report that tracks the fuel economy of vehicles sold in the United States is signaling a significant 1.4 mile per gallon (mpg) increase for 2012 cars and trucks – along with a continued decrease in
March 15, 2013 Read Full Article
Funding Bill Amendments Target Military Biofuels
by Zack Coleman (The Hill E2Wire) Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) filed two amendments to a $984 billion government funding bill on Thursday that would gut the military's alternative fuels program. The amendments already are drawing criticism the program's supporters, which are
March 15, 2013 Read Full Article
Camelina on the Move: Global Clean Energy Holdings Acquires Sustainable Oils
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In California, Global Clean Energy Holdings announced that it has acquired Sustainable Oils, a leader in Camelina genetics and production. The acquisition includes 100% ownership interest of Sustainable Oils and the ownership of the key intellectual
March 15, 2013 Read Full Article
The Surprising Connection Between Food and Fracking
by Tom Philpott (Mother Jones) In a recent Nation piece, the wonderful Elizabeth Royte teased out the direct links between hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, and the food supply. In short, extracting natural gas from rock formations by bombarding them with
March 14, 2013 Read Full Article
Beta Renewables CEO Declares Cellulosic Ethanol Now ready
by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Interest in the Beta Renewables SpA commercial-scale cellulosic ethanol plant undergoing commissioning in Crescentino, Italy, has been high. “I was surprised,” said Guido Ghisolfi, CEO. “I expected perhaps 10 groups a month would be