(BioTechNow) Last week, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack wrote a column talking about the unlimited opportunities for biofuels to grow the rural economy. He highlighted what the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has already done to support biofuels including loan guarantees and
by Col. Bill Holmberg (ret.) (American Council On Renewable Energy) “Up with octane, down with aromatics, and embrace the needs of people and nature,” says ACORE’s legendary biomass guru. But less freak-out, more reach-out is needed, he cautions. ...However, certain forces
by Jim Lane (BioBased Digest) ... It is a program that encourages companies to voluntarily register the amount of biobased content in their products — and, for those that pass a minimum content threshold, the BioPreferred program and its team
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In the new USDA long-term forecasts, rising global meat consumption stands out as a driver of rising food prices, exports. ...But you might ask yourself — in a world where you can find hyperbole linking hunger
(U.S. Department of Agriculture) The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released two comprehensive reports today that synthesize the scientific literature on climate change effects and adaptation strategies for U.S. agriculture and forests. The reports, entitled Climate Change and Agriculture: Effects and Adaptation and the Effects of
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) On Feb. 11 the USDA released a report detailing its agricultural projections for the next 10-year period. According to the paper, titled “USDA Agricultural Projections to 2022,” long-run developments for global agriculture reflect steady
by Ann Perry (US Department of Agriculture Agriculture Research Service/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Corn crop residues are often left on harvested fields to protect soil quality, but they could become an important raw material in cellulosic ethanol production. USDA research indicates
by Douglas L. Faulkner (“The Cleantech Conservative”/BiofuelsDigest) ... That is, the cost of renewed tax breaks for the biofuels industry came at a great cost relative to the benefits gained. Being lumped in with Hollywood filmmakers, rum distillers, NASCAR track owners, Goldman
by Ned Stowe (Environmental and Energy Study Institute) Like it or not, corn and corn ethanol production are large, established industries in the U.S. While they provide significant economic, energy, and environmental benefits for our society, they also come with
by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com) According to a new study performed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, corn grown using no-till methods may sequester larger amounts of carbon than previously believed. The study was published in BioEnergy Research and showed that
by Ned Stowe (Environmental and Energy Study Institute) The USDA estimates that farmers in the U.S. will plant nine million more acres in corn in 2013 than they did in 2011, an increase of almost 10 percent. Over the same period,
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...In Maryland, The Wildlife Society released a Technical Review, “Effects of Bioenergy Production on Wildlife and Wildlife Habitat,” to provide answers to questions on bioenergy development and wildlife so that site managers might better predict
by Cindy Zimmerman (DomesticFuel.com) The Agriculture Energy Coalition (AgEC) today urged Congress to begin work on a new five-year Farm Bill with strong mandatory funding for energy programs. The coalition notes that programs included in the farm bill Energy Title including
by John Davis (DomesticFuel.com) Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack says the future success of biofuels in this country is also tied to successfully getting a new five-year farm bill passed. Speaking to delegates of the American Farm Bureau Federation at
(US Department of Agriculture) Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack visited a state-of-the-art bioindustrial facility at Renmatix today, where he announced $25 million to fund research and development of next-generation renewable energy and high-value biobased products from a variety of biomass sources. "USDA's
(The Town Talk) The LSU AgCenter Audubon Sugar Institute plans a Jan. 25 opening for a pilot plant designed to produce biofuels and biochemicals from agricultural crops and byproducts. The centerpiece of the AgCenter's sustainable bioproducts initiative, the plant focuses on
(Renmatix/Sacramento Bee) Building on success in hardwood, Philadelphia-based Renmatix adds on-site capability to convert multiple local and international feedstocks to cellulosic sugar Renmatix, the leading manufacturer of cellulosic sugars for biobased chemical and fuel markets, welcomed Secretary Tom Vilsack, leader of
by Luke Geiver (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The Biomass Crop Assistance Program may have been extended through 2013 with the passing of the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012, but the program’s usefulness in the coming year is still uncertain. Although
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) ...The bad news is, all mandatory funding for energy title programs were stripped from the farm bill at the last moment. “The programs have lived, but they don’t have money,” said Lloyd Ritter, co-director
by Sean Hubbard (EdmondSun.com) The U.S. Department of Agriculture, United Sorghum Checkoff Program, Oklahoma Bioenergy Center and the South Central Sun Grant Program have taken note and funded the majority of the research of Danielle Bellmer, associate professor in Oklahoma
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...Four tax provisions were in the bill that directly impact biofuels. Cellulosic biofuels producer tax credit. ... The provision would extend this production tax credit for one additional year, for cellulosic biofuel produced through 2013. The proposal
by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com) What do people in the Southeast think about biofuels? Do they support biofuel ventures? Who will grow the biomass? Will those in established industries fight against it? These are just a few of the questions researchers
(The State Journal) Researchers from West Virginia University are exploring the economic and environmental impacts of wood biomass utilization in rural central Appalachia. The Morgantown school says the team was recently awarded a nearly $350,000 grant from the U.S. Department of
(Associated Press/Times Union) Energy from willows is moving out of the experimental stage and into commercial production in New York. Farms are growing willow shrubs and selling them to a utility, a nursery sells them commercially and plans are being made for refineries. "The
(ClarionLedger.com) A team of Mississippi State University agricultural economists recently received U.S. Department of Agriculture funding to study policies impacting biofuel supply chains. Keith Coble is the principal investigator for a project to develop a model to assess how state or
by Chris Berendt (The Sampson Independent) Chemtex International Inc. is currently involved in a permitting process that will see a $200 million biofuels refinery production plant open at the start of 2015, creating around 350 direct and indirect jobs and anticipated
by Sarah Bittleman (Dairy Herd/USDA) Rob Green’s recent Wall Street Journal op-ed “The cause of higher grocery bills isn’t the drought. It’s the failed federal ethanol policy” fails to take into consideration a host of factors, other than demand for corn, that affect
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Unofficial reports indicate that biofuels provisions have survived a House-Senate conference over the Defense bill. According to sources, House and Senate conferees have finished work on their conference report on the National Defense Authorization Act. Sources
(WebWire) Biofuels made from high yield, short rotation woody crops or from forest residuals and thinnings that are currently left unused have substantial potential to reduce CO2 emissions as well as to contribute to energy independence. A series of articles
by Stephanie Strom (New York Times) A blue-ribbon panel of scientific and technology advisers to President Obama warns that the nation risks losing its longstanding supremacy in food production because research in agriculture has not kept up with new challenges like climate
(US Department of Agriculture) Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced $10 million in research grants to spur production of bioenergy and biobased products that will lead to the development of sustainable regional systems and help create jobs. Vilsack highlighted the
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Policy, finance, technology, feedstocks, markets, prices, opposition. Here’s what’s on your mind, as the critical 2013 deployment year for biofuels looms. So here are 15 burning questions as suggested by various Digesterati — divided for convenience
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, the US Senate voted 54-41 in favor of an amendment offered by Senator Kay Hagan of North Carolina to repeal section 2823 of the annual Defense appropriations bill. Sec. 2823 of the FY13 NDAA
by Laura Crozier (Delaware Biotechnology Institute) As part of a five-year, $50,000 grant supporting state greenhouse gas reduction projects, the Delaware Biotechnology Institute has partnered with the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control... The Framework for Minimizing Energy Input
(US Department of Agriculture) Agriculture Under Secretary for Rural Development Dallas Tonsager today (November 16, 2012) announced payments to 189 companies to support the production and expansion of advanced biofuels. “These payments support the nation’s expanding alternative fuels industry by encouraging
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, the US Senate voted 62-37 in favor of an amendment offered by Senator Mark Udall of Colorado to repeal section 313 of the annual Defense appropriations bill. Section 313 language, which was offered by
The National Institute of Standards and Technology announced that it has posted presentations from the 4th International Conference on Biofuels Standards: Current Issues, Future Trends on its web site. The purpose of the meeting was to provide a forum for
(U.S. Department of Agriculture) In January 2012, USDA launched its brand new Energy Web site. The site contains agricultural, economic, and social data on renewable energy to assist stakeholders, public users, state and local government in identifying opportunities, activities and USDA’s
(USDA Agricultural Research Service) From 1850 to 1950, the Tri-State Mining District of southwestern Missouri, southeastern Kansas, and northeastern Oklahoma produced 50 percent of the zinc and 10 percent of the lead in the United States. The last active mine
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) A total of $16 million in investment for 244 projects received funding from the USDA’s Rural Energy for America Program, including several blender pumps and a few biomass-related projects. The program offers funding to
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The UDSA Foreign Agricultural Service recently published a Global Agricultural Information Network report outlining Spain’s ethanol industry. The report,” titled “Spain’s Bioethanol Standing Report,” notes that the country is one of the top four
by Bruce Dorminey (Renewable Energy World) ...Armed with a $200,000 U.S.D.A. two-year research grant, Fernando Resende will start work on a fast pyrolysis mobile reactor next year that could revolutionize how foresters and the timber industry currently deals with millions of
(Pennsylvania State University) The Northeast could help lead the way to a renewable-energy-based economy by utilizing marginal and abandoned land to grow energy crops such as perennial grasses and fast-growing woody plants. That's the goal of a new research and education
(Primus Green Energy) New Northeast Consortium Tasked With Developing Perennial Biomass Feedstock Production Systems As part of its continued effort to drive the commercialization of alternative fuels, Primus Green Energy Inc. an alternative fuel company based in Hillsborough, N.J., has signed
by Kristofor Husted (KBIA) In the parched, rolling hills of western Missouri, you might expect to see a desolate scene after this summer’s drought. But in this field, hip-high native grass sways across the landscape like seaweed in the ocean. Wayne Vassar
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) A drought tolerant grass known as elephant grass or napiergrass that is fed to cattle in the tropics is being studied as a possible cellulosic ethanol feedstock in southern states, with encouraging results. The
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...We say that biofuels are “capital-intensive,” mainly to be polite. It’s like saying that Genghis Khan, Alexander the Great or Attila the Hun had “land interests”. ...Put it this way. How much capital would you need to
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, the Romney campaign issued a long-awaited white paper on agricultural policy. Among the highlights: ...“He will not only accelerate the development of conventional energy sources, but also advance new technologies by funding early-stage research and
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...Those momentum killers. Company wreckers. The investor flight-inducing crevasses along the route to the top – that take away a level playing field, remove your access to markets, delay a counted-on early-stage customer, or frighten
by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The next five years—the often scoffed mantra of cellulosic ethanol developers—is getting whittled down to the next year or two. A milestone was reached this year when Blue Sugars Corp. got the first cellulosic
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Every biofuels contender has its own route to the top – with unique advantages and technical challenges. Who is nearing the Summit, what’s their Hillary Step, who’s got Sherpas, who’s got oxygen? It’s the race
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Growing crude oil as a crop – Sapphire Energy and its Green Crude Farm – can it be the sunlight in your universe and change the world? What does it look like? How does it work?
by Roy Roberson (Southeast Farm Press) • Sounds like a good deal for grain growers and a bad one for livestock producers and consumers, but are such high prices really good for any of us? • Allan Baucom says the last
by Tim Carpenter (Topeka Capital Journal) Grants of $20.5 million offer twist to ethanol plant, farm machinery A $15.9 million investment of federal economic stimulus cash by Gov. Sam Brownback hangs on an Oakley ethanol plant's vision of generating value from
by Jason Mick (Daily Tech) New method could repurpose existing equipment, improve the efficiency of biodiesel extraction Biodiesel production tends to boil down (no pun intended) to one of two methods --repurposing waste oil to auto-capable fuel or converting purpose-grown feedstock crops to oily biodiesel. Ultimately,
(US Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service) ...Of the five regions, the Southeast has the greatest natural capacity in the continental United States, with sufficient sunshine, soils, water, and other natural resources to produce more than 10 billion gallons of
(Phys.Org) Sweet sorghum is primarily grown in the United States as a source of sugar for syrup and molasses. But the sturdy grass has other attributes that could make it uniquely suited to production as a bioenergy crop, U.S. Department
(Biodiesel Magazine/USDA) US Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Energy for Navy Tom Hicks toured the USS Monterey (CG 61) at the Naval Station Norfolk (Va.) on Saturday, Sept. 8, and highlighted the Obama administration’s commitment
by Nigel Hunt and Veronica Brown (Reuters) * USDA report paints less severe corn crop picture than feared * FAO says situation seems comfortable * Analysts still wary on prices as U.S. corn harvest in early stages The third global food price spike
by John Ramsey (Fayetteville Observer) The grass grows as tall as two men and thick as a jungle. This, farmers across the Cape Fear region keep hearing, is the future of ethanol. The giant miscanthus is one of the inedible crops
by Todd Atkinson ( US Department of Agriculture Farm and Foreign Agricultural Service/Biomass Magazine) Since the 20th century, scientists have worked to cure cancer. They have yet to succeed. Many researchers develop hypotheses that end in disappointment, with the death rate from cancer
by Drew Kershen (BioFortified) ...I do not write to enter the debate focused on fuel standards, markets and commodity speculators. I acknowledge that other factors also contribute to food crises, particularly in developing nations – e.g., underfunded agricultural research and
Martin Lamonica (MIT Technology Review) Sapphire Energy has started operation of its demonstration-scale algae farm, a project which perhaps brings more clarity to an industry debate over the best way to grow algae. The San Diego-based company last week said that
by Ann Perry (US Department of Agriculture Agriculture Research Service) A gene that keeps switchgrass forever young could have far-reaching implications for the development of the plant as a biofuel crop, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists. Inserting a specific gene
by Michael Sheffield (Memphis Business Journal) Infinite Enzymes LLC has received a $450,000 Small Business Innovation Research Phase II grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to advance its enzyme development technology. This is the second Small Business Innovation Research grant the Jonesboro,
by Dan Chapman (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution) ... In a blistering critique obtained by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, (Hosein) Shapouri (a senior economist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Washington) labeled the proposed Range Fuels plant “a high risk venture” that
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Despite low levels of publicity, North Dakota and Montana are making great strides in bioeconomy development – with a combination of strong R&D, feedstock abundance and some hot processing technologies. ...The bioeconomy has been getting a
by Ken Silverstein (Forbes) ...By most standards, the hope that is such first-generation fuel additives are supplanted by next-generation ones, or those produced from cellulose. Worth it? Such fibers are abundant and could supply 130 million gallons a year of ethanol
(PR NewsWire/Sapphire Energy) Initial Phase of World's First Green Crude Farm Completed On Time and On Budget Sapphire Energy, Inc., one of the world leaders in algae-based green crude oil production, today announced the first phase of its Green Crude Farm,
by Ned Stowe (Environmental and Energy Study Institute) Renewable biomass has a significant potential to improve U.S. energy security, advance rural economic development and energy security, protect and restore water quality and other environmental resources, and help mitigate and adapt to the
(Environmental and Energy Study Institute) Cleaner, more sustainable, more climate-friendly, more affordable advanced biofuels are closer to reality than many outside the industry seem to think. At least three new, advanced biofuel biorefineries are being commissioned this year, and at
(Delta Farm Press) A coalition of 39 of the nation’s foremost agricultural organizations has formed in an effort to raise public awareness of the need for Congress to pass a new, comprehensive, five-year farm bill before current farm programs expire in
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In North Carolina, Chemtex announced that it has received a $99 million conditional loan guarantee from USDA, under the USDA’s 9003 Biorefinery Assistance Program for the engineering and construction of “Project Alpha.” Chemtex is in discussions
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...Like many states (or countries) that have limited oil reserves or reserves that are economically unfeasible to extract at this time – the path to energy independence lies generally in Missouri’s substantial “above-ground oil fields”
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) ...Talk of a possible renewable fuel standard (RFS) waiver request became a reality in mid-August, when the U.S. EPA was officially petitioned. The clock starts on a 90-day deadline and a public comment period
(US Department of Agriculture) USDA announces the availability of grants through the Value-Added Producer Grant (VAPG) program for Fiscal Year 2012. Approximately $14 million in competitive grant funds for FY 2012 is available to help agricultural producers enter into
by Russ White and Mackenzie Mohr(Michigan Live) ...“One of the things that we’re evaluating with cellulosic ethanol is (if there) are there places we can produce these crops on lands that aren’t producing food crops,” he ( MSU Extension’s Bioenergy Educator Dennis Pennington)
by (Bloomberg) ...Refiners can meet biofuel targets by drawing from ample stockpiles and utilizing excess credits, known as Renewable Identification Numbers, that can be submitted in lieu of physically blending a gallon of ethanol to meet the government’s mandate under
by Gerard Wynn (Reuters) ...It has now become ubiquitous to quote the ethanol industry's corn consumption at 40 percent of the national crop. But the estimate is inaccurate, by assuming away ethanol co-products and in particular so-called "distillers grains" which substitute
by Ian C. Campbell (The Oregonian) ...A new $6 million federal grant to develop jet fuel and clean diesel from grass and sugarcane could help. The U.S. Dept. of Agriculture money to researchers at Oregon State University, the University of Hawaii and Washington
by Sue Retka Schill (Biomass Magazine) Fulcrum BioEnergy Inc. received a $105 million condition loan guarantee from the USDA, putting its planned 10 MMgy Sierra BioFuels Plant closer to groundbreaking. "This USDA loan guarantee provides a key piece of financing to
by Cornell University (R&D Mag) The commercialization of shrub willow as a bioenergy crop could be years closer, thanks to a $1.37 million grant that will allow Cornell researchers to take advantage of the newly mapped shrub willow genome to
by Pavel Molchanov (Raymond James & Associates) In addition to declining U.S. oil demand and surging liquids production from onshore shale plays, there is a third component to our thesis that the nation is moving towards oil independence by 2020. We project
(US Department of Agriculture) Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced payments for 125 advanced Biofuel producers across the country to support the production and expansion of advanced biofuels from a wide variety of non-food sources, including waste products. "Advanced biofuels are
The race to create a better, less controversial biofuel has spawned plenty of research into a variety of potential new sources - including switchgrass, cornstalks and algae. One goal behind the next generation of ethanol fuel is to end the debate
by David Pruitt (The Alestle) On July 16 and 17, John Caupert, director of SIUE’s National Corn-to-Ethanol Research Center, met with USDA officials about a new process the NCERC has discovered to use corn more efficiently in the production
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The recent focus on drought, and the scarcity scare, shows that diversification and yield enhancement remain the bioeconomy’s chief weapons in the war on availability and affordability. The USDA and DOE respond with a $41M
by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Massachusetts-based Agrivida Inc. is conducting the first year of USDA-permitted field trials to grow corn that has been engineered to include enzymes in the corn stalk. The addition should lower the cost of cellulosic
(PRWeb) Yulex Corporation, as part of a consortium headed by Cooper Tire & Rubber Company, announced today that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) awarded the company and its consortium partners a $6.9 million grant. This four year grant will
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) As bio-based companies race across the Valley of Death, in the dash for scale, who’s getting financing now, and how? The path to financing success in bio-based project development used to be a little less complicated. Raise
by Zack Coleman (The Hill/E2Wire) The biofuels industry is at loggerheads with House Republicans, who are eyeing its funding for elimination in the farm bill. Biomass and biofuels groups warn that the loss of $800 million in guaranteed federal support would
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Out of 430 Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) awards announced by the USDA June 25, four were for blender pumps or flex fuel pumps. In all, projects in Florida, Georgia, Missouri and South
(The Hill/E2Wire)Five rural energy programs will end while others will be slimmed down if a draft version of the 2012 farm bill released Thursday becomes law. The cuts, made by leaders of the House Agriculture Committee, will total about $500 million, according to
(TheBioEnergySite.com) The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has joined forces with jet engine producer General Electric (GE) Aviation, in addition to the Ohio Aerospace Institute, air carriers and producer groups, to produce renewable jet fuel from agricultural products. The biojet will
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Myriant closes first bio-based chemicals loan under USDA’s Business and Industry Loan Guarantee Program. Industry’s first private bond placement under innovative structure developed to finance advanced industrial scale-up; Q1 2013 commercial start-up in sight In Massachusetts,
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...The Obama Administration has laid out an integrated strategy for commercializing advanced biofuels, with a focus in this phase on military advanced biofuels at cost-competitive prices with conventional fuels. The vehicle is a joint program between
(US Department of Agriculture) Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that USDA has selected for funding 450 projects nationwide, including 31 in North Carolina, that are focused on helping agricultural producers and rural small businesses reduce energy consumption and costs;
by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The nearly $10 million awarded by the USDA’s Farm Service Agency to three energy crop project areas on June 13 will be the only funding distributed through the Biomass Crop Assistance Program this year
by Chris Guy (US Department of Agriculture) ...ARS scientists say that barley leftovers such as straw, hulls, and dried distiller grains (DDGS) can be used to produce an energy-rich product called bio-oil. Bio-oil offers several advantages. It can potentially be
(Observer-Dispatch) The U.S. Department of Agriculture will invest $4.3 million to ReEnergy and SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry to encourage growth of shrub willow as a renewable energy fuel, according to a news release. The funds — made available
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Section 9011 of the Farm Bill – the Biomass Crop Assistance Program – USDA deploys $9.6M in new investments in bioenergy crops as questions revolve around the program’s future and effectiveness. Is BCAP important? Will
(Chemtex International/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Chemtex International announced today (June 13, 2012) that it has been selected by the USDA to participate in the Biomass Crop Assistance Program. The $3,996,000 award will support establishing and growing over 4,000 acres of miscanthus and switchgrass across
by Emery P. Dalesio (The Republic/AP) An Italian company's Wilmington-based subsidiary is geared up to build a factory that can convert grassy plants into fuel for cars and trucks amid Sampson County's hog and turkey growers. With financial and verbal encouragement
by Mateusz Perkowski (Capital Press) The USDA has decide to again fully deregulate genetically engineered sugar beets that are resistant to glyphosate herbicides. The agency has found that the crop doesn't pose a plant pest risk and thus shouldn't be subject
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Most of the stories we write at the Digest on the subject of biofuels feedstocks fall into the well-established realms of normal. But every once in a while, a feedstock emerges that is so compellingly
(Pacific Business News) The University of Hawaii’s College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources will receive a $6 million federal grant to continue its work to convert grass and other biomass into biofuel. The college will use the money, which comes
by Brent Erickson (BIO/Biofuels Digest) Ten years ago, Congress passed and President George W. Bush signed into law a Farm Bill that, for the first time, embraced the vital role American farmers, foresters and rural communities must play in achieving
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Novozymes, a global biotech company, first considered building its newly built enzyme production plant in China but eventually zeroed in on the U.S. One big deciding factor was the $28.4 million tax credit from
by David Rogers (Politico) ...At issue are government-backed premium discounts designed to make the insurance more affordable to farmers. While not truly cash subsidies, the costs have soared in recent years and fit neatly into the environmental narrative that Washington
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, staff members working for least eight US Senators will join a study group aimed at a “seed-to-wheel examination of the US Renewable Fuel Standard,” the Digest has learned. The goal of the study group
(CSP Daily News) Installs ethanol blender pumps across southcentral Wisconsin United Cooperative has been selected to receive a $448,500 Rural Energy for America Program grant to assist with the installation of 36 ethanol flex-fuel blender pumps and seven biodiesel dispensers at
by Geoff Cooper (Renewable Fuels Association) USDA released its first estimate of the 2012 corn crop--and it is a big one. According to today’s USDA projections, record U.S. corn production of 14.79 billion bushels is expected in 2012. That’s up
(MASBI) Regional Initiative with National Reach Working to Achieve Energy Security United Airlines, Boeing, Honeywell’s UOP, the Chicago Department of Aviation and the Clean Energy Trust today announced the formation of the Midwest Aviation Sustainable Biofuels Initiative (MASBI), designed to advance
(Beaver Dam Daily Citizen) United Cooperative was selected to receive a $448,500 Rural Energy for America Program grant to assist with the installation of 36 ethanol flex-fuel blender pumps and seven biodiesel dispensers at 11 of United Cooperative’s Cenex convenience
(US Department of Agriculture) On June 23, 2010, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) published a strategic biofuels production report, “A USDA Regional Roadmap to Meeting the Biofuels Goals of the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) by 2022” (USDA’s Roadmap). Subsequently, Secretary
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...The first World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates for 2012, from the US Department of Agriculture, give us an opportunity to review that debate. Let’s go back 10 years ago, before the first Renewable Fuel Standard was
by Retired Lt. Gen. John Castellaw, USMC, American Security Project (The Hill/Congress Blog) The United States military is the single largest purchaser of petroleum fuel in the world, burning through about 325,000 barrels of fuel per day. Almost all of
(National Farmers Union) National Farmers Union (NFU) and a coalition of agricultural, conservation, environmental, energy, forestry, hunger, and rural stakeholders sent a letter to Senate leadership today urging them to bring the Agriculture Reform, Food and Jobs Act of 2012 to the
by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) ...API has legally challenged every step of the U.S. EPA’s approval of E15, claiming that more scientific research should be completed before it is allowed to be used in anything other than flex-fuel infrastructure
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
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
(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.
(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
(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
by Harry Cline (Western Farm Press) Former sugar beet growers on the West Side of the San Joaquin Valley are expected to learn next month whether they’ll be able to take the next step in an ambitious plan to return
by Kelly Madsen (IowaStateDaily.com) The Iowa State University-led Cenusa Bioenergy project works to develop a biofuel with both a Midwestern and environmental focus. Through a five-year, $25 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture,
by Anna Austin (Biomass Power and Thermal Magazine) The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition has released its 2012 Farm Bill platform, which provides suggestions to improve some federal bioenergy programs. These include the Repowering Assistance Program and the Biomass Crop Assistance
(US Department of Agriculture) Research to advance next generation biofuels and renewable energy technologies Today, as President Obama went to Ohio State University to discuss the Administration's all-out, all-of-the-above strategy for American energy, the White House announced up to $35 million
By Joanne Ivancic (Advanced Biofuels USA) At the March 21 Bioenergy Day on Capitol Hill, discussion focused on the need for a continued Renewable Fuels Standard, reviews of the history of biofuels, assessment of current questioning of biofuels as viable
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Yield unlocks value, and especially feedstock yield. What’s the latest? What feedstocks are reporting yields that could support 1000+ gallons per acre for terrestrial crops? ...Yield from the acre, yield from the ton, yield from the
by Sarah Bittleman (USDA/25 x '25) America needs and is developing a reliable, sustainable, fuel supply. If we are able to produce more of it here at home – rather than relying on foreign oil – we’ll generate good, middle-class jobs
by Cory Nealon (Daily Press) U.S. must "hustle" to reach goal, Ag. Secretary Tom Vilsack says ...Vilsack expects the U.S. will eventually produce 15 billion gallons of corn-based ethanol, a target set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. But the rest
by Josh Rathod (Advanced Biofuels USA) As host of an annual legislative hearing on Capitol Hill, the Algal Biomass Organization (ABO) used this year’s presentation on March 1st to give a clear outline of where the industry stands on reaching
by Tom Polansek (Reuters) U.S. officials said on Friday they would offer higher payments to certain owners of environmentally sensitive farm land if they idle it in a conservation program instead of using it to grow crops. The offer from the
by Cindy Zimmerman (DomesticFuel.com) ...“If you took a poll of our members, and we may well do that at our Commodity Classic next week, I would say that they view the RFS as more important than the farm bill,” said National
by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) ...Maintaining the energy programs within the Farm Bill will also be a challenge, with the expectation that there will be deep budgets cuts from the baseline. Vilsack explained that with the energy programs being new
by Ned Stowe (Environmental and Energy Study Institute) Why is there an energy title in the Farm Bill? Are the Farm Bill energy programs making a difference yet? Are there better ways to advance the same goals? What are the
(MarketWatch) ZeaChem Commences USDA-Funded Initiative to Build a Bioenergy Industry in the Pacific Northwest ZeaChem Inc., a developer of biorefineries for the conversion of renewable biomass into sustainable fuels and chemicals, today announced that it has successfully completed contract negotiations to
by Erin Voegele (Biodiesel Magazine) ...One of the many energy-related components of the Farm Bill that is up for reauthorization is the Biodiesel Fuel Education Program, which is a grant program that supports the education of government and private entities
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...In Michigan, US Senator Debbie Stabenow expanded her “Grow it Here, Make it Here” initiative into a $5 billion proposal designed to dramatically expand bio-based manufacturing and job creation, funded through what she described as reductions in
by Josh Rathod (Advanced Biofuels USA) With a refreshing sense of focus, Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Chairwoman of the Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee, opened the hearing on Energy and Economic Growth for Rural America by stating the importance of
by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and a handful of bioenergy stakeholders were given the opportunity to present the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry with their opinions on the importance of the Farm Bill’s
(Renewable Fuels Association/Advanced Ethanol Council) The Advanced Ethanol Council (AEC) today urged Senate Ag Committee Chair Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Ranking Member Pat Roberts (R-KS) to include two key tax extensions for advanced and cellulosic ethanol producers. In a letter to the committee
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) New reports from Bloomberg and the USDA focus on 2018 as a critical year for commercial-scale, affordable aviation fuels In New York, Bloomberg New Energy Finance said that jatropha-based fuels were the near-term candidate as sustainable aviation fuels
by Jeff Wilson and Whitney McFerron (The Washington Post) ...Global food costs are down 11 percent from a peak a year ago as grain output rises from China to Canada, U.N. data show. ...The Agriculture Department affirmed its forecast for moderating food costs last month.
by Robert Kozak (Advanced Biofuels USA) As required by the Constitution, the President submitted to Congress today his proposed budget for the operation of the United States government for the coming year (FY 2013). The Republican Congressional leaders on the
by S. Heather Duncan (Macon Telegraph) Although the company that purchased a defunct ethanol refinery in Soperton has some of the same financial backers as previous owners who lost the plant to foreclosure, leaders of LanzaTech Freedom Pines say their
(US Department of Agriculture) Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced the availability of funds for Fiscal Year 2012 for two key programs to encourage the use of renewable biomass and production of advanced biofuels. About $25 million will be made
by S. Heather Duncan (Macon.com) The new owner of a shuttered ethanol plant in Soperton plans to eventually add hundreds of jobs there to produce ethanol and other chemicals, a company official said this week. That would boost Treutlen County employment
by Anna Austin (Biomass Power and Thermal Magazine) A recently released study authored by nine scientists from multiple organizations and universities, including the U.S. Forest Service, may be poised to clear up some confusion. With no motive other than to
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