Articles in History of Advanced Biofuels
by Kelsi Bracmort (Congressional Research Service; posted by OurEnergyPolicy.org) Congress has expressed ongoing interest in the RFS, particularly the challenges associated with implementing the RFS and with compliance for entities required to use renewable fuels. Some …
by Anju D. Krivov (Biofuels Digest/Lee Enterprises Consulting/GSR Solutions LLC) … In the late 1990s, the low oil prices of less than $20 a barrel brought down the Algal Species Program’s initiative started in the 1970s …
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Louisiana, reports surfaced in Alexandria’s TownTalk online paper that Sundrop Fuels has struck an agreement to sell the 1200-acre site where it once planned to build its $450 million, 50 million …
by Tom Slunecka (Biodiesel Magazine) … Fifteen years ago, March of 2002, a gallon of unleaded gas averaged around $1.36 a gallon. … Minnesota became the first in the nation to require that all diesel fuel sold …
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) For the world of renewable fuels — the only significant carbon legislation on the books, it really doesn’t matter what the oil price is. The RFS creates a separate market for …
by Tim Snyder (Equities.com/Crudefunders) … With that in mind, we decided to break down the question of, “Is it worth it?” into four parts: price benefits, reduction of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), oxygenate replacement and green fuel alternatives.
…
Ethanol …
by Marc J. Rauch (The Auto Channel) … Faced with some actual governmental actions that were detrimental to gasoline/diesel dominance, instead of the virtual carte blanche pro-petroleum fuel policies that they usually receive from the government, …
by Daniel A. Lane and Joel A. Stone (Lee Enterprises Consulting/Biofuels Digest) … As the market for gasoline grew, a shortage soon developed for the lighter fractions of crude oil. This shortage led to the development of …
by Patrick C. Miller (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Is the growth in shale oil production a potential boost for ethanol? The theory goes that because the light crude produced from fracked shale produces lower-octane gasoline, greater oil …
by Larry R. Knight* (Reciclaje Pura Vida for Advanced Biofuels USA) There are those who would argue that global warming is not occurring. While the evidence suggests otherwise, it would be political and intellectual suicide to …
by Amina Khan (Los Angeles Times/The Washington Post) George Olah, a chemist and Nobel laureate who found new ways to study previously imperceptible stages in hydrocarbon-related chemical reactions, died March 8 at his home in …
by Stephanie Mercier (Farm Journal Foundation/AgWeb) This blog will present the author’s perspective on a wide range of timely agricultural policy topics, touching on both domestic and international issues.
…
The long term answer, that ultimately ethanol will …
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Louisiana, the Diamond Green Diesel facility in Norco will expand its annual production capacity of renewable diesel from 10,000 barrels per day to 18,000 bpd (275 million gallons per …
by Nicolas Loris (DownsizingGovernment.org/The Heritage Foundation) … The problem is not with the voluntary use of biofuels in the marketplace, but rather policies that mandate and subsidize biofuels. …
Congress should end its intervention in the biofuels …
by Jessie Stolark (Energy and Environmental Study Institute) The Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO), in the Office of Energy Efficiency, Renewable Energy (EERE), released its updated strategic plan in January. Revised every five years, …
by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) On BDI-BioEnergy International’s 20-year anniversary, Biodiesel Magazine takes a look back at the company’s beginnings, accomplishments and biodiesel production technology. — In September, dozens of biodiesel producers from around the …
by Will Smith (Springhouse Consulting/Biodiesel Magazine) While the majority of U.S. biodiesel is still produced from soybean and canola oil, the role of alternative feedstock has increased steadily over the past decade. The lower production …
by Gene Gebolys (World Energy/Biodiesel Magazine) … Trying to make a living in biodiesel for two decades now, the hard way is about the only way it happens.
…
2016 was a breakthrough year for the biodiesel industry, and …
by Anthony Hulen (Biodiesel Magazine) The U.S.’s largest biodiesel manufacturer, Ames, Iowa-based Renewable Energy Group Inc., matures from its single plant, single feedstock origins to a multifeedstock, multinational business. — … “For the petroleum and …
by Carl Zulauf (FarmDoc Daily) Ethanol was a factor in both the price run-up that began in 2006 and the price run-down that began in 2013. Tepid growth replaced explosive growth. The question for the …
(Times of India) The Union government will invest Rs 15,000 crore to increase the capacity of Panipat oil refinery in Haryana from existing 15 million tonnes (MT) to 25 MT to raise quality of fuel …
by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) Renewable Energy Group Inc. is quietly celebrating its 10-year anniversary with a series of videos being released to commemorate the company’s—and the biodiesel industry’s—significant growth and maturation over the past decade. …
by Jamie Kitman (Automobile Magazine) “It is “a universal assumption that [ethyl] alcohol in some form will be a constituent of the motor fuel of the future.” — So wrote Scientific American. The year was 1920, …
(Progress-Index) For Hopewell’s fledgling ethanol industry, it appears the third time may be the charm. — For Hopewell’s fledgling ethanol industry, it appears the third time may be the charm. Ten months after Green Plains …
(Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association) Big Oil has been fighting the ethanol industry for a long time. Since the 1920s, to be exact. — In a recent feature by Automobile Magazine, the publication traces the roots of …
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The most important technological advance in biodiesel in recent years has reached commercial-scale in Eastern Nebraska, with the startup of the Duonix Beatrice biodiesel plant, which is and the first …
by Bart Barnes (The Washington Post) William C. Holmberg, a retired Marine Corps lieutenant colonel who received the Navy Cross for his actions on a Korean battlefield and later spent decades as an advocate on …
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) … But so far, the company and its celebrity investors and directors such as former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and famed venture capitalist Vinod Khosla had escaped close scrutiny.
…
The methods …
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Edeniq is torn between two lovers: its current ownership group, which shuffled together a financing this week; and Aemetis, which is supposed to be acquiring Edeniq this year for $23 …
by Robert Rapier (Forbes) … It would have been one thing if Congress had based the mandates on a fuel that existed commercially. However, they essentially attempted to mandate a nonexistent industry into existence.
Unsurprisingly, economic challenges …
by Jamie Kitman (Automobile Magazine) Getting real about ethanol — … But until solar and wind power charge our national fleet of electric and hydrogen vehicles, ethanol is worth discussing. Because all in all, gasoline is …
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) … There’s a separate category of RINs for advanced biofuels. These are fuels that have at least a 50% reduction in fossil fuels compared to 2005 baseline gasoline. Overall, to qualify …
by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) A recent column provides some insight into anti-ethanol stances by making a connection between beef prices, the cow herd expansion and restaurant profits, with rather breath-taking simplification. — A …
(Mankato Free Press) Why It Matters: Ethanol as a clean energy has come under criticism but the pollution caused by fossil fuels remains the reality. — … First, environmentalists complained we were paying farmers too much …
by Rachel Gantz (Renewable Fuels Association) On Monday, Aug. 8, the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct) celebrated its 11th anniversary. Not on a first name basis with acronyms? It’s the law that gave us …
by Ron Lamberty (Ethanol Producer Magazine) There is no such thing as a 10 percent blend wall unless petroleum marketers don’t allow a choice. Independent retailers are demonstrating the blend wall can be breached. — …
(Mankato Free Press) Why It Matters: Ethanol as a clean energy has come under criticism but the pollution caused by fossil fuels remains the reality. — The politics of green energy have evolved over the …
by Irshad Ahmed (Lee Enterprises) … I believe cellulosic ethanol is here to stay for the long haul and it is finally exhibiting real potential to establish a critical-mass commercial base alongside the corn-ethanol industry. Its commercial …
(U.S. Department of Energy) Algae-based biofuels and bioproducts offer great promise in contributing to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Bioenergy Technologies Office’s vision of a thriving and sustainable bioeconomy fueled by innovative technologies. The …
(ADI Analytics) There is an increasing level of interest in conventional and advanced biofuels around the globe. Many countries are increasing biofuel mandates for several reasons ranging from stimulating agriculture, energy security, and most notably to …
by Christopher Findlay (Renewable Fuels Association) This month marks the 120th anniversary of an automotive milestone: Henry Ford’s test drive of his first vehicle, the Quadricycle. The 20-mile-an-hour Quadricycle, which was literally built using two sets of …
by Gerald Kutney (Lee Consulting/Biofuels Digest) … From the time of the caveman until the early Industrial Revolution, biofuels – namely wood and the advanced biofuel of the day, charcoal – reigned supreme. Both fossil fuels and …
(Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative) We are proud to announce the 10th Anniversary of the initiation of the Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative (CAAFI) as of May 24, 2016, and more importantly, to reflect on the …
by Tomas Ekbom (Task 39 May 2016 Newsletter) The production and use of biofuels in Sweden have increased substantially since the mid-2000s. According to preliminary statistics from SPBI, the share of renewable energy in the road …
by Jim Lane (Biofuels DIgest) … Old KiOR was exciting, dramatic, and fast, and the headlines it produced between 2008 and 2011 were candy for a renewables-hungry world.
A Breakthrough in Catalytic Pyrolysis to make cost-competitive, drop-in …
by Dick Roche (EurActiv) The European Commission’s proposal to scrap the mandate for the use of biofuels and, in effect, to ‘kiss biofuels goodbye,’ is a catastrophic policy based largely on arguments that have no solid …
(Federal Aviation Administration) The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has played an integral role in development, testing and recent approval of a new alternative, environmentally-friendly, bio-based jet fuel, bringing the total number of these approved products …
by Cindy Zimmerman (AgWired) Back in the early years of the biodiesel industry, Merle Haggard was one of the stars who came out in support of the American-made biofuel.
The country music legend who died last …
by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Biofuel number crunchers in the know are finding their jobs easier because of a website hosted by the USDA Economic Research Service where the Interagency Council on Agricultural & …
by Jessie Stolark (Environmental and Energy Study Institute) A cornerstone of U.S. environmental policy has been the reduction of harmful tailpipe emissions from cars and trucks. Thanks to EPA regulations of mobile sources, air pollutants …
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) … It’s been a couple of years since we visited REG and the difference is palpable. The company has become a little ADM, rather than a big Amyris or TerraVia. You …
(Bergeson & Campbell, P.C.) Many Americans today, including many legislators at the federal and state levels, were not yet born when the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was created by President Nixon in 1970, or …
by Mario Parker (Bloomberg Business) … Back in 2007, when crude oil was headed toward a record $147.27 a barrel, ethanol was being touted as a cheap alternative from abundant domestic resources. The U.S. is the …
by Marc J. Rauch (The Auto Channel) … Our exchange began with his comments that government should not decide which fuel is the winner; that fossil fuels dominance over alternative fuels was due to consumer choice; …
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) … If jatropha faltered, never mind, went the argument, we’ll always have switchgrass. Or giant miscanthus, or pongamia, or poplar, or camelina. The list could get really long. For example, try …
by Dan Quadros* (Advanced Biofuels USA) This article is the result of a technical trip to Germany and the UK to participate in strategic meetings and visit labs; to attend seminars, an expo, a short …
by Tristan R. Brown (The Conversation) The 2016 primary race is defying conventional wisdom, with erstwhile fringe candidates competitive in the polls despite their unorthodox policy positions. The Iowa Republican Caucus provided additional material for this storyline …
by Thomas Content (Milwaukee, Wisconsin Journal Sentinel) … In one project among several around the nation, ExxonMobil is working with researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison on technology to bring down the cost of renewable …
by Nathanael Johnson (Grist) When I first looked at the environmental impact of corn ethanol I thought it was simple: Grow an acre of corn for fuel and it means you have to grow another …
by Orrie Swayze (AgWeek) The idea that shale makes us crude oil independent is an oil industry fantasy that enables us to deny we willfully sacrifice our troops to fight endless Middle East conflicts to support …
by Robert Rapier (Energy Trends Insider) … From zero commercial production in 2006, (Vinod) Khosla foresaw the first 100 million gallons of cellulosic ethanol hitting the market in 2008 (see Slide 78), ramping rapidly to 2.5 …
by Robert E. Kozak* (Advanced Biofuels USA) This weekend the 49th Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona kicks off the American sports car racing season. It promises to be one of the best with the brand …
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) … So, how fast did petroleum expand production, in comparison to low-carbon renewable fuels? … One thing is clear, renewable fuels are moving fast, by comparison. From 1866 through 1899 (a year …
by Bill Hinchberger (Globe and Mail) As the world prepares to wean itself from fossil fuels, many eyes are turning to Brazil with its land mass nearly equal that of Canada, plentiful sunshine, history of …
by Vonnie Estes (Biofuels Digest) … But as the land, water, and fossil fuel resources those systems rely on become scarcer, biology is offering new ways to engineer solutions.
Synthetic biology redesigns existing organisms for specific …
by Katie Fletcher (Biomass Magazine) The U.S. Department of Defense has yet to purchase alternative fuels beyond testing and demonstration purposes, but intentions remain. — In July, the U.S. Government Accountability Office published a report …
by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) USDA’s Office of the Chief Economist just released a comprehensive report on ethanol. The 87-page report, “U.S. Ethanol: An Examination of Policy, Production, Use, Distribution, and Market Interactions,” …
by Paul Alexander (Huffington Post) … (H)e must explain his decision to gut the Renewable Fuel Standard and hand Big Oil a decisive political victory. One lingering question is, did high-level White House staffers with …
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) For two decades, ICM has adapted with the changing times, bringing technology solutions to the ethanol industry. — In 1995, ICM Inc. got its start with the purchase of …
(Biotechnology Industry Organization) Over its 10-year lifespan, the Renewable Fuel Standard’s (RFS) requirement to substitute biofuels for fossil fuels has displaced nearly 1.9 billion barrels of foreign oil and reduced U.S. transportation-related carbon emissions by …
by Mike Bryan (Ethanol Producer Magazine) There is a long history of antagonism and sometimes outward hostility by the EPA toward ethanol, writes Mike Bryan. — Most of us find it strange and frustrating that we …
by Stephanie Mercier (Ag Web) The U.S. biofuels sector marks its birth back in 1979, when Congress established a blender’s credit for ethanol as the earliest piece of federal biofuel policy as part of the Energy …
(Renewable Fuels Association) This Saturday marks 10 years since the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct) containing the original Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) was signed into law by President George W. Bush. The first RFS …
by Bill Brandon (Leaders in Energy) … This two-part White Paper presents the proposition that we need to transition away from the legacy fuels we use today to modern liquid and gas fuels[1] that: 1) reduce …
by Joanne Ivancic* (Advanced Biofuels USA) In January 2006, President George W. Bush said “switchgrass” in his State of the Union Address as he enthusiastically envisioned a renewable transportation fuels future.1 Within weeks, the price …
by Joanne Ivancic* (Advanced Biofuels USA) Golden Leaf Energy’s Troy A. Clark grew up in Louisiana. Studying chemical engineering at Tulane University brought him into contact with the oil industry. And yet, as his career …
