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by Tony Briscoe (Chicago Tribune) As scientists and politicians around the world debate the best way to combat rising greenhouse gases, an Illinois ethanol plant, with help from state and federal researchers, is advancing a strategy that buries carbon emissions underground. After a successful pilot program, the public-private research project spearheaded
Illinois
November 27, 2017
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by Zheng Xin and Wang Wen (China Daily) Hainan Airlines Flight 497 took off from Beijing at 2:15 pm Tuesday, headed to Chicago. The aircraft flew with biological aviation fuel that is produced from waste cooking oil, signaling the first China-US flight to use green aviation fuel. The flight on a Boeing
November 22, 2017
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(The Illinois Soybean Association/Biodiesel Magazine) The Illinois Soybean Association checkoff program is partnering with Tow Trucks for Tots to help bring toys to needy children, while educating tow truck drivers on the benefits of B20 biodiesel fuel. During the annual Tow Trucks for Tots event on Nov. 12, towing companies from
November 15, 2017
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Last week, DowDuPont said it was exiting the cellulosic biofuels business and you’d think that the company just burned down the warehouse with the original text of the Renewable Fuels Standard — the coverage of the announce in few cases focused on the changes in DowDuPont’s
November 14, 2017
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Illinois, today is Fly Green Day, sponsored by the O’Hare Fuel Committee, at Chicago O’Hare International Airport. 7 commercial airlines, plus Atlas Air and FedEx are flying out of O’Hare today on Gevo-based sustainable aviation fuel. Among them: Lufthansa, United Airlines, Etihad, Cathay Pacific Airways, Emirates, Japan Airlines, Korean Air,
November 8, 2017
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) From California we received the news that Chicagoland has been selected as the site of Fulcrum BioEnergy’s second commercial-scale waste-to-fuels biorefinery. We reported last month that the long-awaited financing was completed for Fulcrum Bioenergy’s highly-anticipated first commercial project near Reno, Nevada. … “We have not publicly said
November 7, 2017
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(Phys.org/ University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) Vastly expanding sugarcane production in Brazil for conversion to ethanol could reduce current global carbon dioxide emissions by as much as 5.6 percent, researchers report in the journal Nature Climate Change. This would be a massive undertaking, involving the conversion of hundreds of thousands of square
October 24, 2017
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by Ben Wolfgang (The Washington Times) Citing one nominee’s stance on the federal ethanol mandate and another’s supposed ties to Koch Industries, Sen. Tammy Duckworth, Illinois Democrat, on Wednesday placed holds on two key nominations for top-level jobs at the Environmental Protection Agency. The move comes a day after Sen. Charles E. Grassley, Iowa
October 19, 2017
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by Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) (The Hill) There is a reason that the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), our nation’s policy governing the production and sale of biofuels, has broad bipartisan support in Congress. This policy is helping us revive rural economies, reduce our greenhouse gases, and become less dependent on foreign
by Curtis Tate (NorthJersey.com) … The flammable biofuel is transported in trains that look virtually identical to the oil trains that have attracted so much attention, and controversy, in the country’s energy boom of the past decade. But according to federal data, 1 million gallons more ethanol spilled from derailed trains than
October 17, 2017
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Somewhere in the files of the Department of Energy it is called the Chemical Catalysis for Bioenergy Consortium. Inside the halls of National Labs, they call it ChemCatBio. … They’re on a mission to bring forward commercial bioenergy applications two times faster and at half the cost If
October 5, 2017
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by Jill Loehr (Prairie Farmer) Illinois has the third-largest ethanol production capacity in the U.S. Marquis Energy, one of the state’s 13 ethanol plants, contributes 300 million gallons each year. What’s the secret to its success? Proximity to the river, rails and roads. … States like Iowa needed ethanol plants
October 4, 2017
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by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) … Regardless of which side of the fence you are on, the chopping continues and there are literally tons of wood waste left behind that doesn’t get used up, but we can all agree we should do something with that waste. Today, we look at
October 2, 2017
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by Tom Steever (Brownfield Ag News) An agriculture economist says biodiesel production has had less impact on soybean oil prices than previously thought. The impression was that the U.S. biodiesel production boom following the establishment of the Renewable Fuel Standard would put upward pressure on the price of soybean oil,
September 18, 2017
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The US Department of Energy is supporting a project to identify and mitigate the challenges of moving new fuels and vehicles into markets. Including but not limited to: facilitating new fuel standards needed for introduction into the marketplace; identifying vehicle, distribution, and infrastructure compatibility of
September 18, 2017
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(U.S. Department of Energy) U.S. Secretary of Energy Rick Perry announced $19.7 million in funding to help businesses move promising energy technologies from DOE’s National Laboratories to the marketplace. This second Department-wide round of funding through the Office of Technology Transition’s Technology Commercialization Fund (TCF) will support 54 projects across 12
September 15, 2017
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(Phys.Org/ University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) A Boeing 747 burns one gallon of jet fuel each second. A recent analysis from researchers at the University of Illinois estimate that this aircraft could fly for 10 hours on bio-jet fuel produced on 54 acres of specially engineered sugarcane. … Plants Engineered
September 12, 2017
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(U.S. Department of Energy/Newswise) Those who are selected for the Chain Reaction Innovations program will gain, among other things, access to Argonne National Laboratory’s world-class R&D infrastructure and technical expertise. The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory announced the opening of applications for innovators to join the second
September 7, 2017
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by Kathy Swisher (West Virginia University) West Virginia University biologists are part of a $40 million Department of Energy effort to create sustainable, cost-effective bioproducts through four new bioenergy research centers. As part of the Center for Bioenergy Innovation led by the DOE’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Steve DiFazio and
September 7, 2017
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The most visible advanced industrial fermentation target for a number of years has been cellulosic ethanol, but the targets are diversifying and cellulosics themselves are shifting gears from process to feedstocks. There’s a fervent ferment in fermentation these days. Today, we go through the Top
September 6, 2017
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by Timothy Cama (The Hill) Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) is calling on the FBI to investigate whether Carl Icahn, a former external adviser to President Trump, violated conflict of interest laws. Duckworth’s request, outlined in a Wednesday letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray, cites reports, including one this month in
September 1, 2017
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(Phys.Org/University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) Fuels that are produced from nonpetroleum-based biological sources may become greener and more affordable, thanks to research performed at the University of Illinois’ Prairie Research Institute that examines the use of a processing catalyst made from palladium metal and bacteria. Biofuels are made from renewable
August 25, 2017
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(Advantage News) The Illinois Department of Transportation has approved implementation of a renewable energy demonstration project using grasses collected from mowing highway rights-of-way. The work will implement the findings of a three-year study by a multidisciplinary team, including the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center at the Prairie Research Institute of the
August 14, 2017
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by Scott Irwin and Darrel Good (FarmDocDaily/University of Illinois) Three words–inadequate domestic supply–have taken center stage in the implementation of the RFS since 2014. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) used a controversial definition of this term to reduce the (implied) conventional ethanol mandate below statutory levels for 2014, 2015, and
August 11, 2017
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The US Department of Energy has set a goal to “Select and develop at least one route for catalytic upgrading of sugars/related intermediates and/or biologically derived intermediates into fuel blendstockswith conversion performance than can achieve a MFSP of $3/GGE by 2022 with >25% (GGE basis)
August 7, 2017
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ChemCatBio is a research and development consortium dedicated to identifying and overcoming catalysis challenges for biomass conversion processes. Led by U.S. Department of Energy national laboratories, the consortium works “with industry to rapidly transition R&D discoveries into commercial processes and grow the bioeconomy in the
August 3, 2017
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by Karl Plume and Michael Hirtzer (Reuters/St. Louis Today) A U.S. glut of fuel-grade ethanol has major producers, including Green Plains Inc. and industry pioneer Archer Daniels Midland Co., pursuing other markets and idling excess capacity in an effort to rebuild sagging margins. ADM and Green Plains both said on
August 2, 2017
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by Chris Clayton (DTN The Progressive Farmer) … The House Agriculture Committee has its road trip, labeled “Conversations in the Field,” which included a field hearing in Texas on Monday and another one at Farmfest in Minnesota on Thursday. Now Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue is taking off on a five-state RV
August 2, 2017
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Perspectives on the Evolving Renewable Fuel Standard — The Renewable Fuel Standard at a Crossroads: Considerations and Opportunities While the Trump administration’s proposed 2018 RVOs largely offered continued support for the renewable fuels industry, questions remain over how the White House will come down on a number of key issues,
July 23, 2017
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, U.S. Secretary of Energy Rick Perry today (July 17, 2017) announced $40 million in Department of Energy awards for the establishment of four DOE Bioenergy Research Centers (BRCs), which will provide the scientific breakthroughs for a new generation of sustainable, cost-effective bioproducts and bioenergy.
July 19, 2017
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(Renewable Energy Group/NASDAQ.com) Renewable Energy Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:REGI) leaders praised Illinois lawmakers for approving a five-year extension of a significant biodiesel incentive. Current Illinois law, which expires at the end of 2018, offers retailers a 20 percent exemption of the state’s 6.25 percent excise tax for selling biodiesel blends of
July 7, 2017
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(Illinois Soybean Association/Biodiesel Magazine) In recognition of its work in reducing motor vehicle emissions and supporting the Illinois economy, the B20 Club welcomes Al Warren Oil Co. Inc. as its newest member. Sponsored by the Illinois Soybean Association checkoff program, in partnership with the American Lung Association in Illinois, the B20 Club recognizes Illinois-based fleets and municipalities
June 29, 2017
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(Phys.Org/University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) Corn is grown not only for food, it is also an important renewable energy source. Renewable biofuels can come with hidden economic and environmental issues, and the question of whether corn is better utilized as food or as a biofuel has persisted since ethanol came
June 21, 2017
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by Ann Bailey (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The ethanol industry provides young people with wealth of job opportunities. — Nineteen-year-old Marcus Niehaus sees a future in the ethanol industry. The Southeastern Illinois College student said he wants to make a difference in the world and believes working in the biofuels
June 2, 2017
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(U.S. Department of Energy)The Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) announced the winner of the 2017 BioenergizeME Infographic Challenge on May 4 during a special awards ceremony. The winning infographic, titled “Hydrothermal Liquefaction of Algae,” was created by two students from Normal Community West High School in Normal, Illinois. BETO is excited
May 26, 2017
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(U.S. Department of Energy) The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) is proud to announce five businesses that will collaborate with national labs as part of the third round of the Small Business Vouchers (SBV) Pilot! The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy’s (EERE’s) SBV Pilot
by Claudia Lutz (Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Illinois) New approach combines synthetic biology, genome editing tools, and automation to quickly and effectively produce novel yeast strains One of humankind’s oldest industrial partners is yeast, a familiar microbe that enabled early societies to brew beer and leaven bread and empowers modern
by Gary Luth (News-Gazette) … Assertion one: “ethanol does not reduce greenhouse gases or lower emissions from automobiles vs. straight gasoline.” Fact: A 2016 study released by USDA: “Life Cycle Analysis of the Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Corn-Based Ethanol” finds just the opposite. This study finds that US corn-based ethanol reduces
May 15, 2017
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by Ron Swoboda (Wallaces Farmer) E15 provides motorists better value in addition to higher performance and reduced emissions. — In early May, the Kwik Trip convenience store chain announced it is joining other major fuel retailers in offering E15 — the corn-based biofuel containing 15% ethanol — to customers in
May 12, 2017
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(Gevo) Funding Being Provided Through Department of Energy’s Small Business Voucher Program — Gevo, Inc. (NASDAQ:GEVO) announced today that it was selected to collaborate with researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) as part of DOE’s Small Business Vouchers (SBV) program. The SBV program provides funding for DOE’s national
May 12, 2017
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by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) The Biomass Power Association has released the results of a study demonstrating dramatic carbon benefits can be achieved by using forest residue-based biomass instead of natural gas in power generation facilities. The research determined that emissions from a biomass power facility using forest residue-based fuel
May 10, 2017
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by Charles Komanoff (Huffington Post) The Carbon Tax Center is out with a new report timed to the surging climate movement. We surveyed all 50 U.S. states (and Washington, DC) to identify the ones with the most favorable conditions for enacting a statewide carbon tax. Joining the report is a
May 8, 2017
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) From Iowa we received news that Renewable Energy Group has agreed to acquire approximately 82 acres of land at its Geismar, Louisiana biorefinery from Lion Copolymer, for $20M. The goal? To improve and utilize to support existing production capacity and future expansion opportunities. Previously, the
May 8, 2017
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by Cindy Zimmerman (Energy.AgWired.com) Midwest convenience store chain Casey’s General Stores will begin offering higher ethanol blends of E15 and E85 at 17 sites in Illinois, Iowa, and Kansas. The Illinois Corn Marketing Board, Iowa Corn Promotion Board, and Kansas Corn Commission along with Growth Energy are assisting Casey’s with
April 28, 2017
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(U.S. Department of Energy) At Earth Day Texas 2017, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced the 38 small businesses that will collaborate with national lab researchers through the Small Business Vouchers (SBV) pilot. SBV facilitates access to the DOE national labs for American small businesses, enabling them to tap
April 28, 2017
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by Vernon F. Johnson (Daily Chronicle) To answer Pat Vary and the Daily Chronicle Editorial Board (“Don’t close door on wind power, page 12, April 14): We don’t need wind turbines as we have a renewable fuel source that farmers grow every year, ethanol from corn and soy diesel made
April 28, 2017
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) … Algae Butter can reduce saturated fat by up to 50 percent in most applications. … While butter doesn’t exactly rival gasoline as a market — it’s pretty substantial, when you get down to it. The global market is something like $4.4 billion – a demand
April 20, 2017
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by Scott Irwin (Farm Doc Daily/University of Illinois) Previous farmdoc daily articles (e.g. January 28, 2015; February 11, 2016; March 1, 2017) have documented a “feast or famine” pattern in production profitability of the U.S. biodiesel production industry. The feast or famine pattern is closely tied to expiration of the biodiesel
April 13, 2017
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by Chris Mooney (The Washington Post) A new large-scale technology has launched in Decatur, Illinois that, by combining together corn-based fuels with the burial of carbon dioxide deep underground, could potentially result in the active removal of greenhouse gases from the atmosphere. It’s an objective described as crucial by scientists hoping
April 11, 2017
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Illinois, obtaining a certificate of occupancy on a building constructed of 60 Intermodal Shipping Containers is a huge accomplishment for Chip Energy, said company president Paul Wever, president of Chip Energy Inc. These types of containers are built out of at least 5,000 lbs.
April 10, 2017
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(University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign/Laboratory Equipment) A multi-institutional team led by the University of Illinois have proven sugarcane can be genetically engineered to produce oil in its leaves and stems for biodiesel production. Surprisingly, the modified sugarcane plants also produced more sugar, which could be used for ethanol production. The
April 5, 2017
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(Convenience Store News) Blend coming to 44 Dallas-Fort Worth area c-stores. — QuikTrip Corp. will begin offering E15 fuel at 44 of its convenience stores in the Dallas-Forth Worth Metro area. E15 was approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 2011 for use in 2001 and newer vehicles.
April 3, 2017
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by Senators Joni Ernst (R-IA) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) (The Hill) Six billion gallons. That is the approximate amount of ethanol produced in Iowa and Illinois each and every year. It is more than the annual gasoline equivalent production of some Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) members. …
March 30, 2017
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by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Ethanol critics bash the fuel for its lower energy value than gasoline, while ethanol supporters point to its octane-boosting properties. University of Illinois ag economists Scott Irwin and Darrel Good analyze the value of ethanol in blended gasoline over the past decade based
March 20, 2017
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Since its inaugural event in 2009, tcbiomass has become a hallmark conference in the world of bioenergy. From the beginning, the role of event founder Gas Technology Institute (GTI), a pioneering energy research and development organization, granted tcbiomass a unique position from which to unite R&D laboratories, industry and commercial
March 14, 2017
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Researchers and technology developers are invited to share their process innovations and insights to enable the production of clean heat and power, transportation fuels, chemicals, biochar, and other high-value products. Undergraduate and graduate students whose posters are selected will be invited to compete in this year’s tcbiomass2017 Student Poster Challenge,
by Sharita L Forrest (Phys.Org) A semiautonomous robot may soon be roaming agricultural fields gathering and transmitting real-time data about the growth and development of crops, information that crop breeders—and eventually farmers—can use to identify the genetic traits in plants likely to produce the greatest yields. A team of scientists from the
(Bioenergy Insight) US-based science and engineering centre Argonne National Laboratory has developed technology that synergistically uses two waste biomass streams to generate two bioproducts and enhance the process of anaerobic digestion (AD). According to the organisation, the digestion of wastewater can be improved sludge by incorporating biomass-derived, carbon-sequestering char within
March 7, 2017
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by Chris Lusvardi (Herald & Review) Legislation introduced in Springfield could boost efforts to attract bio-based businesses to Decatur and Central Illinois. The legislation introduced by state Sens. Chapin Rose, R-Mahomet, and Andy Manar, D-Bunker Hill, would provide incentives to produce and sell new renewable products made from biomass and
February 13, 2017
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by Jim Talent (Americans for Energy Security and Innovation/Belleville News-Democrat) When Illinois farmers sell wheat, rye or oats on the open market, they can rightly expect that supply and demand will set the price, with no interference from foreign cartels or big grocery chains quietly pulling cereal off the shelf.
February 8, 2017
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by Nat Williams (Illinois Farmer Today) A handful of farmers are not just raising the crops that can be used as biofuels. They’re also working on producing the fuel itself. A Minnesota-based company is in the developmental stage of offering small-scale production of ethanol and other end-products right on the
February 3, 2017
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by Ann Bailey (Ethanol Producer Magazine) CarbonCure Technologies strengthens concrete while reducing its carbon footprint. — Carbon dioxide from a Wisconsin ethanol plant is strengthening the cement in pours at sites in Chicago. Ozinga, a fourth-generation, family-owned business in Illinois has installed CarbonCure technology at its downtown Chicago ready mixed
January 27, 2017
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by Bill Cameron (WLS-AM News) … Duckworth (U.S .Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)): “I would rather burn American made, American grown corn and soybeans in my gas tank than I would oil from the Middle East,” Duckworth said. “I’ve already been to a war fought over oil in the Middle East and
January 25, 2017
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by Bill Cameron (WLS-AM News) … Duckworth (U.S .Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)) thinks (nominee to be EPA Administrator Scott) Pruitt is too cozy with Big Oil and so she pressed him hard on protecting the ethanol industry here in Illinois. “I would rather burn American made, American grown corn and soybeans in
January 25, 2017
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(Senator Tammy Duckworth) U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) shared with the nominee to be the Secretary of the Department of Energy (DOE), Governor Rick Perry, how her military service in Iraq taught her about the danger of our country’s dependence on foreign oil and how increasing production of American-made renewable energy
January 24, 2017
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(University of Illinois/EurekAlert!) Today many biofuel refineries operate for only seven months each year, turning freshly harvested crops into ethanol and biodiesel. When supplies run out, biorefineries shut down for the other five months. However, according to recent research, dual-purpose biofuel crops could produce both ethanol and biodiesel for nine
by Cindy Zimmerman (AgWired.com) The American Seed Trade Association Future Seed Executives (FuSE) had the opportunity to hear about an agricultural high school right in Chicago that is growing the next generation for the industry. The Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences (CHSAS) is located just about a half hour
December 20, 2016
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by Scott Irwin and Darrel Good (FarmDoc Daily/University of Illinois) In the farmdoc daily article of November 30, 2016, we examined the magnitude of the “push” in production and consumption of biofuels implied by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) final rulemaking for the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) for 2017
December 14, 2016
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(University of Missouri) Switchgrass Can Improve Soil Quality on Eroded Farms, Study Finds — The loss of fertile topsoil from agricultural fields is an economic problem for modern farmers. When runoff water washes topsoil from agricultural fields in areas with claypan soils under the topsoil, including parts of Missouri, Iowa,
December 14, 2016
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(Archer Daniels Midland/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Archer Daniels Midland Co. recently announced a project in which renewable natural gas, produced as a byproduct at ADM’s corn processing facility in Decatur, Illinois, will be distributed by Ameren Illinois into the nation’s natural gas infrastructure. … Methane is a natural byproduct of the
December 12, 2016
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by Joanna Schroeder (Energy.AgWired.com) This past October Growth Energy partnered with several retailers who sell E15 for a Pink Out campaign to raise money and awareness for breast cancer. When a consumer purchased E15 during the month, each retailer donated 2 cents per gallon with the campaign raising $40,465.64 Participating
December 6, 2016
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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 future is, “What is ethanol’s organic growth rate (growth without government policy stimulus)?” Recent history
December 2, 2016
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by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The Kansas district bankruptcy court approved the top bid for Abengoa Bioenergy Biomass of Kansas in an order signed Nov. 29 by Judge Robert Nugent. Synata Bio Inc. placed the top bid of $48.5 million, with Shell Oil Co. named as the backup
December 2, 2016
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(Phys.Org) New research at the Integrated Bioprocessing Research Laboratory (IBRL) on the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus could significantly change ethanol production by lowering operating costs and simplifying the dry grind process. “There are currently more than 200 dry grind plants that are processing corn to produce ethanol,” says Vijay
December 1, 2016
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(Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves) Shifting from a cookstove that burns traditional woodfuel to a stove that uses a cleaner-burning fuel such as ethanol may mitigate cardiovascular health risks in pregnant women, according to a new study led by a team from the University of Chicago. The study, which evaluated
November 25, 2016
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by Kari Lydersen (Midwest Energy News) … The prospects for cellulosic ethanol becoming a commercially available clean transportation fuel could also hinge on yeast’s ability to ferment corn stalks, switchgrass, wood chips or other fibrous feed stock. The same strain of yeast typically used to brew beer and bake bread
(EIN/GlobeNewswire) Pacific Ethanol, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEIX) and Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway (TPW), a subsidiary of Genesee & Wyoming Inc. (G&W) (NYSE:GWR), announced they have commenced unit train service from Pacific Ethanol’s plant in Pekin, Illinois. “This unit-train solution enables us to increase our overall sales volumes by expanding our ethanol
November 14, 2016
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by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) The U.S. EPA has announced plans to hold a public hearing on Dec. 6 in Chicago for its proposed Renewables Enhancement and Growth Support Rule. Those who wish to testify must contact the EPA by Nov. 22. The EPA released the proposed rule on Oct.
November 2, 2016
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(Green Car Congress) A new analysis from Argonne National Laboratory, funded by the US Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO), shows the potential of an algae fractionation process to produce renewable diesel fuel with 63%–68% lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions than conventional diesel. The study is published in the
October 24, 2016
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by Ruth de Jauregui (Metro East Sun) Rep. John Shimkus (R-IL) recently expressed his readiness to lead the House Energy and Commerce Committee, on which he is the senior member, in pushing for Renewable Fuel Standard reform. Shimkus said Illinois’ 15th District is home to a huge ethanol refinery, plus a
by Josh Pedrick (Platts) The higher ethanol production seen so far in 2016 has come from greater sorghum use and boosted yields from corn, said a professor emeritus at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The Department of Agriculture’s monthly World Agriculture Supply and Demand estimates project the amount of corn
October 12, 2016
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by George Lurie (The Business Journal) In a first-of-its-kind ruling, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approved Pacific Ethanol’s registration of its Stockton ethanol plant to generate valuable credits by producing cellulosic ethanol with the same equipment the company uses to produce corn-based ethanol. The EPA approval now allows
October 12, 2016
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by Scott Irwin (Farm Doc Daily/University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) RINs prices have been making headlines in recent months, with prices at times crossing the psychologically important $1 per gallon mark. Echoing earlier complaints (farmdoc daily, July 19, 2013; December 4, 2015), this has caused some to question whether the
October 7, 2016
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by David Bennett (Convenience Store Decisions) A unique retail service provider is expanding its vision for the future. — … “It’s basically just like a co-op,” (Sam) Odeh (founder and CEO of Power Buying Dealers USA Inc. (PBD USA)) said. “So the dealer brings the land to the table. We
October 6, 2016
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(Detroit Public TV) Innovative efforts to develop renewable cellulosic ethanol processes. High school student Tavis Reed and DuPont’s innovative efforts to develop renewable cellulosic ethanol processes. WATCH VIDEO
October 6, 2016
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(Minnesota Corn Growers Association Minnesota Corn Research and Promotion Council and the Illinois Corn Growers Association) Early this year, the Minnesota Corn Research and Promotion Council approved a research grant to Defour Group LLC (D4) and Air Improvement Resource INC (AIR) to download the publically available OMEGA computer model developed by
September 29, 2016
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by Kerry Smith (The Telegraph) … With the EPA set to exercise complete control over the RFS program in 2023, traditional corn ethanol may be at risk. Congressman John Shimkus is among those questioning whether the program has run its course. As a senior member of the House Energy and Commerce
(Carbon Cure) Chicago family business known for quality and service reinforces its commitment to sustainability — Known for its iconic red and white striped concrete mixers, the Ozinga name is synonymous with providing the highest quality and best service to its communities. In continuing to reinforce its commitment to sustainability,
September 22, 2016
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by Steffen Mueller (University of Illinois at Chicago Energy Resources Center) … The authors essentially challenge the accuracy of traditional life cycle analysis with their new model. … The authors argue that “for a biofuel to provide a net reduction in CO2 emissions, the production of its feedstock must effect a gain in
September 9, 2016
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by Samantha Oller (CSP Daily News) Have I got a fuel for you! It is higher octane than E10, giving you greater bang for your buck. It features even more environmentally friendly, domestically produced ethanol. And it is actually a few cents cheaper—cheaper!—than regular, old regular-grade gasoline. Its name? Unleaded
September 8, 2016
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by Sara Wyant (Agri-Pulse) Ask most boaters about ethanol and boats and you’ll likely hear that the two don’t go together. In fact, many gas stations surrounding some of the largest U.S. lakes will advertise “no ethanol in our fuel” as a way to attract customers. But the ethanol industry has
September 2, 2016
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(Illinois State University) Illinois State Associate Professor of Genetics John Sedbrook is collaborating on a $1 million grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to develop genetic resources that can be used to rapidly domesticate field pennycress as a new winter annual oilseed cover crop. … Pennycress holds
September 2, 2016
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by Lauren Tyler (Next Gen Transportation News) The Chicago Park District says its environmentally friendly biodiesel program has continued to pay off, and consequently, will showcase the program at a Fleet Education Seminar hosted by the Chicago Area Clean Cities Coalition on Thursday, Sept. 8. The Chicago Park District’s program,
September 1, 2016
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by Kari Lydersen (Midwest Energy News) … The Argonne modeling shows that when grassland, cropland and pasture in the Midwest are converted to corn for biofuels, the level of carbon sequestration in the soil stays roughly the same, with variation by individual counties. Conversion of forest to biofuel crops usually has
August 30, 2016
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Even with years of continuous investments by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) to de-risk first-of-a-kind technologies, numerous challenges still need to be addressed to achieve reliable and continuous operation of biorefineries that effectively compete with the refining and petrochemical industry. On October 5–6, 2016, BETO will
August 30, 2016
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Join us at United Airlines’ Chicago office for RSB’s first ever North America Business Forum, which will bring together members, leaders and stakeholders from industry associations, civil society organisations and companies to debate, discuss and network and share ideas of how to grow and promote sustainable biofuels, biochemical and bioplastics. This Business Forum
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Nebraska, word has arrived from Green Plains that it will purchase the Madison, Ill., Mount Vernon, Ind. and York, Neb. ethanol facilities from Abengoa Bioenergy with combined annual production capacity of 236 million gallons per year, for approximately $237 million in cash, plus certain
August 24, 2016
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by Mark Schipper (DNA info) Loyola University has the only college-level chemical manufacturing business in the country that is federally licensed to produce and sell biodiesel on the open market. … Loyola’s warehouse-like refining facility, accessed through a loading ramp off an alley just south of Sheridan Road, is tucked into
August 24, 2016
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by Kelsey Landis (The Telegraph) A grant from a national non-profit organization will fund a study examining how to develop Madison County’s energy industry, officials announced last week. Representatives from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville applied for the grant along with Madison County Employment and Training, and Madison County Community Development. SIUE’s
August 23, 2016
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by Rebecca Chillrud (Environmental and Energy Study Institute) … Gas stations that offer higher blends are currently few and far between, but the ACE’s “Retailer Roadmap” aims to help change the fuels landscape. The Roadmap analyzes the potential demand for higher blends in each state, compiles the incentives for retailers available
August 22, 2016
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by Jeff Lynn (State Journal-Register) A recent letter to the editor from Don Breiner got biodiesel all wrong. The letter is full of inaccuracies but the main point regarding how much biodiesel can be used in our vehicles simply isn’t true. Biodiesel is designed to work in any diesel engine without
by Susanna Retka-Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Sheetz, Thortons executives give careful thought to strategically offering the new fuel. — Almost weekly, another announcement is made about a retail location offering E15. The rollouts, large and small, are indicators E15 is gaining steam and, in late July, HWRT Oil Co. announced
August 17, 2016
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(Hoosier Ag Today/NAFB News Service) The U.S. Grains Council says key members of Japan’s media traveled across the United States last week to learn about corn production, ethanol, and biotechnology. The members of Japan’s media came to learn how those topics fit into making U.S. farms sustainable. The tour started
August 8, 2016
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by Brent Erickson (Biotechnology Innovation Organization/Biofuels Digest) Members of Congress just returned to their home states and districts for the August recess to meet with constituents and campaign for the upcoming elections. You can be sure the oil producers will be seeking meetings with their representatives. But August provides a
(Growth Energy) Recently, the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge, Argonne, and National Renewable Energy Laboratories released their “Summary of High Octane, Mid-Level Ethanol Blends Study.” This scientific analysis showed the numerous benefits of using high octane mid-level ethanol blends in future optimized engines. Some of these benefits include: increased vehicle
August 4, 2016
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(U.S. Department of Energy) Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) of light-duty vehicles are pursuing a broad portfolio of technologies to reduce CO2 emissions and improve fuel economy. Central to this effort is higher efficiency spark ignition (SI) engines, including technologies reliant on higher compression ratios and fuels with improved anti-knock properties,
August 4, 2016
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(Biofuels International) lllinois Institute of Technology researchers have received a patent for a method to genetically engineer bacteria and yeast to increase bioethanol production, especially from cellulosic material in biomass like twigs, branches, plant stalks and husks, and woodchips. According to news channel Phys.org, Ben Stark, professor of biology, and
August 4, 2016
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(U.S. Department of Energy) The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced today up to $11.3 million for three projects that support the development of biomass-to-hydrocarbon biofuels conversion pathways that can produce variable amounts of fuels and/or products based on external factors, such as market demand. Producing high-value bioproducts alongside cost-competitive
August 2, 2016
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(IIT Today) Scientists from Illinois Institute of Technology received a patent for a method to genetically engineer bacteria and yeast to increase bioethanol production, especially from cellulosic material in biomass like twigs, branches, plant stalks and husks, and woodchips. Ben Stark, professor of biology, and former Ph.D. student Tony Sanny,
July 27, 2016
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by Joanna Schroeder (Energy.AgWired.com) Researchers with the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Argonne National Laboratory are using computational modeling to predict which counties in Illinois could see increases in soil organic carbon from crops such as switchgrass for biofuels. Increasing carbon stored in soil is one way to help mediate the
July 22, 2016
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(Renewable Fuels Association/Ethanol Producer Magazine) The Renewable Fuels Association is pleased to announce that HWRT Oil Co. will become the first company in the United States to offer pre-blended E15 at the terminal level. The development is a game changer that can rapidly open the market for E15 in the
July 20, 2016
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by Katie Elyce Jones (Phys.Org) To help stakeholders in government and business make smart decisions about the best types of land and local climates for planting bioenergy crops, researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Argonne National Laboratory are using computational modeling to predict which counties could see increases
July 19, 2016
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(Renewable Fuels Association/Ethanol Producer Magazine) The Renewable Fuels Association is proud to announce that the Power Energy Corp. has been awarded a $1.44 million grant from Illinois to offer higher ethanol blends at 20 retail stations in the state. The grant, signed June 30, is from the state of Illinois’
July 18, 2016
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by Mike Nolan (Chicago Tribune) … Thorntons has begun equipping some of its Chicago-area stations to dispense E15, which contains 15 percent ethanol, and is converting other local stations to carry the product. One knock against E85 is that the higher ethanol concentration doesn’t provide the same bang per buck as
June 29, 2016
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by Ann Bailey (Ethanol Producer Magazine) BBI International has awarded the 2016 Kathy Bryan Memorial Scholarship to Donald Jackson and Patrick Thimes. The two $2,000 memorial scholarships are awarded annually to students pursuing degrees that may lead to a career in the ethanol industry and who are working to build
June 27, 2016
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) … Here, we profile 15 techs that offer incremental to profound shifts in the economics of the Gen-1 ethanol fleet, and have implications for everything from passenger cars to jets. #15 Vertimass and Byogy #14 Croda #13 Hummingbird #12 Alliance BioEnergy #11 GeoSynFuels #10 BioProcess Algae #9 xF
June 17, 2016
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It’s a crucial time. Recent EPA proposals to increase renewable fuel levels are forcing biofuels producers and obligated parties to examine how they are complying with current regulations as well as how they would address any proposed changes. No easy task, but OPIS wants to help make your job easier.
June 16, 2016
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by Charlie Good (Des Moines Register/Good and Quick) … Today, due to a combination of a quirk in federal regulation and the heavy-handed tactics of the oil industry, I walk out to my fuel pumps and change a sticker so that E15 can no longer be sold to 80 percent of
June 1, 2016
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(Argonne National Laboratory) Developing transformative energy technologies and cleaner manufacturing processes and new materials requires more than a great idea and some committed people. It takes an innovation ecosystem. To meet this challenge, the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) and Argonne National Laboratory
June 1, 2016
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, Ames National Lab, Argonne National Lab, Idaho National Lab, Los Alamos National Lab, the National Renewable Energy Lab, Oak Ridge National Lab, Pacific Northwest National Lab, and Sandia National Lab seek to build an agile biomanufacturing platform for biological approaches to
May 27, 2016
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(Algae Industry Magazine) The U.S. Department of Energy announced up to $10 million in funding for six projects representing innovative technologies and solutions to advance bioenergy development. These projects, located in Arizona, California, North Carolina, Delaware, and Illinois, will support the Bioenergy Technologies Office’s (BETO) work “to develop renewable and
May 17, 2016
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(Algae Industry Magazine) Unitel Technologies, an Illinois-based designer and builder of pilot and mini-plants, announced that it has received a patent for a new technology to make fatty acids from a feedstock “soup” of cultivated algae and water. “The major stumbling block in the algae space has to do with
May 11, 2016
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by Tom C. Doran (AgriNews) Legislation that supporters say will enhance consumer choices and increase demand for Illinois corn was unanimously approved in the Illinois Senate. The bill allows the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to receive nearly $11.98 million from the Biofuels Infrastructure Partnership federal grant program. The matching
May 11, 2016
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by Claire Benjamin (University of Illinois) … The University of Illinois and the University of Florida have been awarded a third round of funding from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) to realize ultra-productive biofuel crops. … Nearly $300,000 of plus-up funds will sustain the research project called
May 10, 2016
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(Renewable Energy Group Inc./Biodiesel Magazine) enewable Energy Group Inc. announced May 2 that the company’s Danville, Illinois, operation now has more than 14 million gallons of tank capacity to store both biodiesel and feedstocks. REG Danville LLC recently purchased the tank complex at the adjacent Bunge Milling Inc. facility for
May 4, 2016
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by Keith Loria (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Biodiesel tanks are popping up in the tank farms at some ethanol plants these days. — During the past decade, there has been a great deal of innovation and thought put into the synergies between ethanol and biodiesel production, as plants share infrastructure and process
April 15, 2016
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by Tim Landis (State Journal-Register) …. At issue is a proposal to eliminate a 20 percent per-gallon sales tax break on sales of E10 fuels and create a 10 percent break for E15, which currently gets no tax incentives. Agricultural groups also are asking for legislative authorization to accept a
April 15, 2016
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by Jeff Lynn (The State Journal-Register) I farm in Cass County. I am proud my equipment runs on a biodiesel blend. The fuel is home-grown and better for the environment. I just came in from the field, where the work I did today became the first step in this year’s
April 11, 2016
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by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) The U.S. imported a record volume of biomass-based diesel in 2015. … This increase in imports is particularly interesting because 2015 was a year with no forward-looking $1-per-gallon blender’s tax credit, and, for 11 months of the year, no RFS targets were in play. In
April 6, 2016
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by Meghan Sapp (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, the DOE’s ARPA-E TERRA projects seek to accelerate the development of sustainable energy crops for the production of renewable transportation fuels from biomass. To accomplish this, the projects uniquely integrate agriculture, information technology, and engineering communities to design and apply new tools for
April 6, 2016
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by Lauren Quinn (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) Salt-affected land is not useful for producing food crops, but biomass producers could take advantage of salt-tolerant perennial grasses to make use of that land. –In a greenhouse study, germination of prairie cordgrass was greater than switchgrass in high-salt conditions. –Three prairie cordgrass
April 4, 2016
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by Stephen Edelstein (Green Car Reports) … Altering sugarcane to produce oil could yield much greater amounts of biodiesel than the current most popular crop, soybeans, say researchers from the University of Illinois (via Wards Auto). … But they claim a genetically-modified sugarcane plant could produce biodiesel at a much greater
March 30, 2016
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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 world’s biggest corn grower and exporter. Then-President George W. Bush signed the Energy Independence and
(National Biodiesel Board/PR Newswire) North America’s top fleets have spoken, and their #1 choice for greening their fleet operations is biodiesel. According to a new 2016 Fleet Purchasing Outlook study conducted by the NTEA – The Association for the Work Truck Industry – biodiesel is now the most commonly used
March 23, 2016
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by Ann Purvis (Heartland Institute) … (A) new study from researchers at Strata Policy (SP) and the Institute of Political Economy (IPE) at Utah State University suggests RFS also harms the very farmers the ethanol mandate was designed to help. … According to the study by SP and IPE, the result
(Renewable Fuels Association) Fueling retailer Thorntons announced today that it will offer its branded E15 option, Unleaded15, at all 43 Chicago-area locations beginning this month. In response, Renewable Fuels Association President and CEO Bob Dinneen issued the following statement: “We are pleased to see E15’s footprint growing throughout the country.
March 21, 2016
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by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) … To write this, I talked to Chris Disher and Max Kinast. As Disher said, it’s a story full of controversy, intrigue and lies. And, even though that conversion kit was ultimately certified by the U.S. EPA, the company is no longer producing or selling the
March 15, 2016
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(US Department of Agriculture) Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced the availability of up to $260 million for partner proposals to improve the nation’s water quality, combat drought, enhance soil health, support wildlife habitat and protect agricultural viability. The funding is being made available through USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service’s
March 14, 2016
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by Colleen Scherer (Ag Professional) … A recent University of Illinois study is using genetic markers to identify early developmental traits in Miscanthus that correlate with future yield. … On a practical level, the researchers saw strong positive correlations between biomass yield and plant basal circumference, height, and tiller (stem) number,
March 11, 2016
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Gas Technology Institute is pleased to announce tcbiomass2017, the International Conference on Thermochemical Biomass Conversion Science, to be held 19-21 September in downtown Chicago, IL USA. Mark your calendars and plan to connect with many of the world’s leading researchers, scientists, and engineers. The scientific forum will focus on putting
March 10, 2016
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Loyola University Chicago’s third annual Climate Change Conference: Global Climate Change: Economic Challenges and Solutions (WATCH VIDEO) Generously sponsored by: the Institute for Environmental Sustainability, the Alvin H. Baum Family Fund, and the Gannon Center for Women and Leadership Our Collegiate Biodiesel Workshop aims to bring together the leaders (students, staff,
by Rick Edwards (Adams County Farm Bureau/Herald-Whig) Letter to Editor: A commercial airing locally, produced by Smarter Fuel Future, is out to make you believe ethanol is really bad — bad for you, for your wallet and especially for the environment. But just how much truth is included in the
March 9, 2016
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(Morgan Stanley) As the world embraces a low-carbon economy, should investors change how they view fossil fuel investments? — … Most investors interested in establishing a fossil-fuel aware portfolio can follow a four step roadmap to evaluate and apply this framework: Assess: In other words, “know what you own” by assessing
February 24, 2016
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(Phys.Org) … Today, scientists are exploring how grasses, and switchgrass in particular, can enrich the nation’s biofuel supply, which is currently dominated by corn, a crop relatively easy to convert to biofuel but also in demand for food, livestock feed and industrial products. … But converting the tough lignocellulose in switchgrass
February 24, 2016
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(US Environmental Protection Agency/ForConstructionPros.com) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced 38 People, Prosperity and the Planet (P3) grants to university student teams for proposed projects to develop new, sustainable products and strategies. Each team will receive up to $15,000 for their proposals. “This year’s P3 teams have created innovative
by Jonathan Coppess (Farm Doc Daily) The Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) has been a hot topic of late given the release of the final rule and its rather prominent feature leading up to the recent Iowa caucuses. The RFS discussions have raised a few questions about some aspects of the statute
February 11, 2016
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Affordable, Drop-In Hydrocarbons from Wood: The Digest’s 2016 8-Slide Guide to CRI/GTI’s IH2 process
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The IH2 process was developed by Gas Technology Institute (GTI) of Des Plaines, Illinois—a research, development, and training organization serving energy markets. GTI experts invented, tested, and patented IH2 technology and are providing ongoing commercialization support. Twelve US and seven international patents have been issued on the
February 9, 2016
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by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Ethanol continues to maintain its status as the low-cost octane enhancer, in spite of low oil prices reducing the cost of competing petroleum-based aromatics. The biggest threat, say University of Illinois economists Scott Irwin and Darrel Good, would be a shortfall in U.S.
February 8, 2016
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