by O. Kay Henderson (Radio Iowa) A bill on its way to Governor Branstad’s desk extends a variety of tax breaks and incentives for so-called “biofuels”. For example, the legislation creates new tax incentives for retailers who sell E-15, the slightly
(Senator Chuck Grassley) Senators Chuck Grassley of Iowa and Kent Conrad of North Dakota today introduced bipartisan legislation to update ethanol tax policies in an effort to boost domestic energy production and increase America’s energy independence and security. The bill also has
by Xiaodong Du, Dermot J. Hayes (Iowa State University/Center for Agricultural and Rural Development) This report updates the findings in Du and Hayes 2009 by extending the data to December 2010 and concludes that over the sample period from January
by Cindy Zimmerman (DomesticFuel.com) GROWMARK is providing more homegrown fuels for members and area businesses around central Illinois. The regional agricultural supply company bought the Menard Terminal from Magellan Midstream Partners in 2008 and today it handles gasoline, diesel, ethanol and
by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com) Renewable Energy Group (REG) executives hosted USDA Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack and EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson as well as leaders from the ethanol industry at their REG Newton biorefinery to discuss the role of advanced biofuels in
by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com) On Friday April 15, BioProcess Algae, dedicated its Grower Harvester bioreactorssignaling the final phase of construction for its commercial scale algae biorefinery. On hand for the event in Shenandoah, Iowa, were USDA Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack along
(EurekAlert!) David Grewell flipped on the augers that carry corn from a truck to a biorefinery. Then, with a few more clicks of his computer mouse, he turned on the pumps that send grain all the way through an ethanol plant,
by Bruce A. Babcock, Jacinto F. Fabiosa (Iowa State University) The rapid rise in corn prices that began in the fall of 2006 coincided with exponential growth in U.S. corn ethanol production. At about the same time, new ethanol consumption
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Although natural gas is king of power generation at ethanol plants, there’s increasing interest in renewable energy technologies that could help ethanol plants someday produce a domestically grown fuel without using fossil fuels.
by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com) The synergies between the biodiesel, ethanol and advanced biofuels industries are growing. One of the things that’s been happening over the past few years is the ethanol industry creating a new feedstock for the biodiesel industry
by Philip Brasher (Des Moines Register) ...“The single most important thing that Congress can do for advanced biofuels is to provide a stable policy environment,” Jan Koninckx, DuPont’s global biofuels business director, told the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee
by Jon Birger (Bloomberg) ...Other than water and sunlight, there’s nothing more important to growing corn -- the most-valuable U.S. crop, worth $66.7 billion in 2010 -- than nitrogen. Generous applications of nitrogen fertilizer are essential to the 180-to-200-bushel-an- acre
by Jean Caspers-Simmet (AgriNews.com) Dave Sovereign tries to help people see the benefits ethanol brings to the economy. ...It frustrates Sovereign when people bash ethanol. "After 9/11 the president and Congress asked all Americans to do what they could to eliminate our dependence
by Maynard Herron and Bob Matousek (Kansas Alliance for Biorefining and Bioenergy) AGCO (Hesston, KS) received an award for biomass feedstock supply demonstration as a partial match of a $5 million renewable energy R & D grant
by Gary Truitt (Hoosier Ag Today) During Thursday's Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing, Shane Karr, Vice President of Federal Governmental Affairs for the Auto Alliance, stated automakers would commit to a dialog with Congress and the appropriate federal
by POET (Renewable Energy World) "Voilà™" corn oil separated using POET centrifuge technology Planned expansion of corn oil production to all of POET's ethanol plants will produce enough raw material for up to 60 million gallons of biodiesel. POET is now selling Voilà™
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Will these biofuels projects make the expected steps towards commercialization? There was a strong response to yesterday’s Top Story about technologies that were approaching make-or-break milestones in 2012. But what about 2011, asked some? What
by Cindy Zimmerman (DomesticFuel.com) A new ethanol blender pump opened last week in York, Nebraska thanks to the efforts of the Nebraska Ethanol Board and the Nebraska Corn Board. ...The York E85 / blender pump is the 61st in Nebraska to offer
by Stu Ellis (FarmGateBlog.com) ...(E)thanol producers who have a pipeline into the export market may find added demand from a variety of nations that need to buy it. At a time when ethanol imports are controversial along with the
by David Beattie (Renewable Energy World Magazine) ...Importantly, and what sets these latest fuels apart from their first-generation predecessors, is the fact that they are produced using feedstock that would normally be classed as waste or non-food. These include parts
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) During a U.S. Senate committee hearing on March 30, Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., said that focusing on advanced biofuels for homegrown energy is in the best interest of the United States. “I think that
by Rep. Bruce Braley (D-Waterloo) (GlobeGazette) ...For too long, we’ve depended on foreign countries for our oil — and we’ve sacrificed our independence and our national security in the process. But there’s no one, easy solution to the problem. We need
(Algal Biomass Organization February 25 Newsletter) ...We are designing, manufacturing and operating systems that enable controlled, economical cultivation of algal biomass using attached growth technology. We are currently beginning the second phase of a project that utilizes waste products - including
by Caleb Denison (IBTimes.com) ...(David) Correll, (a Ph.D. student at Iowa State University’s College of Business) ... is the co-founder and president of “ISU BioBus” – a program created to convert spent cooking oil from one of the university’s
by Richard Johnson (Globe Gazette) ...And, he (Walt Wendland) said, his industry can adapt to technological changes, such as cellulosic ethanol, a biofuel derived from cellulose plant fiber. “We think there’s great synergy between cellulosic production and what we’re doing now,” Wendland
by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com) E85 sales in Iowa have broken all records reaching an all-time high for the state. According to the Iowa Department of Revenue, sales of E85 by Iowa retailers reached 9,311,908 gallons last year representing a 43%
(IowaPolitics.com) Floor Speech of Sen. Chuck Grassley Ethanol and Energy Independence Delivered Monday, March 07, 2011 ...We must look to alternative and renewable resources so we can improve our energy and national security. This includes supporting energy from wind, biomass, hydroelectric, solar,
(Wallaces Farmer) ...NCGA (National Corn Growers Association) delegates attending the meeting in Tampa, Fla., adopted ethanol policy that states "NCGA supports reforming existing ethanol tax policy. Ideas to replace existing tax law, in the following priority order, should be a variable
by Luke Geiver (Biodiesel Magazine) Drivers in the Ft. Madison, Iowa, area will now have access to biodiesel after Sinclair Oil Corp. officially announced the company will offer REG-9000 dyed and clear biodiesel blends at its Ft. Madison blending
by Matt Kelley (Radio Iowa) At a political event in central Iowa last night, former Louisiana Governor Buddy Roemer promised to end ethanol subsidies if he’s elected president. Roemer’s comment didn’t wow the crowd in the heart of the nation’s
by Erin Golden (Omaha.com) ...Headlines about higher gas prices are putting a big-picture focus on the country’s dependence on oil, said Todd Becker, the CEO of Omaha-based ethanol producer Green Plains Renewable Energy. And on a smaller scale, he said,
by Dar Danielson (Radio Iowa) ...Monte Shaw with the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association wants a brand new protocol for labeling at the pump. “We’ve done a lot of research all over the country and labels are inherently viewed negatively. If
by Thomas Saidak (Biofuels Digest) In New York, DuPont Applied BioSciences President Craig F. Binetti, speaking at the Jeffries 11th Annual Clean Technology Conference, talked about Dupont’s intentions regarding biotechnology and biofuels. Dupont currently estimates the biofuels industry worldwide will
by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) DuPont Applied BioSciences President Craig Binetti told attendees of a recent clean technology conference that DuPont expects the biofuels industry worldwide to grow by $25 billion in the next five years and it plans
by Phil Brasher (Des Moines Register) Cutting the deficit is more important than protecting the ethanol industry if it comes to that, says Sen. Chuck Grassley, long the biofuel industry's most powerful ally in Congress. Grassley said Tuesday that he would
by Courtney Blanchard (Telegraph Herald) Senator rejects new criticism of U.S. ethanol policy that comes after reports of low corn reserves. Near record-high corn prices and the lowest reserves in 15 years have reinvigorated the debate over ethanol. U.S. Sen. Chuck
by Bill Brandon (Advanced Biofuels USA) On February 10 & 11, about 120 participants gathered in chilly Chicago for the first Municipal Solid Waste to Biofuels Summit presented by the British firm, Eye for Energy. The conference drew participants from
(USDA) Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced the selection of 16 projects in 10 states for funding to create jobs and provide new economic opportunities. The projects are being funded through the Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant Program (REDLG), which
by Darcy Dougherty Maulsby (Farm News) ..."I'm very excited that we're going to be racing on ethanol in the Cup Series, the truck series and the Nationwide series," said NASCAR legend Rusty Wallace, who was in Des Moines on Tuesday
by Cindy Zimmerman (DomesticFuel.com) Students were challenged to create the best video highlighting the importance and benefits of renewable fuels, such as ethanol and biodiesel, to local communities, Iowa and the nation and the four winning videos were featured at
by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) BioProcess Algae LLC has begun operating commercial-scale algae bioreactors at Green Plains Renewable Energy Inc.’s 65 MMgy ethanol plant in Shenandoah, Iowa. The project is a joint venture among GPRE, BioProcessH20 LLC, a division
(Novozymes/Bradenton.com) The road to commercialization of cellulosic biofuels may be bumpy and less traveled, but it’s actually an easier road than many might think. This week at the DC Auto Show, Novozymes and POET will celebrate being one mile closer to their destination --
by Cindy Zimmerman (DomesticFuel.com) Former Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania was never a believer in ethanol, biodiesel and other forms of renewable energy until one devastating day in American history. “I looked at this issue differently, until 9/11,” ...Santorum believes that domestic production
(POET) First farmers completed BCAP applications Monday Farmers are now delivering biomass bales to POET's 22-acre storage site in Emmetsburg, Iowa, the future home of the 25 million-gallon-per-year cellulosic ethanol plant dubbed "Project LIBERTY." Area farmers harvested 56,000 tons of corn cobs, leaves,
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In New York, the Wall Street Journal launched a bitter counterattack this week on former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, after Gingrich remarked, at a meeting of the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association that “Obviously big urban
by Cindy Zimmerman (DomesticFuel.com) ...At the Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit in Des Moines on Tuesday, the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IRFA) released a new study detailing the positive benefits that provides for Iowa. According to the report, the renewable fuels industry, both
by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com) ...The company will deploy multiple feedstock technology as rising costs of feedstocks are a common source of financial hardship for biofuel plants. It has recently been reported that rising corn prices are currently squeezing ethanol margins. This
by Philip Brasher (Des Moines Register) ...The potential for some green jobs, especially in biofuels, is dependent on technologies and processes that haven't proved economical. Ethanol giant Poet LLC wants to produce fuel from corncobs, a form of cellulose, as
by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com) U.S. Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) introduced a new piece of legislation today, called the “Biofuels Market Expansion Act of 2011.” The bill, if passed, would ensure an increasing number of automobiles in the U.S. be flexible
(USDA) Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced new investments in 33 states to support the production and usage of advanced biofuels. Vilsack highlighted these projects as ways the Obama Administration is working to reduce the nation's dependence on foreign oil
(Iowa Office of Energy Independence) Project Would Produce Jobs and New Energy Technology for Iowa The Iowa Power Fund Board (Board) approved terms January 12, 2011, to start contract negotiations on a grant award for one of the first in the nation,
by Philip Brasher (Des Moines Register) Boom times are ahead for a biodiesel industry that struggled just to stay alive in 2010. The industry could produce as much as a billion gallons in 2011, nearly triple this year's production, said Gary
By Don Hofstrand (Iowa State University Extension/JoplinStockyards.com) U.S. energy policy has recently moved into the background due to concerns about the current economic downturn. However, the importance of the two major drivers of energy policy - the need to wean
by Dave Dreeszen (Sioux City Journal) The South Sioux City Council on Monday agreed to issue $25 million in revenue bonds to help finance the proposed Nature’s BioReserves plant at the Roth Industrial Park... The 60-million-gallon-per-year plant would make clean-burning biodiesel
(POET) New analysis outlines jobs, economic output of Project LIBERTY work POET's Project LIBERTY will generate as much as $37.8 billion in economic activity over 20 years and could employ more than 2,800 people, an independent analysis claims. A report done by Impact
by Philip Brasher (Des Moines Register) The ethanol industry needs to stop its infighting to preserve its government support beyond next year, says Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Ia. "We can't stand any more division within biofuels," said Grassley, who led a successful fight
(SynGest/BusinessWire) Mini plant will make 150 TPD of nitrogen fertilizer from biomass San Francisco, CA - (Business Wire) December 13, 2010 - SynGest Inc. announced that the Iowa Power Fund and Iowa Office of Energy Independence have approved an award contract in
by Brian Hansen (Platts) Republican leaders in the US Congress said Tuesday after a private meeting with President Barack Obama that they plan to focus on tax issues before legislators adjourn for the year, but did not mention plans for
(EurekAlert!/American Society of Agronomy) Iowa State researchers examine the efficiencies and environmental impacts of growing sorghum for ethanol Conversion of sorghum grass to ethanol has increased with the interest in renewable fuel sources. Researchers at Iowa State University examined 12 varieties of
by Dan Pillar (Gannett/Des Moines Register) The Iowa Power Fund Board voted Wednesday to enter into negotiations with a joint venture of DuPont and Danisco, for an $19.8 million grant for the joint venture to build an ethanol plant in Story
Dean Taylor (Des Moines Register/Iowa Corn Growers Association) ...Iowa farmers have made measurable progress in conservation and water quality. According to U.S. Department of Agriculture data, farmers' use of nitrogen and phosphorus per bushel has been drastically reduced over the
by Dan Piller (Des Moines Register) If the cobs, stalks and leaves left behind after corn harvest become the next big source for ethanol, the technology to pick up the stover is decidedly old-school. "A farmer who bales hay can do this,"
by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producers Magazine) Recent activities in the cellulosic ethanol industry have shown that while financing continues to be a major hurdle, technological advancements continue to be made and companies are beginning to construct their first commercial-scale facilities. BlueFire
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...We have spoken to farmers, local business owners, environmentalists, community development officials, engine developers, scientists, policy makers, producers, investors, lenders, blenders, wholesalers, retailers, and end users. We have visited development projects on four continents. We have
by Michelle Kautz (DomesticFuel) Students at North Iowa Area Community College (NIACC) are studying the flexible fuel vehicle (FFV) conversion process. As first reported on KMIT.com, by using FlexFuel U.S.’s system, the students are excited to learn how to lessen
by Shanta Barley (The Guardian) TMO Renewables wins contract with US firm Fiberight using its 'turbo-charged' GM bacteria that convert rubbish into biofuels. A British company that uses a genetically modified compost-heap bug to produce biofuel from rubbish has signed a
by George Ford (SourceMedia Group News/Eastern Iowa Business) The Iowa Power Fund Board awarded a $2.9 million grant to a cellulosic ethanol plant in Blairstown. Fiberight-Blairstown Operating LLC received the grant to demonstrate how municipal solid waste can be converted into cellulosic
by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel) Fiberight-Blairstown Operating LLC has received a $2.9 million grant to help build a cellulosic ethanol plant in Blairstown, Iowa. The award was given by the Iowa Power Board Fund yesterday. Fiberight is developing technology to convert
by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel) Did you know that 60 cents of each gallon of E85 purchased stays in the state of Iowa? I didn’t know that until I participated in the Iowa Corn Fed Game Day pump rally at Riverside,
(Piper Jaffray) ...Energy crops are designed to use marginal land, or in the case of Brazil, extend the growing season. Sugarcane-ethanol facilities in Brazil typically run for 6-8 months due to the relatively long growing season of cane. Energy crops
by Dean Close (Vinton Today) ...In layman’s terms, what Fiberight does is take waste from a paper mill in Cedar Rapids, and uses rare bacteria – Stewart Paul refers to that bacteria as “the bugs” – to convert the sugar
by Jane Whitmore (Emmetsburg Reporter Democrat) ...The fact that the business is not officially open hasn’t stopped customers from dropping in. Eric is already working with farmers interested in cob harvesting. “We have been following biomass and renewable energy for quite
(POET) Construction underway on storage area for biomass bales in Emmetsburg, Iowa Farmers and POET today celebrated the upcoming collection and delivery of 56,000 tons of baled corn cobs and light stover in the first commercial harvest for Project LIBERTY. POET CEO Jeff
by Dan Piller (Des Moines Register) Francis Thicke of Fairfield, the Democratic candidate for Iowa agriculture secretary, used his State Fair Soapbox speech Wednesday to call for a "new vision" for Iowa agriculture based on renewable fuels, ecologically sustainable production
(PR Newswire) Community college is first to earn BQ-9000 designation, driving business to the state. Don Heck has heard a lot of talk about making Iowa the "renewable energy capital of the world," and he thinks he's found a way to
by Dale Hildebrant (Minnesota Farm Guide) ...Delegates to the Biomass '10 conference in Grand Forks heard reports on all three cellulosic ethanol plant projects, which are in various stages of development. All have a projected start-up date in 2013 or
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Green Plains Renewable Energy Inc. is moving to Phase II with its algae project at one plant and planning to install corn oil extraction technology at all six of its ethanol plants. On July 20,
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) ...“Iowa is rapidly becoming the development capital of the nation for the replacement of petroleum-based chemicals with bio-based chemicals,” according to a press release from the Iowa Department of Economic Development. Currently, the state has
(ISU) A new green, bio-based method for producing a much-used fuel additive and industrial chemical that is currently made from petroleum products has been developed by an Iowa State University researcher. Thomas Bobik, professor of biochemistry, biophysics and molecular biology, invented a
(Iowa Corn) Iowa corn grower leaders and membership witnessed the fourth running of the Iowa Corn Indy 250 presented by Pioneer at the Iowa Speedway in Newton as a victory for corn-based ethanol and for Iowa agriculture. It was also a victory
(ICM) “Reunited and it feels so good.” Those may be the lyrics to a classic song by Peaches and Herb, but one may suspect they’re whistling the tune in Ryan Hunter-Reay’s Ethanol USA-Team IZOD® pit at the Iowa Corn Indy 250. At
by Larry and Judy Kay (Des Moines Register) Letter to the Editor Bloomberg ran a story about the rising price of meat on April 26, suggesting that the demand for ethanol was to blame. This is ridiculous. We are cattle feeders,
by Cindy Zimmerman (DomesticFuel.com) An Iowa corn ethanol plant has been converted to produce commercial cellulosic biofuels from fiber and municipal waste. Clean technology company Fiberight announced today that it has started “commenced production at the nation’s first commercial cellulosic ethanol plant
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...“It allows us to produce a greater abundance of all three which are at the heart of the intersection of energy and agriculture. We can put an end to the “food vs. fuel” debate and
Nick Snow (Oil and Gas Journal) US senators from agricultural states introduced legislation on Apr. 20 that would extend the federal ethanol tax credit through 2015. Failure to do so would cost 112,000 jobs nationwide and reduce domestic fuel ethanol
March 29, 2010, Congressman Leonard Boswell (D-IA) and Congressman Lee Terry (R-NE) held a news conference to highlight a bipartisan effort to boost our country’s homegrown energy industry by improving infrastructure for moving ethanol from the Midwest to the rest
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that Fiscal Year (FY) 2009 funding is available again through three USDA programs to promote increased production of biofuel and bioenergy. The programs are authorized under the Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008
Genetically stacking traits in corn in order to increase production, resist insects, improve standablity and many other characteristics is so common in agriculture that producers have come to expect it. Some traits found in corn help it function as a better
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