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by Tom Joslin (Bio-Based World News) … Few of you will have escaped the heatwave that seems to have enveloped most of the northern hemisphere. Soaring temperatures exceeding 46°C have been recorded in Alvega, Portugal, while seventeen of eighteen of the countries regions experienced temperatures above 45°C. This follows recent headlines reporting
Oklahoma
August 10, 2018
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by Joe Wertz (NPR/StateImpact Oklahoma) The American West appears to be moving east. New research shows the line on the map that divides the North American continent into arid Western regions and humid Eastern regions is shifting, with profound implications for American agriculture. … Scientists say this shift — from grains
August 10, 2018
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) From Portugal comes the news that SilicoLife was awarded with a SME instrument phase 1 grant for the commercial evaluation of its BUTANOVA technology, a new biological process to produce n-butanol. BUTANOVA technology consists on a novel and proprietary metabolic pathway designed computationally by SilicoLife and
August 3, 2018
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by Todd Neeley (DTN The Progressive Farmer) Appeals Court to Hear Whether EPA Followed Law Prior to Granting Exemptions — The 10th Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver will hear a Renewable Fuels Standard lawsuit challenging EPA’s issuance of small refinery waivers, after the court ruled on Friday it is the proper
July 31, 2018
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by Frank Jossi (Energy News) A federal tax credit passed earlier this year could increase the amount of carbon being stored underground. The revamped “45Q” tax credit boosts the amount of money available to companies willing to capture and store carbon emissions in geologic formations or use CO2 to extract oil
July 11, 2018
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by Mike Hughlett (Star Tribune) Minnesota regulators have temporarily suspended a new and more stringent standard for biodiesel use due to shortages of the product. On May 1, the amount of biofuel that must by state law be blended into diesel jumped from 10 percent to 20 percent. But production at
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Velocys enables modular gas-to-liquids and biomass-to-liquids plants to convert unconventional, remote and problem gas and waste biomass into valuable, drop-in liquid fuels. And most recently has repositioned from being a technology component supplier into initiating and drive the development of biorefineries from concept to full operations. By
May 25, 2018
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by Jarrett Renshaw and Chris Prentice (Reuters) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has granted a financial hardship waiver to an oil refinery owned by billionaire Carl Icahn, a former adviser to President Donald Trump, exempting the Oklahoma facility from requirements under a federal biofuels law, according to two industry sources briefed
April 30, 2018
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(Algae Industry Magazine) Sunup’s ultimate goal is to clean up wastewater in Oklahoma to a level that it can be recycled or reused for crop irrigation. See how they do it. WATCH VIDEO
April 2, 2018
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by Ron Kotrba (Biomass Magazine) D7 renewable identification numbers (RINs) generated at a biorefinery in Oklahoma City producing cellulosic diesel fuel have been verified by Weaver and granted Q-RIN status. Weaver is an independent third-party auditor and U.S. EPA-approved RIN Quality Assurance Program provider whose QAP program is called RIN-tegrity. The
March 16, 2018
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(Gevo/Globe Newswire) Musket to Focus on Growing Customer and Retail Network — Gevo, Inc. (NASDAQ:GEVO), announced today that it has strengthened its existing relationship with Musket Corporation, a national fuel distributor under the umbrella of the Love’s Family of Companies, by amending its existing isobutanol supply agreement to provide Musket with the
March 6, 2018
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by Julie Harker (Brownfield Ag News) Mixed prairie grasses that are used in Conservation Reserve Program lands did not live up to their potential as biomass crops for cellulosic biofuel production, in an eight-year study. D.K. Lee, associate crop science professor at the University of Illinois, tells Brownfield most of the CRP
February 21, 2018
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by David Bennett (Convenience Store Decisions) Whether it’s teaming with Tesla to install charging stations or integrating alternative fuel solutions, retailers are part of a changing transportation marketplace. — … Some analysts insist the internal combustion engine has been around more than a century and should be around for decades to come,
January 19, 2018
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) To date, North America is the most active of all regions in terms of deploying advanced technology — whether it is cellulosic ethanol, isobutanol for fuels and chemicals, or renewable chemical plants, you see the first and the most, here. There are three drivers for that:
January 19, 2018
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by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) Velocys plc has announced that Envia Energy, the joint venture plant that utilizes its technology, has applied for a fuel pathway approval under the Renewable Fuel Standard to produce D7 cellulosic diesel renewable identification numbers (RINs). According to Velocys, Envia makes drop-in fuel from biogas and
January 17, 2018
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Velocys enables modular gas-to-liquids and biomass-to-liquids plants to convert unconventional, remote and problem gas and waste biomass into valuable, drop-in liquid fuels. After 15 years and some $300 million in investment, Velocys technology is at commercial-scale. The ENVIA project is now producing fuels in Oklahoma, and
January 4, 2018
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by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) 2017 was a roller coaster year. There was a paradigm shift in biofuels, technology advancements, innovations abounded, politics chaotic. Some companies shut down and disappeared like the Hobo vanishing in the snow atop the Polar Express. Some companies showed leadership and stayed strong getting through
December 26, 2017
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by Joseph Bebon (NGT News) Novi, Mich.-based Aria Energy has announced it purchased a 50% interest in Mavrix LLC from BP and will work with the global oil and gas company to market and distribute renewable natural gas (RNG) to U.S. customers. Financial details were not disclosed. Under terms of the acquisition, Aria
December 12, 2017
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by Bob Dinneen (Renewable Fuels Association/Tulsa World) The staggering number of misstatements about ethanol contained in Tulsa World Editorial Pages Editor Wayne Greene’s column would fill a barrel (“Refiners over a barrel … and the barrel is full of ethanol,” Nov. 19). Here are some irrefutable facts: Ethanol is cheaper
December 5, 2017
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by Jarrett Renshaw, Chris Prentice (Reuters) Oil refiner Philadelphia Energy Solutions (PES) has raised tens of millions of dollars in cash by selling U.S. biofuels credits in recent weeks, according to sources familiar with the transactions, an unusual move for a company that requires the credits to meet federal regulations. … Independent
November 15, 2017
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by Joseph Bebon (NGT News) On Tuesday, the Oklahoma Supreme Court struck down H.B.1449, a bill that sought to implement an annual fee on electric vehicles (EVs), ruling the tax unconstitutional because the fee was untethered from a regulatory purpose. In August, the Sierra Club filed a state lawsuit in Oklahoma challenging the state legislature’s
(U.S. Department of Agriculture) The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) today announced six grants totaling nearly $21.1 million to support the development of new jet fuel, biobased products and biomaterials from renewable sources. Funding is made through NIFA’s Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI),
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) … Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds and Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts are the headliners in a battle in and about Washington DC this week. You can call it what you want: it’s Gettysburg. As Reynolds put it, “I urge the EPA to raise the advanced biofuel, biodiesel
August 2, 2017
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Velocys enables modular gas-to-liquids and biomass-to-liquids plants to convert unconventional, remote and problem gas and waste biomass into valuable, drop-in liquid fuels. After 15 years and some $300 million in investment, Velocys technology is headed for scale.The ENVIA project is now producing fuels in Oklahoma,
May 30, 2017
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(Univeristy of Pittsburg/R&D Magazine) Numerous studies have raised critical concerns about the promise of corn ethanol’s ability to mitigate climate change and reduce dependence on fossil fuels. Some of the studies have suggested that after a full life cycle assessment–meaning an analysis of environmental impact throughout all stages of a
May 22, 2017
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by Brady Dennis and Steven Mufson (The Washington Post) In his previous role as Oklahoma’s attorney general, the Environmental Protection Agency’s new administrator regularly huddled with fossil fuel firms and electric utilities about how to combat federal environmental regulations and spoke to conservative political groups about what they called government “overreach,” according
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Velocys enables modular gas-to-liquids and biomass-to-liquids plants to convert unconventional, remote and problem gas and waste biomass into valuable, drop-in liquid fuels. After 15 years and some $300 million in investment, Velocys technology is headed for scale.The ENVIA project is now producing fuels in Oklahoma,
February 8, 2017
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Oklahoma, the team behind the ENVIA Energy gas-to-liquids plant confirmed that the first Fischer-Tropsch product has been successfully produced at the company’s first commercial-scale plant in Oklahoma City. What makes it special is that the source is landfill gas and waste biomass. It’s been used
February 8, 2017
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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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by Matt Dinger, & Adam Wilmoth (The Oklahoman) Oklahoma bridges inspected following Cushing earthquake; Regulators working on new directive following Cushing earthquake; Buildings to be closed Monday in Cushing due to earthquake damage; What are some of the biggest earthquakes in Oklahoma history? — The fifth strongest earthquake to hit Oklahoma
(News9/Associated Press) A magnitude 4.5 magnitude earthquake shook north-central Oklahoma late Tuesday. This one occurred at 11:27 p.m. The U.S. Geological Survey reports the epicenter was near Pawnee, about 70 miles northeast of Oklahoma City. Pawnee Police say that preliminary reports show no significant damage. Oklahoma Earthquakes According to social
November 4, 2016
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Think Small, Tough Times: The Digest’s 2016 Multi-Slide Guide to Velocys Microchannel F/T Technology
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Velocys enables modular gas-to-liquids and biomass-to-liquids plants to convert unconventional, remote and problem gas and waste biomass into valuable, drop-in liquid fuels. After 15 years and some $300 million in investment, Velocys technology is headed for scale. In one direction, there’s the Red Rock Biofuels
October 21, 2016
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by Doug Stranglin (USA Today) One of the largest earthquakes in Oklahoma rattled the Midwest on Saturday all the way from Nebraska to North Texas. — Oklahoma regulators on Saturday shut down 37 wastewater wells connected to oil and gas production after a magnitude-5.6 earthquake — matching the strongest quake ever to hit the state
September 6, 2016
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(KXLG) There’s no need to panic, says an auto expert, following reports of a recent equipment malfunction at six Magellan pipeline distribution bays in Oklahoma that caused a 30 percent versus 10 percent higher ethanol blend to enter the pipeline. Magellan’s Midstream Oklahoma terminal reported this week that it has issued
September 2, 2016
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by Geoff Cooper (Renewable Fuels Association) … Mr. (Mark) Perry suggests (without any scientific support or a single citation) that ethanol expansion has somehow led to “destruction” of prairie in the Great Plains, but says not a word about the land and water impacts of the same region’s runaway fracking boom.
by Bob Dinneen (Renewable Fuels Association/U.S. News and World Report) … Indeed, it’s fairly obvious that (Mark) Perry’s yarn is simply intended to shift attention away from the real culprit behind destruction of prairie in the Great Plains – oil and natural gas. A 2015 study by researchers from the University of
by Carleton English (The Street) The Colorado biofuels company announced a partnership with Musket Corp. a week after a similar collaboration with Alaska Air. — … The Colorado-based biofuels company announced that it partnered with Musket Corp., which is owned by Oklahoma-based Love’s Family of Companies, to provide its isobutanol product
June 17, 2016
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(Oklahoma State University/Biomass Magazine) The popular method of breaking down lignin to convert biomass into valuable biofuels and chemicals is done by using fungi. However, researchers at Oklahoma State University are turning that process on its head. Babu Fathepure, associate professor in OSU’s Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, is
June 6, 2016
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by Adam Wilmoth (The Oklahoman/Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise) An oil-field waste product that poses environmental challenges and is linked to earthquakes could become a valuable economic resource if the efforts of Oklahoma State University researchers are successful. Biosystems and agricultural engineering professor Nurhan Dunford and her team have spent much of the
April 25, 2016
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by Alan Neuhauser (US News and World Report) America’s fracking boom promised big paychecks, but thousands of workers were exploited, the Labor Department says. — … Despite booming industry profits and record oil and gas output – which together rejuvenated the country’s economy and transformed the U.S. into the world’s top
April 11, 2016
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by Asjylyn Loder (Bloomberg BusinessWeek) … The excitement made it easy to ignore one big problem: It was one of the most expensive booms in history. Devon, Chesapeake, SandRidge Energy, and Continental Resources were spending almost $2 drilling for every $1 they earned selling oil and gas. Moreover, the output from
March 11, 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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by Heide Brandes (Reuters) Earthquakes in Oklahoma in the past week, including one of the strongest ever recorded in the state, have led to calls for the governor to make changes to oil and gas drilling regulations and reduce seismic activity scientists link to the energy industry. Two large earthquakes were
January 18, 2016
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(Agri-View/Renewable Energy World) The relationship between a prairie grass such as switchgrass and naturally occurring microbes may help shed light on growing hardier plants for livestock and humans. Understanding how microbes promote prairie grasses to grow in nutrient-deficient, marginal soils could have an impact on developing forage and crops, according
January 13, 2016
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(Algae Industry Magazine) In any industry, a few incredible people make an enormous impact. The algae industry is fortunate to honor Algae Ambassadors that are great scientists and industry leaders. They are also superb educators for our next generation of algae scientists and business leaders. The Algae Ambassadors have inspired
January 11, 2016
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by Kay Ledbette (Texas A&M AgriLife) … Russ Jessup, an AgriLife Research perennial grass breeder in College Station, said he is introducing a new biofuel-biomass feedstock that is a hybrid “similar to seedless watermelons, seedless grapes and other sterile triploid crops.” Jessup is utilizing two grass species: pearl millet,
December 11, 2015
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(Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research/EurekAlert!) DOE-funded project will track movement of phosphate in real time — Professor Maria Harrison has received part of a $1.2 million grant from the Department of Energy to support the development of biosensors to track and measure the movement of phosphate from soil fungi
December 11, 2015
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(Pacific Ag) For industries like mushroom composting to erosion technology as well as dairy and cattle feed, Pacific Ag is creating a supply chain for agricultural residue — — Pacific Ag, the nation’s largest crop residue harvest company, has recently completed its largest harvest of wheat straw on record. Working
November 16, 2015
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by Ray Defenbaugh (Ethanol Producer Magazine/Prime the Pump/Growth Energy) Prime the pump, an effort to grow the ethanol market to accelerate the build-out of higher blend retail infrastructure, has had tremendous success, writes Ray Defenbaugh. — The ethanol industry is going on the offense to bring higher blends into the
October 27, 2015
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(Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory) Switchgrass, a perennial native to the tallgrass prairie, is one of the most promising bioenergy crops in the United States, with potential to provide high-yield biomass on marginal soils unsuitable for traditional agricultural crops. New research by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, UC Berkeley, the University of
October 23, 2015
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by Elliot Levine (US Department of Energy) A five-company team led by Haldor Topsoe, and funded in part by the Energy Department, produced 10,000 gallons of gasoline from woody biomass, which included trees and wood waste. — The purpose of the project was to design and demonstrate the conversion of
October 22, 2015
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by Nichola Groom (Reuters) … The visitor represented Clean Line Energy Partners LLC, a Texas company established to build transmission lines for carrying wind and solar power. He had come to tell (Dave) Ulery about a planned line that would cut through the untouched woods of pine and oak trees on
October 20, 2015
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Four new technologies approach scaled operations, all with one element in common – Velocys technology on the back-end. Why Velocys, why now? The Digest investigates. In Oklahoma, Southeast Oregon, Eastern Ohio, and a site near London we’re about to see the commercial-scale debut of Velocys
October 5, 2015
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(US Department of Agriculture) U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) Administrator Val Dolcini announced that enrollment begins today for farmers and forest landowners seeking financial assistance for growing new sources of biomass for energy or biobased products within designated projects areas. The funds are available from the
by Barry Blitstein (Oklahoman) … Calling the Renewable Fuel Standard a farce is an unfair assessment. It’s true that fracking has impacted the domestic energy picture but it’s only temporary. The IEA projects the Middle East as “the major source of future supply growth,” long after the U.S. shale oil boom
July 6, 2015
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by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Kum & Go has announced it will begin offering E15 as a fuel option. Over the next two years, the company plans to make E15 available at more than 65 stores across Iowa, Nebraska, Arkansas, Colorado, Missouri, Oklahoma, and South Dakota. The first station,
April 28, 2015
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by Miguel Bustillo adn Dan Molinski (The Wall Street Journal) Scientists say practice of wastewater injection has caused seismic activity in Oklahoma, Texas, other parts of the U.S. New scientific findings released Tuesday linked earthquakes to the practice of injecting wastewater from oil and gas operations deep underground, adding to
April 22, 2015
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by Lori Montgomery (The Washington Post) … What to do about the plague of earthquakes is, however, very much an open question in Oklahoma. Last year, 567 quakes of at least 3.0 magnitude rocked a swath of counties from the state capital to the Kansas line, alarming a populace long accustomed to
February 6, 2015
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Bunnies, liposuction fat, Prince Charles’ leftover wine, day-old whale, the human poo bus, fire ants dipped in hexane, old beer, raging fireballs, vibrating blobs, dope, and even the New Orleans Times-Picayune. Take your pick and, yep, it’s all true, as the Digest discovers. If you’re
December 31, 2014
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by Tim Reid (Reuters) … In Houston, Texas, the first oil industry layoffs have been announced, with realtors there predicting a sharp decline, up to 12 percent, in home sales next year. Alaska’s 2015 fiscal year budget revenue forecast will have to be lowered by almost $2 billion, according to
December 15, 2014
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by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) Tulsa, Okla.-based food truck entrepreneur Wil Braggs, known as The Cheese Guy, is working to change people’s perceptions of the food truck industry by going green. “There is a reputation among the food truck industry that the trucks are dirty and wasteful,” Braggs said. He
November 19, 2014
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by Daniel Looker (Agriculture.com) … Tom Buis, CEO of Growth Energy, another ethanol group, agrees that “biofuels policy is bipartisan and always has been.” But he also looks for more pressure on ethanol in the Senate – not from new Republicans from midwestern states, but some of the new senators
November 6, 2014
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(Velocys plc) Velocys plc (VLS.L), the technology innovator for smaller scale gas-to-liquids (GTL), is pleased to announce that it has entered a joint venture (JV) with Waste Management, NRG Energy (NRG), and Ventech Engineers International (Ventech) to develop gas-to-liquids (GTL) plants in the United States and other select geographies. The
August 4, 2014
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by Eric Hand (Science Magazine) So far in 2014, Oklahoma has seen more earthquakes than California—and seismologists are increasingly blaming them on the injection of wastewater from oil and gas operations. A study published online this week in Science links four of Oklahoma’s most prolific wastewater wells to a swarm of 2547 small
July 7, 2014
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(Representative James Lankford (R-Okla.)) Provides common-sense solution for American-made energy Representative James Lankford (R-Okla.), Chairman of the House Oversight Committee’s Subcommittee on Energy Policy, Health Care and Entitlements, today introduced H.R. 4849, the Phantom Fuels Elimination Act. The legislation would repeal the corn ethanol mandate and require the remaining mandates
June 17, 2014
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(US Department of Agriculture) Farm Bill Implementation Continues at Brisk Pace with Universities and State Cooperative Extension Programs Now Set to Help Educate Farmers Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is awarding $6 million to universities and cooperative state extension services to develop
June 3, 2014
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(Oklahoma State University/Ethanol Producer Magazine) … Hasan Atiyeh, assistant professor in biosystems and agricultural engineering, recently received a South Central Sun Grant Award to advance the development of a new hybrid conversion process. “The hybrid gasification-syngas fermentation technology, when further developed, has the potential to provide 35 percent more biofuel from
April 1, 2014
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) First plant go/no-go expected in 2014; target: Oklahoma. Future expansion in North America, UK, China. In Oklahoma, Velocys, Waste Management, NRG Energy, and Ventech Engineers International announced a joint venture to develop gas-to-liquids plants in the United States and other select geographies. The JV will
March 25, 2014
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(Senator Carl Levin) Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., today teamed with Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla., to introduce a bill that would provide regulatory incentives for companies to produce alternative fuel vehicles and establish benefits for consumers who buy them. “Increasing the number of alternative fuel vehicles on the roads helps to
February 28, 2014
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(Oklahoma State University) Oklahoma landowners have been hearing for years that removing the eastern redcedar trees from their property is essential for proper land management. Aside from being an eyesore, the trees are extremely invasive, are an incredible fire danger, and large, open-grown trees can use upwards of 42 gallons of
February 11, 2014
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(Renewable Energy Group/Biodiesel Magazine) Renewable Energy Group Inc. and Syntroleum Corp. announced Dec. 17 that they have entered into an asset purchase agreement pursuant to which REG would acquire substantially all of the assets of Syntroleum Corp., and assume substantially all of the material liabilities of Syntroleum. The terms of the
December 18, 2013
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by Clare Foran (National Journal) Senators are working on separate bills to aggressively reduce the amount of corn-based ethanol required under the renewable-fuel standard. Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., and Senate Environment and Public Works Committee ranking member David Vitter, R-La., touted legislation they have been working on together to amend the
December 12, 2013
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by Jean Caspers-Simmet (AgriNews.com) Eric Koehlmoos’ research on cellulosic ethanol led to national champion honors at the National FFA Science Fair last month in Louisville. The 17-year-old junior at South O’Brien High School finished first in Division 2, which includes individual high school FFA members in power, structural and technical
November 27, 2013
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by Seth Borenstein (Associated Press/US News and World Report) The United States is spewing 50 percent more methane — a potent heat-trapping gas — than the federal government estimates, a new comprehensive scientific study says. Much of it is coming from just three states: Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas. That means
November 25, 2013
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by Erik Wasson (The Hill) The Environmental Protection Agency’s preliminary decision to reduce renewable fuels blending requirements has increased momentum to get a farm bill done this year, the top House negotiator on the measure said Tuesday. Rep. Frank Lucas (R-Okla.) argued that the ethanol decision, which is contributing to dropping
November 20, 2013
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by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com) Senator Feinstein (D-CA) and Senator Coburn (R-OK) are introducing legislation to eliminate conventional biofuels from the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). According to a story first published by Greenwire, the impending bill would leave the advanced biofuel targets in place, but would eliminate the corn-based ethanol target. …
October 31, 2013
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(Petroleum Equipment Institute (PEI)) (from a letter to US Department of Agriculture) … “You asked on August 13 if the Petroleum Equipment Institute (PEI) had any information regarding the average price for installing E15 storage equipment and blender pumps at retail stations. You provided several scenarios for which you wanted information. The
September 12, 2013
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by Senator Jim Inhofe (The Edmond Sun) … The worst impact of RFS on the consumer is beginning to be seen at the grocery store. As demand for corn increases because of the government-subsidized ethanol market, the price of food will continue to skyrocket. Even beef, pork, chicken and countless other
August 26, 2013
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) A month ago this week, Syntroleum (owner of a half interest in Dynamic Fuels, the renewable diesel technology) announced that it was “evaluating strategic alternatives” — and just a few days later revealed that it has received enough expressions of interest to hire Piper Jaffray
August 21, 2013
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(US Department of Energy) Following last week’s rollout of President Obama’s plan to cut carbon pollution, the Energy Department today announced four research and development projects to bring next generation biofuels on line faster and drive down the cost of producing gasoline, diesel and jet fuels from biomass. The projects—located
July 2, 2013
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(Algae Industry Magazine) An algae research proposal from Oklahoma State University’s Robert M. Kerr Food & Agricultural Products Center (FAPC) was ranked No. 1 of 28 plant-related research projects, resulting in $100,000 in funding from the Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science & Technology (OCAST). The OCAST Plant
May 14, 2013
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by Adam Wilmoth (News OK) OSU researcher Gerald Schoenknecht and his team recently completed genome sequencing for an algae that thrives inside active volcanoes. The researchers hope to use their findings to help make tough algae for use in manufacturing biofuels. Some of the world’s toughest and tiniest organisms could
May 14, 2013
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by Sean Hubbard (EdmondSun.com) The U.S. Department of Agriculture, United Sorghum Checkoff Program, Oklahoma Bioenergy Center and the South Central Sun Grant Program have taken note and funded the majority of the research of Danielle Bellmer, associate professor in Oklahoma State University’s Department of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering. As a
January 2, 2013
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by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com) Shane Robinson, associate professor in the Oklahoma State University Department of Agricultural Education, Communications and Leadership wants to teach students math and science through green energy and biofuels. He is partnering with the OSU Biobased Products and Energy Center (BioPEC), who has an objective to provide education about biobased products
December 20, 2012
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(US Department of Agriculture) Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced $10 million in research grants to spur production of bioenergy and biobased products that will lead to the development of sustainable regional systems and help create jobs. Vilsack highlighted the announcement with a visit to Michigan State University, a grant
December 17, 2012
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(ACORE) The American Council On Renewable Energy (ACORE) released the 2012 edition of its report, Renewable Energy in the 50 States, as an interactive, online resource. Compiling updated financial data, resource potentials, market and policy information in one easily-accessed, online format, the report is intended to be an executive summary
November 12, 2012
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by Kyle Arnold (Tulsa World) Each of the new stores has 20 fueling stations that offer diesel and unleaded grades of gasoline, as well as a higher ethanol blend, E-85. READ MORE
November 8, 2012
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(USDA Agricultural Research Service) From 1850 to 1950, the Tri-State Mining District of southwestern Missouri, southeastern Kansas, and northeastern Oklahoma produced 50 percent of the zinc and 10 percent of the lead in the United States. The last active mine closed in 1970, but mining’s ecological legacy remains throughout the
November 1, 2012
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by Drew Kershen (BioFortified) …I do not write to enter the debate focused on fuel standards, markets and commodity speculators. I acknowledge that other factors also contribute to food crises, particularly in developing nations – e.g., underfunded agricultural research and extension, inadequate infrastructure, and insecure land tenure. However, I write
September 7, 2012
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Hui Shen, Xianzhi He, Charleson R. Poovaiah, Wegi A. Wuddineh, Junying Ma, David G. J. Mann, Huanzhong Wang, Lisa Jackson, Yuhong Tang, C. Neal Stewart Jr, Fang Chen, Richard A. Dixon (New Phytologist) The major obstacle for bioenergy production from switchgrass biomass is the low saccharification efficiency caused by cell wall recalcitrance. Saccharification efficiency is negatively correlated with both lignin content
August 30, 2012
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by Chunxiang Fu, Jonathan R. Mielenz, Xirong Xiao, Yaxin Ge, Choo Y. Hamilton, Miguel Rodriguez, Jr., Fang Chen, Marcus Foston, Arthur Ragauskas, Joseph Bouton, Richard A. Dixon, and Zeng-Yu Wang (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences) Switchgrass is a leading dedicated bioenergy feedstock in the United States because it is a native, high-yielding, perennial prairie grass with
August 30, 2012
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Lina Gallego-Giraldo, Luis Escamilla-Trevino, Lisa A. Jackson, and Richard A. Dixon (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences) Down-regulation of the enzyme hydroxycinnamoyl CoA: shikimate hydroxycinnamoyl transferase (HCT) in thale cress (Arabidopsis thaliana) and alfalfa (Medicago sativa) leads to strongly reduced lignin levels, reduced recalcitrance of cell walls to sugar release, but severe
August 30, 2012
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Huanzhong Wang, Utku Avci, Jin Nakashima, Michael G. Hahn, Fang Chen, and Richard A. Dixon (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences) Stems of dicotyledonous plants consist of an outer epidermis, a cortex, a ring of secondarily thickened vascular bundles and interfascicular cells, and inner pith parenchyma cells with thin primary walls.
August 30, 2012
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by Adam Wilmoth (News OK) The extended drought has reduced the country’s corn supply and driven up corn costs, affecting the price of ethanol and gasoline. Oklahoma researchers are working to solve both problems. Researchers in Oklahoma are leading the effort to produce ethanol without tapping the country’s food supplies.
August 27, 2012
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(US Department of Agriculture) Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced payments for 125 advanced Biofuel producers across the country to support the production and expansion of advanced biofuels from a wide variety of non-food sources, including waste products. “Advanced biofuels are a key component of President Obama’s ‘all-of-the-above’ energy strategy
July 31, 2012
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Arch-critic of the cost of military biofuels — Oklahoma Senator James Inhofe — comes under scrutiny over earmarks for natural gas-based military fuels that cost 29 times more than conventional fuels. In Washington, the battle over advanced military biofuels took a turn for the bizarre
July 31, 2012
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(National Biodiesel Board/Biodiesel Magazine) …As the U.S. biodiesel industry shows in its just-launched ad campaign, biodiesel is here, now. This ad campaign is the second time the industry has taken to the airwaves, television screens, Web and print outlets to tell its story. And what a story it is. The
July 23, 2012
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by James Neal (Enid News and Eagle) Enid Regional Development Alliance is hoping to turn one of Oklahoma’s liabilities into a national asset, and boost the local economy in the process, with an ambitious plan to turn eastern red cedar trees into valuable products. According to the USDA Natural Resources
July 18, 2012
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Section 9011 of the Farm Bill – the Biomass Crop Assistance Program – USDA deploys $9.6M in new investments in bioenergy crops as questions revolve around the program’s future and effectiveness. Is BCAP important? Will it survive? How will it change? In Washington, Agriculture Secretary
June 14, 2012
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Most of the stories we write at the Digest on the subject of biofuels feedstocks fall into the well-established realms of normal. But every once in a while, a feedstock emerges that is so compellingly bizarre that we file the story away in our “yecch,
June 4, 2012
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(OPISNet.com) It’s been a long time coming, but ethanol now dominates the U.S. gasoline blending landscape. The number of wholesale terminals supplying only conventional clear gasoline for truck loadings has trimmed down to just nine out of about 325 rack locations in the United States, according to the latest OPIS
March 23, 2012
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Gasoline’s Comeback in the Bio-Based Era: 5 Cleantech Companies Vie for Green Gasoline Breakthroughs
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) …But in the past two years, five technologies have emerged that are focused on renewable gasoline (along with some others that have the capability of producing gasoline-like fuels but are focused primarily on diesel or jet fuel). The five main contenders, to date, are Terrabon,
March 20, 2012
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by Michael McNutt (NewsOK) Oklahoma House panel passes measure that would prohibit growing the ornamental plant commercially as a biofuel crop. The flowering plant still may be grown by nurseries. Growing castor beans for commercial purposes would be illegal under a measure that won unanimous approval Wednesday by a House
February 9, 2012
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(PressZoom/Iowa State University) An Iowa State University research team is collaborating with scientists at the Samuel Roberts Nobel Foundation and also with scientists in Japan to develop an international partnership to help make strides in the technologies needed towards a low-carbon society. The research will look at the chemistry
December 8, 2011
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by Randy Krehbiel (Durant Daily Democrat) …Ricin, which can be extracted from crushed castor beans, is so potent a toxin that a dose equivalent to a few grains of salt induces a slow, agonizing death marked by vomiting and diarrhea. Most famously, ricin was used in the 1970s to assassinate
November 29, 2011
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Colorado, Sundrop Fuels announced that they have agreed to purchase about 1,200 acres of land near Alexandria, Louisiana to build their first plant. Using forest waste and hydrogen from natural gas, their plant will produce up to 50 MGy of renewable gasoline. The plant will
November 28, 2011
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(Railway Age) Amtrak says that it found the use of a renewable biodiesel fuel blend to power its daily Heartland Flyer train “resulted in no more wear on the locomotive than traditional diesel fuels and no reduction in performance or reliability. …Amtrak reported that the use of B20 biodiesel (a
November 2, 2011
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(US Department of Agriculture) Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today (September 27, 2011) announced that USDA will make payments to more than 160 energy producers in 41 states to support and ensure the production and expansion of advanced biofuels. “Renewable energy production will create tens of thousands of direct, American jobs;
September 28, 2011
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by Greg Emmerson (EuroTuner) Using the new 6.7-liter Power Stroke V8 turbo-diesel engine, the truck hit a top speed of 171.123mph setting the new B Production Diesel Truck land speed record. The Ford truck broke the B Production Diesel Truck record of 166.850mph by a Duramax diesel GMC. This class
August 24, 2011
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by Erin Voegele (Biodiesel Magazine) The railroad is already considered one of the most environmentally sustainable and efficient ways to transport freight. Although most railways address fuel efficiency in terms of gallons-per-mile rather than miles-per-gallon, the sheer volume of cargo that can be moved by a single train results in
August 23, 2011
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by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The USDA’s Aug. 17 announcement of 900 Rural Energy for America Program grants included just 21 awards for blender pumps. USDA officials promise, however, that more funding is on the way. The announcement highlighted state-approved projects for which grant amounts do not exceed $20,000.
August 22, 2011
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by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) With help from the USDA Biomass Crop Assistance Program, Abengoa is on its way to establishing a significantly sized switchgrass plantation in parts of Kansas and Oklahoma surrounding the site of the company’s proposed 25 MMgy cellulosic ethanol plant in Hugoton, Kan. On July
August 15, 2011
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that the USDA and DOE have awarded 10 grants totaling $12.2 million to spur research into improving the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of growing biofuel and bioenergy crops. The USDA and DOE projects are designed to improve special crops to be grown
August 12, 2011
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by Jeff Latzke (Forbes) Oklahoma State University is nearing completion of a new $15 million biosciences research center in Ardmore that will serve as a hub for scientists studying alternative fuels. Vice President for Agricultural Programs Bob Whitson said Friday that the new three-story building will eventually be able to
August 1, 2011
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced today the creation of four additional Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP) project areas in six states to expand the availability of non-food crops to be used in the manufacturing of liquid biofuels. USDA has allocated approximately $45 million for contracts
July 29, 2011
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(US Department of Energy) The U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Biomass Program will be conducting detailed biennial peer review meetings of its activities throughout the first half of 2011. The process will begin with platform reviews of the Program’s six technology areas between February
June 24, 2011
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(Algae Industry Magazine) …The Fuel Feedstock Freedom Act (S. 1085), gives individual states the option not to participate in the corn ethanol portion of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). It also expands the cellulosic biofuel carve-out to include algae and any non-ethanol renewable fuel derived from renewable biomass. This new
May 31, 2011
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by Chris Thorne (Growth Energy/NewsOK) letter to editor: Regarding “Corn ethanol is burning up food budgets” (Point of View, May 13): J. Patrick Boyle, president and CEO of the American Meat Institute, misled readers about the real reason behind rising grocery prices. It’s not ethanol but oil and grocery manufacturer profits
May 24, 2011
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by Jim Snyder (Bloomberg) …Senators Dianne Feinstein, a California Democrat, and Tom Coburn, an Oklahoma Republican, said the 45-cent credit, which is given to oil refiners for each gallon of ethanol they blend with gasoline, was unjustified given the U.S. deficit. The break is set to expire this year. Repealing it by
May 4, 2011
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by Jay Marks (NewsOK.com) Q: RS Fuel recently opened a convenience store at 3330 W Memorial Road offering compressed natural gas and E85 ethanol. Why did you think it was important to offer those alternatives to your customers? A: It is coming; as you know there is lots of
April 28, 2011
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(OriginOil) Global distribution plan extends to product integration, manufacturing and mutual marketing OriginOil, Inc., the developer of breakthrough technology to transform algae, the most promising source of renewable oil, into a true competitor to petroleum, today announced that a process partner, World Water Works, Inc., has agreed in principle to distribute OriginOil’s
April 15, 2011
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(U.S. Department of Agriculture) Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced research grants awarded to spur production of bioenergy and biobased products that will lead to the development of sustainable regional systems and help create jobs. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) Director Roger
April 13, 2011
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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 from the U.S. Department of Energy in September 2010. The
April 11, 2011
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Syntroleum reported a $9.6 million loss for fiscal 2010 in its 10K SEC form, with revenues having declined $19 million compared to 2009. In a teleconference to discuss Syntroleum’s report, Gary Roth, Syntroleum’s President and CEO stated that at the Dynamic Fuels plant in Geismar,
March 18, 2011
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by Kristi Eaton (Bloomberg Business Week) An Oklahoma State University professor says she’s found a way to turn byproducts from the production of soda pop into ethanol. Biosystems and agricultural engineering associate professor Danielle Bellmer said that by adjusting the pH levels she has found that the leftover materials from
March 15, 2011
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By Elizabeth Lopatto (Bloomberg) Switchgrass, the prairie plant that once fueled the buffalo herds of the American Great Plains, may one day fill automobile tanks in a bioengineered form that’s cheaper and yields more ethanol than the original variety. Researchers showed that by manipulating lignin, a compound that stiffens plants, they were
February 23, 2011
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(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 by creating alternative energy sources and promoting economic development and
January 21, 2011
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(UPI) U.S. scientists have uncovered a gene responsible for plants’ key growth characteristics, specifically their density, a finding that could improve agriculture. Researchers at the Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation in Oklahoma say denser plants have more biomass without increasing the agricultural footprint, meaning farmers and ranchers can produce more plant material
December 30, 2010
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Oklahoma State University is a recipient of a $10,000 EPA People, Prosperity, and the Planet (P3) Phase I grant for a hybrid green process for biofuel production. BIOWINol Technologies proposed a unique hybrid technology that uses several renewable resources, specifically biomass, wind and solar, to produce hydrogen (H2). This process
September 14, 2010
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by Rod Walton (Tulsa World) …”I got into it because of the potential with algae,” said Geoffrey Price, professor, department chairman and part of the research team. “It’s because they take in sunlight more efficiently than other plants.” Price and his fellow team members have spent the past three years
August 19, 2010
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by Gordon Dickson (Star-Telegram) Where’s the beef? It’s in the belly of that Amtrak locomotive. Shortly after noon Tuesday, the Amtrak Heartland Flyer pulled into downtown Fort Worth. It looked and smelled like pretty much any other train at the Intermodal Transportation Center. But its tanks were filled with a
April 22, 2010
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by B. C. Venuto and J. A. Daniel (Crop Science) Development of a biofuel industry based on biomass will require large quantities of cellulosic feedstock. Among the proposals for acquiring this feedstock, without impacting other land uses such as food or forage, is the use of up to 50% of
March 19, 2010
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(Science Daily) Oklahoma State University’s sorghum-related biofuels research is taking a localized approach, with the aim of making possible the effective production of ethanol in the farmer’s own field. Sweet sorghum can be grown throughout temperate climate zones of the United States, including Oklahoma. It provides high biomass yield with
September 30, 2007
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