(MarketWatch) ZeaChem Commences USDA-Funded Initiative to Build a Bioenergy Industry in the Pacific Northwest ZeaChem Inc., a developer of biorefineries for the conversion of renewable biomass into sustainable fuels and chemicals, today announced that it has successfully completed contract negotiations to
Department of Agriculture (USDA)
Back TO HOMEPolicies of Energy and Economic Growth for Rural America in a 2012 Farm Bill
by Josh Rathod (Advanced Biofuels USA) With a refreshing sense of focus, Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Chairwoman of the Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee, opened the hearing on Energy and Economic Growth for Rural America by stating the importance of
February 21, 2012 Read Full Article
Now and Never: What’s Working, Will Work, and Won’t Work for Aviation Biofuels
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) New reports from Bloomberg and the USDA focus on 2018 as a critical year for commercial-scale, affordable aviation fuels In New York, Bloomberg New Energy Finance said that jatropha-based fuels were the near-term candidate as sustainable aviation fuels
February 14, 2012 Read Full Article
LanzaTech Seeks Success Where Another Failed
by S. Heather Duncan (Macon Telegraph) Although the company that purchased a defunct ethanol refinery in Soperton has some of the same financial backers as previous owners who lost the plant to foreclosure, leaders of LanzaTech Freedom Pines say their
February 06, 2012 Read Full Article
USDA Announces Funding for Two Renewable Energy Programs
(US Department of Agriculture) Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced the availability of funds for Fiscal Year 2012 for two key programs to encourage the use of renewable biomass and production of advanced biofuels. About $25 million will be made
February 04, 2012 Read Full Article
Hundreds of Jobs Planned by New Owner of Range Fuels
by S. Heather Duncan (Macon.com) The new owner of a shuttered ethanol plant in Soperton plans to eventually add hundreds of jobs there to produce ethanol and other chemicals, a company official said this week. That would boost Treutlen County employment
February 02, 2012 Read Full Article
Airlines for America Urges Commercial Development of Biofuels
by Kate Rice (TravelPulse) ... The Farm to Fly partnership was established in July 2010 to advance a comprehensive and sustainable aviation biofuels rural-development plan. As the lead agency responsible for feedstock development and production systems, USDA joined with A4A
February 01, 2012 Read Full Article
Agriculture Secretary Vilsack Announces Support for a New Advanced Biofuel Production Facility in Oregon: Project will Create Jobs, Expand Production of Biofuels
(US Department of Agriculture) Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that USDA has approved a conditional commitment in the amount of $232.5 million to ZeaChem Boardman Biorefinery, LLC (ZBB) through the Biorefinery Assistance Program. ZBB will operate a 25 million
January 26, 2012 Read Full Article
USDA Makes 2012 REAP Funding Available
by Anna Austin (Biomass Power and Thermal Magazine) The USDA announced Jan. 20 a Notice of Funding Availability for its Rural Energy for America Program, and is inviting agricultural producers and rural small businesses to apply. REAP, which was authorized through
January 24, 2012 Read Full Article
Robo-Copter Will Keep Tabs on Navy’s Biofuel Plants
by Spencer Ackerman and Noah Shachtman (Wired) The Navy is hoping to one day run a huge chunk of its fleet on biofuels. So the Navy’s advanced researchers — and their partners at the U.S. Department of Agriculture — are turning
January 24, 2012 Read Full Article
Agriculture Secretary Vilsack Streamlines Access to Energy Investment Information at USDA
(US Department of Agriculture) Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the launch of a USDA energy website that will provide stakeholders fast and efficient access to USDA energy efficiency and renewable energy data. Today's announcement builds on the Secretary's commitment to
January 20, 2012 Read Full Article
USDA Approves Conditional Commitment for $25M Guaranteed Loan for New Fiberight Biorefinery
(Green Car Congress) The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has approved a conditional commitment for a $25 million guaranteed loan to build a biorefinery plant with funding support from USDA’s Biorefinery Assistance Program. The plant will be constructed by Fiberight, LLC, based
January 20, 2012 Read Full Article
Time to Assess Biomass Project Funding Options
by Emily Chad and Todd Taylor (Biomass Power and Thermal Magazine) A veritable alphabet soup of government funding programs exist that can help you get your project off the ground. These programs include: • USDA Biorefinery Assistance: loan guarantees for development,
January 20, 2012 Read Full Article
Iowa State University-Led Group Awarded $25 Million Grant for Land Use, Biofuel Production Study
(Iowa State University) Now, an Iowa State University-based study over the next five years will examine whether a single, coordinated production system can address all of these concerns while making profits for producers. A multi-state, interdisciplinary team led by Ken Moore,
January 19, 2012 Read Full Article
Federal Cutbacks Not Stopping MFA Biofuels Plan
by Jacob Barker (Columbia Tribune) Despite large cuts to the federal program supporting it and concerns from some groups about environmental impacts, a project to begin growing a giant perennial grass to serve as a dedicated biofuel crop is moving
January 16, 2012 Read Full Article
USDA Fuel Pump Grant Seen a Plus for Marcus Junction
by Jolene Stevens (Le Mars Daily Sentinel) A"great marketing tool" is how Carl Nelson, of the Marcus Junction board, describes the new flexible fuel blending pump he says is expected to be installed at the Marcus Junction fuel outlet, along
January 16, 2012 Read Full Article
Next Up: Abengoa in Early Planning for Second Cellulosic Plant
by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) It’s only been a few months since Abengoa Bioenergy broke ground on its 23 MMgy multifeedstock cellulosic ethanol plant in Hugoton, Kan., but so far, construction of its first commercial-scale cellulosic facility is still
January 12, 2012 Read Full Article
The Litmus Test: 8 Projects for 2012 Will Test Perceptions, Reality for Advanced Biofuels
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...First commercial projects from newly-minted public companies Solazyme, Gevo and KiOR. Two trash-to-biofuels projects from INEOS Bio and Enerkem, located in Florida and Alberta. Europe’s largest biosuccinic acid project, scheduled to be opened by DSM
January 12, 2012 Read Full Article
Sunn Hemp Shows Promise as Biofuel Source
by Ann Perry (US Department of Agriculture) Work by scientists at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) suggests that farmers in the Southeast could use the tropical legume sunn hemp (Crotalaria juncea) in their crop rotations by harvesting the fast-growing annual
January 06, 2012 Read Full Article
LanzaTech to Convert Acquired Ethanol Plant for Biochemicals
(Bloomberg) LanzaTech NZ Ltd., a closely held biofuels company backed by billionaire Vinod Khosla, will convert a U.S. cellulosic ethanol plant it bought from Range Fuels Inc. to produce chemicals from biomass. The $5.1 million deal completed on Jan. 3 provides LanzaTech
January 06, 2012 Read Full Article
Range Fuels Sells Government-Backed Biofuel Plant to LanzaTech
(Bloomberg) Range Fuels, Inc.,..., a closely held U.S. cellulosic ethanol company that was offered $156 million in federal government backing, sold its only factory to LanzaTech NZ Ltd. as part of a government-approved liquidation. The U.S. Department of Agriculture in October approved
January 06, 2012 Read Full Article
Overcoming the Challenge of Cheap Sugars: Unmarketable Hawaiian Papaya Used to Produce Green Fuels
(Biotork) BioTork has successfully converted unmarketable Hawaiian papayas to fatty acids that can be refined into green fuels. This result is a first milestone in a developmental research project conducted in collaboration with the US Dept of Agriculture Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center
January 06, 2012 Read Full Article
USDA Helps Install 266 Blender Pumps through REAP
by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The USDA announced the final round of fiscal year 2011 Renewable Energy for America Program awards on Dec. 14. The awards included grants for 12 blender pump projects in eight states, bringing the
December 30, 2011 Read Full Article
Risk Management Agency Announces Pilot Crop Insurance Program for Camelina
by Erin Voegele (Biodiesel Magazine) The USDA’s Risk Management Agency has developed a pilot program to insure camelina. The program, which will be available in selected counties in Montana and North Dakota for the 2012 crop year, will have a
December 30, 2011 Read Full Article
Blend-Your-Own at the Pump
by Tim Hoskins (Iowa Farmer Today) Blender gas pumps are viewed as one way to increase ethanol sales and allow for a transition to higher ethanol-blended gasoline. A blender pump is connected to two fuel tanks, one with ethanol and one
December 30, 2011 Read Full Article
Harvesting Both Corn Grain and Stover in Adverse Weather
by Cole Gustafson, Thein Maung and David Ripplinger (North Dakota State University/Ethanol Producer Magazine) NDSU quantifies the cost and time involved in corn stover collection ...The research team at North Dakota State University in Fargo recently completed a Sun Grant study,
December 29, 2011 Read Full Article
Good Digestion: It’s Been a Bumpy Road to Full-Scale Adoption of Anaerobic Digestion Technologies at Ethanol Plants
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Despite the promise of methane from anaerobic digestion technology, low natural gas rates and other factors have kept ethanol producers from jumping in with both feet. ...On top of the digester, Western Plains Energy utilizes
December 29, 2011 Read Full Article
Agriculture Secretary Vilsack Announces Funding To Create Jobs, Reduce Energy Costs for Agricultural Producers and Rural Small Businesses
(US Department of Agriculture) Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today (December 14, 2011) announced loans and grants for agricultural producers and rural small businesses across the country to implement renewable energy and energy efficiency measures in their operations. The funding is
December 27, 2011 Read Full Article
News You Can Use: 5 Biofuels Reports Worth Getting Now
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...1. The USDA’s crop land report. What: An in-depth analysis of U.S. land use patterns released this week by the U.S. Department of Agriculture shows total cropland decreased by 34 million acres from 2002 to 2007,
December 23, 2011 Read Full Article
US – Ethanol Growth Not Leading to Cropland Expansion-New USDA Report Shows
(BiofuelsChat.com) An in-depth analysis of U.S. land use patterns released today by the U.S. Department of Agriculture shows total cropland decreased by 34 million acres from 2002 to 2007, the lowest level since USDA began collecting this data 1945. The
December 23, 2011 Read Full Article
Washington State University Center at Prosser Researches Possible Biofuels
by Ross Courtney (The Seattle Times/Yakima Herald-Republic) ..."You get down to it, it's dirty work," said Steve Fransen, a research agronomist at the Washington State University Irrigated Agriculture Research and Extension Center. He means research, not farming, but farming is what
December 15, 2011 Read Full Article
The Death of Range Fuels Shouldn't Doom All Biofuels
by Kevin Bullis (MIT Technology Review) This month, Range Fuels, one of the first companies in a wave of startups that promised cheap biofuels made from sources such as wood chips rather than corn, shut its doors for good and
December 15, 2011 Read Full Article
Why Biorefining Loan Guarantees Give Back: Think Money, Jobs and Military Might
by Luke Geiver (Biorefining Magazine) ...In the letter, the group pointed out the need for programs like the 9003 Biorefinery Loan Guarantee Program offered through USDA. “Loan guarantees are the most cost-effective way to develop new jobs and create these
December 10, 2011 Read Full Article
Congress ‘Lost faith’ in Advanced Bioenergy, Key Lawmaker Says
by Philip Brasher (Des Moines Register) Programs the Obama administration has been pushing to promote next-generation biofuels are likely to have little funding in the next farm bill, according to the top Democrat on the House Agriculture Committee, Rep. Collin
December 07, 2011 Read Full Article
U.S. Biofuel Camelina Production Set to Soar
by John Daly (OilPrice.com) Biofuel sources currently under development include algae, jatropha and camelina. Of the three, camelina is increasingly emerging as the frontrunner in attracting initial investment worldwide, as global demand for aviation fuel for passenger flights is now
December 06, 2011 Read Full Article
The Range Fuels Failure
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...Let’s talk about Range Fuels, the good and the bad. In Georgia, the AgSouth Farm Credit bank, which is the lender of record for an $80 million construction loan that Range defaulted on, is advertising a
December 05, 2011 Read Full Article
Xconomist of the Week: 5 Questions with Sapphire Energy CEO Jason Pyle
by Bruce V. Bigelow (Xconomy) ...Jason Pyle: ...So soon, we will see the U.S. military as the leading customer for crude oil replacements. As pressure rises on the commercial airline industry (which uses most of the jet fuels in the
December 05, 2011 Read Full Article
USDA Announces New Insurance Pilot Program for Biofuel-Friendly Oilseed Crop with Potential to Create Jobs, Stimulate Rural Economies
(US Department of Agriculture) The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Risk Management Agency (RMA) has announced a new pilot program of insurance for camelina beginning with the 2012 crop year. Camelina is an oilseed crop with the potential to create
December 05, 2011 Read Full Article
Enzyme Study Shows DDGS Dewatering Applications
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) A one-month plant trial showed a commercial enzyme could help extract water from distillers grains, saving natural gas, electricity and water used in the ethanol process. More work needs to be done, said David
December 05, 2011 Read Full Article
Research Reduces Toxins, Improves Distillers Grains
by Matt Soberg (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Virginia Tech and USDA researchers developed strategy that reduces barley toxins sometimes present in distillers grains used for animal feed. The strategy modifies the ethanol fermentation process and focuses on deoxynivalenol (DON), the most
November 29, 2011 Read Full Article
Supercommittee Should Preserve Farm Energy Programs in the Farm Bill for in the Best Interest of the Nation: William Richards and Dennis McGinn
by William Richards and Dennis McGinn (The Plain Dealer) Guest Columnists: The future of the government's role in U.S. agriculture remains about as uncertain today as it was before the 1933 enactment of the Agricultural Adjustment Act, the nation's first
November 21, 2011 Read Full Article
Corn Gene Boosts Biofuels from Switchgrass
(Science Daily) ...Unlike the starch sugars in grains, the complex polysaccharides in the cellulose of plant cell walls are locked within a tough woody material called lignin. For advanced biofuels to be economically competitive, scientists must find inexpensive ways to
November 21, 2011 Read Full Article
Out from Solyndra’s Shadow
by Brent Erickson (Biofuels Digest/BIO) Federal loan guarantees may be scuttled after the Solyndra affair – but should the baby really be thrown out with the bathwater? ...But the programs’ untimely end may coincide with the first commercial successes for advanced
November 17, 2011 Read Full Article
S-Day: US Must Keep Its Eyes on the Clean Energy Prize, Despite Setbacks
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...Here the Digest’s take: for bioenergy, S-Day is about Solyndra and Secretary Chu, but it isn’t really much about bioenergy. Out of an $80 billion authorization for clean energy loan guarantees, and over a six-year
November 17, 2011 Read Full Article
Validation: USDA Report Confirms Value of Distillers Grains
by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) A recent USDA report echoes what ethanol producers have said for years: distillers grains are a valuable addition to the nation’s feed supply and can be used to reduce any impact of increased corn
November 16, 2011 Read Full Article
Webinar: Accessing USDA Loans for Advanced Biofuels and Chemicals November 28, 2011 1:00 – 2:30 PM Eastern
A brief overview of the numerous programs within USDA that support the President’s Clean Energy Blueprint and how you might be able to access these programs. The rapidly-expanding bio-based sector is just as critical to the US economy as it is
November 15, 2011 Read Full Article
Switchgrass Ethanol Research Looks to Yield Big Benefits
by Larry Dreiling (High Plains MidWest Ag Journal) Construction has begun in Hugoton, Kan., on the nation's first commercial scale biomass fuel refinery. Abengoa Bioenergy's new, 23 million-gallon annual throughput refinery will take biomass, mainly switchgrass, and turn it into ethanol. One
November 15, 2011 Read Full Article
Kansas Group Works to Turn Crop Stubble into Energy
by Dan Voorhis (The Wichita Eagle) ...The Kansas Alliance for BioRefining and BioEnergy was created in 2009 and was originally funded by the Kansas BioScience Authority to help commercialize research and technology that turns plants into energy and products. ...Its
November 15, 2011 Read Full Article
Biofuel Flights Signal Demand From U.S. Airlines
by Graham Warwick (Aviation Week) As airlines launch the first commercial biofuel flights in the U.S., the government is working with industry to scale up production of biomass-derived jet fuel to commercial quantities beginning in 2012. Following the lead set by
November 14, 2011 Read Full Article
Nebraska Ethanol Board Part of New Flex Fuel Campaign
(Nebraska Farmer) USDA grant intended to make drivers more aware of flex fuel vehicles and ethanol's benefits involves Nebraska and five other states. A grant awarded by USDA will be used to promote flex fuel vehicles, flex fuel pumps, and driver
November 11, 2011 Read Full Article
USDA ERS Report Offers RIN Price Outlook for Coming Decade
by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The USDA Economic Research Service has released a 24-page report offering an overview of renewable identification numbers (RINs) and outlining how the RIN market works in relation to the renewable fuel standard (RFS). The report’s
November 10, 2011 Read Full Article
The 10 Biofuels Priorities for 2012
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In California, more than 350 delegates gathered at Advanced Biofuesl Markets to set industry priorities for the next six months,seal partnerships, and exchange outlooks on 2012. It didn’t take long for the Top 10 priorities
November 10, 2011 Read Full Article
USDA Funds Project To Encourage Renewable Fuel Production, Job Creation In New Mexico
(Sapphire Energy) Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced today that USDA has issued a loan guarantee that will allow a biofuels firm to construct a facility in New Mexico to produce "green crude" oil from algae which can be refined into
November 08, 2011 Read Full Article
US Gives $3M to Energy Company to Use Less Corn
by Kevin Welch (Amarillo Globe-News) The U.S. Department of Agriculture is giving White Energy, with ethanol plants in Hereford and Plainview, a $3-million grant to promote using materials other than corn to make biofuels. Those materials can range from crop residue
November 07, 2011 Read Full Article
What’s the Buzz? The 10 hottest topics in biofuels right now.
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... But here are 10 themes that are shaping up to be the Buzz of the conference. 1. RFS. Hold or Fold? 2. Can Obama find the $510 million? 3. Elections. 4. Fuels, or chems, or something else? 5.
November 02, 2011 Read Full Article
Agriculture Secretary Vilsack Announces Funding to Expand the Production and Availability of Advanced Biofuels
(US Department of Agriculture) USDA Farm Bill Program Supports Job Creation Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced payments for 156 advanced biofuel producers across the country to support the production and expansion of advanced biofuels. "This funding will help local producers increase
November 01, 2011 Read Full Article
A.I.M's Interview: Sapphire Energy's C.J. Warner and Tim Zenk
by David Schwartz (Algae Industry Magazine) ...C.J. (Warner, Sapphire Energy's President and Chairman) keynoted at the recent Algal Biomass Summit, attending along with Tim Zenk, Sapphire’s Vice President of Corporate Affairs, who was formerly executive vice president for the Edelman
October 31, 2011 Read Full Article
UPDATE 2-Booming Ethanol Biz Alters Corn Use Patterns-USDA
by Julie Ingwersen (Reuters) USDA says ethanol boom creating new patterns in corn use * Gov't unsure why feed use falls late in marketing years * Reports blamed for wild swings in CBOT grain prices * Industry barbs come as USDA faces budget constraints
October 28, 2011 Read Full Article
USDA Finds Distillers Grains Offer Greater Feed Value than Corn
by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) A newly released report from the USDA appears to confirm what the ethanol industry has been claiming for years—distillers grains is a valuable feed source and can significantly reduce any impact of increased corn
October 27, 2011 Read Full Article
USDA Grant Focuses on Southeast Biomass Supply
by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The USDA believes the Southeast region of the U.S. offers huge potential for a variety of dedicated energy crops and in September, the agency agreed to provide $15 million to form the Southeast Partnership for
October 26, 2011 Read Full Article
Dividing Corn Stover Makes Ethanol Conversion More Efficient
(PhysOrg.com/Purdue University) Not all parts of a corn stalk are equal, and they shouldn't be treated that way when creating cellulosic ethanol, say Purdue University researchers. When corn stover is processed to make cellulosic ethanol, everything is ground down and blended together.
October 26, 2011 Read Full Article
New Mexico Producer Awarded Rural Development Grant
by Erin Voegele (Biodiesel Magazine) New Mexico-based Rio Valley Biofuels has been awarded a total of $40,962 in grant funding from USDA Rural Development to support upgrades at the facility and help support the hire of new employees. According to Dean
October 12, 2011 Read Full Article
Proposed Farm Bill Includes Advanced Biofuels
by Cindy Zimmerman (DomesticFuel.com) Senator Dick Lugar (R-IN) and Rep. Marlin Stutzman (R, IN-3rd) have introduced a farm bill that they say would save $40 billion and includes provisions that support the development of advanced biofuels. “We offer our bill as a
October 11, 2011 Read Full Article
Algal Biomass Organization Member Spotlight: Barry Raleigh, Co-Founder of Cellana.
(Algal Biomass Organization) ABO: What was the original idea behind the creation of the company? Raleigh: My co-founder, Mark Huntley, thought from his experience in algae production at Aquasearch that algae were possibly a major consumer of carbon dioxide if fuel
October 07, 2011 Read Full Article
Sorghum Could be Aviation Biofuel Feedstock
by Cindy Zimmerman (DomesticFuel.com) Louisiana State University is getting $17 million from USDA to study how to turn sugar cane and sorghum into biofuels. The project is one of the five announced yesterday by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, focused on developing aviation biofuels
October 05, 2011 Read Full Article
SarTec Corporation Awarded $500,000 Department of Energy Grant
(PR NewsWire/SarTec) SarTec Corporation announced today it has received a $500,000 Department of Energy grant (Award # DE-EE0003127) as part of a larger project to develop and enhance the use of inedible energy crops for the production of advanced biofuels using the patented Mcgyan®
October 05, 2011 Read Full Article
Biofuels Losing Government Loan Option
by Philip Brasher (Gannett/Des Moines Register) Developers of biofuels already have been struggling to attract private investment. Now they’ll have even fewer financing options with the sunsetting of the loan guarantee program that financed failed solar-panel maker Solyndra. ...But the
October 03, 2011 Read Full Article
Forest Resources Professor Part of Huge Biofuels Research Project
by Jeff Mulhollem and Chuck Gill (Penn State/Gant Daily) A forest products researcher in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences is playing a role in a national effort to gauge the viability of a novel use for wood-based biofuels. The U.S.
October 03, 2011 Read Full Article
UT Center for Renewable Carbon Named as Lead Institution for $15 Million USDA Grant
(University of Tennessee) Center to coordinate woody biomass production and utilization studies The Center for Renewable Carbon, a program of the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture, has been named by the USDA as a recipient of one of five coordinated
September 30, 2011 Read Full Article
Grass to Fuel: Study Aims to Grow Energy Crops on Marginal Lands
by Phil Brasher (Des Moines Register) Researchers at Iowa State University have won a $25 million federal grant to figure out ways to make it economical for farmers in the region to grow switchgrass and other perennial crops for production
September 29, 2011 Read Full Article
Comprehensive Miscanthus Commercialization Model Needed
by David R. Robbins and Stephen S. Tam (Ethanol Producer Magazine/Earth Sense Energy USA Inc.) Miscanthus x Giganteus (MxG) has great potential to become the energy crop of choice in the United States. It has been explored in Europe
September 29, 2011 Read Full Article
Agriculture Secretary Vilsack Announces Major Investments to Spur Innovation and Job Creation in Research, Development and Production of Next Generation Biofuels
(US Department of Agriculture) Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced five major agricultural research projects today aimed at developing regional, renewable energy markets, generating rural jobs, and decreasing America's dependence on foreign oil. Altogether, the five-year program will deliver more than
September 28, 2011 Read Full Article
ZeaChem and Partners Awarded $40 million USDA Grant
(ZeaChem) ZeaChem Will Produce “Drop-In” Advanced Biofuels at Boardman, Oregon Biorefinery ZeaChem Inc., a developer of biorefineries for the conversion of renewable feedstocks into sustainable fuels and chemicals, today (September 28, 2011) announced it has been awarded part of a $40
September 28, 2011 Read Full Article
Agriculture Secretary Vilsack Announces Payments to Producers in 41 States to Expand the Production and Availability of Advanced Biofuels
(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
September 28, 2011 Read Full Article
Still Needed: More Ethanol Fuel Pumps
by Philip Brasher (Des Moines Register) But it's unclear where money will come from to install them around U.S. ...(Dave) Hicks, who’s getting a $28,000 federal grant and additional money from the state of Iowa to replace his two existing fuel
September 27, 2011 Read Full Article
USDA Awards Flex Fuel Grant in Geneseo
by Lisa Depies (Geneseo Republic) Judith Canales, the United States Department of Agriculture’s Rural Business Service Administrator, visited Geneseo on Sept. 15 to highlight one of the agency’s first funded flexible fuel pump projects in Illinois. A new blender flexible fuel
September 27, 2011 Read Full Article
The Complexities of Biofuels Logistics
by Luke Geiver (Biodiesel Magazine) ...Professor Jae-Dong Hong of South Carolina State University and his team are getting closer to having the information they need to create a tool that will help fleet managers calculate the costs of biofuels logistics—and
September 26, 2011 Read Full Article
DOE Grants Final Approval on POET Cellulosic Ethanol Loan Guarantee
(POET) POET closes on loan to keep construction on pace for 2013 plant start-up POET today (September 23, 2011) received final approval for a $105 million loan guarantee issued through the U.S. Department of Energy's Loan programs Office. The loan guarantee
September 26, 2011 Read Full Article
N.J. Company Eyes Plainfield Township as Potential Site for Biofuel Plant
by Tom Shortell (LehighValleyLive.com) A New Jersey company is considering building a biorefinery in Plainfield Township that would convert tall grass and wood pellets into fuel, but no official plans have been submitted to the township. Primus Green Energy, based out of
September 19, 2011 Read Full Article
USDA Gives $2 Million for Blender Pumps in 22 States
by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Thirty-three projects in 22 states have been approved for blender pump grants in the latest round of funding to be dispersed through the USDA’s Rural Energy for America Program. A total of $27 million
September 19, 2011 Read Full Article
The A.I.M. Interview: Sandia and DOE's Ron Pate
(Algae Industry Magazine) A Principal Member of the Technical Staff of Albuquerque, New Mexico-based Sandia National Laboratories, serving in the Earth Systems Analysis – Energy, Resources, and Systems Analysis division, Ron Pate has been on M&O Contractor assignment in Washington, DC
September 19, 2011 Read Full Article
Memo to Microalgae, Frankencritters and Biovarmints: Aloha Means I Love You
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Hawaii goes all in on microalgae to provide fuel, food, fiber and power to grow its energy-starved Mid-Pacific economy and fit its environmental values ...Hawaii has no fossil fuel resources of its own. Not to mention
September 16, 2011 Read Full Article
USDA Scientists Use Commercial Enzyme to Improve Grain Ethanol Production
by Ann Perry (US Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service) A commercial enzyme could reduce overall costs linked with producing ethanol from grain, and also reduce associated emissions of greenhouse gases, according to a study by U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
September 13, 2011 Read Full Article
The Green Strike Group: The Fuels, The Force, The Skinny
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...Tactically, a Green Strike Group, powered by renewable diesel-electric engines, nuclear power and aviation biofuels, is able to operate independent of fossil fuel supply line threat or disruption. In the near term, this is
September 13, 2011 Read Full Article
Crop Performance Matters When Evaluating Greenhouse Gas Emissions
(Science Daily) Measuring the emission of greenhouse gases from croplands should take into account the crops themselves. That's the conclusion of a study in the Sept.-Oct. issue of the Journal of Environmental Quality, which examined the impact of farm practices such
September 12, 2011 Read Full Article
ABO Responds to USDA/DOE/Navy Biofuels Investment Promise
(Algae Industry Magazine) The Algal Biomass Organization has voiced its opinion of the US government’s recently announced $510 million biofuels investment commitment over the next three years. Following is their statement: Late last month, three federal departments came together to
September 09, 2011 Read Full Article
Canola Trials Show Great Promise in San Joaquin Valley
by Steve Olson (California Agricultural Technology Institute/Western Farm Press/Fresno State University) A study indicates possibilities for new farming methods on the West Side of the San Joaquin Valley, which is challenged by selenium-laden irrigation effluent. One method of using excess selenium in
August 31, 2011 Read Full Article
USDA, Departments of Energy and Navy Seek Input from Industry to Advance Biofuels for Military and Commercial Transportation
(US Department of Agriculture) Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, Secretary of Energy Steven Chu, and Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus today announced the next step in the creation of a public-private partnership to develop drop-in advanced biofuels. The Secretaries
August 30, 2011 Read Full Article
Missouri Leads in Ethanol Blender Pump Plans
by Cindy Zimmerman (DomesticFuel.com) Missouri has been recognized by the U.S. Department of Agriculture as the leader in ethanol blender pumps. During the Missouri State Fair, an official from USDA’s Rural Development agency paid a visit to recognize Missouri as the
August 29, 2011 Read Full Article
Investor Interest in U.S. Biofuel Production Set to Soar
by John Daly (OilPrice.com) ...While it remains to be seen how the joint investments between the U.S. government and private sector will work in practice, the announcement nevertheless represents an unprecedented commitment by several federal departments to stimulate the production
August 27, 2011 Read Full Article
Co-op Caters to Fuel Flex Cars
by Kevin M. Smith (the Kearney Courier) Area drivers with fuel flex cars now have more options at the pump. Platte-Clay Electric Cooperative announced recently that its new blender pumps at Platte-Clay Fuels in Kearney and Platte City are open. Those
August 26, 2011 Read Full Article
Farmers Sought for Biofuel Project
(The Record) Farm officials, hoping to get California farmers to plant as much as 25,000 acres of camelina, an oilseed, for a biomass start-up project are offering incentives to growers in San Joaquin County and other areas of the Central
August 23, 2011 Read Full Article
USDA Official: Ag Economy Is Sound but Rural Communities Need Boost
by Ross Dolan (The Daily Republic) The nation’s agricultural economy is sound but many rural communities are not reaping the benefits, said Dallas Tonsager, undersecretary for rural development with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The South Dakota native would like
August 22, 2011 Read Full Article
A Quick Way to Grade Grasses for Ethanol Yields
by Don Comis (US Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service) U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) researchers have developed an inexpensive way to grade the ethanol potential of perennial grasses at the biorefinery's loading dock. That future has been made possible by
August 22, 2011 Read Full Article
Vilsack: USDA Will Continue to Push for Blender Pump Expansion
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
August 22, 2011 Read Full Article
INEOS Bio JV Closes $75m in Private Financing Under USDA Loan Guarantee Program for Advanced BioEnergy Center in Florida
(INEOS Bio/PR NewsWire) Florida project is first large-scale advanced biorefinery facility in U.S. to close financing in latest round of USDA backed financing INEOS Bio announced that its joint venture project closed private financing on a $75m loan backed by a Loan Guarantee
August 19, 2011 Read Full Article
Peterson Questions Federal Biofuels Plan
by Don Davis (Duluth News Tribune) Minnesota’s senior congressman said that the plan administration officials announced this week probably will not work and threatens Minnesota’s 21 ethanol plants. “I think that is a big a problem,” said U.S. Rep. Collin Peterson,
August 18, 2011 Read Full Article
CTSI Announces Top 10 Defense Energy Technology Solutions
(Clean Technology and Sustainable Industries Organization/PR Newswire) The Clean Technology and Sustainable Industries Organization (CTSI) recognizes the 2011 Top 10 Defense Energy Technology Solutions. From over 220 global applicants spanning the energy spectrum, the organizations with the most promising military-related technologies were
August 18, 2011 Read Full Article
Advanced Biofuels USA Is Disappointed in White House Plan for National Security Drop-In Biofuels Investment
by Robert E. Kozak (Advanced Biofuels USA) As a tie-in to President Obama’s current bus tour promoting his job creation plans, the White House has issued a press release promoting a three-year $510 million dollar plan to fund “drop-in” biofuel
August 16, 2011 Read Full Article
President Obama Announces Major Initiative to Spur Biofuels Industry and Enhance America's Energy Security
(The White House) USDA, Department of Energy and Navy Partner to Advance Biofuels to Fuel Military and Commercial Transportation, Displace Need for Foreign Oil, and Strengthen Rural America President Obama today (August 16, 2011) announced that the U.S. Departments of Agriculture,
August 16, 2011 Read Full Article
BCAP Helps Abengoa Solve Chicken-and-Egg Feedstock Issue
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
August 15, 2011 Read Full Article
USDA, DOE Award 10 R&D Grants for Advanced Bioenergy Feedstocks
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
August 12, 2011 Read Full Article
Cellulosic Biofuel Could Revive Farmlands Conservation Program
by Tiffany Stecker (ClimateWire/Scientific American) A study looks into giving farmers permission to harvest cellulosic feedstocks on land set aside for wetlands and wildlife conservation Growing cellulosic feedstocks on federally subsidized conservation land could balance the biofuels emissions equation to be completely carbon-neutral,
August 11, 2011 Read Full Article
Cantwell Applauds Launch of Jet Biofuels Program that Will Support Green Jobs Statewide
(AirportBusiness.com) Today (August 9, 2011) U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) toured the cutting-edge laboratories at Targeted Growth in Seattle and announced the launch of Washington state's first large-scale program for the growth of camelina sativa, a promising non-food feedstock for
August 10, 2011 Read Full Article
Hankinson Ethanol Plant Installing Demo-Scale Anaerobic Digester
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Hankinson Renewable Energy LLC, a 120 MMgy ethanol plant in Hankinson, N.D., is in the process of starting up an anaerobic digester to produce 54 MMBtu of biogas a year, according to David Rein,
August 01, 2011 Read Full Article
Trash-to-Fuel Company Enerkem Raises Another $30M
by Matthew Lynley (Green Beat) Enerkem, a company that specializes in converting unusable waste into ethanol and other chemicals, announced today that it has raised $30 million in an extension of its most recent funding round. Enerkem converts household garbage and leftover
August 01, 2011 Read Full Article
USDA Awards $45 Million to Four New BCAP Projects
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
July 29, 2011 Read Full Article
Chu, Vilsack, Pfannenstiel Headline, Light up BIOMASS 2011 Congress
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, US Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, US Secretary of Energy Steven Chu, and US Assistant Secretary of the Navy Jackalyne Pfannenstiel provided a rousing opening to the DOE’s annual BIOMASS congress in Washington. Opening
July 29, 2011 Read Full Article
Energy Independence: On-Farm Biodiesel Production
Roger Rainville is ahead of the curve when it comes to reducing costs on his farm near Alburgh, Vermont. ...Rainville first got interested in oilseed production when University of Vermont Extension approached him about growing canola seed on his farm. Initially,
July 28, 2011 Read Full Article
Energy and Forestry Programs Examined During Farm Bill's Title IX (Energy) Hearing
by Robert E. Kozak (Advanced Biofuels USA) Many programs authorized by the 2008 Farm Bill will expire in 2012 unless they are included in a new Farm Bill. Among those programs that would expire are all the bioenergy initiatives
July 25, 2011 Read Full Article
Hoover Algae-to-Oil Fuel Plant Fails to Get Grant
by Steve Irvine (The Birmingham News) The Ohio-based company seeking to put a pilot plant in Hoover that would harvest oil from algae to form an alternative fuel didn't receive the $45 million grant it was seeking to build the
July 19, 2011 Read Full Article
Analysis: Ethanol to Edge Pigs for Corn Use, but Not Quite Yet
by Charles Abbott and Karl Plume (Reuters) Ethanol appears almost certain to win the food-versus-fuel contest in the United States. But not just yet. The Agriculture Department forecast that a tad more corn will be used to make ethanol than to feed livestock
July 19, 2011 Read Full Article
CTSI Defense Energy Technology Challenge: Deadline August 5
Energy security and independence are two goals at the heart of the U.S. Military’s investment in clean energy technologies. From it’s own research labs to partnerships with start-ups and major contractors, the U.S. Department of Defense is seeking innovative energy
July 19, 2011 Read Full Article
Debate over Corn Use Estimates Shows Need for Solid Ethanol Data
by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The latest USDA World Agriculture Supply and Demand Estimates marked a milestone of sorts for the ethanol industry. For the first time, the USDA predicts that more corn will be used for ethanol production
July 15, 2011 Read Full Article
New Analysis Continues to Disprove Food v. Fuel Canard
(Renewable Fuels Association) There is no statistical evidence to support the argument that growth in ethanol production is driving consumer food prices higher, according to a comprehensive study released today by Informa Economics. Rather, the report concludes that retail food prices
July 12, 2011 Read Full Article
Ethanol Prices Have Dropped, Will Grocery Manufacturers Follow?
by Stephanie Dreyer (Growth Energy/Renewable Energy World) After a report detailed that farmers have planted the largest number of corn acres in decades and with corn prices falling, one might expect grocery prices to drop. And one might even assume
July 06, 2011 Read Full Article
Momentum Gathering towards Aviation Biofuels Commercialisation as US and European Policy-Makers Signal Support
(GreenAirOnline) The momentum driving the introduction of aviation biofuels received a significant boost with a number of initiatives and events taking place at last week’s Paris Air Show. While the transatlantic biofuel flights conducted by Boeing and Honeywell attracted wide
July 05, 2011 Read Full Article
FEW: 'Feed is Food' Cautions Panel
by Ron Kotrba (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The Food Safety Modernization Act is changing how ethanol producers do business, and it’s shifting focus on just being fuel producers that incidentally make a feed coproduct, to being fuel—and food—producers. “Feed is food,”
July 05, 2011 Read Full Article
GI Joe, Funding Man from Head to Toe: The DoD and Drop-In Biofuels at Scale
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) As the Defense Department looks at its options to directly jump-start drop-in biofuels production at scale, we look at the Defense Production Act – the rationale, the process, the funding, and energy’s role In Washington, a
July 01, 2011 Read Full Article
Led By DoD, Federal Government Hoping To Fund Biorefineries
by Yuliya Chernova (Wall Street Journal) The Department of Defense, an emerging market force in biofuels, is working on a new program to finance non-petroleum fuel production, in collaboration with the departments of energy and agriculture, according to people familiar
July 01, 2011 Read Full Article
The Jobless Recovery, Biofuels, Eency-Weency Balance Sheets, and You
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, President Obama launched the Advanced Manufacturing Partnership – ho-hum, you say, and I think I hear you yawning. ...“Invent here, make elsewhere” is a failed industrial policy, according to a PCAST report, “Ensuring Leadership
June 30, 2011 Read Full Article
Ashtabula County: Growing New Energy Industry
by Tom Beres (WKYC) Farmers in Northeast Ohio and Pennsylvania are being recruited to grow a special grass that can be converted to biofuel energy. Some are already planting miscanthus, a durable grass that won't spread and requiries little fertilizer and care. It
June 29, 2011 Read Full Article
Indian River Agrees to Provide 55,000 Tons of Vegetative Waste Annually to Planned Bio-Ethanol Fuel Plant
by Henry A. Stephens (TCPalm) INEOS New Planet BioEnergy, which is building an estimated $150 million plant on Oslo Road, will be shipping in 90,000 tons a year of yard clippings, tree trimmings and other vegetative waste from other counties
June 27, 2011 Read Full Article
Biofuels Are Creating a Big Buzz in Military
by Renee Schoof (McClatchy Newspapers/Seattle Times) Maj. Aaron Jelinek of the Air Force Thunderbirds flies his F-16 upside down, rolls it, thunders past his teammates in breathtaking close charges and joins five other fighter jets in precision formation. And for the
June 27, 2011 Read Full Article
Biofuels Are Job Creators, Not Hunger Villian: U.S.
by Charles Abbott (Reuters) Biofuels are a "tremendous job creator" for rural areas, said U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on Monday, ahead of a global meeting where the farm-grown fuels may be criticized as a factor in high food prices. ...Biofuels, especially ethanol
June 23, 2011 Read Full Article
Valley Plants Plan to Make Corn-Free Ethanol
by Tim Sheehan (The Fresno Bee) Two plants aim for biofuels made without corn. With corn prices up and demand rising, work is under way in the Valley to develop two biorefineries to make ethanol without using the golden grain. In Visalia,
June 20, 2011 Read Full Article
USDA Announces Projects to Provide Increased Renewable Energy Production, Reduce Reliance on Foreign Oil
(US Department of Agriculture) Projects Further Obama Administration's Effort to Produce Clean Home-Grown Energy, Create Sustainable Rural Jobs Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced today the establishment of four additional Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP) project areas to promote the cultivation of
June 17, 2011 Read Full Article
US Official: Biofuels 'Scapegoat' for High Food Prices
by Steve Baragona (Voice of America) ...(Agriculture) Secretary (Tom)Vilsack told a luncheon gathering in Washington not to believe everything one hears about ethanol's role in today's high and volatile food prices. "The truth of the matter is that corn-based
June 15, 2011 Read Full Article
US Senate Defeats Coburn Amendment: Industry Reaction
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, on a cloture vote in the Senate to proceed to an amendment that would end the current ethanol tax incentive immediately, Senator Coburn’s amendment lost 40-59, falling 20 votes short of the sixty votes needed to
June 15, 2011 Read Full Article
EdeniQ Licenses Yeast Technology From USDA
(PR NewsWire/The Street) EdeniQ, Inc., a California-based clean technology company serving the global biofuels industry, announced today that it has licensed yeast technology from the USDA Forest Products Laboratory (FPL) and the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF) associated with the fermentation
June 14, 2011 Read Full Article
Officials Expect USDA Blender Pump Financing to Be Successful
by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The USDA’s June 15 application deadline for blender pump funding via the Rural Energy for America Program is fast approaching and state energy coordinators say they have been busy fielding calls and assisting with
June 14, 2011 Read Full Article
Obama Administration Establishes White House Rural Council to Strengthen Rural Communities
(US Environmental Protection Agency) The White House today announced the establishment of the first White House Rural Council. While rural communities face challenges, they also present economic potential. To address these challenges, build on the Administration’s rural economic strategy, and
June 09, 2011 Read Full Article
Bloomberg Report Says Biochemical Pathway Attractive to Investors
by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Private financial support for technology acceleration continues to be important, and certain technologies are becoming clear favorites for investors, according to a recent Bloomberg New Energy Finance analysis of financial investments made in biofuels
June 07, 2011 Read Full Article
Vilsack: Food Price Hike More than Ethanol
by Jerry Hagstrom (AgWeek) Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack told a gathering of international agricultural development activists recently that U.S. biofuels should not blamed for most of the increases in food prices in recent years. “With respect to food prices, corn-based
May 31, 2011 Read Full Article
25x'25 Alliance Responds to 'Draconian' Cuts to Farm Energy Program
(25 x '25) The 25x'25 Alliance recognizes that all sectors must make sacrifices to achieve true reductions in spending and the national deficit. However, draconian cuts to a number ofUSDA renewable energy programs included in a larger farm and food spending billadopted
May 26, 2011 Read Full Article
USDA Chief Touts Ethanol's Benefits
by Andy Humbles (The Tennessean) He lauds TN's key role in development of rising biofuel ...U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack was in Nashville on Monday, speaking at a Thorntons gas station in West Nashville on the advantages of ethanol and the
May 24, 2011 Read Full Article
Ag Secretary Touts Agrivida
by Donna Goodison (Boston Herald) Greater Boston doesn’t usually rate as a Hub of agriculture but yesterday U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack was in Medford to praise start-up Agrivida Inc. as an example of how renewable energy research could help
May 16, 2011 Read Full Article
The Council on Sustainable Biomass Production (CSBP) congratulates the Show Me Energy Cooperative for its selection by USDA as the first Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP) project area
(Show Me Energy) The Council on Sustainable Biomass Production (CSBP) congratulates the Show Me Energy Cooperative for its selection by USDA as the first Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP) project area. The designation creates a “fuel shed” of 30 counties in
May 09, 2011 Read Full Article
UK Gets $6.9 Million Federal Grant to Help Reduce Reliance on Imported Oil
by Mary Meehan (Lexington Herald-Leader) The University of Kentucky has received a $6.9 million federal grant to help reduce America's reliance on imported oil, one of eight awards in the country. "It's going to be big," said UK's principal investigator, Sue
May 06, 2011 Read Full Article
KU Research Team Awarded $5.6 Million to Convert Biomass into Chemicals
(The University of Kansas) ...A University of Kansas-led research team has received a $5.6 million grant to develop clean technologies to convert biomass into chemicals that could ultimately replace the petroleum-based chemicals currently used in many household items. Bala Subramaniam, director
May 06, 2011 Read Full Article
USDA and DOE Award Biomass Research and Development Grants to Reduce America's Reliance on Imported Oil
Projects will help develop sustainable, renewable biofuels in the U.S. As part of the Obama Administration's comprehensive plan to address rising gas prices, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu today announced a total of $47 million
May 06, 2011 Read Full Article
OpEd: A Diverse Biofuels Economy
by Tom Vilsack (USDA/The Daily Mail) ...Last year, the United States produced more than 13 billion gallons of ethanol with the bulk of it coming from the Midwest. But Congress set a national goal of using 36 billion gallons of
May 04, 2011 Read Full Article
Next-Generation Biofuels Panel Discussion
(Milken Institute Global Conference) With oil prices spiking and concern over climate change growing, biofuels hold tremendous appeal. But they must overcome considerable hurdles. Further process and technology refinements are needed to ensure that biofuels make a significant dent in
May 04, 2011 Read Full Article
USDA & EPA Tour REG Biodiesel Plant in Newton, IA
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
May 02, 2011 Read Full Article
Tanzania: Expert Faults Commercial Jatropha Investments
(AllAfrica.com) Jatropha should not replace any crops in arable farms and instead should be cultivated by smallholder farmers as hedges for farms, an expert has warned. Pamoja Inc Co-Director Jonathan Otto said in Dar es Salaam recently that jatropha as a
April 29, 2011 Read Full Article
Learn to Run a Biorefinery in a Virtual Control Room Developed by Iowa State Researchers
(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,
April 29, 2011 Read Full Article
How to Decrease Algae Culture “Crashes”
by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com) Arizona State University through a $1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is studying the factors involved in algal crop failure known as culture “crashes.” Grazing zooplankton are considered predators to algae and
April 28, 2011 Read Full Article
Vilsack Rejects Correlation of Food Prices and Ethanol
by David Bennett (Western Farm Press) As food prices rise, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack is not fond of claims that ethanol production is a major cause. He also says an uptick in grain prices will not have a big impact
April 28, 2011 Read Full Article
Michigan State University Receives $2.9M in Federal Grants for Biofuel Research
by Melissa Domsic (LSJ.com) Michigan State University has received $2.9 million in federal grants for bio-based energy research. The U.S. Department of Agriculture awarded five-year grants for three projects focusing on various aspects of producing biofuels, which use renewable plant materials
April 28, 2011 Read Full Article
USDA Revises Plan to Boost Biofuel Investment
by Ben Lefebvre (Dow Jones Newswires/Denver Post) The U.S. Department of Agriculture is embarking on a revised biorefinery-finance program that it hopes will boost the amount of cellulosic-bio fuel production in the country. The USDA seeks to make the advanced-biofuels industry