(University of Illinois ACES/Biomass Magazine)  Researchers from the United States and China have proposed an idea that could improve China’s air quality, but they’re not atmospheric scientists. They’re agronomists.
“China’s poor air quality is caused by …

by Tom Steever (Brownfield Ag News)  An agriculture economist says biodiesel production has had less impact on soybean oil prices than previously thought.  The impression was that the U.S. biodiesel production boom following the establishment …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  The US Department of Energy is supporting a project to identify and mitigate the challenges of moving new fuels and vehicles into markets.  Including but not limited to: facilitating new …

(U.S. Department of Energy)  U.S. Secretary of Energy Rick Perry announced $19.7 million in funding to help businesses move promising energy technologies from DOE’s National Laboratories to the marketplace. This second Department-wide round of funding through …

(Phys.Org/ University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign)  A Boeing 747 burns one gallon of jet fuel each second. A recent analysis from researchers at the University of Illinois estimate that this aircraft could fly for 10 …

(U.S. Department of Energy/Newswise)  Those who are selected for the Chain Reaction Innovations program will gain, among other things, access to Argonne National Laboratory’s world-class R&D infrastructure and technical expertise.
The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) …

by Kathy Swisher (West Virginia University)  West Virginia University biologists are part of a $40 million Department of Energy effort to create sustainable, cost-effective bioproducts through four new bioenergy research centers.
As part of the Center …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  The most visible advanced industrial fermentation target for a number of years has been cellulosic ethanol, but the targets are diversifying and cellulosics themselves are shifting gears from process to …

by Timothy Cama (The Hill)  Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) is calling on the FBI to investigate whether Carl Icahn, a former external adviser to President Trump, violated conflict of interest laws.
Duckworth’s request, outlined in a …

(Phys.Org/University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign)  Fuels that are produced from nonpetroleum-based biological sources may become greener and more affordable, thanks to research performed at the University of Illinois’ Prairie Research Institute that examines the use …

(U.S. Trade and Development Agency)  Today (August 18, 2017), the U.S. Trade and Development Agency awarded a grant to Swayana (Pty) Ltd, a Pretoria-based energy project developer, for a feasibility study that will use innovative …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  The US Department of Energy initiated a project to identify and mitigate the challenges of moving new fuels and vehicles into markets. Specifically, engaging with all critical stakeholders (OEM’s, fuel …

(Advantage News)  The Illinois Department of Transportation has approved implementation of a renewable energy demonstration project using grasses collected from mowing highway rights-of-way.
The work will implement the findings of a three-year study by a multidisciplinary …

by Marie J. French (Politico)   The state’s top energy policy makers moved closer to creating a price for carbon in New York in a much-anticipated report released Friday.
Carbon pricing is seen by many in industry …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  The US Department of Energy has set a goal to “Select and develop at least one route for catalytic upgrading of sugars/related intermediates and/or biologically derived intermediates into fuel blendstockswith …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  ChemCatBio is a research and development consortium dedicated to identifying and overcoming catalysis challenges for biomass conversion processes. Led by U.S. Department of Energy national laboratories, the consortium works “with …

by Karl Plume and Michael Hirtzer (Reuters/St. Louis Today)  A U.S. glut of fuel-grade ethanol has major producers, including Green Plains Inc. and industry pioneer Archer Daniels Midland Co., pursuing other markets and idling excess …

by Chris Clayton (DTN The Progressive Farmer)  … The House Agriculture Committee has its road trip, labeled “Conversations in the Field,” which included a field hearing in Texas on Monday and another one at Farmfest in …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  In Washington, U.S. Secretary of Energy Rick Perry today (July 17, 2017) announced $40 million in Department of Energy awards for the establishment of four DOE Bioenergy Research Centers (BRCs), which …

(Renewable Energy Group/NASDAQ.com)  Renewable Energy Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:REGI) leaders praised Illinois lawmakers for approving a five-year extension of a significant biodiesel incentive.
Current Illinois law, which expires at the end of 2018, offers retailers a 20 …

(Illinois Soybean Association/Biodiesel Magazine)  In recognition of its work in reducing motor vehicle emissions and supporting the Illinois economy, the B20 Club welcomes Al Warren Oil Co. Inc. as its newest member.
Sponsored by the Illinois Soybean Association checkoff program, in partnership …

(Phys.Org/ University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign)  … To penalize the carbon emissions from this so-called indirect land use change, the USEPA and California Air Resources Board include an indirect land use change factor when considering the …

(Resources for the Future) The social cost of carbon is an economic tool used to quantify the societal benefits of reducing —or conversely the damages of emitting—one ton of carbon dioxide emissions in the atmosphere. The …

by Ann Bailey (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  The ethanol industry provides young people with wealth of job opportunities.   —  Nineteen-year-old Marcus Niehaus sees a future in the ethanol industry. The Southeastern Illinois College student said …

(U.S. Department of Energy)The Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) announced the winner of the 2017 BioenergizeME Infographic Challenge on May 4 during a special awards ceremony. The winning infographic, titled “Hydrothermal Liquefaction of Algae,” was created …

(U.S. Department of Energy)  The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) is proud to announce five businesses that will collaborate with national labs as part of the third round of the Small …

by Claudia Lutz (Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Illinois)  New approach combines synthetic biology, genome editing tools, and automation to quickly and effectively produce novel yeast strains
One of humankind’s oldest industrial partners is yeast, a familiar …

(Mahoney Environmental/PR Newswire)  Mahoney Environmental, (www.mahoneyes.com) a leading recycler of cooking oil for over 60 years, recently unveiled its new tractor-trailer combination fleet. This new convoy order for 2017 consists initially of fifteen tractors and …

by Gary Luth (News-Gazette)  … Assertion one: “ethanol does not reduce greenhouse gases or lower emissions from automobiles vs. straight gasoline.” Fact: A 2016 study released by USDA: “Life Cycle Analysis of the Greenhouse Gas Emissions …

by Ron Swoboda (Wallaces Farmer)  E15 provides motorists better value in addition to higher performance and reduced emissions.  —  In early May, the Kwik Trip convenience store chain announced it is joining other major fuel …

(Gevo)  Funding Being Provided Through Department of Energy’s Small Business Voucher Program —
Gevo, Inc. (NASDAQ:GEVO) announced today that it was selected to collaborate with researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) as part of …

by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine)  The Biomass Power Association has released the results of a study demonstrating dramatic carbon benefits can be achieved by using forest residue-based biomass instead of natural gas in power generation …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  From Iowa we received news that Renewable Energy Group has agreed to acquire approximately 82 acres of land at its Geismar, Louisiana biorefinery from Lion Copolymer, for $20M. The goal? …

by Cindy Zimmerman (Energy.AgWired.com)  Midwest convenience store chain Casey’s General Stores will begin offering higher ethanol blends of E15 and E85 at 17 sites in Illinois, Iowa, and Kansas.
The Illinois Corn Marketing Board, Iowa Corn …

(U.S. Department of Energy)  At Earth Day Texas 2017, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced the 38 small businesses that will collaborate with national lab researchers through the Small Business Vouchers (SBV) pilot. SBV …

by  Vernon F. Johnson (Daily Chronicle)  To answer Pat Vary and the Daily Chronicle Editorial Board (“Don’t close door on wind power, page 12, April 14): We don’t need wind turbines as we have a …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  … Algae Butter can reduce saturated fat by up to 50 percent in most applications.
…
While butter doesn’t exactly rival gasoline as a market — it’s pretty substantial, when you get down …

by Scott Irwin (Farm Doc Daily/University of Illinois) Previous farmdoc daily articles (e.g. January 28, 2015; February 11, 2016; March 1, 2017) have documented a “feast or famine” pattern in production profitability of the U.S. biodiesel …

by Chris Mooney (The Washington Post)  A new large-scale technology has launched in Decatur, Illinois that, by combining together corn-based fuels with the burial of carbon dioxide deep underground, could potentially result in the active removal …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  In Illinois, obtaining a certificate of occupancy on a building constructed of 60 Intermodal Shipping Containers is a huge accomplishment for Chip Energy, said company president Paul Wever, president of …

(University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign/Laboratory Equipment)  A multi-institutional team led by the University of Illinois have proven sugarcane can be genetically engineered to produce oil in its leaves and stems for biodiesel production. Surprisingly, the …

by Eric Janssen (Platts)  The US biodiesel blenders tax credit should be taken into consideration even though the credits have lapsed because it is likely to be retroactively reinstated, according to a recent analysis from an …

(Convenience Store News)  Blend coming to 44 Dallas-Fort Worth area c-stores.  —  QuikTrip Corp. will begin offering E15 fuel at 44 of its convenience stores in the Dallas-Forth Worth Metro area.
E15 was approved by the …

by Senators Joni Ernst (R-IA) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) (The Hill)  Six billion gallons. That is the approximate amount of ethanol produced in Iowa and Illinois each and every year. It is more than the …

by  Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  Ethanol critics bash the fuel for its lower energy value than gasoline, while ethanol supporters point to its octane-boosting properties. University of Illinois ag economists Scott Irwin and …

by Sharita L Forrest (Phys.Org) A semiautonomous robot may soon be roaming agricultural fields gathering and transmitting real-time data about the growth and development of crops, information that crop breeders—and eventually farmers—can use to identify the genetic …

(Bioenergy Insight)  US-based science and engineering centre Argonne National Laboratory has developed technology that synergistically uses two waste biomass streams to generate two bioproducts and enhance the process of anaerobic digestion (AD).
According to the organisation, …

by Chris Lusvardi (Herald & Review)  Legislation introduced in Springfield could boost efforts to attract bio-based businesses to Decatur and Central Illinois. The legislation introduced by state Sens. Chapin Rose, R-Mahomet, and Andy Manar, D-Bunker …

by Jim Talent (Americans for Energy Security and Innovation/Belleville News-Democrat)  When Illinois farmers sell wheat, rye or oats on the open market, they can rightly expect that supply and demand will set the price, with …

by Nat Williams (Illinois Farmer Today)  A handful of farmers are not just raising the crops that can be used as biofuels. They’re also working on producing the fuel itself.  A Minnesota-based company is in …

by Ann Bailey (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  CarbonCure Technologies strengthens concrete while reducing its carbon footprint. —  Carbon dioxide from a Wisconsin ethanol plant is strengthening the cement in pours at sites in Chicago. Ozinga, a …

by Bill Cameron (WLS-AM News)  … Duckworth (U.S .Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL))  thinks (nominee to be EPA Administrator Scott) Pruitt is too cozy with Big Oil and so she pressed him hard on protecting the ethanol industry …

(Senator Tammy Duckworth) U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) shared with the nominee to be the Secretary of the Department of Energy (DOE), Governor Rick Perry, how her military service in Iraq taught her about the danger …

(University of Illinois/EurekAlert!)  Today many biofuel refineries operate for only seven months each year, turning freshly harvested crops into ethanol and biodiesel. When supplies run out, biorefineries shut down for the other five months. However, …

(U.S. Department of Energy)  Today, the Energy Department (DOE) announced the selection of six projects for up to $12.9 million in federal funding, entitled, “Project Definition for Pilot- and Demonstration-Scale Manufacturing of Biofuels, Bioproducts, and …

by Cindy Zimmerman (AgWired.com)  The American Seed Trade Association Future Seed Executives (FuSE) had the opportunity to hear about an agricultural high school right in Chicago that is growing the next generation for the industry.
The …

by Scott Irwin and Darrel Good (FarmDoc Daily/University of Illinois)  In the farmdoc daily article of November 30, 2016, we examined the magnitude of the “push” in production and consumption of biofuels implied by the …

(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 …

by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  Two central questions arise when considering biofuels consumption through 2022, write University of Illinois ag economists Scott Irwin and Darrel Good: “When will domestic consumption of ethanol reach …

by Joanna Schroeder (Energy.AgWired.com)  This past October Growth Energy partnered with several retailers who sell E15 for a Pink Out campaign to raise money and awareness for breast cancer. When a consumer purchased E15 during …

by Carl Zulauf (FarmDoc Daily)  Ethanol was a factor in both the price run-up that began in 2006 and the price run-down that began in 2013. Tepid growth replaced explosive growth. The question for the …

by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  The Kansas district bankruptcy court approved the top bid for Abengoa Bioenergy Biomass of Kansas in an order signed Nov. 29 by Judge Robert Nugent. Synata Bio Inc. …

(Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves)  Shifting from a cookstove that burns traditional woodfuel to a stove that uses a cleaner-burning fuel such as ethanol may mitigate cardiovascular health risks in pregnant women, according to a …

by Kari Lydersen (Midwest Energy News)  …  The prospects for cellulosic ethanol becoming a commercially available clean transportation fuel could also hinge on yeast’s ability to ferment corn stalks, switchgrass, wood chips or other fibrous …

(EIN/GlobeNewswire)  Pacific Ethanol, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEIX) and Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway (TPW), a subsidiary of Genesee & Wyoming Inc. (G&W) (NYSE:GWR), announced they have commenced unit train service from Pacific Ethanol’s plant in Pekin, Illinois.
“This …

by Mark Drajem & Ari Natter and James Rowley (Bloomberg)  … Similar to Hillary Clinton’s dilemma on pipelines, a Trump administration could be caught between competing interests on approval for renewable projects or transmission lines on …

by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine)  The U.S. EPA has announced plans to hold a public hearing on Dec. 6 in Chicago for its proposed Renewables Enhancement and Growth Support Rule. Those who wish to testify …

(Green Car Congress)  A new analysis from Argonne National Laboratory, funded by the US Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO), shows the potential of an algae fractionation process to produce renewable diesel fuel with …

(U.S. Grains Council)  A recently released U.S. Grains Council (USGC) study finds that a significant portion of U.S.-produced corn ethanol will likely meet Japan’s 50 percent greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction threshold over gasoline, supporting the …

by Ruth de Jauregui (Metro East Sun)  Rep. John Shimkus (R-IL) recently expressed his readiness to lead the House Energy and Commerce Committee, on which he is the senior member, in pushing for Renewable Fuel Standard …

by Josh Pedrick (Platts)  The higher ethanol production seen so far in 2016 has come from greater sorghum use and boosted yields from corn, said a professor emeritus at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
The Department …

by George Lurie (The Business Journal)  In a first-of-its-kind ruling, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approved Pacific Ethanol’s registration of its Stockton ethanol plant to generate valuable credits by producing cellulosic ethanol with …

by Scott Irwin (Farm Doc Daily/University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign)  RINs prices have been making headlines in recent months, with prices at times crossing the psychologically important $1 per gallon mark. Echoing earlier complaints (farmdoc …

by David Bennett (Convenience Store Decisions)  A unique retail service provider is expanding its vision for the future. —  …  “It’s basically just like a co-op,” (Sam) Odeh (founder and CEO of Power Buying Dealers …

(Detroit Public TV)  Innovative efforts to develop renewable cellulosic ethanol processes.  High school student Tavis Reed and DuPont’s innovative efforts to develop renewable cellulosic ethanol processes.  WATCH VIDEO

by Kerry Smith (The Telegraph)  … With the EPA set to exercise complete control over the RFS program in 2023, traditional corn ethanol may be at risk. Congressman John Shimkus is among those questioning whether the …

(Carbon Cure)  Chicago family business known for quality and service reinforces its commitment to sustainability  —  Known for its iconic red and white striped concrete mixers, the Ozinga name is synonymous with providing the highest …

by Steffen Mueller (University of Illinois at Chicago Energy Resources Center)  … The authors essentially challenge the accuracy of traditional life cycle analysis with their new model.
…
The authors argue that “for a biofuel to provide a net …

by  Samantha Oller (CSP Daily News)  Have I got a fuel for you!  It is higher octane than E10, giving you greater bang for your buck. It features even more  environmentally friendly, domestically produced ethanol. …

by Sara Wyant (Agri-Pulse)  Ask most boaters about ethanol and boats and you’ll likely hear that the two don’t go together. In fact, many gas stations surrounding some of the largest U.S. lakes will advertise “no …

(Illinois State University)  Illinois State Associate Professor of Genetics John Sedbrook is collaborating on a $1 million grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to develop genetic resources that can be used to …

by Lauren Tyler (Next Gen Transportation News)  The Chicago Park District says its environmentally friendly biodiesel program has continued to pay off, and consequently, will showcase the program at a Fleet Education Seminar hosted by …

by Timothy J. Rudnick (Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association)  Seldom do the puzzle pieces align so perfectly as they now have to give Minnesota motorists greater access to E15 and higher blends of Minnesota grown, renewable ethanol.
Some …

by Kari Lydersen (Midwest Energy News)  …  The Argonne modeling shows that when grassland, cropland and pasture in the Midwest are converted to corn for biofuels, the level of carbon sequestration in the soil stays roughly …

by Jodi Delapaz (Agri-Pulse)  High octane fuels (HOF), specifically mid-level ethanol blends (E25-E40), could offer significant benefits for the U.S., according to a new study by the Energy Department’s Oak Ridge, Argonne National laboratory (ANL) …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  In Nebraska, word has arrived from Green Plains that it will purchase the Madison, Ill., Mount Vernon, Ind. and York, Neb. ethanol facilities from Abengoa Bioenergy with combined annual production …

by Mark Schipper (DNA info)  Loyola University has the only college-level chemical manufacturing business in the country that is federally licensed to produce and sell biodiesel on the open market.
…
Loyola’s warehouse-like refining facility, accessed through a …

by Kelsey Landis (The Telegraph)  A grant from a national non-profit organization will fund a study examining how to develop Madison County’s energy industry, officials announced last week.
Representatives from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville applied for the …

by Rebecca Chillrud (Environmental and Energy Study Institute)  … Gas stations that offer higher blends are currently few and far between, but the ACE’s “Retailer Roadmap” aims to help change the fuels landscape. The Roadmap analyzes …

by Jeff Lynn (State Journal-Register) A recent letter to the editor from Don Breiner got biodiesel all wrong. The letter is full of inaccuracies but the main point regarding how much biodiesel can be used in …

by Susanna Retka-Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  Sheetz, Thortons executives give careful thought to strategically offering the new fuel. —  Almost weekly, another announcement is made about a retail location offering E15. The rollouts, large and …

(Hoosier Ag Today/NAFB News Service)  The U.S. Grains Council says key members of Japan’s media traveled across the United States last week to learn about corn production, ethanol, and biotechnology. The members of Japan’s media …

by Brent Erickson (Biotechnology Innovation Organization/Biofuels Digest)  Members of Congress just returned to their home states and districts for the August recess to meet with constituents and campaign for the upcoming elections. You can be …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  “What color is your parachute?” went the title of a best-selling book from the 80s on job hunting. The concept applies equally to biomass feedstock in the 2010s. There’s one …

(Growth Energy)  Recently, the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge, Argonne, and National Renewable Energy Laboratories released their “Summary of High Octane, Mid-Level Ethanol Blends Study.” This scientific analysis showed the numerous benefits of using high …

(U.S. Department of Energy)  Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) of light-duty vehicles are pursuing a broad portfolio of technologies to reduce CO2 emissions and improve fuel economy. Central to this effort is higher efficiency spark ignition …

(Biofuels International)  lllinois Institute of Technology researchers have received a patent for a method to genetically engineer bacteria and yeast to increase bioethanol production, especially from cellulosic material in biomass like twigs, branches, plant stalks …

(U.S. Department of Energy)  The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced today up to $11.3 million for three projects that support the development of biomass-to-hydrocarbon biofuels conversion pathways that can produce variable amounts of fuels …

(IIT Today)  Scientists from Illinois Institute of Technology received a patent for a method to genetically engineer bacteria and yeast to increase bioethanol production, especially from cellulosic material in biomass like twigs, branches, plant stalks …

by Joanna Schroeder (Energy.AgWired.com) Researchers with the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Argonne National Laboratory are using computational modeling to predict which counties in Illinois could see increases in soil organic carbon from crops such as …

(Renewable Fuels Association/Ethanol Producer Magazine)  The Renewable Fuels Association is pleased to announce that HWRT Oil Co. will become the first company in the United States to offer pre-blended E15 at the terminal level. The …

by Katie Elyce Jones (Phys.Org)  To help stakeholders in government and business make smart decisions about the best types of land and local climates for planting bioenergy crops, researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s …

(Renewable Fuels Association/Ethanol Producer Magazine)  The Renewable Fuels Association is proud to announce that the Power Energy Corp. has been awarded a $1.44 million grant from Illinois to offer higher ethanol blends at 20 retail …

(U.S. Department of Energy)  The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced nearly $16 million in funding to help businesses move promising energy technologies from DOE’s National Laboratories to the marketplace. This first Department-wide round …

by Mike Nolan (Chicago Tribune)  … Thorntons has begun equipping some of its Chicago-area stations to dispense E15, which contains 15 percent ethanol, and is converting other local stations to carry the product.
One knock against E85 …

by Ann Bailey (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  BBI International has awarded the 2016 Kathy Bryan Memorial Scholarship to Donald Jackson and Patrick Thimes.
The two $2,000 memorial scholarships are awarded annually to students pursuing degrees that may …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) … Here, we profile 15 techs that offer incremental to profound shifts in the economics of the Gen-1 ethanol fleet, and have implications for everything from passenger cars to jets.
#15 Vertimass  and Byogy
#14 …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  The Blundermeisters of Media Misinformation are at it again. The world’s favorite advanced biofuel, biodiesel, gets another hit job from mainstream media. The Digest investigates.  —  AFP, the major international …

by Charlie Good (Des Moines Register/Good and Quick)  … Today, due to a combination of a quirk in federal regulation and the heavy-handed tactics of the oil industry, I walk out to my fuel pumps and …

(Argonne National Laboratory)  Developing transformative energy technologies and cleaner manufacturing processes and new materials requires more than a great idea and some committed people. It takes an innovation ecosystem.
To meet this challenge, the U.S. Department …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, Ames National Lab, Argonne National Lab, Idaho National Lab, Los Alamos National Lab, the National Renewable Energy Lab, Oak Ridge National Lab, Pacific Northwest National Lab, …

(Algae Industry Magazine)  The U.S. Department of Energy announced up to $10 million in funding for six projects representing innovative technologies and solutions to advance bioenergy development. These projects, located in Arizona, California, North Carolina, …

(Algae Industry Magazine)  Unitel Technologies, an Illinois-based designer and builder of pilot and mini-plants, announced that it has received a patent for a new technology to make fatty acids from a feedstock “soup” of cultivated …

by Tom C. Doran (AgriNews) Legislation that supporters say will enhance consumer choices and increase demand for Illinois corn was unanimously approved in the Illinois Senate.
The bill allows the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to …

by Claire Benjamin (University of Illinois) … The University of Illinois and the University of Florida have been awarded a third round of funding from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) to realize …

(Renewable Energy Group Inc./Biodiesel Magazine)  enewable Energy Group Inc. announced May 2 that the company’s Danville, Illinois, operation now has more than 14 million gallons of tank capacity to store both biodiesel and feedstocks.
REG Danville …

by Keith Loria (Ethanol Producer Magazine)   Biodiesel tanks are popping up in the tank farms at some ethanol plants these days. — During the past decade, there has been a great deal of innovation and thought …

by Tim Landis (State Journal-Register)  ….  At issue is a proposal to eliminate a 20 percent per-gallon sales tax break on sales of E10 fuels and create a 10 percent break for E15, which currently …

by Jeff Lynn (The State Journal-Register)  I farm in Cass County. I am proud my equipment runs on a biodiesel blend. The fuel is home-grown and better for the environment. I just came in from …

by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine)  The U.S. imported a record volume of biomass-based diesel in 2015.  …  This increase in imports is particularly interesting because 2015 was a year with no forward-looking $1-per-gallon blender’s tax …

by Meghan Sapp (Biofuels Digest)  In Washington, the DOE’s ARPA-E TERRA projects seek to accelerate the development of sustainable energy crops for the production of renewable transportation fuels from biomass. To accomplish this, the projects …

by Lauren Quinn (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) Salt-affected land is not useful for producing food crops, but biomass producers could take advantage of salt-tolerant perennial grasses to make use of that land. –In a greenhouse …

by  Stephen Edelstein (Green Car Reports)  … Altering sugarcane to produce oil could yield much greater amounts of biodiesel than the current most popular crop, soybeans, say researchers from the University of Illinois (via Wards Auto).
…
But …

by Mario Parker (Bloomberg Business) … Back in 2007, when crude oil was headed toward a record $147.27 a barrel, ethanol was being touted as a cheap alternative from abundant domestic resources. The U.S. is the …

(National Biodiesel Board/PR Newswire)  North America’s top fleets have spoken, and their #1 choice for greening their fleet operations is biodiesel.  According to a new 2016 Fleet Purchasing Outlook study conducted by the NTEA – …

by Ann Purvis (Heartland Institute)  … (A) new study from researchers at Strata Policy (SP) and the Institute of Political Economy (IPE) at Utah State University suggests RFS also harms the very farmers the ethanol mandate …

(Renewable Fuels Association)  Fueling retailer Thorntons announced today that it will offer its branded E15 option, Unleaded15, at all 43 Chicago-area locations beginning this month. In response, Renewable Fuels Association President and CEO Bob Dinneen …

by Lauren Quinn (University of Illinois)  Today most U.S. biodiesel is produced from soybean. But despite its value as a protein source, soybean only provides the equivalent of about one barrel of oil per acre. …

by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) …  To write this, I talked to Chris Disher and Max Kinast.  As Disher said, it’s a story full of controversy, intrigue and lies. And, even though that conversion kit was …

(US Department of Agriculture)  Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced the availability of up to $260 million for partner proposals to improve the nation’s water quality, combat drought, enhance soil health, support wildlife habitat and …

by Colleen Scherer (Ag Professional)  … A recent University of Illinois study is using genetic markers to identify early developmental traits in Miscanthus that correlate with future yield.
…
On a practical level, the researchers saw strong positive …

by Rick Edwards (Adams County Farm Bureau/Herald-Whig) Letter to Editor:  A commercial airing locally, produced by Smarter Fuel Future, is out to make you believe ethanol is really bad — bad for you, for your …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  In Missouri, Abengoa Bioenergy US Holding, LLC filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy relief in the US Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Missouri on behalf of itself and 5 of its …

(Morgan Stanley)  As the world embraces a low-carbon economy, should investors change how they view fossil fuel investments?  —  … Most investors interested in establishing a fossil-fuel aware portfolio can follow a four step roadmap to …

(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 …

by Dave Evensen (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) Research finds where bioenergy crops would grow best while minimizing detrimental effects on aquatic ecosystems  —  … Researchers at the University of Illinois used detailed models to examine impacts …

(US Environmental Protection Agency/ForConstructionPros.com)  The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced 38 People, Prosperity and the Planet (P3) grants to university student teams for proposed projects to develop new, sustainable products and strategies. Each team …

by Jonathan Coppess (Farm Doc Daily)  The Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) has been a hot topic of late given the release of the final rule and its rather prominent feature leading up to the recent Iowa …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  The IH2 process was developed by Gas Technology Institute (GTI) of Des Plaines, Illinois—a research, development, and training organization serving energy markets.  GTI experts invented, tested, and patented IH2 technology and are …

by  Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  Ethanol continues to maintain its status as the low-cost octane enhancer, in spite of low oil prices reducing the cost of competing petroleum-based aromatics.  The biggest threat, say …

by Chris Prentice, Michael Hirtzer and Karl Plume (Reuters)  When Archer Daniels Midland opened two of the country’s largest ethanol plants in Nebraska and Iowa six years ago, the biofuels market was on the cusp …

(Elevance Renewable Sciences, Inc.)  In collaboration with several partners, including the special contribution of Versalis under a strategic partnership started in early 2014, Elevance Renewable Sciences, Inc. — a high-growth company that creates novel specialty …

by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  Global trade for U.S. ethanol has been trending up in the past decade, becoming an important part of the industry’s growth strategy.  —   Looking at the numbers, it doesn’t …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  In Delaware, DuPont Industrial Biosciences and Archer Daniels Midland announced a new breakthrough process in producing FDME from fructose, with “the potential to expand the materials landscape in the 21st …

by Nathan Collins (Pacific Standard)  Researchers combine ecological and economic models to examine the benefits of growing grass as fuel.  —  … Fortunately, corn isn’t the only source of ethanol—in particular, there are perennial grasses like …

by Nat Williams (The Southern News Services)  …The reasons include the Great Recession and falling gasoline prices, among a few other things.
At issue is the federal mandate for ethanol inclusion as a component of motor …

(EurekAlert!/University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign)  Second-generation biofuel crops like the perennial grasses Miscanthus and switchgrass can efficiently meet emission reduction goals without significantly displacing cropland used for food production, according to a new study. Researchers …

by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  … “Most investors are from South Dakota by far,” he reported, but the project did attract investors from Texas, Kansas, Iowa, Minnesota and Illinois. “Generally, from areas where they …

by Scott Irwin (FarmDocDaily)  This is a presentation summary from the 2015 Illinois Farm Economics Summit (IFES) which occurred December 14-18, 2015. A complete collection of presentations including PowerPoint Slides (PPT) and printable summaries (PDF) …

by Ron Kotrba (Biomass Magazine)  Alternative energy companies typically prosper when oil prices are high, but it’s not all doom and gloom when the cost of crude nosedives.
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So what does all this mean for the …