by Donnell Rehagen (National Biodiesel Board/Real Clear Energy)  … The ethanol industry wants EPA to remove a regulatory barrier to higher ethanol blends. In exchange, the refining industry wants to sunset the Renewable Fuel Standard. Late in …

by Igor Houwat and Andrew Hagen (Michigan State University)  The lab of Cheryl Kerfeld has announced a breakthrough in manipulating miniature factories, found in bacteria, that hold much promise in the biotech field.
The factories, called expand iconbacterial …

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 …

(University of Michigan)  University of Michigan scientists grew various combinations of freshwater algal species in 80 artificial ponds at U-M’s E.S. George Reserve near Pinckney, Michigan in the first large-scale, controlled experiment to test the widely …

(Yale University)  Our Center hosted a student video competition at the 22nd Green Chemistry & Engineering conference in Portland, Oregon. The competition is part of the bigger Yale-UNIDO initiative, which aims to increase the general global …

by Kelsey Quargnenti (Renewable Fuels Association)  Last month, the Renewable Fuels Association custom E85 motorcycle from Paul Jr. Designs made its debut on “American Chopper.” It seems that most companies that commission a custom motorcycle from …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  The meanest, nastiest, ornierest, heat-seeking organism ever found that munches biomass and other microbes that got a booster via the DOE’s $40M grants for advanced microbes R&D. And aromatics without the …

(U.S. Department of Energy)  The U.S. Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO)-funded Algae Technology Educational Consortium (ATEC) is proud to announce its first graduates from the algal certificate program at Santa Fe Community College in Santa Fe, …

(Phys.Org/University of Michigan)  …  Overall, the researchers found that diverse mixes of algal species, known as polycultures, performed more key functions at higher levels than any single species—they were better at multitasking. But surprisingly, the researchers …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  The Andersons operate four ethanol plants for respective LLCs in Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Iowa that are collectively capable of producing over 475 million gallons of ethanol.  The company’s Ethanol Group provides facility …

by Henry Payne (Detroit News)  The IndyCars racing in the Detroit Grand Prix at Belle Isle this weekend will carry the logos of Chevrolet, Honda, Firestone and others. With 100,000 in attendance on the island and nearly 2 million …

by Kali Katerberg (Daily Mining Gazette)  After months of waiting, Synsel Energy announced on Thursday that financing terms for construction of a biofuel plant at the site of the former Smurfit-Stone paper mill have been finalized.
The …

by Igor Houwat, Eric Poliner (MSU-DOE Plant Research Laboratory)  Eric Poliner and a team of MSU scientists in the Farre and Benning labs have released a new genetic engineering toolkit for the alga Nannochloropsis. The alga …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  … The deal creates the largest US oil refiner (and a top-five refiner globally) at 3.1 million barrels per day of capacity — Valero is around the same size, but that …

by Mark E. Griffin (Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center)  Zymomonas mobilis is a creature of habit, a bacterial species that loves to eat simple sugars and produce ethanol, but shows little interest in anything else.
…
But TerAvest (Michaela TerAvest, …

by Betsy Lillian (NGT News)  Ameresco Inc. says its gas-to-energy facility at Waste Management’s Woodland Meadows Landfill in Michigan has achieved Environmental Protection Agency approval and is now in operation.
Ameresco designed and built and now owns …

by Betsy Lillian (NGT News)  New Hudson, Mich.-based Icom North America and Ayr, Ontario-based Hiller Truck Tech have signed an exclusive distribution agreement for Icom Dynamic compressed natural gas (CNG)/diesel and liquefied natural gas (LNG)/diesel dual-fuel systems …

(Detroit Zoological Society/Biomass Magazine)  The Detroit Zoological Society will be number one at giving away number two when it hosts its sixth annual GreenFest at the Detroit Zoo on April 14, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.  …

by Chris Clayton (DTN The Progressive Farmer)  Leaders of the Senate Agriculture Committee are getting ready to move ahead on drafting a farm bill, ideally in April, and will seek to avoid the rancor over food …

by Kali Katerberg (The Daily Mining Gazette)  … At its Wednesday meeting, the Economic Development Commission (EDC) heard an update on the SynSel Biofuel plant planned for the area.
“The last time we were here, we were …

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 …

by Jan Tucker (Your Daily Globe)   A public announcement of the construction and development of a $300 million advanced biofuels plant at the site of the closed paper mill in Ontonagon is “expected shortly,” Pat Tucker told the Ontonagon …

by Jessie Stolark (Enviromental and Energy Study Institute)  On December 12, the House Energy & Commerce Committee held a hearing, “Update on the Corporate Average Fuel Economy Program (CAFE) and Greenhouse Gas Emissions Standards for Motor …

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 …

by Todd Neeley (DTN The Progressive Farmer)  Cellulosic technology companies have invested time and millions of dollars to explore ways to convert biomass into cellulosic ethanol for the better part of 20 years.
Most technologies have fallen …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Last week, DowDuPont said it was exiting the cellulosic biofuels business and you’d think that the company just burned down the warehouse with the original text of the Renewable Fuels Standard …

(Fox47News/MSU Today)  Michigan State University scientists are proposing a new way to economically produce biodegradable plastics with sunlight and help from an ancient microorganism.
The team, led by Taylor Weiss, a postdoctoral researcher in the Ducat MSU-Department of Energy …

by Igor Houwat, Taylor Weiss (Michigan State University) … “But this pair has complementary strengths: the cyanos are constantly producing sugar, and the bacteria are constantly beefing up on it, which encourages the cyanos to keep …

by Melanie Zanona (The Hill)  … Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.), who has also been leading a House push to pave the way for autonomous vehicles, reintroduced a bill that would promote investments in the research and …

by Keith Laing (Detroit News)  U.S. Rep. Fred Upton, R-St. Joseph, has introduced legislation that would allow automakers to apply credits for gas mileage improvements from model years as far back as 2009 to help comply …

(PR Web)  The ABBA Integrated Biorefinery project, to be built at the AVAPCO Thomaston Georgia site, will co-produce bio jet fuel and Bioplus® nanocellulose. It has received a Phase 1, $3.7 million award from the Department …

(Bioenergy Insight)  A number of research projects focused on bioenergy and biofuels have been selected for the US Community Science Programme (CSP) of the US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute.
…
Boulos Chalhoub of the French National …

by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest)  … Regardless of which side of the fence you are on, the chopping continues and there are literally tons of wood waste left behind that doesn’t get used up, but …

(Michigan State University)  Michigan State University scientists will explore new algae-based technologies to capture power plant emissions and sustainably turn them into valuable products.
The research project, funded by a $1 million grant from the U.S. Department …

(Michgan State Univesity)  Both civil airlines and the military have successfully used camelina oil blends to fly airplanes. Camelina is not a significant food crop. So why doesn’t the oilseed plant compete with petroleum products?
Small …

by Peter Wilcox (Passage Maker)  Having the opportunity to imagine and oversee the building of my own ideal Inside Passage vessel has been exquisitely educational—initiating a chain of engaging design, building, voyaging, and teaching adventures.
…
Taking …

(Phys.Org/U.S. Department of Energy) …However, weather conditions could greatly affect crop yields. In this study, researchers examined the effect of weather on biofuel production by comparing switchgrass and corn stover harvested after a year of …

(Michigan State University)  Michigan State University researchers are experimenting with harvesting seed oil to make biofuels that could someday power our jets and cars.
In a recent study published in the journal The Plant Cell, the …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  … Long ago, the DOE shifted from a “biofuels and nothing else” focus to integrated biorefineries that can compete “across the whole barrel” with petroleum — recognizing that while chemicals make …

by Vanessa Dietz (The Daily Mining Gazette)  … SynSel Energy Inc., of Elmhurst, Illinois, chose Ontonagon as one of two U.S. sites to build advanced biofuels plants that will produce synthetic gasoline, diesel and aviation fuels …

(Michigan State University/Ethanol Producer Magazine)  A collaborative study by Mojgan Nejad, MSU forestry, proves that lignin, a byproduct of paper and bioethanol production, can completely replace phenol in phenolic adhesive formulation. This research directly impacts …

(U.S. Department of Energy)  The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced today that it will award a fourth project—up to $1.8 million—under the MEGA-BIO: Bioproducts to Enable Biofuels Funding Opportunity. In August 2016, DOE’s Bioenergy …

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 …

(Michigan State University)  … What we do know is that the precursors for seed oil come from many sources in a plant cell. And Kun (Kenny) Wang and the Benning lab have recently identified a new, potentially significant one.
The …

by Jan Tucker (Your Daily Globe)   Ontonagon has been selected as one of two initial sites in the U.S. for the construction of an advanced biofuels plant. SynSel Energy, Inc., is partnering with a U.S.-based financier …

(Phys.Org/Rutgers University)  Biofuels like the ethanol in U.S. gasoline could get cheaper thanks to experts at Rutgers University-New Brunswick and Michigan State University.  They’ve demonstrated how to design and genetically engineer enzyme surfaces so they …

(Phys.Org/Michigan State University)  Could cellulosic biofuels – or liquid energy derived from grasses and wood – become a green fuel of the future, providing an environmentally sustainable way of meeting energy needs? In Science, researchers at …

by Lauren Tyler (NGT News)  DTE Biomass Energy, an Ann Arbor, Mich.-based subsidiary of DTE Energy, says it has acquired two landfill gas-to-energy projects in Texas, which will generate enough renewable natural gas (RNG) to fuel more …

(Office of Senator Gary Peters)  U.S. Senators Gary Peters (D-MI), Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) today announced they are reintroducing the bipartisan Vehicle Innovation Act to encourage investments in research and development of …

by Bruce Dale (Detroit News)  Regarding “Renewable Fuel Standard has failed, April 16,” Prof. Wolfram has failed to do his homework.
The corn grown to make ethanol is not the same as sweet corn we eat. …

by Stephen Rapundalo (Morning Consult/MichBio)  The United States Department of Agriculture just dropped a truth bomb. According to the agency’s new landmark report, the carbon benefits associated with homegrown ethanol have far surpassed previous expectations …

(PHYCO2/Biodiesel Magazine)  PHYCO2 LLC, an emerging algae production, waste water treatment and carbon dioxide sequestration company, announced the successful treatment of wastewater from breweries to comply with state water discharge limits for nitrates and phosphates. During Phase …

by Will Smith (Springhouse Consulting/Biodiesel Magazine)  While the majority of U.S. biodiesel is still produced from soybean and canola oil, the role of alternative feedstock has increased steadily over the past decade. The lower production …

(Growth Energy)  A new post-election survey released today shows that decisive voters in the 2016 presidential election are staunch supporters of American ethanol. The survey of 3,000 Trump voters in the Midwestern battleground states of …

(Science News/University of Michigan)  When growing algae in outdoor ponds as a next-generation biofuel, a naturally diverse mix of species will help reduce the chance of crop failure, according to a new study. — … …

by Bob Dinneen (The Hill/Renewable Fuels Association)  In the flurry of post-election punditry and analysis, much credit was given to disenfranchised factory workers and coal miners in the Rust Belt and Appalachia for delivering Donald …

(Michigan State University Extension)  Youth can explore biofuel at 4-H Renewable Energy Camp and through other 4-H science programs.  —  …You can help youth explore biofuels by guiding them through an activity that shows how …

by Nicole Heslip  (Brownfield Ag News)  New research at Michigan State University has the potential to create a biofuel source produced by algae.
Plant researcher Danny Ducat tells Brownfield certain algae bacteria can capture more solar …

(U.S. Department of Energy)  Today, the Energy Department (DOE) announced up to $7 million for eight universities to accelerate the introduction of affordable, scalable, and sustainable high-performance fuels for use in high-efficiency, low-emission engines. Under the Co-Optimization …

(Michigan State University)  Michigan State University scientists have engineered “molecular Velcro” into cyanobacteria, boosting this microalgae’s biofuel viability as well as its potential for other research.
The findings, featured in the current issue of ACS Synthetic …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  In Ontario,  the Bio-Industrial Process Research Centre at Lambton College and Western Sarnia-Lambton Research Park – collaboration with the OSGA and its partners – completed a techno-economic modelling feasibility study. …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Lignocellulosic sugars and lignin have become necessary intermediates for advancing research towards economically producing biofuels and bioproducts. Recently, the US Department of Energy issued a Request for Information: Cellulosic Sugar …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Lignocellulosic sugars and lignin have become necessary intermediates for advancing research towards economically producing biofuels and bioproducts. Recently, the US Department of Energy issued a Request for Information: Cellulosic Sugar …

(U.S. Department of Energy)  The results of the U.S. Department of Energy Bioenergy Technologies Office’s (BETO’s) Cellulosic Sugar and Lignin Production Capabilities Request for Information (RFI) are now available on the RFI responses web page. This …

by John Upton (Climate Central)  It may have seemed apparent to members of Congress a decade ago that if a motorist pumped a gallon of fuel made from corn into their gas tank, a gallon …

(Biofuels International)  The US Grains Council (USGC) recently hosted a team of car, fuel, and ethanol industry representatives from Southeast Asia to engage in a fact finding mission about higher blends of ethanol in the …

by Gary Truitt (Hoosier Ag Today)  On Wednesday Senators Joe Donnelly (D-IN) and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) toured the Noble Americas South Bend Ethanol Plant, highlighting Evan Bayh’s strong support for Indiana’s corn and ethanol industries …

by Joanna Schroeder (Energy.AgWired.com)  Detroit Public Television (DPTV) is debuting a new ethanol documentary this Sunday, October 9, 2016 at 9:00 pm ET called, “The Ethanol Effect“. The film, produced by DPTV, takes a look …

by John Lippert and Jeff Plungis (Bloomberg)  … As head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s air-quality and transportation office, (Chris) Grundler holds as much sway as any single human over how global automakers allocate more than …

(Van Wert Independent News)  Van Wert County officials are hoping a big biofuels purchase by JetBlue airlines will eventually mean jobs for county residents.
The biofuels purchase by JetBlue is from SG Preston, a company that …

by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  The USDA recently announced $7.4 million in grants will be awarded to 76 small businesses through the Small Business Innovation Research program to support research related to food security, …

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 Todd Neeley (DTN/The Progressive Farmer)  With all of the political fights about the role ethanol and other biofuels have in the transportation sector, there is common ground for the ethanol, oil and automobile industries …

by Marie-Joe Costantine (BioFuelNet)  Study stating “ biofuels are worse than gasoline” is fundamentally flawed  —  … In the study, when (John) DeCicco and colleagues calculate the CO2 emissions going into the atmosphere, they consider all parts …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  This season, The Digest is hosting the Strategic Intent webinar series, looking at the plans, progress and future milestones of strategic stakeholders in the Advanced Bioeconomy.
In this slide deck, we …

(Environmental and Energy Study Institute)  … Many respected laboratories, agencies, and researchers have used a lifecycle analysis to show that biofuels, particularly advanced biofuels, provide significant carbon benefits compared to gasoline. These benefits have increased in …

by Robert C. Brown (Des Moines Register)  … The genesis of the latest headlines is frustration among certain biofuels critics that life-cycle analysis no longer supports their criticism of biofuels. The solution, of course, is …

by  Marc J. Rauch (The Auto Channel) … I can’t say for sure, since I haven’t done a count and compared it to a calendar, but it seems to me that the American oil industry has …

Rowena Lindsay (Christian Science Monitor)  A new study suggests that biofuels can mitigate only 37 percent of the CO2 released by burning the biofuel. —  That’s a flawed premise, argues Daniel Schrag, a geology professor …

(MichBio/BusinessWire)  MichBio, the biosciences industry association in Michigan, issued the following statement today regarding the release of a University of Michigan research study that claims the rising use of biofuels in the U.S. has led …

by Richard Truett (Automotive News)  Raising the octane in gasoline — seen as a way to improve fuel economy and reduce emissions in today’s high-tech turbocharged, direct-injected engines — looks like it will get some …

(Renewable Fuels Association)  Today, University of Michigan Energy Institute researchers, led by longtime biofuels critic Professor John DeCicco, released a study funded by the American Petroleum Institute (API) claiming biofuels do not reduce carbon emissions …

by Keith Matheny (Detroit Free Press)  The multi-billion-dollar U.S. biofuels industry — promoted and expanded for over a decade by the federal government — may be built on a false assumption, according to a new University …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Green Plains is a vertically-integrated ethanol producer based in Omaha, Nebraska. They currently have an ethanol production capacity of approximately 1.5 billion gallons per year with 17 plants located in …

by Dustin Walsh (Crain’s Detroit Business)  Jerry Jung, former owner of Michigan CAT and longtime environmentalist, is using his wealth to take down ethanol production.
Jung, chairman of the Michigan Colleges Alliance, recently launched RethinkEthanol.com — …

(The Detroit News)  The idea ethanol is the transportation fuel of the future never seems to fall out of fashion among certain members of Congress—including Michigan’s own Debbie Stabenow. But it’s time for this outdated …

(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 …

by Steve Brachmann (IP Watchdog)  …  Last March, researchers from Western Michigan University (WMU) made a presentation at that year’s national meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS) on how algae could be transformed into …

(Fuel Cells Works)  Latest, Phase II of current program prepares for rollout of fuel cell vehicles nationwide in near future  —  Hyundai and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) are extending their fuel cell vehicle …

(Phys.Org)  Plant cell walls, which constitute the bulk of plant biomass, are diverse, complex, and dynamic in their structural composition and integrity. Cell walls are innately resistant to deconstruction by biological or chemical catalysts. This …

by Emily Monacelli (Michigan Live)  The chief executive of a former Southwest Michigan biofuels company has been indicted in what federal prosecutors allege was a scheme to defraud the government out of $2 million in …

by Gollany HT, Titus BD, Scott DA, Asbjornsen H, Resh SC, Chimner RA, Kaczmarek DJ, Leite LF, Ferreira AC, Rod KA, Hilbert J, Galdos MV, Cisz ME (Biogeochemical Research)   Rapid expansion in biomass production for …

by Charlotte Hsu (University at Buffalo/Biomass Magazine)  Researchers from four U.S. universities are teaming up with dairy farms across the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic to study the effect of three different manure management techniques on preventing …

(Michigan State University/AgProfessional.com)  … The study, conducted by the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center and Michigan State University, found that using nitrogen fertilizer on switchgrass crops sharply  increases the amount of nitrous oxide emitted. Switchgrass has …

(US Department of Agriculture)  Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced today that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investing $8.8 million to boost the production of advanced biofuels and sustain jobs at renewable energy facilities …

by Krista Eastman (Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center)  Less input, more output. That’s the achievement of a new biomass pretreatment method that could help improve the economics of cellulosic biofuels, the second-generation biofuels made from …

by Krista Eastman (Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center) Three U.S. Department of Energy-funded research centers – the BioEnergy Science Center (Oak Ridge National Laboratory), the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center (University of Wisconsin–Madison and Michigan State …

(Fuels America/The Auto Channel)  Certified mechanics, engine performance experts, and professional fishermen are briefing lawmakers on Capitol Hill today about the importance of ethanol in protecting the environment, preserving America’s energy security, and providing a …

(PHYCO2/Biomass Magazine)  PHYCO2, an emerging algae growth and carbon dioxide sequestration company, has made a technology breakthrough in Phase I of the multi-year trial with Michigan State University.  The technology partnership set out to capture …

by Gary Truitt (Hoosier Ag Today)  The gasoline used by more than 95 percent of Americans, E10,
contains 10 percent ethanol and is safe to use in marine engines. All current boat engines are warrantied for …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Last year, we reported that  Research & Markets projected the “Nanocellulose Market by Type (Cellulose nanocrystals, Cellulose nanofibrils, cellulose nanocomposites, and others) to reach $250 Million by 2019, signifying annualized CAGR of 19% between …

(PHYCO2) PHYCO2 -an emerging algae growth and carbon dioxide sequestration company- has made a technology breakthrough in Phase I of the multi-year trial with Michigan State University (MSU).  The technology partnership set out to capture …

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 …

(PHYCO2)  PHYCO2, an emerging algae growth and carbon dioxide sequestration company, and Michigan State University (MSU) have announced a partnership designed to generate sustainable, clean energy sources through a new method to produce algae.
The partnership will demonstrate the …

by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com)  In response to a recent misleading piece in BoatUS, which warned of marine engine damage due to ethanol, Keith Holmes, President and Owner of CK Motorsports, a certified Mercury Marine Engine …

by James L. Stewart (California’s BioEnergy Producers Association/Technikon/Biofuels Digest) A major worldwide effort is underway through the non-profit organization R20 Regions of Climate Action to assist sub-national states and jurisdictions in developing projects that promote clean energy and …

by John Wiegand (MiBiz)  … The independent family-owned businesses also often take the long view on the investments, worrying less about immediate ROI in favor of finding workable solutions to persistent problems. That’s led to opportunities for …

(Renewable Fuels Association)  Auto industry veteran Tracey King has joined the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) as the organization’s new Technical Director. King will serve as the RFA’s top liaison to the automakers, and will focus …

(Green Car Congress)  A team from the US, China and India, led by researchers from Michigan State University, has developed a new liquid ammonia biomass pretreatment methodology called Extractive Ammonia (EA). EA-pretreated corn stover delivers …

(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 …

(Biodiesel Magazine/U.S. Environmental Protection Agency)  The U.S. Department of Justice, on behalf of the U.S. EPA, filed a civil complaint Jan. 4 in federal court in Detroit, Michigan, against Volkswagen AG, Audi AG, Volkswagen Group …

by Robert E. Kozak* (Advanced Biofuels USA) Of all the grandstanding by politicians over the Flint, Michigan, drinking water disaster perhaps the most hypocritical has been that of Democrats such as Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton …

by Nicole Heslip (Brownfield Ag News)  Strong ethanol demand and ample supplies are two of the main reasons the Andersons are doubling ethanol production at their Michigan facility.  Mike Irman, Vice President and General Manager …

by Robert E. Kozak and Joanne Ivancic (Advanced Biofuels USA)   This year, for a change, in the introduction to his remarks at the Washington, DC Auto Show, US Energy Secretary Dr. Ernest Moniz pointed out …

by David Tracy (Jalopnik) Upset that Volkswagen deceived them into buying a not-so-clean diesel, Marcus Moench and Elisabeth Caspari are driving from Colorado to VW’s headquarters in Virginia to return their Jetta SportWagen TDI and drop …

(U.S. Department of Justice)  The Department of Justice, on behalf of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), today filed a civil complaint in federal court in Detroit, Michigan, against Volkswagen AG, Audi AG, Volkswagen Group of …

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.
…
So what does all this mean for the …

by Mark E. Griffin (Wisconsin Energy Institute/University of Wisconsin)  A six-year Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center (GLBRC) study on the viability of different bioenergy feedstocks recently demonstrated that perennial cropping systems such as switchgrass, giant …

by Andy Balaskovitz (MiBiz)  … “Any reduction in the statutory amount is a roadblock to biofuels like ethanol,” said Jim Zook, executive director of the Michigan Corn Growers Association. “By failing to set (blend) levels at the …

by Tony Antonelli (Next Gen Transportation News)  … Notably, three of the bills – H.B.4736, H.B.4738 and H.B.4614 (now P.A.174, P.A.176 and P.A.178, respectively) – directly impact the clean fuels industry.
P.A.174: Sponsored by State Rep. Michael …

(AgriNews)  Distillers dried grains with solubles, a co-product of the ethanol industry, is becoming a more common ingredient in swine diets.  However, DDGS can be high in sulfur, and data is limited on the amount …

by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com)  Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Chris Coon (D-DE) and Al Franken have introduced a new bill, S. 2271 the Renewable Chemicals Act of 2015. If passed, the legislation would amend the Internal …

(Associated Press/CBS Radio)  The U.S. Department of Agriculture says it is spending $3 million to add about 130 additional ethanol fuel pumps in Michigan.  U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow of Michigan says Thursday the grant will …

(U.S. Department of Energy)  How is funding from BETO a part of the emerging bioeconomy in some states? Find out with our new state fact sheets. For select states, these fact sheets give information about …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Green Plains is a vertically-integrated ethanol producer based in Omaha, Nebraska. They currently have an ethanol production capacity of approximately 1.0 billion gallons per year with 12 plants located in …

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. …

(HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology)  Jeremy Schmutz, faculty investigator at the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, has received a grant from the National Science Foundation to study how switchgrass plants adapt to drought stress. Schmutz, who co-directs …

(Farmers Advance)  Jeff Sandborn, a Portland farmer and member of the board of the National Corn Growers Association, highlighted a new nationwide study demonstrating the economic impact of ethanol production, noting that ethanol is tied …

(PR Newswire/IHI E&C)  SG Preston, a Philadelphia-based bioenergy company, and IHI E&C, a Houston-based engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) subsidiary of IHI Corporation, today announced a ground-breaking agreement for a Multi-Facility Program that will include …

by Nicole Heslip (Brownfield Ag News)  The Corn Marketing Program of Michigan says a grant to increase blender pumps will save consumers money.
Communications Specialist Angel Jenio tells Brownfield the Biofuel Infrastructure Partnership awarded grants to …

by Devin Henry (The Hill)  A group of senators is pushing the White House to issue a strong mandate for ethanol fuel.  Fourteen senators — a mix of Republicans and Democrats, many from ethanol-producing Midwestern states …

(Michigan State University)  A new $1 million relationship between Michigan State University and ExxonMobil will expand research designed to progress the fundamental science required to advance algae-based fuels.
David Kramer, MSU’s John Hannah Distinguished Professor in …

(Phys.org/Michigan State University)  Researchers at Michigan State University have built a molecular Swiss Army knife that streamlines the molecular machinery of cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae, making biofuels and other green chemical production from …

(PhyCO2/Biomass Magazine)  Michigan State University and PHYCO2 have entered into a partnership to develop algae technologies produced from PHYCO2’s revolutionary and patented concept that promotes algae growth and sequesters, or captures, carbon dioxide from power plant …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  For every ton of corn, wheat, and rice harvested today, an equal amount of biomass is left behind on the fields. Within this biomass — of which nearly 2 billion …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  In California, Oberon Fuels, Ford Motor Company, and FVV have partnered on a 3-year, €3.5M project to research, analyze and test the potential of dimethyl ether and OME fuel in …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  USDA announces state finalists for the Biofuel Infrastructure Partnership. Will it move the needle? The Digest investigates.  In Washington, US Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that 21 states will receive …

(US Department of Agriculture)  Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that 21 states will receive grants through the Biofuel Infrastructure Partnership (BIP) to add infrastructure needed to supply more renewable fuel to America’s drivers. Since …

(Michigan State University)  Michigan State University has earned a $5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to better understand how biofuel crops acquire nitrogen, insights that could help maximize yields while minimizing fertilizer …

by Gabe Corey (Battle Creek Enquirer)  Michigan agriculture is driving our economy forward — and ethanol is a major factor in this success.  Ethanol supports more than 22,000 jobs in Michigan, while pumping more than …

by Phil McKenna (Green Biz)  The fate of the world’s oceans may rest inside a stainless steel tank not quite the size of a small beer keg. Inside, genetically modified bacteria turn corn syrup into a …

(Renewable Fuels Association)  Renewable Fuels Association President and CEO Bob Dinneen issued the following statement in response to the shutdown of the BP 240,000-barrels-per-day refinery in Whiting, Indiana, which has caused gasoline prices to spike …

by Nicole Heslip (Brownfields Ag News)  The general manager of POET’s Michigan based ethanol plant says the Caro facility has offset the demise of the automotive industry.
“If you look at the Thumb of Michigan, it …

by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  A small number of ethanol producers sell E85 and other ethanol blends directly to consumers with on-site blender pumps or, in a few cases, own retail gas stations.
Mitch Miller, …

(Kansas State University)  A Kansas State University biochemistry professor has reached a milestone in building a better biofuel: producing high levels of lipids with modified properties in oil seeds.
Timothy Durrett, assistant professor of biochemistry and …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  In South Dakota, POET released its first-ever economic impact study, and reported that in 2014 the company generated a total of $13.5 billion in sales for U.S. businesses; added $5.4 …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  In Georgia, American Process has completed replication of its GreenPower+ cellulosic technology at its Thomaston, GA Biorefinery, and has shifted customer feedstock performance evaluation operations to Georgia.
With the shift, the …

by Jim Harger (MLive)  Michigan’s first alternative energy fueling station is coming to a contaminated site that once held a traditional service station.
Borculo Fuel Services, LLC, an affiliate of Zeeland Farm Services, Inc., will build …

(U.S. Grains Council/Ethanol Producer Magazine)  A team of Canadian buyers and end-users of U.S. distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) as well as a Canadian agriculture journalist recently visited the United States on a learning journey …

by Lynn Yarris  (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory)  Berkeley Lab Study Shows Orange Carotenoid Protein Shifts More Than Just Color for Cyanobacterial Photoprotection
…
“Prior to our work, the assumption was that carotenoids are static, held in place …