by Henry Fountain (New York Times) Nearly a decade after the adoption of federal renewable fuel standards led to a sharp increase in production of ethanol, some producers in the Corn Belt are considering making a different fuel. The fuel, butyl alcohol,
Minnesota
Back TO HOMEState Corn Groups Lay Groundwork for Higher Ethanol Blends, Greater Consumer Choice
(National Corn Growers Association) State corn associations across the country are working diligently to make the increased use of higher ethanol blends a reality through programs to put the necessary infrastructure in place. Laying the groundwork for a shift toward
October 25, 2012 Read Full Article
LCFS Would Benefit Minnesota
by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com) According to a recent study from Political Economy Research Institute, a Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) in Minnesota would have a positive environmental and economic impact. The paper, “The Employment Impacts of a Low- Carbon Fuel Standard
October 24, 2012 Read Full Article
Tractor Pulling with Biodiesel
by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com) The National Tractor Pullers Association (NTPA) is going to help promote biodiesel to its fans with the help of the United Soybean Board (USB). Beginning next season, all tractors will use B100 (100 percent biodiesel) in all pulling classes. The
October 24, 2012 Read Full Article
The Stampede of Elephants: Biofuels and Big Balance Sheets
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... Today, we’ll look at the bigger balance sheets to see who is investing what, and when, with whom, and why. ...We’ve also focused here, for the sake of brevity, on those financing commercial scale projects. So,
October 23, 2012 Read Full Article
E85, the Cleaner-Burning Fuel for Cars
by Peter DeMarco (Boston.com) A reader from Stoughton was suspicious: A gallon of gas for $3.20? There had to be a catch, he said, and suggested I investigate. The station offering the amazing deal was the Route 138 South Gulf in
October 16, 2012 Read Full Article
Studies Outline State-Level Benefits of the Ethanol Industry
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Two new studies were released this week, highlighting the positive effects the renewable fuel standard (RFS) has had in Minnesota and Ohio. One study, titled the “Minnesota Ethanol Industry: Ethanol Plants in Minnesota,” was
October 16, 2012 Read Full Article
Study Finds a LCFS in Minnesota Would Create Nearly 32,500 Jobs
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) A study recently published by the Political Economy Research Institute at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst explores some of the economic impacts of establishing a low carbon fuel standard (LCFS) in Minnesota. The study,
October 15, 2012 Read Full Article
Gevo to Switch Back to Ethanol Production, from Biobutanol, at Minnesota Integrated Biorefinery
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Reoptimizing its technology, now expects return to reach target isobutanol production rates in 2013. In Colorado, Gevo announced that, while making significant progress towards economic production levels, the company does not now expect to achieve its
September 25, 2012 Read Full Article
Butanol Backers Push Retrofit Effort as Ethanol Boom Fades
by Nicholas Zeman (Engineering News-Record) As U.S. subsidies for ethanol continue to disappear, retrofit installations to produce butanol—touted as a superior fuel with superior financial incentives—are catching on at plants, says butanol technology provider Butamax, the joint venture between BP
September 20, 2012 Read Full Article
Advanced Biofuels Companies Showcase Progress
by Colleen Lerro (BIO) Wednesday at the National Press Club, several advanced biofuels companies joined BIO to showcase the progress the industry has made in recent years. U.S. companies have worked to rapidly scale up advanced biofuel technology – through pilot
September 13, 2012 Read Full Article
Student Makes Fuel From Algae
by Jennifer Marino Walters (Scholastic News) A Minnesota teen has discovered a way to power trucks and cars with algae Sixteen-year-old Josh Wolf spends up to 40 hours each week in a portable garage behind his family’s home in Elk River, Minnesota.
September 10, 2012 Read Full Article
Minnesota: The Bioeconomy’s “Get it Done, Make it Happen State”
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...You see, other states can match Minnesota for its wealth of agricultural and forest resources (though ample they are), or its foundational base in agriculture and energy (via giants like Cargill, CHS and EcoLab) and
August 27, 2012 Read Full Article
St. Cloud State University Teams up with Minnesota Business to Grow, Study Algae
by Dave Aeikens (St. Cloud Times) In the basement of Brown Hall at St. Cloud State University, specially-designed water tanks are used to grow algae. It’s part of a research project for a southeastern Minnesota company that builds the algae-growing technology.
August 23, 2012 Read Full Article
See for Yourself: New BIO Book Showcases Visible Progress in Industrial Biotech
(Biotechnology Industry Organization) BIO recently introduced a picture book of biorefineries across the United States,“Visible Progress in Commercialization of Advanced Biofuels, Biobased Products and Renewable Chemicals”, which showcases commercial, demonstration and even new pilot facilities. Some of these facilities have been in
July 31, 2012 Read Full Article
Yabba Dabba Rabba Dopsis: A Coming Revolution in Crop Yields during Times of Drought?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...Here we are, some 30+ years into the era of genetic modification of crops. The primary breadbasket of the world, the United States, is experiencing its most severe drought conditions in decades, and you might
July 25, 2012 Read Full Article
Minnesota Roadmap: Recommendations for BioIndustrial Processing
This report is designed to provide a pathway to accelerate the industry’s development. The report details factors influencing the development of the global advanced biofuels and biobased chemicals industry, identifies opportunity areas for Minnesota, and sets forth strategic recommendations. The policy
July 23, 2012 Read Full Article
Danforth Center Part of Biofuel Study
by Tim Bryant (STLToday.com) The Donald Danforth Plant Science Center is among five recipients of a $12.1 million federal grant to develop drought-tolerant grass as a sustainable source of biofuel. Developing bioenergy grasses with the desirable traits needed for
July 17, 2012 Read Full Article
Air Force Tests Jet Using Gevo Biofuel
by Mark Harden (BizJournals.com/Denver Business Journal) The U.S. Air Force has flown the first successful test flight using a type of biofuel provided by Colorado’s Gevo Inc. The single-seat, twin-engine Air Force A-10 Thunder Bolt jet flew June 28 at Eglin
July 04, 2012 Read Full Article
Ethanol Racer YouTube
Stock car racer Greg Jensen and engine builder Kevin Stoa have collaborated to race successfully on a blend of 75 percent ethanol and 25 percent racing gasoline. Jensen is winning over other drivers to the performance value of this fuel.
June 26, 2012 Read Full Article
New Kids on the Block: 12 hot bio-based technologies worth watching (Parts 1 and 2)
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...Yet, even in an era where venture capital has been harder to come by (Why? See these 42 article links under the rubric, “The VC Model is Broken” ) — some great technologies have been getting out
June 25, 2012 Read Full Article
More Fuel Plants Are Eyeing Isobutanol
by David Shaffer (Star Tribune) Four more ethanol plants are considering retrofits to produce the new biofuel, bringing planned conversions to seven. A third Minnesota ethanol plant is considering a shift in production to a new biofuel called isobutanol. Butamax Advanced Biofuels,
June 22, 2012 Read Full Article
DuPont, BP Win Temporary Halt to Rival Isobutanol Sales
(Bloomberg BusinessWeek) A joint venture between DuPont Co. (DD) (DD) and BP Plc (BP/) won a court order temporarily preventing a competing biofuel company from trying to sell isobutanol produced at a plant that came online last month. U.S. District Court Judge Sue
June 14, 2012 Read Full Article
Minnesota Corn Growers Say Ethanol is Fueling Rural Economies
(MarketWatch) From small-town mayors to President Obama, there is one thing on the minds of all elected officials: putting more Americans back to work. And while recent unemployment numbers have been less than encouraging, the U.S. ethanol industry is bringing
June 14, 2012 Read Full Article
Clean Technology: US Policy Aids Second Generation Biofuel Push
by Guy Chazan (Financial Times) In the world of biofuels, all eyes are on the tiny northern Italian town of Crescentino, site of the world’s first commercial-scale cellulosic ethanol plant, which will start production this year. The venture might be small,
June 05, 2012 Read Full Article
GE Builds Green-Car Testing Ground for Corporate Fleets
by David Shaffer (The Bellingham Herald/McClatchy) One of the world's top leasing companies is betting that corporations with fleets of cars and trucks increasingly will want them to be powered by electricity and other alternatives to fossil fuels. That bet
June 04, 2012 Read Full Article
Ellison Wants to End Fossil Fuel Subsidies
by Brett Neely (Minnesota Public Radio) U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison introduced legislation Thursday to end all subsidies for fossil fuels. Ellison said the oil, gas and coal industries will get $113 billion worth of government support over the next decade even
May 30, 2012 Read Full Article
World’s First Carbon-Neutral Higher-Speed Locomotive
by Joshua S. Hill (CleanTechnica.com) The Coalition for Sustainable Rail (CSR) announced Tuesday plans to create the world’s first carbon-neutral higher-speed locomotive. The plan is simple: “create the world’s cleanest, most powerful passenger locomotive, proving the viability of solid biofuel and
May 29, 2012 Read Full Article
Party in Minnesota: Gevo Starts up Commercial Scale, Advanced Biofuels Plant, Ahead of Schedule
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Colorado, Gevo announced it has begun startup of the world’s first commercial biobased isobutanol production plant located in Luverne, Minn. “At 1 p.m. MDT yesterday we made history by initiating production of biobased isobutanol at commercial scale,”
May 29, 2012 Read Full Article
Delaying the Move to B10
by Erin Voegele (Biodiesel Magazine) Minnesota waits until 2013 to bump up the state mandate from 5 to 10 percent biodiesel, instead of this year as scheduled ...Language in the regulations stipulates that before the mandate can be increased to B10
May 07, 2012 Read Full Article
E85 Loyalty: Economist Finds Buyers Willing to Pay More
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Research showing consumers are willing to pay a premium for ethanol was published in the March issue of the Journal of Environmental Economics and Management. Soren Anderson, a Michigan State University economist, calculated that
April 18, 2012 Read Full Article
Energy Beets: Who Will Leap First?
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) North American sugar-to-ethanol strategy differs from Brazil’s, Europe’s ...North Dakota-based Green Vision Group is resolutely moving forward with a plan to build multiple 20 MMgy dedicated energy beet plants in the state. ...More than 3,000 miles
April 16, 2012 Read Full Article
New Biofuel Could Have an Edge over Ethanol
by David Shaffer (Star Tribune) Scientists who have tested isobutanol, a fuel alcohol made from corn, say it packs more energy and has other pluses over ethanol. A biofuel that will be produced commercially in Minnesota is turning out to have
April 16, 2012 Read Full Article
The BioBusiness Alliance of Minnesota Releases Roadmap for Minnesota's Advanced Biofuels and Biobased Chemicals Industry
(Enhanced Online News/Live Science Alley) Today (March 28, 2012), The BioBusiness Alliance of Minnesota released a comprehensive white paper detailing the extent and impact of the advanced biofuels and biobased chemicals industry and providing a roadmap for their continued growth
March 29, 2012 Read Full Article
Cenusa Bioenergy Receives $25 Million Grant from USDA
by Kelly Madsen (IowaStateDaily.com) The Iowa State University-led Cenusa Bioenergy project works to develop a biofuel with both a Midwestern and environmental focus. Through a five-year, $25 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture,
March 26, 2012 Read Full Article
No Farm Bill, No Tier 3—Not until after the Election; Sundrop Fuels Presents an Alternative
By Joanne Ivancic (Advanced Biofuels USA) At the March 21 Bioenergy Day on Capitol Hill, discussion focused on the need for a continued Renewable Fuels Standard, reviews of the history of biofuels, assessment of current questioning of biofuels as viable
March 23, 2012 Read Full Article
Exhibit Showcases Biodiesel at MN Auto Show
by Cindy Zimmerman (DomesticFuel.com) The “Biodiesel Green Room” exhibit will showcase the benefits of biodiesel at the Twin Cities Auto Show, March 10-18 at the Minneapolis Convention Center. The exhibit includes information on biodiesel, staff to answer questions, and new vehicles like
March 14, 2012 Read Full Article
Engineering Study Looks at Ethanol Plus Bolt-On Green Diesel
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Al-Corn Clean Fuel, a 50 MMgy plant in Claremont, Minn., is working with a St. Paul company investigating secondary production of green diesel at a new or existing ethanol plant. The project is fueled
March 13, 2012 Read Full Article
Forum to Address Energy’s Role in National Security
(Midwest Energy News) Military leaders are increasingly connecting the dots between energy, climate and national security issues. We’ve reported here before on the U.S. military’s push to go green with solar, biofuels and other renewable technologies. Across the pond, defense leaders in the United
March 09, 2012 Read Full Article
Boosters of Butanol Say Change in Law Needed
by Leslie Brooks Suzakamo (TwinCities.com/Pioneer Press) A Colorado green fuels company wants a Minnesota ethanol law that expires at the end of the year to be extended and changed so gasoline can be blended with a new biofuel called butanol
March 09, 2012 Read Full Article
Minnesota Biofuel Projects Awarded Money from State
by David Shaffer (Star Tribune) ...Grants totaling $2.4 million announced Wednesday by the Minnesota Agriculture Department will help nine ventures trying to burn or gasify biomass or to make liquid fuel or ammonia. Biomass includes wood, plant material and farm
March 02, 2012 Read Full Article
Gevo Rises as Production Plans Spur ‘Relief Rally,’ Analyst Says
by Andrew Herndon (Bloomberg) Gevo Inc. (GEVO), the U.S. biotechnology company backed by oil refiner Total SA (FP) and specialty chemicals maker Lanxess AG (LXS), rose the most in two weeks after saying it expects to begin shipments in July, on schedule, from a plant
March 01, 2012 Read Full Article
Retailers Want Liability Protection before Considering E15
by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Liability issues surrounding the use of E15 remain a major concern for many retailers when considering offering the fuel to customers driving 2001 and newer vehicles. The U.S. EPA recently approved required health effects
February 23, 2012 Read Full Article
Minnesota Loses Cellulosic Ethanol Venture
by David Shaffer (Star Tribune) A biofuels company opts for plants elsewhere after being helped by nearly $1 million in grant funding from Minnesota. A biofuels company that benefited from nearly $1 million in grants from Minnesota taxpayers says it's
February 20, 2012 Read Full Article
Brazilian Demand Gives U.S. Ethanol Producers a Big Boost
by Steve Tarter (The State-Journal Register) More U.S. ethanol was shipped overseas in 2011 than any year in history. The Washington, D.C.-based Renewable Fuels Association reported that 1.1 billion gallons of ethanol — worth about $2.5 billion — were exported to
February 16, 2012 Read Full Article
Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy Paper Probes Deeper Implications of ILUC Debate
by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Looking for a middle ground where environmentalists and ethanol advocates could meet, the Minneapolis-based Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy released a paper by Julia Olmstead reflecting on the lessons learned regarding the debate over indirect
February 03, 2012 Read Full Article
2012 Reuben Youngerberg Memorial Biodiesel Essay Scholarship
(American Lung Association of the Upper Midwest) This scholarship is open to all Minnesota high school seniors. It is given in memory of Reuben Youngerberg, and in honor of his son, Mike Youngerberg, senior director of field services at Minnesota Soybean
February 02, 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
Soybean Checkoff to Partner with Nine Clean Cities Coalitions
(Jackson County Times-Journal) The United Soybean Board (USB) and soybean checkoff have announced the participants in the 2012 biodiesel and Bioheat® communications program, which helps cities across the United States spread the word about the only commercially available advanced biofuel. The
January 19, 2012 Read Full Article
Highwater Ethanol Looking toward Something Better
by Troy Krause (Redwood Falls Gazette) ...The Highwater board recently approved a move to a new product called butanol through a letter of intent it signed with Butamax™ Advanced Biofuels. The agreement, which was announced in December, would result in
January 17, 2012 Read Full Article
Golden Possibilities: Corn Oil Forges a Link between Ethanol and Biodiesel Production
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Ethanol producers are adding corn oil extraction to their technology arsenal in increasing numbers, providing an ideal opportunity for the ethanol and biodiesel industries to cooperate or even co-locate. On the cooperation side, the
January 16, 2012 Read Full Article
Feeders Explore Implications of Low-Fat Distillers Grains
by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The cost to remove corn oil from distillers grains (DGs) is high, but even so, an increasing number of ethanol producers are expected to begin extracting the valuable product from DGs in the coming
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
National Cattlemen's President-Elect Says Group Is Not Opposed to Ethanol
by Heather Thornstensen (AgriNews) While they had a leader from the National Cattlemen's Beef Association at their recent annual convention, the Minnesota State Cattlemen's Association brought together a panel to discuss whether the ethanol and cattle industries can co-exist. ..."As I
January 09, 2012 Read Full Article
The Road for E85 Fuel Just Got Rougher
by David Shaffer (Star Tribune) The 85 percent ethanol blend has always faced challenges as a motor fuel. Now, the end of a federal tax credit poses a new one: higher prices. The high-ethanol fuel known as E85 has gained a
January 09, 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
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
To Survive, Some Biofuels Companies Give Up on Biofuels
by Kevin Bullis (MIT Technology Review) Gevo, a prominent advanced-biofuels company that has received millions in U.S. government funding to develop fuels made from cellulosic sources such as grass and wood chips, is finding that it can't use these materials
December 23, 2011 Read Full Article
Four Days in the Algae Epicenter: A Review of the Algae Biomass Summit and the State of the Industry
by Luke Geiver (Biorefining Magazine) ...Spending four days in Minneapolis amidst the largest and most impressive gathering of algae experts in academia, private business and government institutions, would convince anyone that in the algae industry today there is a whole
December 10, 2011 Read Full Article
Hitting a New Stride: The Biorefining Sector Is Poised for Commercial Scale-Up as Funding Strategies Mature and Production Capacity Grows
by Erin Voegele (Biorefining Magazine) The biorefining sector reached an important new milestone this year with at least five companies undergoing successful initial public offerings (IPOs). As we move into the new year, members of industry will take another important
December 10, 2011 Read Full Article
Warburg Pincus, First Green Partners Form New $355M Venture Capital Group for Biofuels, Renewable Chemicals and Green-Black Technologies
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Minnesota, Warburg Pincus announced that it will invest up to $355 million in First Green Partners, a newly formed early-stage venture capital company. First Green will, in turn, invest in early-stage companies that focus on
December 09, 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
Taking the Fuel Out of Biofuels
by Ben Lefebvre (Wall Street Journal) Unable to compete with petroleum products, biofuel companies have found replacement products to sell As advanced biofuel companies work toward creating an economically viable alternative to petroleum, some have found an alternative place to
December 05, 2011 Read Full Article
Butamax Discusses Biobutanol Commercial Activities Including Early Adopter Initiative
(Butamax) Butamax™ Advanced Biofuels, the leading global biobutanol technology development company, announces agreement on commercialization principles with Highwater Ethanol, the first entrant to the Butamax Early Adopters Group. Butamax’s business model is to offer current ethanol producers proprietary biobutanol technology to
December 05, 2011 Read Full Article
St. Anthony Falls Laboratory Makes Algae Cell Swimming Discovery
by Luke Geiver (Biodiesel Magazine) The St. Anthony Falls Laboratory on the banks of the Mississippi River in downtown Minneapolis originally formed to study hydroelectric energy, but today the research team at St. Anthony is working on projects that range
November 29, 2011 Read Full Article
Stover for Power—Not Just Biofuels
by Kris Bevill (Biomass Power and Thermal Magazine) Partnering to produce energy from stover could be an attractive option for corn ethanol plants. In mid-July, right around the time the area’s corn crop was beginning to mature and farmers could start
November 29, 2011 Read Full Article
Report: 2011 Algae Biomass Summit
by Forrest Seltz (for Advanced Biofuels USA) My name is Forrest Seltz. I am a student at Jennings Community Learning Center (JCLC) in St. Paul, which is a project based school. I have been interested in botany for a
November 17, 2011 Read Full Article
BioAmber’s $150 Million IPO: The 10-Minute Version
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Minnesota, BioAmber has filed an S-1 registration statement for a proposed $150 million initial public offering. The number of shares to be offered in the proposed offering and the price range for the offering
November 15, 2011 Read Full Article
Biofuels Literally Take Flight
by Conrad deFiebre (Minnesota 2020 Hindsight) More than just a niche or a fad, biofuels produced from soybeans, used cooking oil, algae and even livestock fat are moving into the energy mainstream in a big way, with new applications in aviation,
November 10, 2011 Read Full Article
Ethanol Firm’s Next Bet: Algae
by David Shaffer (Star Tribune) An emerging green industry aims to develop a new source of fuel to replace oil, but the quick money could be elsewhere. Green slime is growing in ponds next to an ethanol plant here, and Todd
October 31, 2011 Read Full Article
Algae Confronts Its Destiny and Identity, at ABO Summit
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...ABO 2011 has offered an opportunity to consider the progress that the algal biomass sector has made in its race for commercial-scale, to marvel at the proliferation of robust business models, and to sneak a
October 27, 2011 Read Full Article
Algae Trek: The Next Generation
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...Overall, there remain more than 100 companies chasing the prize of developing an algae biomaterials project, profitable and at commercial scale. Yesterday (October 24, 2011), on the eve of the annual Algal Biomass Summit, two of
October 26, 2011 Read Full Article
Blender Pump Installed in Rochester
by Janet Kubat Willette (AgriNews.com) ...The Sinclair station at 205 Sixth St. S.W. in Rochester installed a blender pump earlier this year, becoming the first station in Rochester to offer different blends of ethanol. The station has four pump dispensers,
October 13, 2011 Read Full Article
Map Identifies Potential Areas for Boosting Biofuel Crop Yield
(EnvironmentalResearchWeb.org) A global map that identifies areas of low-yielding biofuel crops whose productivity could be increased through intensification has been produced by researchers in the US. ..."The US biofuels target for 2022 is 136 billion litres," Matt Johnston, from the University of
October 11, 2011 Read Full Article
Green-Tech Firms Win Key Backing for Work
Neal St. Anthony (Star Tribune) ...Two years ago, McNeff's family-owned Anoka company inaugurated a $9 million plant in Isanti, Minn., that produces 3 million gallons annually of biodiesel made from used cooking oil. The approach is based on a discovery
October 10, 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
Gevo Awarded Contract to Supply Jet Fuel to U.S. Air Force
(BusinessWire/Yahoo!Finance) Air Force Purchase is for Jet Engine Testing and Feasibility Flight Demonstration Gevo, Inc., a leading renewable chemicals and advanced biofuels company, received a $5 million grant from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) for the development of biojet
September 30, 2011 Read Full Article
Stillwater Gas Station 1st in Metro to Offer Flex Fuel Blend
(KSTP.com) A Stillwater gas station has opened the first "blender pump" in the Twin Cities. Yocum’s Holiday at 2500 Orleans Street is giving its customers a choice for the first time. A blender pump dispenses high-blend ethanol fuels for flex fuel vehicles,
September 26, 2011 Read Full Article
Biodiesel Plants Back from the Brink
by David Shaffer (Los Angeles Times) Across the nation, biodiesel plants have been restarting or ramping up production, spurred by a revived federal tax credit and renewable energy mandates. ...At least 52 of the nation's 170 biodiesel plants were idled last
September 20, 2011 Read Full Article
University of Minnesota Study Highlights Potential for Boosting Biofuel Crop Production
by Jeff Falk (University of Minnesota/Hutchinson Leader) New research published online this week in the journal Environmental Research Letters, by a team from the University of Minnesota and the University of Wisconsin, shows that closing agricultural “yield gaps” around the world
September 16, 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
Future Ethanol Policy Changes
by Kent Theisse (Corn and Soybean Digest Blogs and Opinions) ... Many people are very excited about producing ethanol from woodchips, switchgrass, algae and other substances; however, most of this type of ethanol production is still in the early research and
September 07, 2011 Read Full Article
Biobased Materials Minnesota’s Opportunity & Challenge
(Agricultural Utilization Research Institute) As the interest and use of biobased products grows, so do the opportunities and challenges. According to a recent report sponsored by AURI and the Minnesota Soybean Research and Promotion Council, Minnesota’s fundamental strengths in agriculture,
August 27, 2011 Read Full Article
First Load of Biodiesel Sold from Re-Started REG Albert Lea Biorefinery in Minnesota
(Renewable Energy Group) Biodiesel is now available via truck and rail from Renewable Energy Group®’s (REG) newly acquired facility, REG Albert Lea, LLC. The first truckload of biodiesel exceeded ASTM D6751 and was picked up this morning for the
August 26, 2011 Read Full Article
New Minnesota Clean Energy Company, Rosemount Clean Energies, Refuels Midwest Bio Market
(Reuters/PR NewsWire/Rosemont Clean Energies) An obsolete 50-acre industrial site in a St. Paul, Minnesota suburb has been redeveloped into a large terminal facility with capabilities to provide the region with enhanced clean energy products. The only of its kind and scale in
August 23, 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
POTUS Puts Focus on Agriculture and Biofuels
by Cindy (Corn Commentary) President Obama’s Midwest bus tour this week really put a spotlight on agriculture and biofuels. The POTUS visited three of the nation’s top four ethanol producing states,accounting for more than 42 percent of the country’s ethanol
August 22, 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
Corn for Hydrocarbons
by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Add-on technology developed for corn ethanol plants Rather than retrofitting a corn-ethanol plant to produce i-butanol, n-butanol or use other novel fermentation technologies, three companies are collaborating to turn a traditional ethanol plant into a
August 17, 2011 Read Full Article
Nicholas Theisen Wins Biodiesel Essay Contest
by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com) Nicholas Theisen is the winner of a $1,000 scholarship for his entry in the Clean Air Choice Biodiesel Essay Contest. ...The contest was created five years ago and is open to all high school seniors who attend
August 17, 2011 Read Full Article
President Visiting Three of Top Four Ethanol States
by Cindy Zimmerman (DomesticFuel.com) During his Midwest bus tour this week, President Barack Obama is visiting three of the nation’s top four ethanol producing states, accounting for more than 42 percent of the country’s ethanol production. The president’s first audience question today
August 16, 2011 Read Full Article
Scouting for Biofuels Crops in Indian Creek Watershed
by Cindy Zimmerman (DomesticFuel.com) The Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory is looking for the best biofuels crops to grow in the northeast Illinois Indian Creek Watershed. During a recent field tour of the watershed sponsored by theConservation Technology Information Center, Argonne
August 15, 2011 Read Full Article
Franken Visits Farmfest
by Janet Kubat Willette (AgriNews.com) Expect direct payments to take a hit in the next farm bill, Sen. Al Franken told a Farmfest audience Aug. 3. The Minnesota Democrat said the super committee of 12 Congresspeople could shape the new farm bill
August 11, 2011 Read Full Article
Seeking Common Ground
by Julia Olmstead (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Traveling together to Brazil, Americans representing a range of perspectives on ethanol and environmentalism attempt to forge a shared path toward ethanol sustainability ...The divisiveness of the indirect land use change (ILUC) debate—the theory that
August 09, 2011 Read Full Article
Sen. Franken Fights for Future of Minnesota Farmers
by Senator Al Franken (D-MN) (HometownSource.com) ...Cellulosic ethanol is happening. The first commercial-scale cellulosic plant is being built this year in Iowa. And I want Minnesota to capitalize on the energy—and economic growth—that could come from wood wastes, grasses, and
August 04, 2011 Read Full Article
Five Good Reasons to Use E85
(American Lung Association in Minnesota/LiveGreenTwinCities.com) Have you tried E85? E85 is an ethanol fuel blend made of up to 85 percent ethanol and gasoline. Using it can help save the planet--and your heath. Here are five good reasons to use
August 04, 2011 Read Full Article
PetroAlgae Feed Meal Confirmed as New Source of High Value Commercial-Scale Feed for Dairy Cattle
(PetroAlgae) Important New Animal Feed Ingredient for Dairy Cattle Diets According to University of Minnesota Study PetroAlgae Inc., a leading renewable energy company that licenses its commercial micro-crop technology globally, announced today the completion of a major third party study showing that
July 20, 2011 Read Full Article
Klobuchar Calls Out Oil Companies to Give Up Subsidies
by Larry Bivins (SCTimes) Sen. Amy Klobuchar urged oil companies Tuesday to follow the lead of the ethanol industry and give up government subsidies to help defray the nation’s burgeoning deficit. In a speech on the Senate floor, Klobuchar
July 13, 2011 Read Full Article
Klobuchar, Thune Announce Bipartisan Compromise on Renewable Energy
(Office of Senator Amy Klobuchar) Agreement would put savings toward deficit reduction, infrastructure U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), John Thune (R-SD), and Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) today announced that a bipartisan agreement has been reached that allows for a transition to a
July 08, 2011 Read Full Article
Editorial: Cut the Ethanol Subsidy, But Be Fair
(StarTribune) Why is one fuel being targeted but another -- oil -- isn't? ...The best way to pay down the nation's $14.3 trillion debt? "Reducing wasteful spending a billion dollars at a time,'' Coburn said. Coburn has a point about the ethanol
June 27, 2011 Read Full Article
Fuel Retailer Opposes Thune/Klobuchar Bill
by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com) Earlier today, Sens. John Thune (R-SD) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) created waves when they announced their new biofuels bill the Ethanol Reform and Deficit Reduction Act. This act is designed to address federal budget issues while phasing
June 14, 2011 Read Full Article
Thune/Klobuchar Bill Endorsed by Ethanol Industry
by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com) Senators John Thune (R-SD) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) along with a bipartisan group of nine other Senate colleagues have introduced the Ethanol Reform and Deficit Reduction Act. The bill is designed to modify the current Volumetric
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
Making the Most of DDGS
by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Researchers coax more products and income streams from distillers grains ...(R)esearchers see a time when distillers grains will be used for more than feed. Diversifying uses for distillers grains can provide multiple revenue streams and
June 09, 2011 Read Full Article
Should Government Keep Financially Supporting Ethanol? (The Debate 5/23-5/27)
(Minnesota Public Radio News) The Assertion: The state and federal government should continue subsidizing ethanol Ethanol's promise as America's path to energy self-sufficiency once seemed strong. But in recent years, that attraction has been tempered. Even supporters of ethanol, such as
May 23, 2011 Read Full Article
Third Generation Biofuels Plant Planned in South Central Minnesota
by Janet Kubat Willette (AgriNews) While years from completion, a board of directors in south central Minnesota is laying the groundwork to answer the chicken and egg question that has plagued renewable fuel development beyond the first generation of ethanol. The
May 06, 2011 Read Full Article
Grassley-Conrad Bill Boosts Domestic Energy Production
(Senator Chuck Grassley) Senators Chuck Grassley of Iowa and Kent Conrad of North Dakota today introduced bipartisan legislation to update ethanol tax policies in an effort to boost domestic energy production and increase America’s energy independence and security. The bill also has
May 04, 2011 Read Full Article
Group Brings Different Views on Biofuels to Brazil
by Heather Thorstensen (AgriNews.com) Four Minnesota farmers were part of a group that traveled to Brazil in March to learn more about indirect land use change, a divisive issue surrounding biofuels. The Minneapolis-based Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy took a total
April 28, 2011 Read Full Article
Flex Fuel Pumps and a Green Energy Economy
by Tom Vilsack (The White House Blog) ...Today there are millions of so-called ‘flex fuel vehicles’ on the road that can use fuel containing up to 85 percent ethanol (E-85). But too few filling stations offer this fuel. Some folks
April 28, 2011 Read Full Article
Twin Cities Clean City Coalition Top Gas Use Reducer
by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com) The U.S. Department of Energy has released a national ranking of Clean Cities programs that have had the most impact in the reduction of gasoline use. At the top of the list is the Saint-Paul-based Twin
April 28, 2011 Read Full Article
USDA is Working to Create Supply, Demand for Biofuels
by Heather Thorstensen (AgriNews.com) The U.S. Department of Agriculture is working to create more supply and demand for renewable fuels nationwide, said U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack. ...During a media briefing, he discussed how the government isfunding research into different
April 28, 2011 Read Full Article
Franken Tours Poet Ethanol Plant
(AlbertLeaTribune.com) Get ethanol at the pumps. That’s what the farmer owners of the Poet Glenville ethanol plant told Sen. Al Franken they would like to see. The comments came during a meeting Wednesday at the plant. “We want consumers to have a
April 28, 2011 Read Full Article
Knocking Natural Gas Off Its Throne
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Although natural gas is king of power generation at ethanol plants, there’s increasing interest in renewable energy technologies that could help ethanol plants someday produce a domestically grown fuel without using fossil fuels.
April 27, 2011 Read Full Article
MINN. LEGISLATURE ROUNDUP: Ag Bill Could Get Dayton Signature
by Don Davis (Grand Forks Herald) Gov. Mark Dayton likely will sign an agriculture funding bill despite earlier demands that the Republican-controlled Legislature agree on all of its spending plans before he approves any individual bill. ...The most-discussed item in the
April 18, 2011 Read Full Article
Gevo: The Owner’s Manual
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...The Gevo GIFT system – three innovations in one First, its magic bug that indeed, produces isobutanol at a far higher rate, yield and concentration than traditional yeasts. Second, an extraction system that gets the
April 11, 2011 Read Full Article
Come On Seven: Investors Weigh Options, as 7 Companies Near Key Biofuels Milestones
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) As seven projects aim for important milestones, investors face big decisions on whether advanced biofuels companies, even after the run-up in share prices, are still undervalued. ...(I)s it time to get in, hold, or lock in
April 08, 2011 Read Full Article
Low Cost Sugars? The Beet Goes On
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...For hot technology companies such as Amyris, Solazyme, LS9, Cobalt and Virent, it all comes down to low-cost sugars. Which brings us to the case of that other sugar source: your friend, the sugar beet. The
April 01, 2011 Read Full Article
Book Review – The Green Miracle
by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com) This week I read the book called “The Green Miracle,” by Clayton McNeff who is one of the creators of the Mcgyan Process. It’s the story of how in less than four years, with the inkling
March 23, 2011 Read Full Article
Biomass-Powered Ethanol Plants
by Lisa Gibson (Biomass Power and Thermal Magazine) A growing number of U.S. ethanol plants are reaping the benefits of using biomass for power. The demand for ethanol with a lower carbon footprint seems to be spurring a movement in
March 22, 2011 Read Full Article
Algal Fuel: VG Energy Study Shows Price Parity Possible With Conventional Oil
by Mitchell Anderson (EnergyBoom) Proprietary technology owned by VG Energy could create algal biofuel at costs competitive with current prices for conventional crude according to a report released by the company this week. The study was authored by John Sheehan, former project manager at
March 14, 2011 Read Full Article
Ethanol Plant Is Switching to Butanol
by Matthew L. Wald (New York Times) High oil prices are generally bad news for American companies, but one, Gevo of Englewood, Colo., says that $100-a-barrel oil is opening up a niche. The company bought a factory in Luverne, Minn., that makes ethanol
March 11, 2011 Read Full Article
“Stay Midwest, Young Biofuels Entrepreneur”: a Counterpoint
by Todd Taylor with Christina Connelly, Ralph Groschen, Mark Lindquist, Gregg Mast, Tim Welle and Doug Cameron (Biofuels Digest/Minnesota) ...Venture capitalists in California support and encourage these and many other companies and deserve ample credit for the Cambrian-like explosion of new
January 31, 2011 Read Full Article
A Million Dollars a Month
by Antonio Acost (Faribault County Register) It pays to conserve energy. Especially, if you are producing ethanol. Corn Plus officials in Winnebago will soon receive a check in the mail for $12 million. “It’s going to keep us financially viable for some
January 18, 2011 Read Full Article
Easy Energy Scores First Commercial Sale
Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Minnesota-based modular ethanol production system manufacturer Easy Energy Systems Inc. recently finalized its first commercial sale and will soon begin building equipment for a 2 MMgy corn-based plant in Lake Wales, Fla. The central Florida
December 09, 2010 Read Full Article
The BioBusiness Alliance of Minnesota Announces Recommendations for Minnesota’s Forestry Industry
(BioBusiness Alliance) The BioBusiness Alliance of Minnesota announces the release of Minnesota’s Forest Biomass Value Chain: A System Dynamics Analysis. The paper is the result of a yearlong project involving over 100 experts in the forestry community to develop a
November 10, 2010 Read Full Article
Biofuel Project Hits Bureaucratic Snag
by Ron Brochu (BusinessNorth.com) ...Federal loan guarantees are available to support construction of the high-tech Flambeau River Biofuels refinery in Park Falls, but project sponsors say the government’s terms could derail their chance to succeed. Those Department of Energy terms, they
October 12, 2010 Read Full Article
College Awarded $100,000 Grant to Train Bio-Fuels Technicians
(The River Views) Stepping forward to meet the demand, Anoka-Ramsey Community College has been awarded a $100,000 grant from the Minnesota Governor’s Workforce Development Council to strengthen the local clean energy marketplace. The grant will train approximately 44 participants, selected from a target
September 06, 2010 Read Full Article
Univ. of Minnesota Spin-Out Wins $2.2M Federal Grant
by Katharine Grayson (Minneapolis-St.Paul Business Journal) BioCee Inc. a startup that’s commercializing technology invented by a University of Minnesota professor, has received a $2.2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The firm will use the funds to
October 28, 2009 Read Full Article
Minn. Biodiesel Plant Creates Fuel Without Waste
by Frank Vascellaro (WCCO) ... The plant creates fuel without water, chemicals or waste. The new process called "Mcgyan"-- named after its inventors -- converts fats into fuel within seconds. "When we get to full capacity in another week," said McNeff,
October 01, 2009 Read Full Article
20-30 Percent Ethanol Inproves Fuel Efficiency in Some Cars, MnCAR Discovers
by Tim Krohn (Free Press/Minnesota State University) When Bruce Jones and his colleagues began a study on how higher blends of ethanol would affect gas mileage, he expected to prove conventional wisdom true: The more ethanol added to gasoline, the