(Omaha World-Herald) ... The first commercial production of cellulosic ethanol began in 2013, and this year biomass plants in Iowa will be taking the lead in expanding capacity. The facilities will take crop waste and non-edible plants and convert them into
Nebraska
Back TO HOMEE15 Now Available in Cambridge, Neb.
(Growth Energy/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Anew Travel Center in Cambridge, Neb., now offers E15 to consumers for use in 2001 and newer vehicles. The expanded offering of E15 will create savings at the pump for consumers. Currently, E15 is available in 14
March 25, 2014 Read Full Article
Ethanol Backers Tout Fuel’s Many Benefits for Nebraska
by Jerry Oster (WNAX, Yankton/Nebraska Radio) ... Todd Becker, president of the Omaha-based Green Plains Renewable Energy, says corn-based ethanol is continuing to have an enormous impact on the state’s economy. Becker says the value-added by-products are of great value, too,
March 18, 2014 Read Full Article
Hastings, Lexington Facilities Receive Federal Funds for Advanced Biofuel Production
by Jordan Onwiler (Nebraska.tv) Three Nebraska companies, including one located in Hastings and another in Lexington, have received federal funds to support production of advanced biofuels. Chief Ethanol Fuel, Inc received total payments of more than $4,000. The company operates an ethanol
March 07, 2014 Read Full Article
Team Converts Sugarcane to a Cold-Tolerant, Oil-Producing Crop
by Diana Yates (University of Illinois) A multi-institutional team reports that it can increase sugarcane’s geographic range, boost its photosynthetic rate by 30 percent and turn it into an oil-producing crop for biodiesel production. These are only the first steps in
March 04, 2014 Read Full Article
CEO Todd Becker Has Faith in the Future of Ethanol Producer Green Plains
by John Lppert and Mario Parker (The Washington Post/Bloomberg) ... Political challenges are piling up, too. Big Oil lists minimum ethanol requirements as its top policy concern for 2014 and wants to eliminate them. Government officials are already backtracking. A week
March 03, 2014 Read Full Article
Ethanol Industry Booming Again
by Nicholas Bergin (Lincoln Journal Star) ... Biofuel producers reported strong earnings for last year’s final quarter, thanks to lower corn prices, healthy ethanol exports and robust demand for byproducts like corn oil and livestock feed meal. It’s a drastic turnaround from
February 24, 2014 Read Full Article
Corn Growers Worry about Price Decline if RFS Is Reduced
by Mikkel Pates (Agweek) Crop farmers in the northern corn belt who have benefited from ethanol targets are putting on a push to save the current renewable fuel standard (RFS) from proposed cuts by the Environmental Protection Agency. The proposal would cut the
February 14, 2014 Read Full Article
Branstad, Five Other Governors Lobby President for Higher Ethanol Mandate
by Donnelle Eller (Des Moines Register) Six Midwestern governors sent a letter to President Barack Obama expressing their support for the Renewable Fuel Standard, which his administration has proposed scaling back in 2014. In a letter to the president, Environmental Protection
December 23, 2013 Read Full Article
Senate Hearing Addresses 2014 RFS Proposal
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. Senate Committee on Environment & Public Works held a hearing Dec. 11 on the U.S. EPA’s proposed rule to set 2014 volume requirements under the renewable fuel standard (RFS). The hearing, titled
December 12, 2013 Read Full Article
New Zealand Company to Open Kearney Plant, Office
(Sioux City Journal/Associated Press) A New Zealand company plans to move its headquarters to Kearney and set up a production plant for its biomass resin product. The plant will use distillers grains to produce a functional filler for the plastics industry. Marge
December 11, 2013 Read Full Article
Editorial, 11/20: Ethanol a Key Part of Energy Mix
(Journal Star) ... There’s little doubt the industry is under attack by a misguided and misinformed alliance of tea party Republicans and erstwhile environmentalists. Better for ethanol supporters to save their energy for the renewed attacks that are sure to come
November 21, 2013 Read Full Article
DOE Grant Helps Expand Biodiesel Training for Diesel Technicians
(Iowa Biodiesel Board) Program helps ensure long-term integration of biodiesel into American fuel supply Some instructors from throughout the Midwest who will train the diesel mechanics of tomorrow now have a thorough knowledge base on biodiesel. It’s thanks to recent training
November 20, 2013 Read Full Article
Canola Could Be New Biofuel Crop for Central Great Plains
(Ag Professional/USDA Agricultural Research Service) Farmers in the semiarid central Great Plains have traditionally used a two-year, no-till, dryland, winter wheat/fallow cropping system, which stretches scarce soil water supplies and minimizes crop failure from water stress. Now they are interested
October 25, 2013 Read Full Article
Despite Lower MPG, E85 May Still Offer More Bang for Your Buck
by Emily Roehler (Nebraska TV) If you own a car, chances are fuel costs take a big hit on your wallet. Nebraskans who own a flex fuel vehicle (FFV) have options at the pump that can save some money and
October 03, 2013 Read Full Article
Company Producing DDGS Product Has Ribbon Cutting, Open House
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) ...The company developed Bio-Res, a trademarked product made from distillers grains, that can be used in place of traditional petroleum-based resins. It can be included in the manufacturing process of various plastics at rates
October 02, 2013 Read Full Article
Local View: Ethanol and Fuel Facts
by F. John Hay (Lincoln Journal Star) The Local View article (Issues with ethanol, LJS, 9/27) addressed an individual’s opinion on the demerits of use of ethanol as a transportation fuel and the merits of alternatives. Unfortunately, the information given
October 01, 2013 Read Full Article
Letter, 9/22: Facts on Ethanol
by Todd Brodersen (Lincoln Journal Star) In a response to Todd Sneller's letter, "Ethanol the choice for many reasons," Steven McManus responded negatively and seemed to substitute fiction for fact to make his points ("Ethanol costly, inefficient," Sept. 10). McManus took exception
September 23, 2013 Read Full Article
Seminar Focuses on Corn Stover as a Biofuel Feedstock
by Anna Simet (Ethanol Producer Magazine) As a precursor to the National Advanced Biofuel Conference and Expo in Omaha, Neb., Sept. 10-12, the Corn Stover Harvest & Transport Seminar hashed over the technological, logistical and environmental issues of using corn
September 20, 2013 Read Full Article
‘Sorghum Ethanol’ Is a Topic in Nebraska
by Ken Anderson (Brownfield Ag News) Sorghum Field Days are being held at six locations in Nebraska this week. One of the stops will be the John Dvoracek farm near Farwell, where there are more than 50 sorghum varieties planted
September 18, 2013 Read Full Article
Summer Volatility Restrictions on E15 End, Fuel Now Available
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) E15 is again available after summer volatility restrictions ended Sept. 15. ... E15 is approved for use with vehicles model year 2001 and newer. However, because the U.S. EPA has awarded E10 a waiver to
September 18, 2013 Read Full Article
USDA Announces Support for Producers of Advanced Biofuel
(US Department of Agriculture) Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced today that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is making payments to support the production of advanced biofuel. USDA is making nearly $15.5 million in payments to 188 producers through the
September 13, 2013 Read Full Article
Ethanol-Free Fuel Will Cost More, May Be Scarce
by Richard Piersol (Lincoln Journal-Star) Demand for renewable credits helps change market Prices of premium and regular grades of gasoline without ethanol are likely to rise in Nebraska and Iowa, and those fuels may become harder to find as oil refiners
August 27, 2013 Read Full Article
Ethanol Production Benefits Farmers' Wallets, Officials Say
by Erik Tyger (KTIV.com) ...Ethanol plants tend to offer farmers a better price for their corn and use more of the plant, putting corn at a constant state of high demand. Once the alcohol has been removed from the corn
August 23, 2013 Read Full Article
USDA Solicits Bids Under the Feedstock Flexibility Program
(U.S. Department of Agriculture) The Farm Service Agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced that purchase invitations have been extended to solicit bids to the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) through the Feedstock Flexibility Program (FFP). Congress created FFP
August 20, 2013 Read Full Article
Congressional Leadership Moving Towards Position on Renewable Fuel Standard Advocated by the Domestic Fuel Solutions Group
(PR NewsWire/Digital Journal/Domestic Fuel Solutions Group) From Day One the Domestic Fuel Solutions Group (DFSG) has been advocating for reasonable RFS reform. Congress is taking notice. At the end of two days of recent House Energy & Commerce Committee hearings on
August 19, 2013 Read Full Article
Jackson Landfill Helps Produce Ethanol
bySam Doerr (KCAU TV) ...You see all that garbage produces methane, a flammable gas that Siouxland Ethanol can use just a mile down the road. "Currently the methane we are capturing and sending to the ethanol plant is supplying them with
July 26, 2013 Read Full Article
Momentum: 12 Biobased Ventures Raise $435M in Q2 2013; 32 Projects Being Built off the Balance Sheet
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Despite negative press from Bloomberg, biobased investing is surging, both direct and via strategics. The Digest has the data and the scoop. After we profiled, last April, 17 biobased ventures who raised $434 million in new
July 10, 2013 Read Full Article
Ethanol Critics Rev up Efforts to Repeal Biofuel Rules on Gas
by Joseph Morton (World-Herald bureau/Omaha.com) The ethanol industry is again under fire from critics who want to eliminate the federal mandate that oil companies blend biofuels into the gasoline supply. ... The American Petroleum Institute recently gathered refining executives in Washington, D.C.,
July 09, 2013 Read Full Article
Court Nixes Appeal over Added Ethanol in Gasoline
(Associated Press) The Supreme Court has rejected challenges to Environmental Protection Agency decisions allowing an increase in ethanol content in gasoline. READ MORE and MORE (The Washington Post) and MORE (Renewable Fuels Association) and MORE (The Hill E2Wire) and MORE (Wisconsin State
June 24, 2013 Read Full Article
Cellulosic Ethanol: Scale-Up and Commercialization - Part 2
by David Glass (D Glass Associates) In the final breakout session of the BIO World Congress on June 19, there was a second panel on scale-up and commercialization of cellulosic ethanol. As with the session on the conference’s first day,
June 21, 2013 Read Full Article
Renewable Fuels Association Disputes Study on Climate Change Impacts on Corn Production
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The Renewable Fuels Association has spoken out to criticize a study published by Rice University and the University of California-Davis that claims climate change will increase irrigation costs for corn while reducing yields. In
June 06, 2013 Read Full Article
Big Oil Hates Ethanol
by Michael Thede (Kearney Hub) Letter to Editor: Recent efforts by several members of Congress to dismantle the federal Renewable Fuel Standard are a direct attack on a domestic biofuels program that generates enormous benefits to our economy, energy security,
April 30, 2013 Read Full Article
Local View: Renewable Fuel Stand Is Working
by Tim Scheer (JournalStar.com) Once again, the Renewable Fuel Standard is the subject of debate and attack in Washington, DC. In truth, the RFS is one of the most successful pieces of legislation in recent years, because it has done exactly
April 18, 2013 Read Full Article
Federal Grant Helps Keep Jackson Express' Ethanol Cause Pumping
by Diana Johnsen (KCAUTV.com) ...The Jackson Express Gas station in Jackson, Nebraska has what are called ethanol "blender pumps", which allows drivers to customize how much ethanol goes into their fuel. And the more ethanol, the less you pay. "The gas is
April 02, 2013 Read Full Article
Renewed Interest in Grain Sorghum in Nebraska
by Ken Anderson (Browfield Ag News) A combination of dry weather and increased demand from the ethanol sector could have grain sorghum poised for a comeback in Nebraska. Grain sorghum plantings in the state plummeted from 550-thousand acres in 2000 to just
March 29, 2013 Read Full Article
Study Shows Carbon Sequestration from Corn Production Runs Deep
(25 x '25) The ethanol industry has some good news to share. And it comes in an arena where the domestically produced biofuel has often been challenged – carbon sequestration and the life-cycle assessment of ethanol made from corn. A study
March 25, 2013 Read Full Article
Idle Ethanol Plants Wait for New Fuel Standards
by Grant Gerlock (KBIA) Ethanol is an up and down industry, and right now it’s down. Ethanol plants in at least 13 states have stopped running over recent months because of higher corn prices and lower demand for the biofuel.
March 20, 2013 Read Full Article
Ethanol Producers Respond to Market Conditions
(U.S. Energy Information Administration/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Beginning in summer 2012, the prices of ethanol and corn reached levels where production costs at relatively simple ethanol plants exceeded revenue. These simple plants, which are not able to recover corn oil, make
March 18, 2013 Read Full Article
Ethanol Plants Turning toward Grain Sorghum
by Art Hovey (Lincoln Star Journal) ...On a much brighter note, the managers of ethanol plants in Trenton and Ravenna are pushing hard to make a crop also known as milo the main ingredient in their renewable fuels recipes. ...Drought hardiness
March 05, 2013 Read Full Article
Can E15 Save Ethanol?
(1011Now.com) ...Nebraska ethanol and ag leaders believe E15 is key in getting idle ethanol plants back to producing. Robert White, the director of market development for the Renewable Fuels Association, tells fuel retailers that gasoline demand dropped 6 percent last year as more
February 27, 2013 Read Full Article
Recent Land Use Change in the Western Corn Belt Threatens Grasslands and Wetlands
by Christopher K. Wright and Michael C. Wimberly (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences) In the US Corn Belt, a recent doubling in commodity prices has created incentives for landowners to convert grassland to corn and soybean cropping. Here,
February 19, 2013 Read Full Article
Study Indicates Corn Cob Removal Would Not Reduce Soil Quality
by Ann Perry (US Department of Agriculture Agriculture Research Service/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Corn crop residues are often left on harvested fields to protect soil quality, but they could become an important raw material in cellulosic ethanol production. USDA research indicates
February 11, 2013 Read Full Article
Corncobs Seen as Possible Biofuel Source
(UPI) Corn crop residue often left behind on harvested fields to protect soil quality could become an important raw material for biofuels, U.S. researchers say. A study by scientists with the U.S. Department of Agriculture indicated soil quality would not decline
February 02, 2013 Read Full Article
Distillers' Grain Gaining Importance as Byproduct of Ethanol
by Art Hovey (Lincoln Journal Star) ... Managers of Nebraska’s two dozen ethanol plants are finding livestock and poultry customers in other states and more buyers as far away as Canada, Mexico and China for the dried portions of corn
January 29, 2013 Read Full Article
Sneller: Increased Domestic Oil Production Could Limit Growth of Renewable Fuels
by Robert Pore (The Independent) ...According to another speaker at the Agriculture Outlook Conference 2013, David Hightower, president of Hightower Report, ethanol has increased corn demand and added value to corn that wasn't there prior to the Renewable Fuels Standard, when
January 25, 2013 Read Full Article
Study Looks at Environmental Benefits of Ethanol
by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com) According to a new study performed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, corn grown using no-till methods may sequester larger amounts of carbon than previously believed. The study was published in BioEnergy Research and showed that
January 25, 2013 Read Full Article
Choice at the Pump E15 Is Currently Cleared for Sale in a Handful of States, with Work Ongoing to Bring It to the Rest of the U.S.
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Scott Zaremba, owner of Zarco 66 convenience stores, didn’t just open the first E15 retail pump in the nation. Not long after offering 15 percent ethanol at the first station in Lawrence, Kan., he expanded
January 17, 2013 Read Full Article
E85 Availability Boosted in Nebraska, California
by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Nebraska now has about 80 flex-fuel pumps with the addition of two new ones at the Stop N Go in Hartington, Neb., and in California, Pearson Fuels just received a grant to install
January 11, 2013 Read Full Article
Hartington's Flex Fuel Pumps Give the State a Total of 80
by Janice Podsada (Omaha.com) Two new flex fuel pumps offering E85 and E30 flex fuels — blends of 85 percent or 30 percent ethanol with gasoline — are now open at the Hartington Stop N Go. The additions bring the
January 02, 2013 Read Full Article
Ethanol Makers Get Creative With Corn
by Owen Fletcher (The Wall Street Journal) ...U.S. ethanol producers are finding creative ways to earn more money as demand for their flagship product stagnates. These companies are using corn not only to make ethanol but also ingredients for products
December 27, 2012 Read Full Article
The Year That Was and Will Be
by Bob Dinneen (Renewable Fuels Association) ...E15 is now for sale in Iowa, Kansas and Nebraska. ...As if that weren’t enough, the fierce battle to protect the renewable fuel standard (RFS) is already underway. Fortunately, the facts proved once and for
December 20, 2012 Read Full Article
Ethanol Production Continues for E Energy
by Scott Koperski (Beatrice Daily Sun) ... One key to E Energy Adams’ success has been finding uses for byproducts in ethanol production. (Carl) Sitzmann (CEO of E Energy Adams) said the starch from corn is the only portion of the grain
December 19, 2012 Read Full Article
Advanced Ethanol Council Releases Snapshot of Cellulosic Ethanol Production around the World
(Renewable Fuels Association) The Advanced Ethanol Council this morning released a report giving a snapshot of cellulosic ethanol producers in the U.S. and around the world. A look at facilities owned by companies such as Abengoa Bioenergy, Enerkem, INEOS Bio
December 19, 2012 Read Full Article
Blender Pumps at Jackson Gas Station Blend Local Ethanol On Demand
by Staci DaSilva (KCAUtv.com) ...Along with a refurbished convenience store, it's Taylor Nelson and the new gas pumps that are the story here. "I wanted to take advantage of our locally grown and locally produced fuel source," said Taylor Nelson. Using only
November 09, 2012 Read Full Article
Cattle, Corn Contribute to Ethanol Bonanza
by Art Hovey (Lincoln Journal Star) The economic bounce that comes from the combination of corn and cattle in Nebraska "is unmatched any other place in the country," agricultural economist Bruce Johnson told the Nebraska Ethanol Board on Tuesday. And the
October 31, 2012 Read Full Article
REAP Grants Include Money for Blender Pumps
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) A total of $16 million in investment for 244 projects received funding from the USDA’s Rural Energy for America Program, including several blender pumps and a few biomass-related projects. The program offers funding to
October 29, 2012 Read Full Article
State 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
First Retailer in Nebraska to Offer E15
(Renewable Fuels Association) Uncle Neal’s Phillips 66 at 2705 S. Plum Creek Parkway in Lexington, Nebraska is the first retailer in Nebraska to offer E15. A grand opening promotion will be announced soon. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved of E15
October 24, 2012 Read Full Article
Ethanol Powered Muscle Cars Hit the Track In Kearney
by Emily Roehler (NebraskaTV) It's being billed as "8 Seconds of Corn-fed Madness." Street-legal muscle cars doing 180 mph on a quarter-mile track, powered by ethanol, the renewable fuel made from corn, will race down the track at Kearney Raceway Park. Their performance
September 26, 2012 Read Full Article
Finding the Right Biofuels for the Southeast: A Range of Alternatives
(US Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service) ...Of the five regions, the Southeast has the greatest natural capacity in the continental United States, with sufficient sunshine, soils, water, and other natural resources to produce more than 10 billion gallons of
September 19, 2012 Read Full Article
Heineman Declares September as Renewable Fuels Month at Husker Harvest Days
by Robert Pore (The Independent) During the last 25 years, Nebraska has seen its ethanol industry develop into the nation’s second-biggest producer at 2 billion gallons a year from 24 ethanol plants. Gov. Dave Heineman declared September as Renewable Fuels Month
September 14, 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
The Top 10 Advanced Biofuels and Biorefining Companies in Asia
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...While the economic growth in China has been drawing virtually all the headlines in recent years, the “Tiger” economies of Southeast and South Asia have been fast-growing for a long time, and with resources including
September 04, 2012 Read Full Article
Nebraska Corn Growers Funding Blender Pumps
by Cindy Zimmerman (DomesticFuel.com) Nebraska corn growers are on a mission to get more blender pumps installed in their state, especially in the larger cities. Kim Clark, director of biofuels development for the Nebraska Corn Board, gave an update at the American Coalition
August 27, 2012 Read Full Article
Energy Independence Comes to Nebraska
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...Recently, with the boom in drilling operations in Wyoming and Colorado in the Niobrara shale – and some tentative exploration of the Kleinholz field – there have been renewed hopes for a return to the
August 22, 2012 Read Full Article
Local View: Gas Pain at the Pump
by Todd Sneller (Journal Star) The petroleum mandate forced on U.S. motorists prevents consumers from choosing less costly fuel options at the pump. Artificial impediments imposed on the fuel market restrict the use of less expensive, cleaner burning options like
August 15, 2012 Read Full Article
Ethanol Producers Adapt to Drought, Corn Prices
by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com) Nebraska ethanol producers are responding to a tough market. With excessive drought conditions and nearly record high corn prices, ethanol producers have decreased their consumption in recent weeks. Latest estimates show the state’s ethanol plants operating
August 08, 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
Nebraska Corn Board Funding More Blender Pumps
by John Davis (DomesticFuel.com) Retailers in Nebraska will get some help putting in pumps that give more choices when it comes to ethanol. The Nebraska Corn Board will give grants of $30,000 for acquisition and installation of the first blender pump at
July 17, 2012 Read Full Article
NCB Offers New Blender Pump Grant Incentive for Fuel Retailers
(Nebraska Corn Board) The Nebraska Corn Board recently allocated funds in its 2012-13 fiscal year budget to further develop the renewable fuel infrastructure in Nebraska. Through a grant program, Nebraska Corn Board will award qualifying retailers $30,000 for the first blender
July 04, 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
A Tale of Two Energy Cities
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) A major plant opening by Novozymes in Nebraska and a project announcement from ExxonMobil in Texas, highlight the opportunities and challenges for industrial biotechnology ...In Blair, Cargill’s corn-based, wet mill ethanol plant provides a base load
June 04, 2012 Read Full Article
Novozymes Built New Enzyme Plant in U.S. Due to Tax Credit
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Novozymes, a global biotech company, first considered building its newly built enzyme production plant in China but eventually zeroed in on the U.S. One big deciding factor was the $28.4 million tax credit from
June 01, 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
Team Aims to Make Sugarcane, Sorghum into Oil-Producing Crops
(University of Illinois) With the support of a $3.2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy, researchers will take the first steps toward engineering two new oil-rich crops. They aim to boost the natural, oil-producing capabilities of sugarcane and
March 02, 2012 Read Full Article
U.S. ‘Losing Momentum’ in Biofuels Makes Novozymes Target Brazil
by Justin Doom (Bloomberg) Novozymes A/S (NZYMB), the world’s biggest maker of enzymes for biofuels, is focusing its expansion efforts in Europe, China and Brazil and isn’t pursuing new projects in the U.S. because of the lack of political support. “The policy signals sent to
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
Plastics Cozy Up to Distillers Grains
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) ...Can a Nebraska company process wet distillers grains into a biobased resin to replace conventional petroleum-based resins? Laurel BioComposite LLC says yes. ...The pilot plant started up the end of November and the trademarked BioRes
January 26, 2012 Read Full Article
Mixing it Up: Combining Stover with Distillers Grains for Cattle Feed
by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Corn stover has been used in small amounts as cattle feed for more than 100 years. Separately, distillers grains has grown in popularity as a cattle feed over the past few decades as ethanol
January 26, 2012 Read Full Article
New E85 Blender Pump Available in Arcadia, Neb.
by Ann Marie Edwards (DomesticFuel.com) A new blender pump is now available at Trotter Service in Arcadia, Neb. This E85 blender pump is one of approximately 60 in Nebraska to offer the renewable fuel, ethanol. This station will offer unleaded, E10 and other mid-level ethanol
January 20, 2012 Read Full Article
Iowa State University-Led Group Awarded $25 Million Grant for Land Use, Biofuel Production Study
(Iowa State University) Now, an Iowa State University-based study over the next five years will examine whether a single, coordinated production system can address all of these concerns while making profits for producers. A multi-state, interdisciplinary team led by Ken Moore,
January 19, 2012 Read Full Article
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
Area Plant Makes Bio-Resins for Plastics
by Dave Dreeszen (Sioux City Journal) A northeast Nebraska start-up company has produced its first batches of an ag-based material that holds great promise for the global plastics industry. Laurel BioComposite LLC recently opened a pilot plant that makes so-called "Bio-Res"
December 28, 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
Kansas City Firm to Re-Open Mead Ethanol Plant
by Art Hovey (Lincoln Journal Star) Spectrum Business Ventures of Kansas City aims to bring a closed ethanol plant near Mead out of mothball status in the next few months. The former E3 Biofuels plant attracted widespread attention in 2006 as
December 23, 2011 Read Full Article
The Economics of Higher Ethanol Blends
by Kim Clark (Nebraska Corn Board) ...Although you have increased horsepower when using ethanol blended fuel, fuel mileage may decrease as the amount of ethanol in your fuel increases. However, studies have shown the optimal ethanol blend to use before you begin
December 15, 2011 Read Full Article
Loss of Federal Incentives Could Hurt Cellulosic Ethanol Development
by Robert Pore (The Independent) ...Nebraska's ethanol industry could be adversely impacted if Congress doesn't extend key tax incentives, especially those for cellulosic ethanol, a Nebraska Ethanol Board official said. The incentives that the Advanced Ethanol Council (AEC) and other groups
December 14, 2011 Read Full Article
Area Plant Makes Bio-Resins for Plastics
by Dave Dreeszen (Sioux City Journal) A northeast Nebraska start-up company has produced its first batches of an ag-based material that holds great promise for the global plastics industry. Laurel BioComposite LLC recently opened a pilot plant that makes so-called "Bio-Res"
December 05, 2011 Read Full Article
Novozymes Urges Committee to Explore Oil Alternatives
by Cindy Zimmerman (DomesticFuel.com) The president of biofuel enzyme producer Novozymes last week called on a House subcommittee to explore alternatives to drilling for oil to meet the country’s energy needs. In a written statement prepared for the House Committee on Natural Resources’
November 28, 2011 Read Full Article
Neb. Enzyme Plant Readies to Supply Biofuel Plants
by Josh Funk (Yahoo!News/AP) The leading maker of the enzymes used to produce biofuels says the declining political support for ethanol hasn't diminished the long-term prospects for the industry making fuel from plants. Novozymes plans to open a major new enzyme plant in eastern
November 22, 2011 Read Full Article
Switchgrass Ethanol Research Looks to Yield Big Benefits
by Larry Dreiling (High Plains MidWest Ag Journal) Construction has begun in Hugoton, Kan., on the nation's first commercial scale biomass fuel refinery. Abengoa Bioenergy's new, 23 million-gallon annual throughput refinery will take biomass, mainly switchgrass, and turn it into ethanol. One
November 15, 2011 Read Full Article
Nebraska Ethanol Board Part of New Flex Fuel Campaign
(Nebraska Farmer) USDA grant intended to make drivers more aware of flex fuel vehicles and ethanol's benefits involves Nebraska and five other states. A grant awarded by USDA will be used to promote flex fuel vehicles, flex fuel pumps, and driver
November 11, 2011 Read Full Article
Nebraska Corn Completes Ethanol Co-Product Research Initiative
by Cindy Zimmerman (DomesticFuel.com) A three-year initiative by Nebraska corn growers to fund research into feeding the ethanol co-product distillers grains to cattle has resulted in some new breakthroughs. The initiative created a beef cattle advisory committee to work with University
November 10, 2011 Read Full Article
FlexFuel Vehicle Education Project Announced
by Cindy Zimmerman (DomesticFuel.com) A new public education project to reach drivers of FlexFuel Vehicles (FFVs) by working with state Motor Vehicle Administrations (MVA) was announced today by the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers and the Clean Fuels Foundation. As a part
November 02, 2011 Read Full Article
Abengoa's $500 Million Vision Could Take Shape in York County
by Art Hovey (Lincoln Journal Star) Movers and shakers in York County, one of the most prolific places for corn production in Nebraska and the United States, have spun off plenty of other profitable corn undertakings in recent years, including
October 28, 2011 Read Full Article
Drag Racers Using It Burn up Tires, Not Their Engines
by Mike Konz (Kearney Hub) ...As cars thunder down the quarter mile at Kearney Raceway Park, racing fans will notice the aroma of baking bread amid the scents of burned fuel and rubber wafting across the grounds. The source of the bakery
October 04, 2011 Read Full Article
Street-Legal Cars Burn E85 on Kearney Racetrack
by Lori Potter (KearneyHub.com) More than 200 cars will roar down the Kearney Raceway Park track Oct. 1-2 during the 2011 National Hot Rod Association Division 5 National Open, with events for dragsters, super stocks and street legal cars. However, Grady
September 19, 2011 Read Full Article
Biofuels Firm Plans Bellevue Refinery
by Ross Boettcher (World-Herald/Omaha.com) A La Vista-based biofuels company Thursday proposed a $100 million project to build a biorenewable fuel refinery in Bellevue that could create at least 50 local jobs. The company, BioSyn Resources, wants to build a three-tiered refinery
September 12, 2011 Read Full Article
New E85 Station Opens in St. Paul, Nebraska
by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com) ...For those flex-fuel vehicle drivers, you have a new E85 station that just may be on your travel route. Aurora Cooperative at 614 2nd Street in St. Paul, Nebraska is the home of the state’s newest
September 06, 2011 Read Full Article
Fairgoing Public to Learn More about Ethanol
(The Independent) The Nebraska Corn Board and Nebraska Ethanol Board are partnering at the 142nd Nebraska State Fair to promote ethanol and flex fuel vehicles. Vendor booths from each agency will be set up in the Exhibition Building to focus on
August 30, 2011 Read Full Article
A Constant in Changing Times: One Plant’s Success Story in an Ever-evolving Industry
by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) ...Near Hastings, a community of about 25,000 people nestled amid the seemingly endless corn fields of south-central Nebraska, Chief Ethanol Fuels Inc. has been steadily churning out ethanol since late 1984. The oldest dry-mill
August 23, 2011 Read Full Article
Water Intensity of Corn-Based Ethanol Needs to Include DDGS Credit
by Gouri Shankar Mishra and Sonia Yeh (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Study recalculates water consumption with expanded system boundaries and coproduct credit Recent studies have estimated the “consumptive water use,” “water embodied,” and “water footprint” of corn-based ethanol in the U.S, with
August 22, 2011 Read Full Article
A Quick Way to Grade Grasses for Ethanol Yields
by Don Comis (US Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service) U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) researchers have developed an inexpensive way to grade the ethanol potential of perennial grasses at the biorefinery's loading dock. That future has been made possible by
August 22, 2011 Read Full Article
Abengoa Announces DOE Offer of Conditional Commitment for $133.9 Million Loan Guarantee to Build Inaugural Biomass Plant in United States
(Abengoa/PR NewsWire) Abengoa today announced that its subsidiary, Abengoa Bioenergy, has been selected by the US Department of Energy's Loan Programs Office to receive an offer of a conditional commitment for a $133.9 million federal loan guarantee for the construction of
August 19, 2011 Read Full Article
Do Community Co-Ops Matter?
by Luke Geiver (Biodiesel Magazine) ...Biodiesel co-ops are doing their part in the continued growth of the industry one 5-gallon jug of waste vegetable oil (WVO) biodiesel at a time. If the 5 MMgy producers are working to provide an
August 17, 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
Woodside Says Ethanol Industry Willing to Give Back Tax Break for Debt Reduction
by Lori Potter (Kearney Hub) The ethanol industry is willing to immediately give up $1.3 billion in tax breaks for federal debt reduction. However, that probably can’t happen unless authorizing legislation is attached to a successful debt ceiling-budget reduction bill, said
July 25, 2011 Read Full Article
Nebraska Ethanol Workers Earn More
by Cindy Zimmerman (DomesticFuel.com) The Nebraska Ethanol Board reports that wage growth in that state’s ethanol sector outpaced all industry wage growth in the past decade, increasing by more than 58%. According to the Nebraska Department of Labor, average pay in the
July 21, 2011 Read Full Article
Reforming Ethanol in a Responsible Way
by Senator Mike Johanns (York News-Times) ...Ethanol helped keep $34 billion of our money at home last year instead of going to other countries for foreign oil. ...Though these benefits are significant, today's fiscal realities require us to rethink our approach
June 29, 2011 Read Full Article
GreenShift Licenses Its Patented Corn Oil Extraction Process to Sunoco
(BusinessWire/GreenShift) Technology Produces Feedstock for Biodiesel, Second Renewable Fuel from Sunoco's Green E15 Manufacturing Facility in Fulton, New York GreenShift Corporation announced today (June 24, 2011) that it has licensed its patented technology to Sunoco for extraction of corn oil from
June 24, 2011 Read Full Article
Cattle+Ethanol=A Good Match
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Cattlemen in the U.S. and Canada demonstrate feedlots and ethanol production are ideal companion enterprises In every case, the cattle came first. In an effort to find inexpensive and efficient ways to feed cattle—and in
June 09, 2011 Read Full Article
Pellet Technology Targets Cellulosic Ethanol Producers
by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Nebraska-based Pellet Technology LLC is teaming up with CPM to offer second-generation biofuels producers a solution to the logistical issues surrounding the use of bulky biomass as feedstocks. Pellet Technology, which became commercially active
June 03, 2011 Read Full Article
UNL Feedlot Research to Look at Ethanol Byproduct
by Matt Luebbe (The Fence Post) University of Nebraska researchers plan to conduct a study this summer at the Panhandle Research Feedlot to determine the effects of including a common ethanol plant byproduct, condensed distillers soluble, in beef feedlot diets. What
May 31, 2011 Read Full Article
DGs Could End up in Plastics if Biocomposite Facility Is Built
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Distillers grains as a component in plastics? You bet, if two Nebraska companies achieve their goals. It will start by building a manufacturing facility, Laurel BioComposite LLC, in Laurel, Neb. Major investors include Kearney Area
May 19, 2011 Read Full Article
Ethanol Advocates Trying to Pump Up flex-fuel Infrastructure
by Art Hovey (Lincoln Journal Star) Nebraska ethanol advocates lined up their flex-fuel vehicles Friday to fill up with 85 percent ethanol blends at the Aurora Co-op's new 24-hour fueling site. That was their most visible way of emphasizing President Barack
May 09, 2011 Read Full Article
Great Plains Renewable Energy Outlines Algae Plans on Q1 Call
(Algae Industry Magazine) ...Highlights of the discussion included updates on GPRE’s recently announced BioProcess Algae joint venture. Following are some comments by Mr. Becker and his answers to some shareholder questions regarding their algae ventures: ...The technology represents a true intersection
May 09, 2011 Read Full Article
Bobby Likis: Ethanol Asked & Answered
(Bobby Likis/YouTube) Bobby Likis: You've got Ethanol Questions? Here are some Answers from industry leaders in the know, including NORRIS MARSHALL [president and owner of Marshall Engines], FRED BOSSELMAN [president and owner of Bosselman Energy], SCOTT MERRITT [executive director of
May 05, 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
Fryer Grease Rustling Rises Due to Oil Price Hikes
by David Hendee (Reuters) Rises in fuel prices have led to an increase in the number of used fryer grease rustlers roaming restaurant alleys in the United States. Grease thefts have spiked whenever fuel prices climbed during the last four years
April 29, 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
New Blender Pump in York, NE
by Cindy Zimmerman (DomesticFuel.com) A new ethanol blender pump opened last week in York, Nebraska thanks to the efforts of the Nebraska Ethanol Board and the Nebraska Corn Board. ...The York E85 / blender pump is the 61st in Nebraska to offer
April 05, 2011 Read Full Article
Ethanol: Pros, Cons Fuel Debate over Its Worth
by Tyler Ellyson (Columbus Telegram) Robeson, general manager of Frontier Co-op in Brainard, considers the corn-based fuel to be the crutch that the Midwest and Nebraska economies leaned on during the recent recession — keeping our heads above water while
April 04, 2011 Read Full Article
Saint Michael’s Receives $766,000 NSF Grant as Part of Plant Genome Project
(VermontBiz.com) Saint Michael's College biologist Dr Mark Lubkowitz and his students join a team of researchers from the University of Missouri, University of Florida, Purdue University and the University Nebraska-Lincoln, on a five-year project to study the genes that control
March 24, 2011 Read Full Article
Ethanol Gets Boost from Rising Oil Prices
by Erin Golden (Omaha.com) ...Headlines about higher gas prices are putting a big-picture focus on the country’s dependence on oil, said Todd Becker, the CEO of Omaha-based ethanol producer Green Plains Renewable Energy. And on a smaller scale, he said,
March 09, 2011 Read Full Article
Letter to Editor: Facts about Gasoline
by David Hallberg (JournalStar) Regarding "Figuring out the ethanol scam" (Local View, Feb. 26): Next time William Stone should do his homework before he tries to help people with distorted facts. To begin, he should honestly define gasoline for his readers. It
March 07, 2011 Read Full Article
Local View: Ethanol Makes Sense Only in Fantasy World
by William R. Stone, Jr. (Journal Star) ...As an old ranch hand, I've never made much of being an environmentalist, but I support protecting the environment more than most of the rabid environmentalists I've met. So since ethanol became available
February 24, 2011 Read Full Article
Flex Fuel Advocates Looking for Answers
by Art Hovey (Lincoln Star Journal) Nineteen years after cars capable of using 85 percent ethanol blends went on the market, it appears that Schuyler is about to join the ranks of Nebraska communities that make the product available to
February 07, 2011 Read Full Article
Algae Project Advances at Green Plains Renewable Energy Plant
by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) BioProcess Algae LLC has begun operating commercial-scale algae bioreactors at Green Plains Renewable Energy Inc.’s 65 MMgy ethanol plant in Shenandoah, Iowa. The project is a joint venture among GPRE, BioProcessH20 LLC, a division
February 03, 2011 Read Full Article
Nebraska's 'Golden Triangle' Attracts Cattle
(Nebraska Farmer) The Nebraska Department of Agriculture and the Nebraska Corn Board have jointlyreleased a video that shows the opportunities available for feeding cattle in Nebraska. ..."We have talked about Nebraska's Golden Triangle of corn, livestock and ethanol. As the third
January 24, 2011 Read Full Article
Power Fund Board Approves Terms for Iowa Cellulosic Ethanol Project by DuPont-Danisc
(Iowa Office of Energy Independence) Project Would Produce Jobs and New Energy Technology for Iowa The Iowa Power Fund Board (Board) approved terms January 12, 2011, to start contract negotiations on a grant award for one of the first in the nation,
January 14, 2011 Read Full Article
Nebraska Universities Win $20M Research Grant
(AP/Bloomberg Business Week) Several Nebraska universities will share a $20 million grant to develop new research focused on algae and nanotechnology, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln announced Monday. Part of the five-year National Science Foundation grant will help one group of researchers build
October 18, 2010 Read Full Article
Will the Proposed Pipeline Hurt Nebraska’s Ethanol Industry?
by Robert (Aglines) The battle is raging over the public airwaves about the proposed oil tar sand pipeline from Canada that will cross Nebraska. As, the proponents rightly state, there are plenty of oil and gas pipelines crossing Nebraska and some of
October 13, 2010 Read Full Article
Camelina: Potential Biofuels Crop in Western Nebraska
by IANR News Service (North Platte Bulletin) ...Camelina is a yellow-flowering oilseed crop that grows one to three feet tall. It has some advantages as an industrial oil crop, said University of Nebraska-Lincoln scientist Ed Cahoon. For example, it's not
September 23, 2010 Read Full Article
State Assists Laurel Ethanol Startup
by Dave Dreeszen (Sioux City Journal) The state of Nebraska on Thursday awarded a half million dollars in infrastructure funds to assist a northeast Nebraska startup planning to turn an ethanol byproduct into plastics. Laurel BioComposite, a producer of what’s known as
September 21, 2010 Read Full Article
Federal Legislation for Ethanol Pipeline Being Introduced
March 29, 2010, Congressman Leonard Boswell (D-IA) and Congressman Lee Terry (R-NE) held a news conference to highlight a bipartisan effort to boost our country’s homegrown energy industry by improving infrastructure for moving ethanol from the Midwest to the rest
April 02, 2010 Read Full Article
Uiversity of Nebraska at Lincoln Team Looks to Tap Algae for Energy
by Kevin Abourzk (Lincoln Journal Star) But algae? A team of University of Nebraska-Lincoln researchers is working to extract oil from that sticky green stuff that gums up boat motors and fishing lines. Then they'll study the feasibility of using it
March 25, 2010 Read Full Article
University of Nebraska-Lincoln Hopes to Tap Into Algae as Energy Source
(CheckBiotech) Part of the greenhouse complex at University of Nebraska-Lincoln's Beadle Center will be revamped into an algal biofuels research facility this year. Scientists will begin growing algae in small containers, then move on to five-foot long bags and, finally,
February 11, 2010 Read Full Article
Novozymes Gets USD 28.4 Million Tax Credit to Advance Biofuels Production, Create Jobs
Novozymes, has received an Advanced Energy Manufacturing Tax Credit of USD 28.4 million from the Obama Administration for the construction of its new enzyme manufacturing facility in Blair, Nebraska. The facility, which will produce enzymes used to make advanced biofuels, will