by Cole Rosengren (Waste Dive) ... The expiration of the ITC benefits in 2016, followed by the expiration of related production tax credits in 2017, are frequently cited as key limitations for financing new biogas infrastructure. While other incentives such
Wisconsin
Back TO HOMEWisconsin Clean Cities Accepting Applications for Paid Fall 2019 Internship DEADLINE: August 11, 2019
(Wisconsin Clean Cities) The Clean Cities University Workforce Development Program (CCUWDP) is an initiative of Clean Cities, a government-industry partnership sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy's Vehicle Technologies Program. Clean Cities strives to reduce petroleum consumption in the transportation sector in nearly 100 regions
August 02, 2019 Read Full Article
RNG Market Surpasses 100-Project Pinnacle in North America
(Coalition for Renewable Natural Gas/Biomass Magazine) The Coalition for Renewable Natural Gas (RNG Coalition) announced today (July 29, 2019) that the North American renewable natural gas (RNG) industry has reached the 100 facility benchmark this summer. With the addition of three
July 31, 2019 Read Full Article
Wisconsin Project Will Create Enough Bio-CNG to Travel 1,270,000 Miles
(Brightmark Energy/NGV Journal) Brightmark Energy, a San Francisco-based waste and energy development company, has purchased an anaerobic digester northwest of Madison, Wisconsin that will convert 90,000 gallons per day of dairy waste from three local farms into biogas and other useful
July 29, 2019 Read Full Article
A Political 'Fight to the Knife' over Ethanol Comes to Wisconsin
by Chris Hubbuch (Wisconsin State Journal) ... “There’s (a) civil war within the Republican Party,” said Scott Irwin, chairman of agricultural marketing at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. “It’s pitting two significant Republican constituencies of the president and neither one
July 15, 2019 Read Full Article
Relieving Two Headaches with One Process: Acetaminophen from Lignin
by Jill Sakai (Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center) With a new method to synthesize a popular pain-relieving medication from plants rather than fossil fuels, researchers at the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center have found a way to relieve two headaches at once. A
July 12, 2019 Read Full Article
24 Governors Call on Trump to Halt Rollback on Rules for Clean Cars
by Hiroko Tabuchi (New York Times) The opposition to one of President Trump’s most consequential regulatory rollbacks — a plan to weaken pollution standards for automobiles nationwide — widened on Tuesday when 24 governors, including three Republicans, urged the president to abandon his plan. The governors’ plea adds
July 10, 2019 Read Full Article
AFPM Launches Ad Campaign Urging the President to Protect Refinery Jobs
(American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers) Today (July 8, 2019), AFPM launched an advertising campaign asking President Trump to keep his promise to protect U.S. refiners from unchecked ethanol mandates that threaten to kill our jobs. This campaign comes on the heels
July 09, 2019 Read Full Article
Study Finds Ethanol Blends Reduce GDI Tailpipe PM
(Green Car Congress) A new study finds that ethanol blends reduce particulate matter (PM) coming out of the tailpipe, which in turn reduces overall toxic emissions. The study was conducted by the University of California Riverside and the University of Wisconsin, Madison and
June 07, 2019 Read Full Article
Students Study Possible Use of Lake Algae for Biofuel
(University of Wisconsin-Stout) Could the algae on Lake Menomin make biofuel? That is the question some University of Wisconsin-Stout students looked at as part of their research for capstone projects. Jerica Hall, a senior studying mechanical engineering, talked about the findings she and
May 28, 2019 Read Full Article
EERE’s SBIR Selects Bioenergy Phase I Innovation Projects
(U.S. Department of Energy) American small businesses got nearly a $22 million boost from the Energy Department’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program. Small businesses are receiving Phase I Release 2 grants (from
May 28, 2019 Read Full Article
Mushroom Burial Suits, Fish Gut Bioplastic, Algae Foam Bags, Power Generated from Human Sweat, Castor Oil Polyamides, and More: The Digest’s Top 10 Innovations for the Week of May15th
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The pace of bioeconomy invention and change continues at a frenetic pace. Here are the top innovations for the week of May 15th. In today’s Digest, mushroom burial suits, fish gut bioplastic, algae foam bags, power generated
May 15, 2019 Read Full Article
Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center Leads the Drive toward a Renewable Future
(University of Wisconsin-Madison) ... Transportation, heating and the plastics and chemicals we use every day all rely on petroleum products, but our insatiable appetite for fossil fuels will have catastrophic consequences for the health of the planet if left unchecked. That’s
May 14, 2019 Read Full Article
Dane County Executive Parisi and Partners Cut Ribbon on Landfill Biogas Project’s Completion This Earth Week
(Dane County, Wisconsin) The Facility—the First of Its Kind in the Nation—Will Benefit Local Economies, Advance County’s Clean Lakes and Air Efforts -- Dane County Executive Joe Parisi stood at the county landfill today with County Board members and project leaders to
May 03, 2019 Read Full Article
Whitefox Announces its Fifth Successful ICE™ Start-up in the U.S. at Ace Ethanol in Wisconsin
(Whitefox/PR Newswire) Whitefox Technologies Limited is proud to announce its fifth successful installation and start-up of its Whitefox ICE™ system at Ace Ethanol's plant in Stanley, Wisconsin. One-third of all Wisconsin ethanol plants now have a Whitefox ICE™ system installed. Whitefox's membrane solution is a key part
April 26, 2019 Read Full Article
2019 Ethanol Producer Award Winners Announced
by Lisa Gibson (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The 2019 Ethanol Producer Award winners have been selected. Following a nomination period and voting process that included Ethanol Producer Magazine editorial staff and editorial board members, EPM is proud to announce this year’s winners. They are
April 24, 2019 Read Full Article
Midwest Sees Surge in Clean Energy Jobs
by Casey Leins (US News and World Report) The Midwest added more than 28,000 clean energy jobs in 2018, resulting in a 4 percent growth rate, according to a recent report released by national advocacy groups Clean Energy Trust and Environmental
April 17, 2019 Read Full Article
DTE Biomass Energy Operates First Dairy RNG Project in Wisconsin
(USGasVehicles.com) DTE Biomass Energy is now operating the first dairy renewable natural gas (RNG) project in Wisconsin. Thanks to 30 years of creating clean renewable energy throughout the country, DTE Biomass Energy has the experience required to improve sustainability and increase
April 09, 2019 Read Full Article
Augean RNG Project to Convert 150,000 Gallons of Dairy Waste Per Day
by Betsy Lillian (NGT News) Brightmark Energy, a San Francisco-based owner and operator of waste and energy projects, recently launched a biogas project in Yakima County, Wash. The project is expected to convert 150,000 gallons per day of dairy waste from up
April 09, 2019 Read Full Article
The Digest’s Top 10 Celluosic Project Flashpoints, 10 Quick Takes
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) It’s all very rosy on the cellulosic potential frontier. As Gevo and Renmatix recently observed, “cellulosic sugars are one of the most abundant feedstocks in the world, and in many geographies with dense vegetation, using woody
March 26, 2019 Read Full Article
Plant and Algae-Based Tuna, Lignin Plastic Alternative, Rice Husks in Architecture, Seaweed T-shirt and Lube, Jute and Kenaf Composites and more: The Digest’s Top 10 Innovations for the week of March 21st
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The pace of bioeconomy invention and change continues at a frenetic pace. Here are the top innovations for the week of March 21st. In today’s Digest, plant and algae-based tuna, lignin plastic alternative, rice husks in architecture,
March 21, 2019 Read Full Article
Engineered Microbe May Be Key to Producing Plastic from Plants
by Chris Barncard (University of Wisconsin-Madison) With a few genetic tweaks, a type of soil bacteria with an appetite for hydrocarbons shows promise as a biological factory for converting a renewable — but frustratingly untapped — bounty into a replacement for
March 11, 2019 Read Full Article
Report: Feds' Biofuel Policy Produced Unintended Environmental Consequences
(Public News Service) A new report says the federal Renewable Fuel Standard, created to spur ethanol production and cut air pollution, is responsible for a number of negative environmental impacts, including reduced water supplies in Texas and other drought-prone areas. Producing a single
March 09, 2019 Read Full Article
Kwik Trip to Sell RNG Produced at Wisconsin Landfill Gas Project
by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) Officials in Dane County, Wisconsin, have announced that Kwik Trip will be a primary dispenser of renewable natural gas (RNG) produced at the county’s landfill biogas project when it reaches completion later this year. According to Dane
March 06, 2019 Read Full Article
Clover Improves Soil Quality, Feeds Biofuels Crop
by Christie Delfanian (South Dakota State University/Phys.Org) A four-leaf clover might bring good luck, but a stand of Kura clover can produce healthier soil—in the long run, according to a South Dakota State University study. Planting Kura clover, a pasture legume, with prairie
March 01, 2019 Read Full Article
Cellulosic Commercialization: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Cellulosic Ethanol
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Douglas B. Rivers, PhD,from Sunflwr Consulting and a member of Lee Enterprises Consulting offers this illuminating overview and more READ MORE
February 28, 2019 Read Full Article
Wisconsin: Biofuel Project Powers CNG Vehicles across Midwest U.S.
(Dane County/NGV Journal) Dane County Executive Joe Parisi announced that Kwik Trip will be one of the primary dispensers of the renewable vehicle fuel generated by the county’s landfill biogas project when it reaches completion later this year. When finished, the
February 25, 2019 Read Full Article
Biogas-to-Fuel Study Moves Forward in Watertown, Wis.
by Betsy Lillian (NGT News) The Watertown Public Works Commission in Wisconsin recently OK’d a study to assess biogas as a potential transportation fuel. According to a local report from the Watertown Daily Times, the commission approved the nearly $15 million project to
February 11, 2019 Read Full Article
The Pursuit of Biofuels Evolution and Revolution: Attis Innovations’ Ambitions for Its Newly-Acquired Upstate New York Project.
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... What especially caught industry attention was the teaser that “Attis will use the facility to produce low carbon cellulosic biofuels and plans to invest additional funds to enable it to meet growing demand in New
January 29, 2019 Read Full Article
New Biosensor Highlights Best Biofuel-Producing Microbes
by Max Witynski (Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center/University of Wisconsin-Madison) A major goal of the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center is to harness the power of microbes to create biofuels. But often, it’s an expensive challenge for scientists to identify the most useful
January 24, 2019 Read Full Article
Biomass Biocrude: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide ABLC Guide to Ensyn
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Ensyn produces a biocrude from forest and agricultural residues using its proprietary thermal technology. Dr. Robert G. Graham, Founder and Executive Chairman of Ensyn gave this illuminating overview of their growth in RFO, advancement in refinery co-processing, and
January 17, 2019 Read Full Article
Pushing Microbes to Deliver Preferred Products
by Tom Ziemer (University of Wisconsin-Madison/Phys.Org) If environmental engineer Daniel Noguera had his way, he would orchestrate a microbiome to pump out higher-value chemical products. In that vein, Noguera, the Wisconsin Distinguished Professor of civil and environmental engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, along
January 16, 2019 Read Full Article
Cellulosic Ethanol and DDGS: The Digest’s Multi-Slide Guide to D3MAX
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) D3MAX is a corn fiber-to-ethanol technology provider. Mark Yancey, D3MAX’s CTO, gave this illuminating overview of the technology and process behind the cellulosic ethanol and high protein DDGS from corn kernel fiber with D3MAX at ABLC Global
January 10, 2019 Read Full Article
The Most of Every Kernel: Two Corn Kernel Fiber-to-Ethanol Plants are under Construction, Stirring Hope that the Concept Is Gaining Steam.
by Matt Thompson (Ethanol Producer Magazine) In October 2018, construction began on Ace Ethanol’s cellulosic ethanol plant in Stanley, Wisconsin. The plant will be the first to incorporate D3Max’s corn kernel fiber-to-ethanol process, and will help the plant increase its yields
January 02, 2019 Read Full Article
Undergraduates Participate in Bioenergy Research at GLBRC through REU Program
by Max Witynski (Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center) The Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center hosted 10 REU (Research Experience for Undergraduates) students in summer 2018. Seven students participated in bioenergy-related research at Michigan State, and three at UW–Madison. We asked them to tell us
December 27, 2018 Read Full Article
Rebecca Smith Brings Enthusiasm, Ingenuity to Bear on Tough Lignin
by Max Witynski (Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center) Rebecca Smith has loved plants for a long time. In fact, her interest stems from an AP biology class in high school. “Something about the enormous variation and complexity in the plant kingdom sparked my
December 27, 2018 Read Full Article
CA RNG Project to Replace 1.25M Gallons/Year of Vehicle Fossil Fuels
by Betsy Lillian (NGT News) DVO Inc., a Wisconsin-based designer of anaerobic digesters, has outlined its plans for a California dairy biomethane project. The California Public Utilities Commission, California Air Resources Board, and California Department of Food and Agriculture recently announced funding for six
December 18, 2018 Read Full Article
Coffee Sunglasses, Cotton Biofuel Cells, Evolving Yeasts, Biobased Boat Stickers, Microalgae Chemicals, Potato Plastic, Bioplastic Shoes: The Digest’s Top 10 Innovations for the Week of December 5th
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The pace of bioeconomy invention and change continues at a frenetic pace. Here are the top innovations for the week of December 5th. ... #7 Cotton-based hybrid biofuel cell could power pacemakers In Georgia, a glucose-powered biofuel cell that
December 05, 2018 Read Full Article
Here's Where Incoming Republicans Stand on Climate
by Mark K. Matthews (E&E News) If they stay true to their campaign rhetoric, the class of freshman House Republicans won't be leading any revolutions next year on the issue of climate change. ... In a few cases, there are reasons for climate activists
December 05, 2018 Read Full Article
Broad Genome Analysis Shows Yeasts Evolving by Subtraction
by Chris Barncard (University of Wisconsin--Madison) An unprecedented comparison of hundreds of species of yeasts has helped geneticists brew up an expansive picture of their evolution over the last hundreds of millions of years, including an analysis of the way they
November 12, 2018 Read Full Article
Diverse Biofeedstocks Have High Ethanol Yields and Offer Biorefineries Flexibility
(U.S. Department of Energy/Phys.Org) ... Researchers processed and experimentally measured ethanol production from five different herbaceous feedstocks. They examined two annuals (corn stover and energy sorghum) along with three perennials (switchgrass, miscanthus, and restored prairie). They determined that a lignocellulosic ethanol
November 12, 2018 Read Full Article
New Research Looks beyond Carbon Efficiency to Improve Advanced Biofuel Strategy Development
by Max Witynski (Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center) ... For researchers, this means that the more carbon in the crop that ends up as carbon in the fuel, the better. But carbon efficiency may not be the whole story: fuel quality and
October 22, 2018 Read Full Article
Ace Ethanol Begins D3MAX Plant Construction at Stanley Wisconsin Facility
(Ace Ethanol/D3MAX/PR Web) D3MAX, LLC and Ace Ethanol, LLC announced they have started construction of the first D3MAX facility at Ace Ethanol's facility in Stanley, Wisconsin. Ace Ethanol will be the first ethanol plant to integrate the patented D3MAX technology with its existing corn dry
October 18, 2018 Read Full Article
Red-Hued Yeasts Hold Clues to Producing Better Biofuels
by Jill Sakai (University of Wisconsin-Madison) A compound that has scientists seeing red may hold the key to engineering yeasts that produce better biofuels. A red pigment called pulcherrimin, naturally produced by several strains of wild yeasts, is synthesized in part through
October 15, 2018 Read Full Article
Researchers Find Value in Unusual Type of Plant Material
by Mark E. Griffin (University of Wisconsin-Madison/Phys.Org) An ideal biorefinery would turn renewable crops into a variety of fuels and products with little waste. A significant challenge in realizing this vision is what to do with lignin, a fibrous and difficult-to-break-down material
October 09, 2018 Read Full Article
Election 2018: Clean Energy’s Future Could Rise or Fall with 36 Governors' Races
by Marianne Lavelle and Dan Gearino (Inside Climate News) Governors have the power to set the agenda on renewable energy or throw up roadblocks to its progress. It's become an issue in several races this year. -- Some of the most consequential elections
September 28, 2018 Read Full Article
Agriculture Youth Benefit From GROWMARK Support
by Carrie Muehling (AgWired.com) Illinois FFA State Officers including Treasurer Taylor Hartke helped to bring in the flags during a moving ceremony to open the GROWMARK Annual Meeting in Chicago. The Illinois FFA members joined FFA officers from Iowa and Wisconsin
September 14, 2018 Read Full Article
DOE Funds 6 Projects for Co-Optimization of Engines and Fuels
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. Department of Energy has announced it will award 42 projects a total of $80 million to support advanced vehicles technologies research. Approximately $10.1 million of that funding will support six projects focused on
September 14, 2018 Read Full Article
Department of Energy Announces 36 Projects for Bioenergy Research and Development
(U.S. Department of Energy) Today, the U.S. Department of Energy announced the selection of 36 projects totaling $80 million to support early-stage bioenergy research and development (R&D). This R&D will enable cost-competitive, drop-in renewable hydrocarbon fuels, bio-based products, and power from
September 04, 2018 Read Full Article
Red River Biorefinery Will Break Ground Wednesday in Grand Forks
by April Baumgarten (Grand Forks Herald) A Grand Forks biorefinery that will turn sugar beet waste into ethanol will break ground this week. City, state and economic leaders are expected to speak Wednesday at the ceremony for the Red River Biorefinery, an
August 22, 2018 Read Full Article
Wisconsin Dairy Farm Will Produce Biogas to Power Californian Fleets
(NGV Journal) Wisconsin-based Ponderosa Dairy has partnered with ... DTE Energy and Rev LNG LLC to break ground on a state of the art natural gas processing facility at the Pagel Farm in Kewaunee. The new plant will create renewable
August 13, 2018 Read Full Article
Researchers Discover How to Protect Yeast from Damage in Biofuel Production
by Chris Barncard (University of Wisconsin-Madison) Some chemicals used to speed up the breakdown of plants for production of biofuels like ethanol are poison to the yeasts that turn the plant sugars into fuel. Researchers from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and several
August 13, 2018 Read Full Article
The Yosemite Sam of the Microbial World, Hot Rodded Lichen, BYO Nitrogen, The Microbial Marx Brother, Sexy Hexy and More: The DOE Delves into New Orgamsism for Fuels & Chems
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The meanest, nastiest, ornierest, heat-seeking organism ever found that munches biomass and other microbes that got a booster via the DOE’s $40M grants for advanced microbes R&D. And aromatics without the mess, a sky-vacumming organism and
June 28, 2018 Read Full Article
First Fuel Shipments in a Decade Leave Port of Milwaukee This Spring, Raising Concerns
by Lee Bergquist (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel) ... Ethanol is being shipped out of the port this spring — the first time either ethanol or petroleum products have moved out of the port in at least a decade, according to port officials. Appleton-based U.S.
May 24, 2018 Read Full Article
Ethanol Summit of The Asia Pacific Showcases Global Ethanol Opportunities
(GrainNet) Industry and government officials from 17 countries in Asia and Oceania are meeting with members of the U.S. ethanol industry and U.S. officials in Minneapolis this week at the Ethanol Summit of the Asia Pacific (Summit), focused on current and
May 22, 2018 Read Full Article
DSM Wins Patent Infringement Case Against Lallemand Related to Low-Glycerol Yeast Technology Applicable in Ethanol Production
(DSM/PR Newswire) Royal DSM, a global science-based company active in health, nutrition and materials received unanimous jury verdict in a Federal Court in Wisconsin concluding that all glycerol reducing ethanol yeast products sold by Lallemand infringe DSM's US Patent 8,795,998. After several
May 17, 2018 Read Full Article
Mail Call! Biofuels Write to EPA on Strategy
by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico's Morning Energy) A coalition of Midwest biofuels associations sent a letter Thursday to EPA asking it to move administrative time and staff away from Renewable Fuel Standard exemptions and instead toward approvals for cellulosic ethanol. "The
May 04, 2018 Read Full Article
Marathon Petroleum to Acquire Andeavor for $23B
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... The deal creates the largest US oil refiner (and a top-five refiner globally) at 3.1 million barrels per day of capacity — Valero is around the same size, but that includes overseas operations. ... The (Marathon Petroleum)
May 01, 2018 Read Full Article
Can Perennial Bioenergy Crops Help Sequester Carbon?
by Krista Eastman (Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center) In an article published last summer in Science, researchers at the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center (GLBRC) reported on ten years of work assessing the potential climate benefit of producing dedicated bioenergy crops such as
April 30, 2018 Read Full Article
TerAvest Applies Persistence to Stubborn Bacteria
by Mark E. Griffin (Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center) Zymomonas mobilis is a creature of habit, a bacterial species that loves to eat simple sugars and produce ethanol, but shows little interest in anything else. ... But TerAvest (Michaela TerAvest, an assistant professor of biochemistry
April 30, 2018 Read Full Article
Hatching Higher Protein
by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Technologies for feed coproducts are evolving, pumping out high-protein ingredient alternatives. Experts assure the market is ripe. -- The pile of distillers grains at nearly a dozen plants is about to get smaller. Production of
April 26, 2018 Read Full Article
Ace Ethanol to Install D3MAX Technology at Its Stanley, Wisconsin Facility
(BBI International/PR Newswire) Adoption of both D3MAX and Whitefox Technologies will result in making the Stanley ethanol plant one of the most efficient ethanol facilities in the world. -- D3MAX, LLC and Ace Ethanol, LLC announced today that Ace Ethanol will be the first ethanol
April 25, 2018 Read Full Article
Advanced to Go: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to Ensyn
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Ensyn uses its patented and proprietary RTP fast thermal technology to convert wood residues and other non-food, cellulosic biomass to liquid biofuels. Ensyn has had continuous commercial operations for more than 25 years. Its technology has
April 13, 2018 Read Full Article
ARPA-E Announces $16M in Funding for 8 New Projects to Develop High-Efficiency Distributed Generations Systems Integrating Solid Oxide Fuel Cells
(FuelsCellsWorks/U.S. Department of Energy) Innovative Natural-gas Technologies for Efficiency Gain in Reliable and Affordable Thermochemical Electricity-generation (INTEGRATE) The U.S. electric system is dominated by large, central power plants and an extensive transmission and distribution system commonly referred to as the “grid.” Two-thirds
March 16, 2018 Read Full Article
Better Biomass Conversion for Biofuels and Bioproducts
by Krista Eastman (University of Wisconsin-Madison/Phys.Org) Behind the successful conversion of biomass to a better biofuel or a new green chemical, there is a carefully chosen solvent. The right solvent not only dissolves biomass but also drives the efficiency of the
March 15, 2018 Read Full Article
Whitefox ICE Installation at Fox River Exceeds Expectations
(Whitefox Technologies Ltd./Ethanol Producer Magazine) Fox River Valley Ethanol LLC completed the installation of its Whitefox ICE bolt-on solution at its ethanol plant in Oshkosh in December and is already seeing a positive impact at the gas meter and improvements
March 06, 2018 Read Full Article
Protein Studies Inform Biofuels Research
(University of Wisconsin – Madison/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Advances in biofuels research tend to involve reduced costs, greater reagent stability, more diverse and valuable end products, or faster reactions, which often increase product yields as well. But to understand at a deeper level
March 06, 2018 Read Full Article
US Biofuels Centre Shifts Focus to Second Gen Products
(Biofuels International) The Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center (GLBRC) based out of the University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW-Madison) is moving from the development of crop-based ethanol to creating fuels and chemicals that are fungible with their petroleum-based equivalents. The change was announced at
February 19, 2018 Read Full Article
Valley of the Diols: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to Producing PDO and HDO from Biomass
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Can you build a catalytic process to produce alpha, omega diols from lignocellulosic biomass? Such a process, using inorganic catalysts for conversion of biomass into 1.5 pentanediol (PDO) and 1,6 hexanediols could reduce the cost of
January 26, 2018 Read Full Article
Leaps and Bounds in Sustainable Plastics and Nylons: U Wisconsin, Genomatica, Aquafil, Anellotech, Suntory, ADM, DuPont in the Mix
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) It’s been a big week in plastics and nylons, all right — not only for those who value sustainability attributes, but for fans of lower costs and higher performance, too. Let’s look at 4 Biggies makin’
January 24, 2018 Read Full Article
C-Stores Meeting New Fuel Demands
by David Bennett (Convenience Store Decisions) Whether it’s teaming with Tesla to install charging stations or integrating alternative fuel solutions, retailers are part of a changing transportation marketplace. -- ... Some analysts insist the internal combustion engine has been around more than
January 19, 2018 Read Full Article
USDA Awards Attis $3 Million Grant for Lignin Technology
(Meridian Waste Solutions Inc./Ethanol Producer Magazine) Meridian Waste Solutions Inc., an integrated, non-hazardous solid waste services and innovative technology company, recently announced the award of a $3 million grant from the USDA to support the commercialization of patented and patent-pending lignin
January 17, 2018 Read Full Article
2017 — It Was a Seaweed Year for Algae
(Algae Industry Magazine) ... In September, the US Department of Energy (DOE) awarded $22 million in grants to fund projects for marine biomass farming for production of commercial products, including feedstock for domestic transportation fuels. The funding was provided through the
January 03, 2018 Read Full Article
Editorial: Keep Biofuel Benefits Flowing
(Wisconsin State Journal) ... A study conducted for the U.S. Agriculture Department found corn ethanol’s life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions, by 2022, will be 43 percent lower than gasoline baseline emissions if ethanol plants continue as usual. If ethanol production makes improvements with available
December 27, 2017 Read Full Article
United Ethanol LLC to Install Whitefox ICE™ to Reduce Energy and Boost Production Capacity
(Enhanced Online News/Whitefox) The modular bolt-on membrane system will increase production rates, improve energy and operational efficiencies and reduce cooling water load -- United Ethanol LLC is to install a Whitefox ICE™ membrane system at its plant in Milton, Wisconsin. The modular bolt-on system frees
December 01, 2017 Read Full Article
Results of UW-Madison Study on Carbon Emissions Disputed
by Carol Spaeth-Bauer (Wisconsin State Farmer) A University of Wisconsin-Madison study released on Nov. 15 has officials in the ethanol industry frustrated, disputing the methodology of the study saying the claims of the study are not supported by fact. The study showed a shift of
November 29, 2017 Read Full Article
UW Entrepreneurial Pipeline Lands Lactic Solutions in Biofuels Marketplace
by Natasha Kassulke (University of Wisconsin-Madison) When Jim Steele thinks back over the last seven years, from the early research on biofuels, followed by a dream of moving Lactic Solutions LLC technology to the marketplace, and now the acquisition of the
November 21, 2017 Read Full Article
Plowing Minnesota's Prairie Is Increasing Carbon in the Atmosphere
by Josephine Marcotty (Star Tribune) Newly plowed land in Minnesota released 1.6 million metric tons of carbon into the atmosphere each year between 2008 and 2012, a consequence of high corn prices and the ethanol mandate. Only the Dakotas, Texas and Missouri
November 20, 2017 Read Full Article
ACE: Video Series on E15 and Flex Fuel Retailers Debuts
(American Coalition for Ethanol/Ethanol Producer Magazine) The American Coalition for Ethanol announced the first two in a series of fuel marketer-focused videos on the flexfuelforward.com website Nov. 13, part of a campaign to feature real world E15 and flex fuel retailer success stories.
November 15, 2017 Read Full Article
Biofuel Tests in Milwaukee Zoo Locomotives a Success
(Coalition for Sustainable Rail/Biomass Magazine) Two steam locomotives at the Milwaukee County Zoo were fueled with a renewable wood-based solid fuel last week to reduce fossil coal emissions, and the test runs were a success. The Coalition for Sustainable Rail and the
November 15, 2017 Read Full Article
Renewable Drop-In Fuels at Scale: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Ensyn
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Ensyn uses its patented and proprietary RTP fast thermal technology to convert wood residues and other non-food, cellulosic biomass to liquid biofuels. Ensyn has had continuous commercial operations for more than 25 years. Its technology has
November 09, 2017 Read Full Article
ACE Congratulates Jetz on Addition of E15, E85 at Second Location
(American Coalition for Ethanol/Ethanol Producer Magazine) The American Coalition for Ethanol congratulates Jetz Convenience Centers for the addition of new ethanol blender pumps at its station in Muskego, Wisconsin. A grand opening event will take place Sept. 26 from 4
September 26, 2017 Read Full Article
USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture Announces $21.1 Million to Grow the Bioeconomy
(U.S. Department of Agriculture) The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) today announced six grants totaling nearly $21.1 million to support the development of new jet fuel, biobased products and biomaterials from renewable sources.
September 25, 2017 Read Full Article
Yelp! 18 Kelp Wheps Get $22M in ARPA-E Help
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Yes, ARPA-E has unveiled its latest moonshot and is investing $22M in Macroalgae Research Inspiring Novel Energy Resources — also known as MARINER. The projects that comprise ARPA-E’s Macroalgae Research Inspiring Novel Energy Resources (MARINER) program
September 21, 2017 Read Full Article
Crude Oil Shipping Blocked under New U.S. Venture Port Lease: Company Plans to Ship Ethanol to Canada, Europe
by Arthur Thomas (Biz Times) Appleton-based U.S. Venture Inc. would agree to not receive, handle, store, ship or distribute crude oil through its Port Milwaukee operations as part of an amended lease agreement currently before the city’s Public Works Committee. The
September 13, 2017 Read Full Article
D3MAX Signs Contract for Design of First Commercial Plant
(BBI International/Biomass Magazine) Last February, D3MAX LLC announced the completion and shipment of its pilot plant employing the patented D3MAX cellulosic ethanol technology to Ace Ethanol LLC, in Stanley, Wisconsin. Pilot testing of the patented D3MAX corn fiber-to-ethanol process has
August 30, 2017 Read Full Article
Make Energy Great Again, via BIOmass: The DOE’s MEGA-BIO Project Expands
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... Long ago, the DOE shifted from a “biofuels and nothing else” focus to integrated biorefineries that can compete “across the whole barrel” with petroleum — recognizing that while chemicals make up a small fraction of
August 11, 2017 Read Full Article
ACE Scholarship Program Awards Three Deserving Students
(American Coalition for Ethanol) The American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) announces and congratulates the 2017 scholarship winners: Carrie Kemmet, Hailea DeJong and Keithen Drury. Each student receives a $1,000 scholarship through ACE’s Scholarship Program to help further their collegiate education. “ACE congratulates
August 09, 2017 Read Full Article
Energy Department Announces Additional MEGA-BIO: Bioproducts to Enable Biofuels Award
(U.S. Department of Energy) The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced today that it will award a fourth project—up to $1.8 million—under the MEGA-BIO: Bioproducts to Enable Biofuels Funding Opportunity. In August 2016, DOE's Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) selected three projects for
August 02, 2017 Read Full Article
Summer Farm Bill Road Trips: Ag Secretary Kicks off RV Tour as House Committee Continues its Listening Tour
by Chris Clayton (DTN The Progressive Farmer) ... The House Agriculture Committee has its road trip, labeled "Conversations in the Field," which included a field hearing in Texas on Monday and another one at Farmfest in Minnesota on Thursday. Now Agriculture
August 02, 2017 Read Full Article
New Grant Will Shift Focus of UW-Madison Alternative Fuel Research Center away from Ethanol
by Nico Savidge (University of Wisconsin-Madison) A UW-Madison research center that has used the university’s largest-ever federal grant to develop ethanol technology over the past decade will shift its focus to other alternative fuels after winning another major award from
July 24, 2017 Read Full Article
ExxonMobil, University Extend Research for Transportation Biofuels
by Lauren Tyler (NGT News) The University of Wisconsin-Madison and ExxonMobil have announced a two-year renewal of an agreement to research the chemistry of converting biomass into transportation fuels. According to ExxonMobil, the research is part of a broad effort to identify scalable and
July 20, 2017 Read Full Article
In Search of Next-Gen Bioproducts and Fuels, DOE Invests $40M in 4 Bioenergy Research Centers
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, U.S. Secretary of Energy Rick Perry today (July 17, 2017) announced $40 million in Department of Energy awards for the establishment of four DOE Bioenergy Research Centers (BRCs), which will provide the scientific breakthroughs
July 19, 2017 Read Full Article
Into the Wild: Exploring Yeast Biodiversity for Better Biofuel
by Leslie Shown (Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center) In the world of biofuels research, the baker’s yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae gets a lot of love, with scientists commonly tweaking the yeast’s fermentative qualities to enhance ethanol production. Researchers at the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center
June 30, 2017 Read Full Article
Cellulosic Biofuels Can Benefit the Environment if Managed Correctly
(Phys.Org/Michigan State University) Could cellulosic biofuels - or liquid energy derived from grasses and wood - become a green fuel of the future, providing an environmentally sustainable way of meeting energy needs? In Science, researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy-funded
June 30, 2017 Read Full Article
“Packers” Yeast, Newly Identified by a UW–Madison Undergrad, Uncovers a Decades-Old Mistake in the Yeast Family Tree
by Chris Barncard (University of Wisconsin-Madison) When Max Haase set out for a walk in Green Bay’s Baird Creek Nature Preserve on a May day in 2015, it was pretty normal stuff. Baird Creek was practically in his backyard, and
June 23, 2017 Read Full Article
Virent Moves Biofuels Closer to Market as New CEO Takes Over
by Judy Newman (Wisconsin State Journal) If Madison-based Virent‘s biofuels are going to fill the tanks of cars and airplanes, it will be up to Stacey Orlandi to drive the company there. Orlandi, 45, took over as chief executive of Virent,
June 05, 2017 Read Full Article
Responding to Trump: The New Economies of Pittsburgh…and Paris and Paris and Paris
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... Where Pittsburgh mayor Bill Peduto joined the mayors of more than 175 cities in a rebel yell that has been heard nationwide since President Trump pulled out of the Paris Climate Accords last Thursday. Peduto said:
June 05, 2017 Read Full Article
A Decade of Bioenergy Research
by Patrick C. Miller (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The Department of Energy’s three bioenergy research centers have no intention of resting on their accomplishments. -- In the 10 years since the U.S. DOE established three bioenergy research centers with the goal
June 02, 2017 Read Full Article
Concept for Turning Corn Chip Oil into Biodiesel Fuel Earns Appalachian Students Second Place in International Food Solutions Challenge
(Appalachian State University) What has 18 wheels and runs on corn chips? Thanks to a food solution from two Appalachian State University students, a chip producer’s transportation fleet well could. Senior chemistry major and sustainable business minor Kelsey Simon and senior management
June 02, 2017 Read Full Article
UW–Madison Partners with Bonduel School District on Innovative Science Education
by Leslie Shown (Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center) If science classes at Bonduel Middle School had a rallying cry it would be, “Don’t expect to find the answers in the book!” And Lisa Sorlie, enthusiastic advocate of innovative classroom science, would
May 31, 2017 Read Full Article
Triple Play Boosting Value of Renewable Fuel Could Tip Market in Favor of Biomass
by Silke Schmidt (University of Wisconsin-Madison News) Technologies for converting non-edible biomass into chemicals and fuels traditionally made from petroleum exist aplenty. But when it comes to attracting commercial interest, these technologies compete financially with a petroleum-based production pipeline that
May 30, 2017 Read Full Article
Plans underway to Ship Ethanol from Port of Milwaukee on Lake Michigan
by Lee Bergquist (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel) A Wisconsin-based petroleum distributor is planning to construct a $3 million pipeline at the Port of Milwaukee that will allow the company to ship bulk supplies of ethanol over the Great Lakes. The project by
May 19, 2017 Read Full Article
More Iowa Stations Offering Higher Ethanol Blends
by Ron Swoboda (Wallaces Farmer) E15 provides motorists better value in addition to higher performance and reduced emissions. -- In early May, the Kwik Trip convenience store chain announced it is joining other major fuel retailers in offering E15 —
May 12, 2017 Read Full Article
Kwik Trip to Add E15 to its Pumps
(Wisconsin Ag Connection) One of Wisconsin's largest suppliers of gasoline announced plans to add E15 to most of its locations within the next few years. Kwik Trip said once all of the designated pumps are converted, the company will likely
May 02, 2017 Read Full Article
Biofuels, Livestock Benefit from Termite Research
by Larry Lee (Brownfield Ag News) A University of Wisconsin professor says his termite research might help the biofuels, livestock, and paper industries improve lignin processing. Researcher Cameron Currie says breaking down the woody substrate in plants called lignin is challenging
April 25, 2017 Read Full Article
Virent Aspirant: A New CEO, and Revving towards Commercialization
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) From Wisconsin we have huge news from Virent, which has appointed one of Shell New Energies’ gurus, Stacey Orlandi, as Virent CEO, succeeding Lee Edwards who is headed into retirement after a distinguished 8-year run. Most recently,
April 21, 2017 Read Full Article
D3Max Pilot Test Results at ACE Ethanol Exceed Expectations
(BBI International/Ethanol Producer Magazine) This February, D3MAX announced the completion and shipment of its pilot plant employing the patented D3MAX cellulosic ethanol technology. Installed at ACE Ethanol LLC, in Stanley, Wisconsin, the testing of the patented D3MAX corn fiber-to-ethanol process
April 13, 2017 Read Full Article
Blue Sky Science: Could the Biofuel Cycle Be Made More Efficient?
(Wisconsin State Journal/Morgridge Institute for Research) Q: Could the biofuel cycle be made more efficient? — Nikita Agrawal, 11, Skinner West Elementary, Chicago A: The production of biofuels starts by growing plants out in a field or forest. All of the
April 11, 2017 Read Full Article
Renewable Plastic Precursor Could Grow Cellulosic Biofuel Industry
by Krista Eastman (University of Wisconsin-Madison) A team of chemical and biological engineers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison has found a way to produce from biomass a valuable compound used in plastic production that they estimate could lower the cost
April 11, 2017 Read Full Article
In Response: Study, Article Misrepresented, Did Disservice to Ethanol
by Ashwin Raman (Duluth News Tribune/Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association) I believe the March 21 story, “Habitat loss highest near ethanol plants,” did a disservice to readers because it cited a study that contains dubious and inaccurate conclusions. The study focuses on the period
March 30, 2017 Read Full Article
New Study Links Habitat Destruction to Ethanol Production
by Jordan Lubetkin (National Wildlife Federation) Millions of acres of wildlife habitat are being lost to crop production, according to a new peer-reviewed study published today in the journal Environmental Research Letters, which found a strong link between the location
March 22, 2017 Read Full Article
The Justice League of Pyromaniax
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The High Lords of Pyrolysis travel under the unlikely cover identities of “George Huber” and “Robert Brown” — but we know them in their true superhero identities of “The Catalyst” and “The Godfatha”. ... Instead,
March 14, 2017 Read Full Article
Switchgrass May Unlock the Future of Biofuel
by Silke Schmidt (Phys.Org) ... Genetically modifying switchgrass could boost crop yields and its commercial viability. But to close in on realizing that potential requires one small tweak: a genetic sterility switch that prevents the modified grass from contaminating the genes of nearby
March 06, 2017 Read Full Article
How Brown Rot Fungi Could Lead to More Efficient Biofuels Production
(Lab Manager/U.S. Department of Energy) Wood’s complex structure makes it highly resistant to biological or chemical decomposition. The structure includes cellulose, long chains of linked sugar molecules, embedded in a scaffolding of a chemical known as lignin. Brown rot fungi,
February 28, 2017 Read Full Article
Iowa State Engineer Helps Journal Highlight How Pyrolysis Can Advance the Bioeconomy
(Iowa State University) A special issue of the journal Energy Technology details the latest advances in pyrolysis technologies for converting biomass into fuels, chemicals and fertilizers. Two pyrolysis experts are guest editors of the issue: Robert C. Brown, the director of
February 23, 2017 Read Full Article
Ethanol Industry Provides Critical CO2 Supply
by Steffen Mueller (University of Illinois at Chicago/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Strategically located ethanol sources cannot be economically replaced. -- Carbon dioxide sourced from corn-ethanol plants is not a waste-recovery product but a coproduct that, in many regions, can only be
February 20, 2017 Read Full Article
Ace Ethanol to Install D3MAX Cellulosic Ethanol Pilot Plant
(BBI International/Ethanol Producer Magazine) D3MAX has announced the completion and shipment of its pilot plant employing the patented D3MAX cellulosic ethanol technology. The pilot facility will be installed at ACE Ethanol LLC, in Stanley, Wisconsin, in late February. Installation is
February 17, 2017 Read Full Article
Iowa State Engineer Helps Journal Highlight How Pyrolysis Can Advance the Bioeconomy
(Iowa State University) A special issue of the journal Energy Technology details the latest advances in pyrolysis technologies for converting biomass into fuels, chemicals and fertilizers. Two pyrolysis experts are guest editors of the issue: Robert C. Brown, the director of
January 16, 2017 Read Full Article
Poll: Trump Voters Overwhelmingly Support Ethanol
(Growth Energy) A new post-election survey released today shows that decisive voters in the 2016 presidential election are staunch supporters of American ethanol. The survey of 3,000 Trump voters in the Midwestern battleground states of Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, Iowa, Indiana
January 13, 2017 Read Full Article
How Corn Farmers and Ethanol Producers Helped Deliver Trump’s Historic Win
by Bob Dinneen (The Hill/Renewable Fuels Association) In the flurry of post-election punditry and analysis, much credit was given to disenfranchised factory workers and coal miners in the Rust Belt and Appalachia for delivering Donald Trump’s surprising swing state victories
January 06, 2017 Read Full Article
Researchers Collaborate with AST to Develop Lignin-Based Products
(American Science and Technology/Ethanol Producer Magazine) American Science and Technology, a sustainable technology company, has teamed up with Terma Group, a team of Waste and Environmental Technology researchers at the University of Malaga in Spain, to continue efforts on the
December 12, 2016 Read Full Article
City's Newest Kwik Trip to Hold Ribbon Cutting
by Jake Batterman (Watertown Daily Times) ... The 7,000-square-foot location features a single bay car wash and eight fuel dispensers including two diesel and one E85. READ MORE
December 06, 2016 Read Full Article
Food Scientist Aiding Fuel Ethanol with New Engineered Bacteria
by David Tenenbaum (University of Wisconsin-Madison) ... (James) Steele, the University of Wisconsin–Madison Winder-Bascom professor of food science, specializes in food, beverage and biofuel fermentation. Understanding how bacteria and yeast convert biomass into products has been his stock-in-trade for more than
November 30, 2016 Read Full Article
Yeast Evolution Offers Hope for Cellulosic Biofuel
by Kari Lydersen (Midwest Energy News) ... The prospects for cellulosic ethanol becoming a commercially available clean transportation fuel could also hinge on yeast’s ability to ferment corn stalks, switchgrass, wood chips or other fibrous feed stock. The same strain of
November 15, 2016 Read Full Article
Who’s Got Hot Lignin? The Digest’s 2016 Guide to Lignin Production and Prospects
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Lignocellulosic sugars and lignin have become necessary intermediates for advancing research towards economically producing biofuels and bioproducts. Recently, the US Department of Energy issued a Request for Information: Cellulosic Sugar and Lignin Production Capabilities. The result
November 15, 2016 Read Full Article
Who’s Got the Hot Sugars? The Digest’s 2016 Guide to Lignocellulosic Sugars and Their Producers
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Lignocellulosic sugars and lignin have become necessary intermediates for advancing research towards economically producing biofuels and bioproducts. Recently, the US Department of Energy issued a Request for Information: Cellulosic Sugar and Lignin Production Capabilities. The result
November 14, 2016 Read Full Article
Get the Results of the Cellulosic Sugar and Lignin Production Capabilities Request for Information!
(U.S. Department of Energy) The results of the U.S. Department of Energy Bioenergy Technologies Office's (BETO's) Cellulosic Sugar and Lignin Production Capabilities Request for Information (RFI) are now available on the RFI responses web page. This new web page is a
November 06, 2016 Read Full Article
Biofuels Researchers Engineer Plant Lignin and Explain Evolutionary Path
(AZO CleanTech) In 2014, researchers announced the successful engineering of a poplar plant "designed for deconstruction.” The finding caught the attention of the global scientific community. The highly degradable poplar was the first of its kind, and could considerably lessen
October 21, 2016 Read Full Article
‘Super Yeast’ Has the Power to Improve Economics of Biofuels
by Mark E. Griffin (University of Wisconsin-Madison) Scientists at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center (GLBRC) have found a way to nearly double the efficiency with which a commonly used industrial yeast strain converts plant sugars
October 19, 2016 Read Full Article
Waterloo City Council Turns Down Biodiesel Facility
by Tim Jamison (The Courier) Heavy neighborhood opposition erased Kwik Trip’s plans for a biodiesel blending operation near U.S. Highway 63 and Shaulis Road. Waterloo City Council members voted 6-1 Monday to reject the La Crosse, Wis.-based company’s request to
October 13, 2016 Read Full Article
Sensenbrenner Extends RFS Debate to Number of Hoses at Gas Stations
by Jack Fitzpatrick (Morning Consult) Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.) is concerned that drivers who want to avoid a 15 percent ethanol blend of gasoline won’t be able to, he said in a letter to Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Gina McCarthy
September 30, 2016 Read Full Article
Biorenewable Deployment Consortium Holds Candid Discussion of Current Bioeconomy Happenings from a Forest Resources Perspective
[caption id="attachment_77283" align="alignleft" width="282"] Chris Tindal, U.S. Navy's Director for Operational Energy, explains the launch, operations and use of renewable fuel by the Great Green Fleet.[/caption] by Joanne Ivancic* (Advanced Biofuels USA) An intimate group that shares some background or interest
September 28, 2016 Read Full Article
Ozinga Installs CarbonCure CO2 Recycling Technology
(Carbon Cure) Chicago family business known for quality and service reinforces its commitment to sustainability -- Known for its iconic red and white striped concrete mixers, the Ozinga name is synonymous with providing the highest quality and best service to
September 22, 2016 Read Full Article
Tesoro to Acquire Virent
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Wisconsin, Tesoro reached an agreement for Tesoro to acquire Virent. The acquisition, the partners said, will support the scale up and commercialization of Virent’s BioForming technology for the production of low carbon bio-based fuels
September 08, 2016 Read Full Article
Department of Energy’s Small Business Vouchers Program Awards Vouches to Five Bioenergy Companies
by Meghan Sapp (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, the Department of Energy’s Small Business Vouchers program awarded $8 million worth of research vouchers to 43 small businesses, of which five were related to bioenergy: Avatar Sustainable Technologies, Syracuse, New York Avatar Sustainable Technologies
August 24, 2016 Read Full Article
American Science and Technology Receives New Patent for Method to Increase the Efficiency and Profitability of Organosolv Processing of Lignocellulosic Biomass
(American Science and Technology) New Patent Will Increase the Incentives to Use Renewable Resources for Chemical Production -- American Science and Technology (AST), an emerging technology company, has been awarded a patent for a system and method for the extraction of
August 08, 2016 Read Full Article
Use of E15 Overwhelmingly Favored in Wisconsin
(Wisconsin Corn Growers Association/Ethanol Producer Magazine) A recent statewide opinion poll shows that Wisconsin citizens favor the use of ethanol blends in fuel up to 15 percent (E15), by a 2 to 1 margin. The survey found that 62 percent
July 19, 2016 Read Full Article
Study Shows Trees with Altered Lignin Are Better for Biofuels
(Brookhaven National Laboratory) Fundamental enzyme study leads to increased access to bioenergy feedstocks and improves ethanol yield by modifying plant cell wall structures. Lignin is a natural component of plant cell walls, the scaffolding that surrounds each cell and plays a
June 29, 2016 Read Full Article
RFS Hearing Finds New Issues to Dig into
by Spencer Chase (Agri-Pulse) ... When it comes to land use, Colin O'Mara, president and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation, testified that a University of Wisconsin study had shown that 7.3 million acres of land had been brought into production between
June 27, 2016 Read Full Article
House Bill Could Help Small and Mid-Size Dairies Deal with Excess Nutrients
(Environmental and Energy Study Institute) On June 16, Representative Tom Reed (R-NY) and Ron Kind (D-WI) along with 12 Republican and Democratic co-sponsors introduced the Agriculture Environmental Stewardship Act (H.R. 5489), which would expand the eligibility of biogas systems under the
June 20, 2016 Read Full Article
Re-Think, Re-Use, Retro-Fit: 15 4G Techs Transforming Gen-1 Biobased Plants
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... Here, we profile 15 techs that offer incremental to profound shifts in the economics of the Gen-1 ethanol fleet, and have implications for everything from passenger cars to jets. #15 Vertimass and Byogy #14 Croda #13 Hummingbird #12 Alliance BioEnergy #11 GeoSynFuels #10
June 17, 2016 Read Full Article
Should Sustainability Include Using Farmlands for Plastics, Textiles and Dyes, or Food?
by Clare Goldsberry (Plastics Today) A presenter at the recent ANTEC conference posed a provocative question: Are biobased materials really sustainable? -- He (Professor Majid Sarmadi of the University of Wisconsin-Madison )pointed out that sustainability goes beyond whether or not to
June 16, 2016 Read Full Article
Chemistry Lessons from Bacteria May Improve Biofuel Production
by Chris Barncard (University of Wisconsin-Madison) ... “The recycling of plant carbon is fundamental to the function of our ecosystems,” says Cameron Currie, professor of bacteriology at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. “We get food, water, air, energy — almost everything
June 09, 2016 Read Full Article
Could Fertilizer Use Negate the Climate Benefit of Cellulosic Biofuels?
(Michigan State University/AgProfessional.com) ... The study, conducted by the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center and Michigan State University, found that using nitrogen fertilizer on switchgrass crops sharply increases the amount of nitrous oxide emitted. Switchgrass has been heralded as a significant
June 08, 2016 Read Full Article
Big Buckaroos in Tiny Town: The Gold Rush Ahead in Nanocellulose
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... It’s that way for nanocellulose, too — a material made from the largest organisms imaginable — our friends, the trees — which display astonishing Marvel-like properties when processed into nanofibrils and nanocrystals, with gigantic implications
June 03, 2016 Read Full Article
Ethanol Plant Digester to Send 5 MW to California Grid
by Anna Simet (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Not only does Tulare County, California-based Calgren Renewable Fuels LLC manufacture renewable transportation fuel and utilize renewable energy to power its operations, but starting next month, the plant will also send renewable electricity to the
June 01, 2016 Read Full Article
Women Head 3 Ethanol Plants in the Midwest
by Janna Farley (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Passion, leadership and vision are more important than gender in the work of three top managers. -- In fact, there are only a handful of women in top management in the industry. Ethanol Producer
May 18, 2016 Read Full Article
Bioenergy Institute for Educators Adds Spark to Wisconsin Teacher’s Classroom
by Leslie Shown (Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center) Given the shouts and cheers emanating from Lisa Andresen’s classroom, one might guess that Room 105 doubles as the school’s gym. In fact, these are the sounds of middle school students exploring energy
May 11, 2016 Read Full Article
DOE-Funded Bioenergy Research Centers File 500th Invention Disclosure
by Krista Eastman (Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center) Three U.S. Department of Energy-funded research centers – the BioEnergy Science Center (Oak Ridge National Laboratory), the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center (University of Wisconsin–Madison and Michigan State University), and the Joint BioEnergy
May 11, 2016 Read Full Article
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