This edition of “The Ethanol Report” features comments from Bobby Likis of the Bobby Likis Car Clinic Network, a radio, television and internet distributed automotive talk show that recently partnered with the Renewable Fuels Association to help educate both consumers and automotive technicians about ethanol. Likis recently visited Argonne National Labs and the Detroit Technical Campus of Ricardo Engines to …
Biofuels Defense Investments Announced
The Obama administration today announced new investments in the biofuels industry as part of the Defense Production Act (DPA). The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Navy and Department of Energy jointly announced $30 million in federal funding to match private investments in commercial-scale advanced drop-in biofuels. The Energy Department is also announcing a total of $32 million in new investments …
Likis Learns About Ethanol and Engines at Argonne
Automotive expert Bobby Likis is learning more this week about the latest research into ethanol and car engines to bring to his audience on the Car Clinic Network. “I’m amazed at all the research and development going on with new fuel technology with all sorts of engines to include hydrogen, ethanol, ethanol blends, diesel and dual fuels,” he said during …
GROWMARK Celebrating History Built on Energy
GROWMARK has two reasons to celebrate this year – the International Year of the Cooperative and GROWMARK’s 85th anniversary. “The cooperative obviously has evolved a lot over those 85 years,” says Dan Kelley, Illinois farmer and president of the GROWMARK Board of Directors. “Energy is still a main part of GROWMARK’s product distribution. Nearly half of our sales continue to …
DF Cast: What’s in the Farm Bill for Biofuels?
The U.S. Senate has passed its version of the Farm Bill… or as Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack likes to call it by its more proper name, Agriculture Reform, Food, and Jobs Act of 2012, because of its all-encompassing nature (he even “fines” people in his office $1 for every time they give the shortened, less encompassing name)… and it …
Peterson Skeptical of Cellulosic Ethanol
The ranking member of the House Agriculture Committee has doubts about whether cellulosic ethanol will ever be commercially viable. “I just don’t think that cellulosic will ever be commercialized,” Congressman Collin Peterson said during an interview with Domestic Fuel reporter Chuck Zimmerman after he talked to members of the American Seed Trade Association meeting in Washington Wednesday. “And it’s become …
Importance of Fuel Quality Management
Maintaining the quality of fuel stored commercially or on the farm has a lot to do with making sure the storage equipment is keeping the fuel clean and dry. That’s why GROWMARK’s energy division stresses good storage tank maintenance to farmers. “Engine manufacturers as far back as the 1930s said the number one thing to do with all fuel is …
Ethanol Industry Prepares for E15 Sales
With the approval by EPA of the first retailers to sell 15% ethanol blends, the industry is gearing up for imminent sales of the new blend level, possibly this week. In this edition of “The Ethanol Report,” Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) President and CEO Bob Dinneen talks about how the final, final hurdle to E15 sales was overcome and what …
Iowa Leads the Way in Renewable Fuel Growth
According to a new study by Cardo ENTRIX, the “renewable fuels industry has grown spectacularly over the past decade and Iowa has been a major participant and beneficiary.” This is no surprise as Iowa leads the way in biodiesel and ethanol production. To learn about some of the key highlights of the study, I spoke with Brad Albin, VP of …
Iowa Gov. Brandstad Declares Iowa Ethanol Day
June 15, 2012 was a big day for the renewable fuels industry in Iowa. It was the 34th anniversary of the first gallon of commercial E10 being sold, the 10th Anniversary of the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IRFA) and E15 is ready to go in Iowa following a federal EPA announcement that the final regulatory hurdles had been cleared. I …