Growers of soybeans are pointing out that the process used to extract oil to make into biodiesel does not change the feed quality of soybean meal. The Missouri Soybean Merchandising Council is reminding livestock producers they don’t have to cut out soybean meal just because the demand for soybeans has increased: Crushing soybeans for biodiesel does not change the meal …
Smiling Earth Lawsuit
Smiling Earth Energy, the company that is proposing to build a 320-million-gallon biodiesel plant along the Chesapeake Bay in Virginia, is being sued by an Oregon biodiesel company for failing to provide the promised $310 million in financing for a West Coast biodiesel plant… and then refusing to return a $100,000 deposit to the Oregon company. This story in the …
US-EU Deal Could Expand Biodiesel Production and Use
The United States and the European Union… at odds over some biodiesel issues… are expected to sign a deal that would set international standards for trading biofuels, which senior U.S.diplomats say will give a boost to jatropha-based biodiesel in the world market. As you might remember from a previous post of mine on October 24th, the EU is threatening a …
Green Vision Goes Online
Alternative energy enthusiasts looking to see some renewable fuels in action can now access a vast array of demonstrations online. GreenEnergyTV.com describes itself as an Online Television Channel that allows millions of viewers worldwide to get plugged in to what’s going on with alternative energy. Though having been launched only in January 2007, Green Energy TV now has viewers from …
Ford Offers First Full-Sized Clean Diesel Truck; Good for Biodiesel Use
Ford’s new Clean Diesel engine… the first time a clean diesel engine has been offered in a full-sized pickup… could be quite a catch for those wanting to be green but needing the power and size of a big truck. This story in Autospectator.com says the Ford-exclusive 6.4-liter Power Stroke turbo-diesel is quieter, powerful and more capable, while meeting stringent …
Bay Area Buses to Test Biodiesel
Twenty-two buses from the Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District in the San Francisco Bay area have begun running on biodiesel as a test of the viability of the green fuel. This story from CBS 5 web site says the Cleaner Fuels Test pilot program is checking the energy efficiency of 20 percent biodiesel: The six-month study was coordinated with the help …
Kansas State Researchers to Study “Biofuels Revolution”
The U.S. Department of Energy has awarded Kansas State University a three-year grant to study the impact of alternative fuels. K-State researchers are receiving nearly $700,000 to study the social, cultural and economic impacts of the “biofuels revolution” on rural communities in Kansas and Iowa. The $696,827 grant comes from the department’s Ethical, Legal and Societal Implications of Research on …
Wind, Biomass Fuel Michigan’s The Ark
A concert venue in Michigan is using various forms of renewable energy when it puts on a show. The Ark has partnered with DTE Energy and is operating on DTE’s GreenCurrents renewable energy program. November will be Green Energy month at The Ark. During November, all electricity used at the concert venue will be offset by renewable power provided under …
Conoco Officials Tout Need for Biofuels
There’s nothing like a New England town hall meeting, and officials from ConocoPhillips got an earful of Yankee questions from a group at a hotel in New Haven, Connecticut. The New Haven Independent reports about 100 people turned out to hear what the oil giant had to say and to quiz the officials about the future of energy in this …
Europeans Upset Over American Biodiesel Subisidies
The European Biodiesel Board (EBB) is threatening legal action against American biodiesel subsidies, which they claim as an unfair trade practice. Grainnet.com reports the Europeans are claiming the U.S.’s $1-a-gallon biodiesel mixture credit is artificially reducing the price of biodiesel sold in Europe by about 60-90 cents a gallon… compared to what European biodiesel goes for: The EBB’s press release …