As part of the Obama Administration’s effort to promote production of fuel from renewable sources, create jobs and mitigate the effects of climate change, Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced a series of measures during a speech to the National Press Club in Washington. “Domestic production of renewable energy, including biofuels, is a national imperative and that’s why USDA is working …
Navy to Fuel Boats with Biofuels
There will be a Wrigtht Brothers reenactment on Friday as the U.S. Navy prepares to fuel a boat with biofuels. Okay, so I fibbed a bit in the lead….it’s a boat, not a plane, and the boat will be fueled by biofuels and not jet fuel, but you get the point. The full power demonstration of a Riverine Command Boat …
Flux Capicitor Travels in Time to Return With Algal Fuels
Just in time for the 25th anniversary of Back to the Future, the flux capacitor is back in action. Only this time, it’s not taking us back in time – it’s bringing us fuel. Last week, a bubble-maker that mimics the flux capacitor in looks alone, was awarded the Royal Society’s Brian Mercer award for innovation, a £250,000 prize. The …
Algenol Opens New R&D Algae Lab
Algenol Biofuels has officially christened its new biofuels and green chemistry lab and R&D facility in Fort Myers, FL yesterday with a ribbon cutting celebration. On hand for the event were U.S. Rep. Connie Mack (R-Fla.), Lee County Commission Chairwoman Tammy Hall, Lee County Commissioner Ray Judah, and Algenol Founder and Chief Executive Officer Paul Woods. The lab in part, …
Florida Waste to Biofuel Plant Progress
A Florida company has announced today that it is three permits closer to opening the BioEnergy Center, the first commercial waste to energy facility in the US. INEOS Bio’s first commercial project in the United States has secured key permits to build its waste to bioenergy facility in Indian River County, Florida. The BioEnergy Center will be developed entirely within …
Farming For Algae
Steve Mayfield, the Director of the San Diego Center for Algae Biotechnology, believes that we need new sources and new revenue streams for agriculture. The most important element of the crop, says Mayfield, is that it can’t complete with existing agriculture. His answer? Algae. Algae, says Mayfield, is going to be the next big agricultural crop. The only difference is …
Harris Poll Finds Support for Renewable Energy Subsidies
A new Financial Times/Harris poll in the U.S. and the five largest European countries finds strong public support for increasing some renewable energy sources, particularly wind farms, provided that they are not asked to pay much more for it. The new poll found big majorities of the public in all six countries favor the building of more wind farms in …
Shell & MIT Partner to Pursue Energy Technology
In a $25 million research opportunity, Shell has partnered with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to support the MIT Energy Initiative (MITEI) that will focus on research and development of sustainable technologies designed to drive innovation in energy delivery. Beginning this year, MIT will receive $5 million per year for five years from Shell. The projects that the MITEI …
Anti-Ethanol Camp Exit Tents Prepared to Attack
The anti-ethanol camp has exited their tents today to hold a press conference against the suggested changes to VEETC and the ethanol tariff that the ethanol industry proposed last week. In response, the four organizations that are leading the charge to create a new road map for ethanol have jointly responded to the attack. In a statement released today from …
Ethanol Groups Propose Ethanol Road Map
There are rumors coming out of Washington, DC that several ethanol groups have come together to offer an alternative proposal to both VEETC, also known as the blender’s credit, as well as the ethanol tariff. DomesticFuel has confirmed that four groups, including the American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE), Growth Energy, National Corn Growers Association (NCGA), and the Renewable Fuels Association …