Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber took a tour of the ZeaChem 250,000 gallon-per-year biorefinery in Boardman Monday as the company announced it has begun construction on the Department of Energy-funded project for the production of cellulosic ethanol. Earlier this year, the company announced the start of operations of the core facility for the production of intermediate chemicals acetic acid and ethyl …
EPA Approves E15 as a Registered Fuel
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has finally taken the official step of approving 15% ethanol blended gasoline (E15) as a registered fuel. On Monday, the EPA announced the approval of the first applications for registration of ethanol to make E15. “Registration of ethanol to make E15 is a significant step toward its production, sale, and use in model year 2001 …
Research Shows Value of Ethanol Co-Product for Dairy
Research by a South Dakota State University dairy science student shows the energy value of the ethanol co-product distillers grains (DDGS) in dairy feed. Sanjeewa Ranathunga was recognized for his research at the recent annual meeting of the Midwest American Dairy Science Association meetings with the Young Dairy Scholars Award. Ranathunga is in the final stages of his Ph.D. program …
Most Corn Acres Since 1937 Expected
The last time the United States planted as many corn acres as USDA is predicting for this year, Franklin D. Roosevelt was just entering his second term as president. It was 1937 when an estimated 97.2 million acres were planted. This year, the USDA Prospective Planting report predicts that corn growers will plant nearly 96 million acres – 95.9 million …
Farm Bill Energy Legislation Introduced
Senators Tom Harkin (D-IA), Kent Conrad (D-ND), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Al Franken (D-MN) introduced legislation this week that would reauthorize and fund the primary energy programs included in the current Farm Bill. The Rural Energy Investment Act would include a mandatory total of $1.275 billion over 5 years to strengthen the biobased markets program, fund the Biorefinery Assistance Program, …
Senators Introduce Domestic Fuels Act of 2012
Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), John Hoeven (R-ND), Roy Blunt (R-MO), and Mike Crapo (R-ID) this week introduced bipartisan legislation that would “help produce more energy, increase competition, promote alternative fuels, provide more consumer choice and lower the cost of fuels at the pump.” Sen. Klobuchar says the Domestic Fuels Act of 2012 would make it easier to market all fuels …
Senate Rejects Obama Push to End Oil Subsidies
Despite a last minute plea by President Obama, the Senate today rejected a plan to end oil company subsidies. “Right now, the biggest oil companies are raking in record profits –- profits that go up every time folks pull up into a gas station,” said Obama in a Rose Garden speech this morning. “But on top of these record profits, …
GROWMARK Tracking Biofuels Legislative Issues
Legislative issues related to biofuels on both the Illinois state level and the national level are priorities for the GROWMARK agricultural cooperative system this year, according to government affairs director Chuck Spencer. On the state level, Spencer says Illinois will be looking at updating sales tax incentives this year with the pending introduction of 15% ethanol blends in the consumer …
Novozymes CEO Named BIO 2012 George Washington Carver Award Winner
The Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) has named Novozymes President and CEO Steen Riisgaard as the recipient of its 2012 George Washington Carver Award for innovation in industrial biotechnology. A panel selected Riisgaard as this year’s winner “to recognize his significant contributions to the industrial biotechnology field.” Under Riisgaard’s leadership, Novozymes is creating tomorrow’s industrial biotechnology solutions and improving the use …
2012 International Fuel Ethanol Workshop & Expo
The ethanol industry’s largest and longest-running conference, the 2012 International Fuel Ethanol Workshop (FEW) & Expo, has released its agenda for this year’s annual event set for June 4-7, 2012 in Minneapolis, Minn. The 2012 FEW is expected to draw more than 2,000 attendees and will include national and international ethanol producers, investors, industry suppliers and policymakers. More than 140 …