The 6th Annual Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit kicked off in Des Moines on Tuesday on a very positive note, considering that 2011 was a record year in the state for both ethanol and biodiesel. In his annual address to the summit, Iowa Renewable Fuels Association Executive Director Monte Shaw noted that the state’s 41 ethanol plants produced 3.7 billion gallons …
Judge Denies Attempt to Enforce California LCFS
The federal district court judge who ruled California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) to be unconstitutional has denied a motion to continue implementation of the law. On Monday, Judge Lawrence J. O’Neill denied the California Air Resources Board’s (CARB) motion to stay the decision he issued on December 29, 2011 that had halted the enforcement of the LCFS regulation because …
POET Partners With DSM for Cellulosic Ethanol
Ethanol giant POET is partnering with a Netherlands-based life sciences company with the intention of making advanced biofuels a reality by next year. POET has announced a joint venture with Royal DSM to commercially demonstrate and license cellulosic bio-ethanol based on their proprietary and complementary technologies. POET–DSM Advanced Biofuels, LLC, is scheduled to start production in the second half of …
On-Site Registration for Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit
If you did not register in advance for the 6th annual Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit, there will be registration available on site at the starting at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday at the Veterans Memorial/Community Choice Credit Union Convention Center in Des Moines. It looks like the weather will be okay tomorrow so it will be worth the trip to see the …
Science Magazine Spotlights Seaweed to Biofuel Technology
The cover story in the latest issue of Science Magazine showcases a California-based company’s technology that converts seaweed to biofuel. The research article details breakthrough technology developed by scientists with Bio Architecture Lab (BAL) using a microbe to extract the sugars in macroalgae that could further the use of seaweed as a feedstock for advanced biofuels and renewable chemical production. …
Washington Times Editorial by Gal Luft
The Washington Times carried an editorial about ethanol last week from the director of the Institute for the Analysis of Global Security, who will be speaking Tuesday at the Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit in Des Moines. Dr. Gal Luft wrote about how the ethanol industry no longer has the blenders tax credit or the associated tariff on imports and his …
POET Pipeline Project Postponed
Without a federal loan guarantee, POET has put a proposed dedicated ethanol pipeline project on hold for now, according to company officials. “We continue to believe that the pipeline is a viable project with tremendous benefits for the country,” said POET Founder & CEO Jeff Broin, “But with little prospects for a federal loan guarantee in the near future we …
USDA Announces Support for Advanced Biofuel Plant
An advanced biofuels project in Iowa is being offered support from the federal government for a plant to make fuel from waste material. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has approved a conditional commitment for a $25 million guaranteed loan under the Biorefinery Assistance Program for Fiberight to build a biorefinery in Blairstown, Iowa. The loan will be used to construct …
USDA Launches Clean Energy Website
The U.S. Department of Agriculture this week launched a new energy website to provide quick access to the agency’s energy efficiency and renewable energy data. The website, usda.gov/energy, provides access to all USDA energy resources, including: agricultural, forestry, economic, and social data. This is done in part through a set of new complementary web-based tools: the USDA Renewable Energy Investment …
Texas Corn Grower Comments on Food vs. Fuel
A Texas corn grower says the “feed versus fuel” debate is based in fallacy. Texas Corn Producers Board member Wesley Spurlock of Stratford has been speaking to groups across the Midwest explaining how U.S. corn farmers continue to grow a crop abundant enough to meet all growing demands and he has gained attention from industry publications looking to find the …