The amount of land in the United States devoted to growing crops declined between 2002 and 2007, which indicates that increased ethanol production is not using up more land. According to the report, “Major Uses of Land in the United States 2007,” total cropland was down by 34 million acres in 2007 to its lowest level since 1945. Cropland accounted …
Ethanol Racing Fuel Firm Gets Paul Dana Award
If not for the vision of Paul Dana that ethanol could fuel Indy Racing cars, Ignite Racing Fuel might never have existed. The Indiana company this week received the 2011 Paul Dana Excellence in Bioenergy Leadership Award from the state department of agriculture. The award was established to honor the memory of Indy Racing League driver Paul Dana who was …
Nebraska Ethanol Producer to Buy Grain Elevator
The grain business subsidiary of Green Plains Renewable Energy (GPRE) is acquiring the grain elevator assets of a company in St. Edward, Nebraska. JW Grain holds 1.9 million bushels of state-licensed grain storage and is located approximately 40 miles from the GPRE’s Central City, Nebraska ethanol production facility. “We continue to seek out opportunities to expand our agribusiness segment that …
Grains Council Promotes DDGS in China
The U.S. Grains Council recently held workshops in Guangzhou and Qingdao to promote the ethanol co-product distillers grains (DDGS) in China. “The day-long sessions were designed to provide an exchange of comprehensive DDGS market information, including discussions and analysis of the value of U.S. DDGS,” said Alvaro Cordero, USGC manager of DDGS. Cordero says they had 200 to 250 people, …
New Ethanol Blender Pumps in Illinois
Three new pumps that can dispense a range of ethanol blended fuel were officially opened in Princeton, Illinois last week. Growth Energy, Horizon Fuels, the American Lung Association and Marquis Energy partnered to help with the promotions and labeling for the three new Flex Fuel pumps at the Princeton Fast Stop. “It was time to upgrade our gasoline pumps, so …
Researchers Find More Pollution from Sugarcane Ethanol
University researchers from California, Iowa and Chile have found that sugarcane ethanol production creates up to seven times more air pollutants than previously estimated, according to news from the University of Iowa. The research team used agricultural survey data from Brazil to calculate emissions of air pollutants and greenhouse gases from the entire production, distribution, and lifecycle of sugarcane ethanol …
Ethanol and the Corn Supply-Demand Picture
According to USDA, global corn production for 2011/12 is projected at a new record high of 867.5 million tons, despite a smaller crop here in the U.S. The latest World Agricultural Supply Demand report estimates the U.S. crop was down 3.5 million tons this year compared to last year, but foreign corn production is expected to be 43.4 million tons …
Doing the Ethanol Shuffle
There’s a hot new craze called the “Ethanol Shuffle” that’s sweeping seaports from Sao Paulo to Los Angeles. No, it’s not a new dance, this shuffle is all about the “confounded realignment of the global ethanol trade.” Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) Vice President of Research and Analysis Geoff Cooper wrote about the “Ethanol Shuffle” this week on the RFA E-xchange …
Ethanol Industry Wants Cellulosic Incentives Continued
Advanced biofuel producers are calling on Congress to take action now to ensure that tax incentives for cellulosic ethanol continue past 2012. In a letter to Congressional leaders, the Advanced Ethanol Council (AEC) asked for a multi-year extension of the Cellulosic Biofuels Producer Tax Credit (PTC) and the Special Depreciation Allowance for Cellulosic Biofuel Plant Property, both of which are …
Ethanol Groups Oppose Legislative Proposal
A number of ethanol supporting organizations recently sent a letter to the chairman and ranking members of the U.S. Senate and House Appropriations Committees urguing them to oppose a proposal by Reps. John Sullivan (R-Okla.) and Gary Peters (D-Mich.) that would delay commercialization of next generation ethanol. The groups, which includ Growth Energy, the Renewable Fuels Association, the American Coalition …