Candidates for an open U.S. Senate seat in Nebraska faced off at the state fair in Lincoln this weekend and ethanol was a topic of debate. Republican Mike Johanns, Democrat Scott Kleeb and Green Party candidate Steve Larrick all discussed the important issues of energy, climate change and renewable fuels – although most of the sparks flew between Johanns and …
Show Me Ethanol Grand Opening
Show Me Ethanol, a new farmer-owned ethanol plant in Missouri, will be celebrate its grand opening this weekend. Show Me Ethanol in Carrollton started production in May of this year and is opening its doors to members of the community on Saturday. The 55 million gallons per year plant is the sixth ethanol plant in the state, joining facilities in …
Ethanol Potential in Georgia
Senator Saxby Chambliss of Georgia is proud that his home state is playing a role in the production of alternative, domestic fuels. “We’re not only producing ethanol from corn with a couple of facilities in south Georgia, but because of our soils and long growing season, we’re going to be a major participant in cellulosic based ethanol production as well,” …
USDA Meeting Will Address Farm Bill Energy Programs
USDA Under Secretary for Rural Development Thomas Dorr will hold a public meeting next month to work on implementing renewable energy programs authorized under the recently enacted farm bill. “Continuing to develop renewable energy is a key component of President Bush’s strategy to reduce America’s dependence on foreign oil,” Dorr said. “This meeting is an opportunity for business owners, citizens …
Ethanol Conversion Kit Market Grows
The business for flex-fuel conversion kits is booming, according to a company selling low-cost units worldwide. Fuel Flex International (FFI) provides technology to allow any fuel-injected vehicle to run on ethanol or gasoline “without pushing a button or flipping a switch,” says FFI president for marketing and distribution Curtis Lacy, who was talking up his product with everyone at the …
Analyst Calls Food Versus Fuel a “Sound Bite”
Analysts with a major agricultural financial institution say alternative fuels are just one of the many factors causing higher food prices. Karol Aure-Flynn, executive director of the Rabobank Food & Agribusiness Research and Advisory department, says “food versus fuel” is basically a misleading sound bite. “The fallacy of the headline is that there is a direct competition between the two; …
Florida Farm to Fuel Summit On-Line
The third annual Florida Farm-to-Fuel Summit was a huge success with more than 460 participants, exceeding last year’s attendance according to organizers. Presentations are now available online at the conference website. The wide variety of presentations includes some very interesting information about alternative biofuels feedstocks, such as sweet sorghum, sugarcane, jatropha, perennial grasses and even sweet potatoes. Organizers of the …
Georgia Ethanol Plant Progress
Construction on what is expected to be the nation’s first commercial cellulosic ethanol plant in southeast Georgia is making good progress, according to plant officials. Range Fuels senior vice president of business development Bill Schafer gave an update on the project at last week’s Ethanol Conference and Trade Show in Omaha. “We expect to be producing ethanol next year,” Schafer …