Leftovers from fields, orchards, and vineyards could be combined with other household garbage to make ethanol and other kinds of bioenergy. USDA Agricultural Research Service scientists are investigating the possibilities at the agency’s Western Regional Research Center in Albany, Calif. Agricultural wastes like rice straw, almond hulls, and the oversize outer leaves of iceberg lettuce – as well as municipal …
Extreme Makeover: Ethanol Edition
The Dirk Devries family of Albert Lea, Minnesota are not only the recipients of a new home, courtesy of ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. They are also the proud owners of a new F150 crew cab flexible-fuel vehicle, courtesy of the ethanol industry. Five Minnesota-based POET Biorefining facilities, in conjunction with the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council (EPIC) and Dave …
Mascoma Announces Funding for Cellulosic Ethanol Plant
Mascoma Corporation will receive a total of $26.0 million in funding from the Department of Energy and an overall contribution of $23.5 million from the State of Michigan for the development of a cellulosic fuel production facility that uses non-food biomass to convert woodchips into fuel. Mascoma executives made the announcement Tuesday with officials from the DOE, Michigan Governor Jennifer …
DOE Finalizes Funding for Cellulosic Ethanol Plant
The U.S. Department of Energy will award more than $76 million to POET for the commercialization of cellulosic ethanol production technology. In February 2007, POET was selected by the DOE for a total award of up to $80 million in federal funding for the construction of a commercial cellulosic ethanol production facility. The first phase of the agreement was signed …
New President for Missouri Ethanol Group
The Missouri Renewable Fuels Association, an organization comprised of Missouri’s six farmer-owned ethanol plants and the Missouri Corn Growers Association, have elected Gene Millard of St. Joseph, as the organization’s 2008-09 president. Millard, chairman of Golden Triangle Energy in Craig, Mo., assumed the new leadership responsibilities October 1. He succeeds John Eggleston, president of POET Biorefining-Macon and founding MoRFA president. …
Corvette Powered by Cellulosic Ethanol Wins Green Challenge
The Corvette Racing team of Johnny O’Connell, Jan Magnussen and Ron Fellows went down in history as the inaugural winners of the Green Racing Challenge. The 1,000-mile Petit Le Mans win also cinched the American Le Man Series GT1 championship for O’Connell and Magnussen. The No. 3 Corvette C6.R also had the best score in the Green Challenge, securing the …
California Ethanol Lawsuit Blasted
Both the California-based New Fuels Alliance and the LA Times have taken fuel refiner Tesoro to task for suing the state over a regulation that would boost ethanol consumption in the state by 2010. The company, which operates refineries in Los Angeles and the city of Martinez, says “the new fuel specifications could conflict with the state’s push to cut …
DuPont Biofuels Goals on Track
A DuPont executive says plans to bring advanced biofuels programs to market are on track and making significant technical progress toward the commercialization of biobutanol and the conversion of cellulosic feedstocks economically into biofuels. “Biobutanol and cellulosic ethanol have the ability to transform the biofuels industry,” Vice President & General Manager John Ranieri told an investor conference last week. “Our …
National Biofuels Action Plan Expected
Department of Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer and Department of Energy Secretary Samuel W. Bodman are planning to release the National Biofuels Action Plan tomorrow in Washington DC. The action plan is an interagency plan detailing the collaborative efforts to accelerate the development of a sustainable biofuels industry. The Cabinet Secretaries will announce additional news related to the biofuels industry, new …
Transition to a Bioeconomy: Part III
In just about a week and a half, government officials, bioenergy experts and leaders in the private industry will gather in St. Louis, Mo., for the third in a series of conferences sponsored by the Farm Foundation addressing the issues facing rural areas as they move to a bioeconomy. Michael Popp, professor of Agricultural Economics at the University of Arkansas, …