The Consumer Federation of America, a consumer watchdog group, says big oil companies are trying to stop the growth of the ethanol industry… and Big Oil is using consumers’ pocketbooks in the fight. In a report entitled “Big Oil’s Choke Hold: How Competition from Ethanol Can Help Lower Gasoline Prices for Consumers,” CFA charges that oil companies have used their …
Clinton Spins on Ethanol
Add Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton to the list of folks who suddenly seem to be a friend of ethanol. Just like in my June 5th post about Sen. John McCain, it comes down to two words for these presidential wannabes: Iowa caucus. Democrat Clinton, just like Republican McCain, wanting to make sure she woos Iowa voters so she can grab …
The Future of Biofuels
A middle school student from Merritt Island was in the spotlight at the 2007 Florida Farm to Fuel Summit last week in St. Petersburg for her work in making biofuels. Yep, you read that right. Erin McCaskey, 12, attends Thomas Jefferson Middle School and her seventh grade science project last year was making biodiesel from a variety of sources. “I …
Looking for Crops to Make Fuel
The main focus of the Florida Farm to Fuel Summit in St. Petersburg last week was getting biofuels production going in the Sunshine State. President/CEO Alan Banks of Losonoco, Inc, the company building Florida’s first ethanol plant in Bartow, says he wants to talk to citrus people about alternative crops for empty acreage and citrus by-products that can be used …
VeraSun’s Charles City Biorefinery Opening
VeraSun Energy will hold a grand opening ceremony for its 110 million-gallon-a-year ethanol plant at Charles City, Iowa on August 17th, 2007. A company press release says Democratic Presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama will be the keynote speaker at the event… which still has its exact time to be determined. The grand opening actually comes several months after the plant …
Michigan in the Cellulosic Race
Mascoma Corporation of Cambridge, Mass. is planning to build a cellulosic ethanol facility somewhere in Michigan by the end of 2009, putting that state in the race to be the first in the nation to produce ethanol from wood on a commercial scale. Michigan Governor Jennifer M. Granholm joined Mascoma Corporation CEO Bruce Jamerson in making the announcement. “Mascoma’s decision …
New Team Ethanol Driver Debut
Ryan Hunter-Reay said he would be happy if his first IndyCar Series race ended with a “top 6 or 7” finish and he got his wish. He finished seventh, overcoming some mechanical problems in practice. “It felt great. The first time out in these cars with no testing and to finish in the top seven feels like a win for …
Cellulosic Ethanol Toast
There was reason for a cellulosic ethanol celebration at the second annual Farm to Fuel Summit held in St. Petersburg last week. In this photo released from the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, UF Senior Vice President for Agriculture and Natural Resources Jimmy Cheek (left), UF Distinguished Professor of Microbiology Lonnie Ingram (center) and Verenium Vice …
Simmons’ Statement
Now former Team Ethanol car driver Jeff Simmons released a statement this week after being replaced on the Rahal-Letterman team. “I want to thank everyone involved in the Team Ethanol program for all of their support and friendship. I was honored to be a part of the program and to have the opportunity to carry on Paul Dana’s vision. I …
Florida Getting Ethanol
The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) and the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council (EPIC) both had a presence at the Florida Farm to Fuel Summit this week in St. Petersburg. Matt Hartwig with RFA (pictured at the podium) drove home the growth of the ethanol industry, the economic importance and what RFA has been doing in Washington to help the industry …