As anticipated, President George W. Bush devoted a significant portion of his 2007 State of the Union address Tuesday evening to energy. “For too long our nation has been dependent on foreign oil,” said President Bush. “It’s in our vital interest to diversify America’s energy supply. The way forward is through technology.” The audience applauded seven times during the four …
Corn Growers, Farm Aid Team Up for Renewable Energy Workshops
The American Corn Growers Association has received some grants from Farm Aid to put on a series of workshops across the country on producing and using ethanol, biodiesel, and wind energy. The Farm Aid money has been given to the Corn Growers to put on the workshops in more than half a dozen states on a variety of subjects: * …
Analyst Says Grain and Livestock Markets Affected by Biofuels Boom
Bill Holbrook, owner of Holbrook Consulting, says grain markets are responding to the rapid growth in the ethanol and biodiesel markets. But what will it mean to longer-term grain and livestock prices? In my interview with him, Holbrook says right now, livestock producers are expecting tighter margins, but long-term feed prices are more likely to be affected by weather and …
High Crude Oil Prices Boost Alternative Fuels’ Price Competitiveness
The Energy Management Institute has released a report that shows alternative fuels are much more cost effective… by nearly 30 percent… than they were just three years ago. The New York-based institute touts itself as higher learning for energy professionals such as oil companies, utilities, and transportation fleets. It found that biodiesel was 29.2% more cost effective than a few …
More Biofuels Education Needed
Despite the tremendous growth in ethanol and biodiesel production over the past year, consumers still lack a basic understanding of biofuels benefits and availability. That’s the findings of a just-released consumer survey commissioned by Pavilion Technologies and conducted by Harris Interactive. Despite a surge in production and government support, only a fraction of adult drivers in the United States (5%) …
Missouri Sees Sharp Increase in Biofuels Investors
Another indicator of the viability of ethanol and biodiesel might be the increasing numbers of investors in the alternative fuels. In Missouri, for example, the Secretary of State’s office reports the number of the number of biofuels investments filed with the state increased from just five in 2005 to 15 last year. In this Associated Press story, government requirements are …
Ethanol Offsets Increased Gas Use
America used more gasoline in 2006, but that increase was entirely offset by ethanol. According to the American Petroleum Institute’s December 2006 statistics report, gasoline deliveries in 2006 increased a modest 0.8 percent from 2005 to 9.2 million barrels, or 386 million gallons, per day. The year’s higher volume of gasoline deliveries was, in effect, met entirely by a substantial …
Smells Like Money
This week’s Associated Press Centerpiece report focuses on ethanol plants powered by manure and other waste material. Ranchers have long been fond of saying cattle manure smells like money. Now, folks in the business of making ethanol are smelling dollars too – in the methane gas emitted by manure at large cattle feedlots and dairies. The article looks at several …
Higher Corn and Lower Gas Prices Cut Ethanol Profits
Financial analysts are predicting dire times for the ethanol boom now that higher corn prices and lower gas prices are putting the squeeze on industry profits. A Reuters UK article quotes from a Credit Suisse report that predicts a lower completion rate for planned ethanol plant projects. “Back in July 2006, a new plant would have commanded returns in the …
ND Ethanol Plant to Run on Borrowed Steam
An ethanol plant under construction in North Dakota will be first plant in the country to use steam from a nearby power plant to generate heat instead of having its own boilers. Blue Flint Ethanol, a joint venture between Great River Energy and Headwaters Incorporated, is in the process of building a 50 million gallon per year dry mill ethanol …