USDA has announced funding for a series of projects to convert biomass to energy through USDA’s Rural Energy for America program (REAP). The announcement this week concludes 2011 biomass project funding assistance for a total of 52 projects with just over $31 million in grant and loan note guarantees through program. Among the companies receiving funding is NC-CHP Owner I, …
USDA Funds Algae Fuel Project in New Mexico
USDA has issued a loan guarantee that will allow a biofuels firm to construct a facility in New Mexico to produce “green crude” oil from algae which can be refined into transportation fuel. The loan is going to Sapphire Energy, which intends to design, build and operate a $135 million integrated algal biorefinery (IABR) in Columbus, N.M., for the production …
Nebraska Ethanol Coalition to Promote FFV Awareness
A new grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture will be used to promote flex fuel vehicles, flex fuel pumps, and driver education in Nebraska, one of six states that will be working with the FlexFuel Vehicle Awareness Campaign. The Nebraska Ethanol Industry Coalition (NEIC) will be heading up the statewide project with partners including the Nebraska Ethanol Board, …
USDA Announces More Funding for Advanced Biofuels
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced $44.6 million in payments for 156 advanced biofuel producers across the country to support the production and expansion of advanced biofuels. “This funding will help local producers increase the production and availability of renewable energy and thus help our nation begin to reduce its reliance on foreign oil,” Vilsack said. “Just as importantly, USDA’s …
Ag Secretary Wants Biofuels Support in Farm Bill
Outlining his priorities for farm policy this week, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack stressed the need for continued support of renewable fuels in the next farm bill. “Rural America has done a great job of helping to develop the domestically-produced renewable energy and fuel. That job must continue because when we create those opportunities, we create jobs, we reduce our reliance …
USDA Report Shows Value of Ethanol Co-Product
A new U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) report finds that the ethanol co-product known as distillers grains or DDGS is replacing even more corn and soybean meal in livestock and poultry feed rations than previously thought. According to the report by USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS), “We found that, on average, for the past 5 crop years (2006/07-2010/11), 1 mt …
Anti-Ethanol Blender Pump Amendment Pulled
An amendment offered by Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) that would have stopped funding for Flex Fuel blender pumps was pulled before it came up for a vote this week. “While the withdrawal of this amendment is an important milestone, we will continue to encourage Congress to oppose any other effort that would erect new barriers to the market,” said Growth …
USDA Plans to Cancel Ethanol Co-Product Report
In a cost-cutting measure, USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) is planning to cancel the Distiller Co-Products for Feed Survey announced in March slated to be done in January 2012. The report, which was designed to better calculate the use of the ethanol co-product known as DDGS in livestock feed, is one of several that USDA plans to eliminate or …
Biodiesel Fuels Soybean Oil Production
Corn stocks and use for ethanol seem to get all the attention when the USDA World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates are released each month, but soybean oil use for biodiesel attracting some notice lately. World Agricultural Outlook Board Chairman Gerry Bange says soybean oil use for biodiesel is up 44% over last year at 3.6 billion pounds. “The EPA …
USDA Predicts Smaller Corn Crop But Larger Inventory
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has shaved another 64 million bushels off projections for this year’s corn crop, but added 208 million bushels to beginning corn stocks for 2011/12. Corn production is now forecast at 12.4 billion bushels, down 1 percent from the September forecast and down slightly from the 2010 production estimate, but still expected to be the fourth …