An agricultural public policy group is releasing a new study today that offers a comprehensive, objective assessment of the forces driving food prices. The Farm Foundation study “What’s Driving Food Prices?” was written by three Purdue University economists. Lead author Wally Tyner says that while ethanol demand is definitely the main reason for increased corn prices, the ultimate driver behind …
Diesel Vehicles Gain Popularity, Good for Biodiesel
Diesel-powered vehicles are gaining in popularity, despite the higher price of diesel fuel compared to regular unleaded gasoline. And that rise in interest in those vehicles is good news for the biodiesel industry. Business Week reports sales are brisk with many makes getting into the business: Howard Cooper Volkswagen in Ann Arbor, Mich., for example, says that a buyer putting …
New Biodiesel Crop Becoming Cash Crop for Farmers
A new feedstock for the growing biodiesel industry could be a cash cow for the western states where it will be growing. Camelina is an oilseed that is growing in popularity in the more arid regions of the western United States. In fact, the profit potential is believed to be so great that the State of Colorado’s Agricultural Value-Added Development …
Ethanol Waiver Delay Gains Biodiesel Chief Praise
While the EPA delay of issuing a decision on Texas’ request for a waiver from the Renewable Fuel Standard (see Cindy’s story from earlier today) is seen as good news for the ethanol industry, it is also being praised by its biodiesel brethren. National Biodiesel Board Chief Executive Officer Joe Jobe issued this statement on the decision: “In considering the …
Montana Senator Tester Supports EPAC
Montana’s Senator Jon Tester is in support of domestic fuel and Ethanol Producers and Consumers (EPAC). The U.S. Senator is a third generation Montana farmer who understands the value of agriculture to Montana’s economy and way of life. His Field Director Tracy Stone-Manning presented a letter at the recent EPAC conference in Kalispell, Montana: Thank you all for your hard …
Open Fuel Standard Act Introduced
U.S. Senators Sam Brownback (R-KS), Ken Salazar (D-CO) and Joseph Lieberman (I-CT) today introduced the Open Fuel Standard Act. The legislation would require that half of all new automobiles starting in 2012 be flex-fuel vehicles warranted to operate on gasoline, ethanol, and methanol, or be warranted to operate on biodiesel. The requirement would be increased to 80 percent by 2015. …
EPA Delays Ethanol Waiver Decision
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Stephen Johnson announced today that the agency will not meet its July 24 deadline to issue a decision on the renewable fuels standard (RFS) waiver request submitted by Texas Governor Rick Perry. Johnson said in a statement, “Given the amount of work that remains to sufficiently answer the Texas request for a waiver from the …
Candidate Positions on Ethanol
Presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain spoke to the American Farm Bureau Federation’s Council of Presidents meeting in Washington DC last week by teleconference about various issues of importance to agriculture, including it’s role in America’s energy needs. McCain heralded his “Lexington Project” to make America energy independent which includes alternative fuels, ethanol, nuclear and offshore drilling. The plan …
VeraSun Starts Up New Ethanol Plant
VeraSun Energy has announced the startup of its 110 million gallon per year ethanol biorefinery located near Hankinson, N.D. The Hankinson production facility marks the 12th VeraSun biorefinery in operation, increasing the company’s annual operating capacity to 1.2 billion gallons. Construction on the Hankinson facility began in August of 2006 and was completed in June. The opening of the plant …
Verenium Advances Cellulosic Ethanol in Asia
US biofuels development company Verenium Corporation and Japanese trading company Marubeni Corporation recently announced the opening of a three million-liter-per-year cellulosic ethanol plant in Saraburi, Thailand. The cellulosic plant in Thailand is co-located with a facility that will produce ethanol from sugar-cane derived sucrose, which is widely abundant in the region. Sugar cane bagasse, the biomass residue from the sugar …