Indy Defends Ethanol Choice

Cindy Zimmerman

The Brazilian ethanol industry will remain the fuel sponsor of the Indy Racing League in 2009, but the ethanol will come from the United States – at least for the first year. That is a compromise of sorts announced by IRL after meeting with corn ethanol industry representatives. The multi-year partnership between the IndyCar Series and APEX-Brasil — a trade …

EPIC, Ethanol, Indy Racing

LA Looks to Become Solar City

John Davis

Los Angeles wants to become a hub of the solar energy industry. This article from the LA Times says Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has unveiled a long-range to have solar power meet one-tenth of the city’s energy needs by 2020, an initiative that is expected to help the city’s Department of Water and Power kick the fossil fuel habit: The plan …

Government, Solar

Solar, Biodiesel RV a Teaching Tool

John Davis

You might remember my story from October 8th, 2007 about Ty Adams and his biodiesel-powered RV, the bioTrekker, Adams is a man who likes to travel the country, preaching the gospel of alternative fuels. Now, he’s rolling on the roads in the SolTrekker, which also runs on biodiesel but, in addition, is outfitted with solar panels and made even more …

Biodiesel, Solar

USDA Researching Pennycress’ Biodiesel Potential

John Davis

Many people know pennycress as nothing more than a weed, but some folks with the U.S. Department of Agriculture are looking at its potential to become a biodiesel feedstock. This article from the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service says scientists at the ARS’ Peoria, Illinois office are trying to make the farmers’ pest into their cash crop: There, a team of …

Biodiesel, Government

Farm Foundation to Release Report on Feeding and Fueling the World

John Davis

Our friends at Farm Foundation are set to release a report next week on the challenges agriculture and the food system face in providing food, fiber and energy to a growing world over the next 30 years. The report will come out next Thursday, Dec. 4th as part of Farm Foundation’s Food and Agriculture Policy Summit, Dec. 2-4th at the …

Biodiesel, Ethanol, Farm Foundation, News

Hemp Could Be Next Biofuel Feedstock

John Davis

Farmers in the U.S could be growing hemp as a biomass crop, if a federal court rules in favor of two farmers trying to get a ban on the marijuana-related plant lifted. This story from Biomass Magazine says the new president could also have a hand in lifting that ban: The U.S. Appeals Court in St. Paul, Minn., heard arguments …

biomass, Government