The food-versus-fuel debate gets a bit of a twist as an algae-biodiesel maker decides it will make fuel AND food. This story in the San Francisco Business Times says the Bay area’s Solazyme, which has been working on turning algae into biodiesel for the past seven years, recently has been developing the nutritionals side of its business and could have …
MN Vikings E85 Promotion Winner Announced
The Vikings teamed up with ALAMN earlier in the season to bring awareness of E85 to their fans. They gave away free parking at the home games and the grand prize of a trip to Chicago ends their season promotion. Minnesota’s Governor Tim Pawlenty has always been a large supporter of ethanol fuel and the state currently has 351 out …
Ethanol Groups Challenge California Fuel Standard
The nation’s ethanol industry is challenging the constitutionality of the California Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS). The Renewable Fuels Association and Growth Energy filed a complaint on Christmas Eve in the Federal District Court of Fresno charging that the measure violates both the Supremacy Clause and the Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution. “The LCFS erects new regulatory obstacles to …
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
The ZimmComm team wishes you and your families a very Merry Christmas and Happy New year. We have had a wonderful year and are looking forward to the new one just ahead.
Scandia Proposes 1,000-mw Lake Michigan Wind Farm
A Minnesota company is proposing to build a massive wind farm in Lake Michigan, but some of the residents of Michigan, which has some of the highest unemployment rates in the country, still aren’t pleased about the project that would bring green energy and jobs to the economically distressed region. The Detroit Free Press says that Scandia Wind, a Minnesota …
Ethanol Plant to Provide Feedstock for Biodiesel
A North Dakota ethanol plant is truly exploring the concept of value-added products. The Blue Flint Ethanol refinery in Underwood, ND, will extract oil from the corn it turns into ethanol to turn that oil into biodiesel. KXMB-TV is Bismarck reports the oil extracting equipment will be right there at the refinery and is the first of its kind in …
Iowa Biodiesel Plant Gets $3.9 Mil State Grant
An Iowa biodiesel plant that picked up a $2.5 million federal grant earlier this month (see my post from Dec. 7) has picked up another $3.9 million from the state. Wallaces Farmer reports that Elevance Renewable Sciences of Bollingbrook, Illinois and the Renewable Energy Group biodiesel plant in Newton received the Iowa Power Fund money to develop a Nobel Prize-winning …
Valero’s Purchase Renew Energy Challenged
The court noted recently, “As the background facts of this case demonstrate, confirmation of Valero’s bid over that of ALL Fuels was in error; the auction was tainted by defects, and therefore it is within the court’s discretion to reconsider the Sale Confirmation Order, signed on Dec. 17, 2009…It would be manifestly unfair to ALL Fuels to allow the confirmation …
Chevron to Install Rhode Island Wind Turbines
Rhode Island’s governor has selected Chevron Energy Solutions to install and operate six wind turbines on public land in the state. The Providence (RI) Journal reports that Governor Donald Carcieri made the announcement about the San Francisco-based clean energy company getting the contract at a Narragansett Town Council meeting: “Chevron is a proven leader in renewable energy and a proven …
Soybean Checkoff, Clean Cities Promote Biodiesel
A group that promotes the use of soybeans and a program that works to reduce local petroleum consumption are partnering again to promote the use of soy biodiesel next year. This article from radio station KFGO in Fargo, ND-Moorhead, MN says the United Soybean Board’s soybean checkoff and the U.S. Department of Energy-affiliated (USDOE) Clean Cities’ chapters will develop programs …