At the helm of Friends of the Earth, a new report was released today highlighting government programs and subsidies that are wasteful to taxpayers, harmful to the environment and bad for consumers. The Green Scissors 2010 report targeted four major areas for budget cuts including energy, agriculture and biofuels, infrastructure, and public lands. Many of the recommendations of this report …
Pitching for Ethanol
Ethanol hit a home run at the Iowa Cubs game last night in Des Moines. With the help of Renewable Fuels Association chairman Chris Standlee of Abengoa Bioenergy throwing out the first pitch, the Iowa Cubs beat Oklahoma City RedHawks 8-5 Wednesday night in front of 9,088 fans on Ethanol Night at Principal Park. The promotional event featured ethanol information …
Energy Crop Production Looks Good in Tennessee
The University of Tennessee Biofuels Initiative (UTBI) is closely watching how more than 1,000 acres of newly planted varieties of switchgrass will compare to current varieties. This project is part of a U.S. DOE project that was developed to study improved efficiencies in bioenergy production from biomass. The scale of the acreage will allow for assessment of the environmental and …
Railway to Test Montana Biodiesel
A switch engine in Havre, Montana is making the switch to 20 percent biodiesel for a year-long experiment to see how it works on trains in the Treasure State. On July 17, BNSF Railway celebrated the official start of the project where Montana State University-Northern’s Bio-Energy Center will test biodiesel produced by Earl Fisher Biofuels in one of two BNSF …
Marketers Back Renewable Fuels Bill
The nation’s major fuel marketing associations are advocating legislation that will help them sell higher blends of renewable fuels, including ethanol and biodiesel greater than E10 or B5. NACS – the Association for Convenience and Petroleum Retailing, along with NATSO (representing America’s Travel Plazas and Truckstops), Petroleum Marketers Association of America (PMAA), and Society of Independent Gasoline Marketers of America …
Ethanol in Senate Ag Hearing Spotlight
Ethanol took the spotlight in a Senate Agriculture Committee hearing Wednesday on the Farm Bill’s energy and rural development programs. Testimony at the hearing came from USDA Undersecretary for Rural Development Dallas Tonsager, Growth Energy Co-chairman General Wesley Clark, National Alliance of Forest Owners president Dave Tenny, and New York dairy producer Eric Zuber. The discussion ranged from increasing the …
Biodiesel Board Looks to Fill Technical Position
I had a job interview with the National Biodiesel Board the other day. No, not a job interview for ME, but an interview about a job NBB has to offer. I sat down with my friend Donnell Rehagen, Chief Operating Officer for the NBB, and he told me about a technical position they have supporting the biodiesel industry with group’s …
Renewable Energy Group Makes Acquisitions
Leading biodiesel producer and marketer Renewable Energy Group (REG) announced a couple of major acquisitions today that will improve the company’s access to used cooking oil supply for biodiesel production. The Ames, Iowa company is acquiring Tellurian Biodiesel of California and American BDF, a joint venture owned by Tellurian, Golden State Service Industries and Restaurant Technologies Inc. (RTI) that focused …
Book Review – Green Gone Wrong
Everyone has an opinion about the veracity of global warming, except, maybe global governments who are pursing economic improvements on the back of climate change. The quest for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, and predominately carbon dioxide (CO2) has led to a spurt of new research around the development of more sustainable practices and technologies. But at what cost …