Landmark research by an internationally recognized engineering firm finds that E15 should be safe for older vehicles. According to the study, carried out by Ricardo, Inc. on behalf of the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA), moving from 10 percent ethanol in gasoline to 15 percent will mean little, if any, change on the performance of older cars and light trucks, those …
Seaweed-to-Ethanol Startup Partners With Statoil
Berkley-California based start-up venture Bio Architecture Lab (BAL) has announced a partnership with the one of the world’s largest offshore oil and gas producers, Statoil. The partnership will help fund the research & development of seaweed-to-ethanol using macro algae grown off the coast of Norway. Today, Statoil offers Norwegian drivers a 5 percent bioethanol blend at the pump. Should the …
Ethanol – Right Here, Right Now
A new ad campaign by the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) says ethanol is the answer to energy independence that’s “Right Here, Right Now.” The thirty second ad began airing this morning on MSNBC’s Morning Joe news program in the Washington, DC media market and will continue through October 12 with nine spots per week. The target audience is policy makers …
Free Webinar: A Legal Discussion on Wind Energy
In anticipation for the upcoming Midwest Wind Summit & Expo on October 4-6, 2010 in Brookings, SD, law firm Faegre & Benson is hosting a free webinar: A Legal Discussion on Wind Energy: Looking Past the Wind Industry’s Hurdles & Focusing on Completing Projects on September 24, 2010 from 10:00 am – 11:00 am CST. The webinar will focus on …
Missouri Biodiesel Plant Reopens Under New Name
There’s new life for a biodiesel plant in Southeast Missouri. This article from Cape Girardeau’s Southeast Missourian says the former Great River Soy Processing Plant in Lilbourn has been reborn as ME Bio Energy LLC after being idled for the last three years: After producing the first batch, the plant shut down to send a sample to the Environmental Protection …
Canada Invests $81 Million in Biodiesel, Wind Ventures
The Canadian government is putting about $81 million in a couple of wind and biodiesel ventures. This Reuters article says the money will be spent over the next decade in Quebec: The government announced a C$65 million injection over 10 years in two wind farms in the Gaspe region in Eastern Quebec. The two farms, Carleton and L’Anse-a-Valleau, are owned …
Corn Farmers Working to Keep Americans Safe
Last Saturday, most Americans took a moment to remember those lost on 9-11. I was at the Iowa versus Iowa State football game when more than 70,000 fans spent a moment in silence to honor those who died. During this time I reflected on things that our country can do to keep Americans safe and one such action is to …
Solar is Cooking
The American Solar Energy Society’s (ASES) National Solar Tour is set to become the most successful solar event to date, with 648 community solar tours registered. The number of registered tours, which are designed to engage tens of thousands of citizens interested about solar, is nearly triple that of last year when 150,000 people across 49 states, Washington, D.C. and …
Ethanol Supporters Reflect on OPEC Anniversary
Ethanol supporters are not wishing OPEC a very happy 50th birthday this week. Growth Energy organized a press event in Washington today with more than 90 supporters and producers of domestic ethanol to mark the 50th anniversary of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries – better known as OPEC. “Since the inception of OPEC we have had conflict in …
Record Corn Crop Means More for Food & Fuel
The crop report was released last week and the USDA is predicting a record harvest – even after accounting for excessive rain in areas of the Midwest. This is promising news as there will be even more corn available for food and fuel. It is interesting to note that prior to ethanol, the excess corn produced had no home. Today, …