Representatives of the renewable fuels industry were pleased to hear President Obama talking about energy independence during his State of the Union address last night, saying that we need to “break our dependence on oil with biofuels, and become the first country to have a million electric vehicles on the road by 2015” as well as mentioning wind and solar, …
Sustainability Hard To Define
We had the most results of any ZimmPoll so far with the question: “What does “sustainability” really mean to the public?” By a big margin, most say “A combination of factors” at 47%. That’s followed by “Farm managed for profit/growth,” 25%; “green,” 13%; “organic,” 10% and “local,” 5%. So I think it’s safe to say that sustainability is not understood …
Canola Biodiesel-Powered Jet Car Heading to Vegas
A jet car that runs on biodiesel made from canola is expected to be featured in one of the premier car shows later this year. Western Canada’s PortageOnline.com reports the Prairie Gold, owned by Kevin and Gwen Therres of Prairieland Motorsports, produces 7,500 horsepower and can make it up to 254 miles per hour in a quarter mile (see some …
Biodiesel, Ethanol on Sidelines in State of the Union
Just like a year ago, proponents of biodiesel and ethanol must be wondering if their green fuels were part of President Barack Obama’s “clean energy” comments in this year’s State of the Union address. Meanwhile, solar, nuclear and electric vehicle advocates have to be feeling pretty good about themselves as they received specific shout-outs during the hour-long speech. Appearing before …
Demand for Glycerin to Keep Pace with Supply
As the production of biodiesel is expected to grow with (finally!) the renewal of the federal $1-a-gallon tax credit and the new Renewable Fuels Standard requiring 800 million gallons of biomass-based diesel to be blended this year is implemented, the amount of glycerin is expected to also climb, possibly flooding the market. But this article from Biodiesel Magazine says many …
Iowa Economy Powered by Renewable Fuels
Iowa is an undisputed leader in renewable fuels production and that is extremely good for the state’s economy At the Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit in Des Moines on Tuesday, the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IRFA) released a new study detailing the positive benefits that provides for Iowa. According to the report, the renewable fuels industry, both ethanol and biodiesel, accounts …
RAND Says Alt Fuels Out, Coal & Biomass In, for Military
RAND National Defense Research Institute has released a study today amidst a firestorm of criticism with many claiming that the report sounds like an advertisement for the coal industry. The study, commissioned by the Department of Defense, was to conduct an examination of alternative fuels for military applications. For the past several years, the military has been testing alternative fuels, …
Sen. Harkin Introduces “Biofuels Market Expansion Act”
U.S. Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) introduced a new piece of legislation today, called the “Biofuels Market Expansion Act of 2011.” The bill, if passed, would ensure an increasing number of automobiles in the U.S. be flexible fuel vehicles (FFVs), expands the number of blender pumps and make renewable fuel pipelines eligible for the federal loan guarantee pipeline program. The bill …
Newt Gingrich Wows Iowa RFA Summit
If it were up to the Iowa renewable fuels industry, Newt Gingrich would probably be elected the next president of the United States. The former speaker of the U.S. House spoke to a full house at the 5th annual Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit in Des Moines on Tuesday. Hitting all the right notes, Gingrich was interrupted several times by applause …
Enervation Advisors Aquires Tri-City Energy Biodiesel
Enervation Advisors, an Axis Group Company, has acquired Tri-City Energy biodiesel and glycerin facilities in Keokuk, Iowa. The company is currently staffing the biodiesel plant, that has been shut down, and has already begun a retrofit. Enervation anticipates that the plant will begin producing glycerin by March of this year. This is the first acquisition into the renewables market for …