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 …
Biodiesel Brewed Up for Future Chefs
Students at California’s Culinary Institute of America are learning their ways around the kitchen. And if they’re paying attention to the biodiesel being used in their rides to school, they’re also getting a lesson in sustainability. Biodiesel Magazine reports the school’s Greystone campus in the Napa Valley is using waste vegetable oil from the kitchens to turn into biodiesel (produced …
Cimarron Solar Facility Begins Commercial Operation
The Cimarron Solar Facility is online in New Mexico and is now powering nearly 9,000 homes with solar energy. The project is a partnership between Southern Company and Ted Turner (Turner Renewable Energy) and the power is being supplied through a 25-year power purchase agreement to member electric cooperatives of Denver-based Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association. First Solar developed and …
Endicott Biofuels to Build Texas Biodiesel Plant
Houston, Texas-based Endicott Biofuels has inked a deal with KMTEX Ltd. to build a 30-million gallon-per-year biodiesel plant in Port Arthur, Texas. This Endicott press release says the refinery will use the company’s proprietary technology, and construction is to begin later this month: “Our extensive specialty chemical processing capabilities in Port Arthur are well-suited to complement Endicott’s unique production of …
EDTA Releases “Driving Forward” Report
The Electric Drive Transportation Association (EDTA) has released an action plan to help accelerate the growth of hybrid, plug-in, battery and fuel cell vehicles in the U.S. “Driving Forward: An Action Plan for the Electric Drive Era,” encourages public-private sector collaboration, encourages electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure development and outlines policies to speed up EV adoption. “The nation is at an …