Recognizing just how important the National Biodiesel Conference & Expo is to everyone with ties to the industry, our friends at the National Biodiesel Board have extended the deadline to register for the Feb. 6-9 event in Phoenix, Arizona to Feb. 1. NBB CEO Joe Jobe says: The uncertainty surrounding the biodiesel tax credit and the implementation of the Renewable …
New Product Reduces Methanol for Biodiesel Production
A new product from a Florida biodiesel technology developer could cut down on the amount of methanol to brew biodiesel by up to 5 percent. Biodiesel Magazine reports that Florida Biodiesel Inc. has developed the Cyclonic Mixer: “The Mixer is a device that is made to shear the catalyst and the feedstock,” said Bill Gehrs, president of Florida Biodiesel, “giving …
Butamax Files Patent Infringement Action Against Gevo
Butamax™ Advanced Biofuels has filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Gevo, Inc. for its use of Butamax biobutanol technology. The lawsuit was filed January 14 in U.S. Federal District Court in the District of Delaware. “The U.S. patent system is designed to encourage research and development and to protect inventions. Butamax and its owners were the first to develop this …
Iowa Summit to Focus on Future for Ethanol and Biodiesel
The fifth annual Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IRFA) Summit has an amazing line-up of speakers who will focus on the future of ethanol and biodiesel, both in the state and the nation. Iowa Governor Terry Branstad will kick off the one-day event on January 25 by talking about Growing Iowa’s BioEconomy. Key Iowa biodiesel leaders will then detail biodiesel’s 2011 …
Let’s Talk About E15
Let’s talk about E15, or the use of 15 percent ethanol, 85 percent gasoline, in our conventional cars and light duty trucks. I don’t think people understand well enough why the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is conducting so much research on the fuel. What it really comes down to is emissions. Let me explain. Last Friday I attended the California …
MD Grain Producers Join FFV Awareness Campaign
MGPUB joins the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and more than 30 national companies and organizations that are part of the FFV Awareness Campaign working in several other states across the country. The overall campaign has been developed and is coordinated by the Clean Fuels Foundation, a Maryland based non-profit organization. With 16 E85 …
Waste Management Developing Organics Facility in Florida
Waste Management is developing a new organics facility in Okeechobee, Florida. The facility, which will sit on eight acres, will process yard, food and clean wood waste to produce soil amendments as well as bagged lawn and garden products that may be sold back to the public as an alternative to chemical fertilizers. The facility will be sited adjacent to …
Genetic Mutation Creates Drought Tolerance in Plants
Researchers at Purdue University have discovered a genetic mutation that allows a plant to better endure drought conditions without losing biomass. This discovery could prove significant because it could lead to plants that need less water to survive and thrive despite adverse climatic conditions. Mike Mickelbart, an assistant professor of horticulture; Mike Hasegawa, a professor of horticulture; and Chal Yul …
Number of Farm Groups Is Probably About Right
The results are in for the latest ZimmPoll. The question: “What do you think about the number of farm groups?” Our readers are not shy about letting us know their opinions and we appreciate that. The results: 33% say there are too many, 28% say the more the merrier, 25% say some are not needed but most are and 14% …
BYO Ethanol Webinar Wednesday
Last month President Obama signed into law legislation that included the extension of the Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax Credit (VEETC) and the alternative fuels infrastructure tax credit. These two credits will continue to be key in the expansion of ethanol-blended fuels and blender pumps and a free webinar Wednesday is designed tohelp retailers learn more about how ethanol can increase …