Team Austria has won the 2013 Solar Decathlon by building the most energy-efficient solar-powered house at the Orange County Great Park in Irvine, California. Team Austria was made up of students from the Vienna University of Technology, who won top honors in the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) event by designing, building and operating the most cost-effective, energy efficient and …
Rep. King Exposes Federal Petroleum Mandate
In a letter sent to U.S. Representative Steve King (R-Iowa), the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IRFA) thanked the Congressman for exposing the Federal Petroleum Mandate and reiterating his unwavering support of the federal Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) during this week’s National Journal forum titled, “Biofuels Mandate: Defend, Reform, or Repeal.” The forum was sponsored by the American Petroleum Institute (API), …
Mission NewEnergy Sells Malaysian Biodiesel Plant
Australian biodiesel maker Mission NewEnergy Ltd. has sold its 30 MMgy biodiesel plant in Malaysia. Biodiesel Magazine reports that through its wholly owned subsidiary, Mission Biotechnologies Sdn Bhd, the $11.5 million deal was finished with Felda Global Ventures Downstream Sdn Bhd. Mission NewEnergy stated that Mission Biotechnologies will use all of the proceeds from the sale to reduce loans from …
Lack of Soy Crushing Hurting Wisconsin Biodiesel
A lack of soybean crushing facilities could be hurting the biodiesel industry in Wisconsin. This article from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel says no soybean crushing facilities of any meaningful size in the state means farmers have to send their beans out of state, where they’re more likely to be turned into value-added products, including the green fuel, meaning lost revenues …
FS Propane Autogas Demos in Illinois and Wisconsin
GROWMARK and local FS member companies in Illinois and Wisconsin are hosting five events this week to share information about Propane Autogas as an alternative to petroleum and compressed natural gas (CNG) fuels. “There’s quite a few sectors, such as schools, municipalities, buses, and fleets, that are starting to convert their fleets to Propane Autogas,” explains GROWMARK propane marketing and …
Government Shuts Down, Ethanol Rumors Abound
The government is shut down and rumors abound about ethanol and the 2014 Renewable Volume Obligations (RVOs) to be set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as part of the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS). 2014 RVOS are anticipated to be announced within the next few weeks. With speculation and misinformation circulating at breakneck speeds, I went to Bob Dinneen, President …
Corn Crop Enough to Meet RFS
The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) is weighing in on the speculation about what the 2014 volume requirements for the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) might be. NCGA president Martin Barbre, a corn grower from Illinois, says the statute currently calls for corn starch ethanol to account for 14.4 billion gallons, an amount that can easily be provided by the industry. …
Boeing & SAA Partner for Aviation Biofuels
Boeing and South African Airways (SAA) have announced a partnership to develop and implement a sustainable aviation biofuel supply chain in Southern Africa, a first for the continent. The companies signed a Memorandum of Understanding for sustainable aviation biofuel supply chain development at The Corporate Council on Africa’s 9th Biennial U.S.-Africa Business, attended by executives from leading U.S. and African …
UWGP Sponsoring Ethanol Education Events
United Wisconsin Grain Producers (UWGP) is inviting the public out to educational events about the ethanol industry this month to tell consumers the truth about ethanol fuel blends. The ethanol plant is sponsoring a series of informational sessions at Madison and West Bend car dealerships. Both events will feature ethanol experts as well as a live radio broadcast from Ag …
Strong Optimism for Geothermal Globally
The GRC Annual Meeting & GEA Geothermal Energy Expo hosted nearly 2,000 delegates in Las Vegas, Nevada for an event that featured the latest technologies in geothermal, and frank discussions on opportunities and challenges internationally as well as within the United States. Optimism was felt throughout the conference and was underscored by the release of Geothermal Energy Association’s (GEA) release …