While the proposal to cut the amount of biodiesel and ethanol to be blended into the Nation’s fuel supply has green fuel makers nervous, a new report shows that turmoil at the end of 2013 actually helped biodiesel spike. Financial services provider for agricultural producers and agribusinesses Rabobank Food & Agribusiness Research (FAR) says the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposal …
Advanced Ethanol Here at Last
During the National Ethanol Conference, representatives of four leading companies talked about how advanced ethanol is here at last. Moderated by Advanced Ethanol Council Executive Director Brooke Coleman, the panelists included Chris Standlee with Abengoa; Kenneth Hill with DuPont Cellulosic Ethanol; Delayne Johnson, CEO of Quad County Corn Processors; and Steve Hartig, Licensing General Manager for POET-DSM Advanced Biofuels, LLC. …
Cold Winter Challenges Ethanol Plant Logistics
At the National Ethanol Conference last week, Renewable Fuels Association president and CEO Bob Dinneen had a discussion with Ed Hamberger, President and CEO, Association of American Railroads, on Regulatory Crackdown on Rail Transport. They discussed current government proposals focused on rail cars. Hamberger kicked off the discussion by noting that ethanol has been one of the fastest growing commodity …
GreenTECH Provides Youth with Green Education
MOUSE and Solar One have launched GreenTECH, a program that provides youth with an opportunity to positively impact the greening of their schools and communities. GreenTECH, funded by a three-year, $1.08 million grant from the National Science Foundation to Solar One, MOUSE, and the NYU Wallerstein Collaborative, is an initiative to boost youth interest in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and …
ACE Preparing for Biofuels Beltway March
Make Washington keep their word was a common mantra during the National Ethanol Conference last week. American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) Executive Vice President Brian Jennings is going to help them do just that. Each March, ACE brings nearly 100 ethanol advocates to the Hill to meet with Legislative and key stakeholders to tell their stories about the benefits of …
BioEnergy Bytes
Leading figures in geothermal power development will be participating in the GEA International Geothermal Showcase in Washington, D.C. on Earth Day, April 22. This includes speakers engaged in projects in Kenya, Tanzania, Switzerland, Romania, Turkey, Italy, Japan, Indonesia, Guatemala, El Salvador, Nevis, Colombia, the United States, Iceland and more. The application period is open for the Green Power Leadership Awards. …
Dutch Company to Use SkyNRG Biodiesel
A Netherlands-based company in the construction and maritime infrastructure maintenance businesses will use biodiesel from a company used to fueling things a bit higher above the ground. Royal Boskalis Westminster N.V. (Boskalis) reached an agreement with SkyNRG, a supplier of renewable, sustainable aviation fuel, to provide about 65,000 gallons of biodiesel for Boskalis trucks. The pilot is consistent with Boskalis’ …
Deal Finalized on Texas Biodiesel Plant
A biodiesel maker and a town in Texas finalized a deal to bring a $30 million refinery to the central part of the state. Following up on a story we told you about last month, this article from the Austin Business Journal says the Temple City Council approved a package of incentives to bring waste-cooking-oil-to-biodiesel producer Thomas Biodiesel LLC to …
Social Media War Room for Ethanol
Make no mistake about it. The ethanol industry is engaged in a war of words with anti-ethanol forces and every weapon in the arsenal needs to be deployed to fight against these well-funded opponents. Communications and Social Media War Room was the title of one of the breakout sessions at last week’s 2014 National Ethanol Conference. Renewable Fuels Association executive …
Driving Through the Blend Wall
We’ve heard a lot about how higher ethanol blends might affect the producers of the green fuel and the impacts to consumers on the other end. But what about the viewpoint of those who have to build the vehicles on which these higher blends would run? Representatives from General Motors and Mercedes-Benz were among the experts on a panel at …