Brazilian and U.S. ethanol interests are challenging each other over ethanol trade policy. The U.S./Brazil Council and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce wrote a joint letter to Congress last week asking that the U.S. secondary tariff on imported ethanol be allowed to expire as scheduled at the end of the year, together with the Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax Credit (VEETC). …
New Ethanol Production Record Set
Ethanol production hit an all time high last week, according to the latest figures from the Energy Information Administration. For the week ending December 2, ethanol production averaged 954,000 barrels per day (b/d) – or 40.068 million gallons daily, which is 24,000 barrels more than the previous week and a new record. Getting close to the end of the year …
Verenium Markets Enzyme for Biodiesel Production
Verenium Corporation is now marketing its successful Purifine® phospholipase C (PLC) enzyme product for use in the pretreatment of oil for biodiesel production. The Purifine® PLC enzyme is designed to improve yields and overall economics of edible oil and biodiesel production. “Since the initial launch of our Purifine® PLC enzymatic degumming process, we have seen rapid adoption and success within …
Petroleum Equipment Group Joins E85 Coalition
The Petroleum Equipment Institute (PEI) has joined the Coalition for E85 – a group of retailers, producers, equipment manufacturers and other supporters of E85 fuel. PEI executive vice president Robert Renkes says the goal of the Coalition is to protect the investments of 2,500 small businesses and stop a multimillion-dollar tax hike on consumers. “Fuel marketers, equipment manufacturers and the …
American Ethanol Celebrates Great First Year
The partnership between NASCAR and ethanol is officially one year old and it has been a great year for racing on the renewable fuel. It was one year ago last week at the NASCAR Champions Week in Las Vegas that American Ethanol was announced, a partnership that includes Growth Energy and the National Corn Growers Association. Throughout the 2011 NASCAR …
Largest Government Purchase of Biofuels Announced
The largest government purchase of biofuels for military application was announced today. U.S. Navy Secretary Ray Mabus and U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack jointly announced that the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) signed a contract to purchase 450,000 gallons of advanced drop-in biofuel. The biofuel to be purchased is made from a blend of non-food waste (used cooking oil) …
General Motors Seeks to Reassure Volt Owners
General Motors is working to offer assurances and incentives to owners of Chevy Volts in the wake of concerns about the potential of damaged batteries in the electric cars catching fire, and may ultimately have to take the car of the future back to the drawing board. Earlier this week, GM announced initiatives for customer satisfaction and battery safety research …
Corn Grower’s Viewpoint on VEETC – It’s Over
National Corn Growers Association president Garry Niemeyer, a farmer from Illinois, penned an editorial this week in an effort to let those still complaining about the Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax Credit (VEETC) know that the game is over. Read that commentary below. Back in August, the Green Scissors Project identified ways the federal government could shave $380 billion from the …
USDA Announces Insurance Program for Biofuel Crop
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced a new pilot program of insurance for camelina beginning with the 2012 crop year. According to a release from USDA, “Camelina is an oilseed crop with the potential to create new renewable energy markets in the United States, generate rural jobs here at home, and decrease America’s dependence on foreign oil. The new …
Iowa Corn Caucus Grades Candidates on Energy
The Iowa Corn Caucus released its report card for presidential candidates today, giving grades for different policy areas related to agriculture, including energy and biofuels, and an overall grade for each candidate. The highest overall grade went to Newt Gingrich, who scored straight As on every single policy issue. Second in the class was Rick Santorum, who received straight As …