Yet another press release came out this week regarding the Butamax/Gevo legal battle over isobutanol technology patent infringement and frankly, we are sick of hearing about it. This spat started over 16 months and dozens of press releases ago. There is no question that patents are important, but the fact is that both of these companies are holding up critical …
Early Planting Fuels Corn Production Speculation
Corn planting is running well above normal across the country, fueling speculation that this year’s crop could be huge. The crop progress report this week shows that seven percent of the nation’s corn crop is now planted – more than double normal for this time of year. Progress in some Midwestern states has already hit double digits. Missouri has 23% …
Ethanol Co-Product Gains Foothold in Oil Country
The livestock feed that is a co-product of ethanol production is gaining a foothold in the country that is synonymous with oil, thanks to the efforts of the U.S. Grains Council (USGC). Saudi Arabia has always been the oil capitol of the world, but when Venezuela took the number one spot last year, the Saudis began to focus on diversifying …
First Sorghum Renewables Summit This Month
The Sorghum Checkoff is hosting the first ever Sorghum Renewables Summit April 19-20 in Denver. The summit will bring together the industry’s leading researchers and companies for an event focused on agronomics, composition, technology, corporate governance and more related to using sorghum as a feedstock for renewable fuels. National Sorghum Producers chairman Terry Swanson, a grower from Colorado, says about …
Biofuels Groups Support RFS in Federal Lawsuit
Ethanol and advanced biofuels groups are mobilizing to fight a court challenge by the petroleum industry over the Renewable Fuel Standard. Six biofuel trade associations have filed a motion in the U.S. District Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to intervene in support of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS2) 2012 final rule being …
Soy Checkoff Spotlights Biodiesel at Tractor Pulls
Soy-based biodiesel will once again be part of the National Tractor Pullers Association (NTPA) season this year, thanks to the sponsorship of the United Soybean Board (USB) and the soybean checkoff. As part of a larger strategy to promote soy biodiesel’s benefits among diesel users, the checkoff will once again co-sponsor the NTPA season of approximately 80 tractor pulls across …
E15 in Spotlight at Indiana Ethanol Forum
EPA’s approval this week of 15% ethanol blended gasoline (E15) as a registered fuel dominated the Indiana Ethanol Forum at the Indiana Farm Bureau Football Center Pavilion in Indianapolis yesterday. The invitation only event featured comments from Governor Mitch Daniels, Democratic Gubernatorial Candidate John Gregg, Republican Gubernatorial Candidate Mike Pence, Renewable Fuels Association president and CEO Bob Dinneen, and author …
Vilsack Announces Advanced Biofuels Roundtable
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack addressed the 2012 Advanced Biofuels Leadership Conference, presented by Biofuels Digest, Tuesday in Washington D.C. and announced an upcoming Advanced Biofuels Industry Roundtable to be held next month. Vilsack said the Roundtable will be a joint effort between USDA, the Department of Energy, and the Department of Navy and will be held on May 18 “as …
Broin Steps Down as CEO of POET
The founder of the country’s largest ethanol company is stepping down as CEO. POET founder Jeff Broin will continue managing and leading the company’s board as Executive Chairman, while Jeff Lautt has been named CEO. Lautt has been with POET since 2005, serving as President of the company for the past year. In stepping down as CEO, Broin says he …
Oregon Governor Tours ZeaChem Biorefinery
Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber took a tour of the ZeaChem 250,000 gallon-per-year biorefinery in Boardman Monday as the company announced it has begun construction on the Department of Energy-funded project for the production of cellulosic ethanol. Earlier this year, the company announced the start of operations of the core facility for the production of intermediate chemicals acetic acid and ethyl …