“If we refuse to take into account the full costs of our fossil fuel addiction — if we don’t factor in the environmental costs and the national security costs and the true economic costs — we will have missed our best chance to seize a clean energy future.” That is what President Obama said in his speech at Carnegie Mellon …
Growth Energy Takes Ethanol Message to DC Metro
Capitol Hill commuters will be hard pressed to miss the message that ethanol is America’s clean fuel as they travel the DC metro system this month. Starting at the foot of the escalator with a 10’x12′ floor mat with oil-soaked boot prints and the words “No beaches have been closed due to ETHANOL spills…. America’s CLEAN fuel,” the entire Capitol …
Ethanol Plants Improve Efficiency
Ethanol plants continue to increase in efficiency. A new University of Illinois at Chicago study of facilities that produce most of the nation’s ethanol found that the energy needed to make a gallon of the corn-based fuel decreased on average by about 30 percent within the past decade. The study, conducted by Dr. Steffen Mueller at the Energy Resources Center …
Brazil Revs Up Sugarcane Ethanol Campaign at Indy 500
Indy car drivers from several countries extolled the virtues of sugarcane ethanol from Brazil in ads that aired during the telecast of the 2010 Indianapolis 500 on Sunday. The parade of Indy spokesdrivers in two 30-second Brazilian Sugarcane Industry Association (UNICA) television ads that debuted on Sunday include Ryan Hunter-Reay, who briefly served as spokesman for the U.S. ethanol industry …
Everyone Wins in Ethanol Border Battle
Everyone was declared a winner in a Minnesota-Wisconsin border battle this week between two fuel retailers on opposite sides of the St. Croix River. The promotional event on Thursday featured a rush-hour special where both stations sold E85 (85 percent ethanol fuel) at an 85 cents per gallon discount from 4-6 pm. The promotion was supported by the Minnesota Corn …
House Passes Biodiesel Tax Credit Extension
In a voting frenzy today prior to the Memorial Day recess, the U.S. House of Representatives has extended the $1-a-gallon biodiesel tax credit that expired Dec. 31, despite indications even late yesterday that the vote would be delayed until June. The extension, which was part of a package that includes continued unemployment benefits and other tax breaks, would keep the …
Ethanol Industry Refutes Global Rebound Theory
First it was the unprovable Indirect Land Use Change (ILUC) theory. Now ethanol is being challenged by a new “what goes around comes around” hypothesis called the “Global Rebound Effect.” Earlier this week, the Clean Air Task Force filed suit against the Environmental Protection Agency over the Renewable Fuel Standard for failing “to account for the “global rebound effect” when …
Celebrate Independence with Homegrown Fuel on the Fourth
Growth Energy is encouraging Americans to celebrate Independence Day this year with homegrown “Fuel on the Fourth.” The ethanol organization has announced a new one month promotion offering nearly $300 in E85 fuel to Flex Fuel Vehicle (FFV) owners through the “Fuel on the Fourth” contest. Starting June 1st, FFV owners can enter to win one of two E85 Fuel …
RFA: Green Jobs Should Include Ethanol Tax Incentive
The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) is urging Congress to “include an extension of the expiring tax incentives for ethanol in any legislative package designed to promote green job growth and economic revitalization.” In a letter sent to the Chair and Ranking Member of the House Ways and Means Committee, RFA encouraged the lawmakers to adopt the provisions of the Renewable …