More biomass production projects have been announced by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, keynoting the Department of Energy Biomass 2011 conference today, announced the creation of four additional Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP) project areas in six states to expand the availability of non-food crops to be used in the manufacturing of liquid biofuels. Two of …
RFA Ads Tout Ethanol Reducing Gas Prices
The Renewable Fuels Association is spreading the news that ethanol is helping to keep gas prices lower than they could be. The new advertising campaign quotes a recent study that found ethanol reduced gas prices by 89 cents in 2010 and if ethanol were to disappear, gas prices could rise by as much as 92%. In the past month, the …
New Study Shows Energy Efficiency of Soy Biodiesel
A new study shows that biodiesel offers an amazing 5-to-1 return over fossil energy sources. The study by the University of Idaho and U.S. Department of Agriculture concludes that for every unit of fossil energy needed to produce biodiesel, the return is 5.54 units of renewable energy. This energy-in, energy-out ratio is called “energy balance” or “fossil energy ratio.” “This …
First Biodiesel School Bus Retires
What is believed to be the nation’s first school bus to run on a biodiesel blend was put out to pasture at the end of the 2010-11 school year, according to the National Biodiesel Board. When Medford, New Jersey’s 1998 International school bus retired at the end of June, it reached a milestone in the process. The bus was the …
Effort to Block 15% Ethanol Waiver in the House
An effort that would prevent the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency from implementing its approved waiver for E15 ethanol blends in America’s fuel supply is being led by Reps. John Sullivan (R-OK) and Gary Peters (D-MI). Growth Energy CEO Tom Buis says they intend to fight against an amendment to the FY 2012 Department of the Interior and EPA funding bills …
Canadian Waste Oil Biodiesel Facility to Open
A commercial-scale biodiesel processing facility is opening this week in the Cowichan Valley of Vancouver Island, Canada For the past six years, the Cowichan Bio-Diesel Co-operative has been supplying its members with 100% biodiesel processed elsewhere from recycled cooking oil. With the introduction of this new community biodiesel processor, the co-op will now be taking waste cooking oil from area …
DOE Biomass Conference This Week
Energy Secretary Steven Chu and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack will keynote the Department of Energy 4th annual Biomass Conference on Tuesday. This year’s conference, Biomass 2011, will focus on topics surrounding the use of biomass as a replacement for petroleum to supply the energy, products, and power markets. The Biomass 2011 theme will explore the new horizons of bioenergy technologies …
Former Iowa First Lady Runs for Congress on Energy Issues
Wind energy and biofuels are part of the campaign for Congress launched this week by former Iowa first lady Christie Vilsack. “We’ve got a lot of work to do, from supporting biofuels and wind power, to bringing broadband internet to our rural communities,” Vilsack says in her campaign YouTube video. Her website, ChristieVilsackForIowa.com, features a rural wind farm in the …
Nebraska Ethanol Workers Earn More
It pays well to be an ethanol plant worker in Nebraska. The Nebraska Ethanol Board reports that wage growth in that state’s ethanol sector outpaced all industry wage growth in the past decade, increasing by more than 58%. According to the Nebraska Department of Labor, average pay in the ethanol sector has increased from $35,479 in 2000 to $56,158 in …
Scouting for Biofuels Crops in Indian Creek Watershed
The Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory is looking for the best biofuels crops to grow in the northeast Illinois Indian Creek Watershed. During a recent field tour of the watershed sponsored by the Conservation Technology Information Center, Argonne agronomist Cristina Negri said they are looking at alternative crops that can efficiently use nitrogen to grow on marginal land in …