Two Illinois companies are working together to produce an ethanol co-product that has a variety of food, industrial and chemical product applications. Prairie Gold (PGI) of Bloomington, and GTL Resources USA of Itasca, Illinois have agreed to collaborate on the construction of a zein protein production plant. Zein is a high valued co-product that can be produced from the corn …
Energy Highlights of Obama Visit to Brazil
Energy was part of the agenda when President Obama visited Brazil over the weekend. During his visit, Obama and Brazil’s President Dilma Rousseff agreed to launch a Strategic Energy Dialogue, to focus on both oil and biofuels. “Now even as we focus on oil in the near term, we shouldn’t lose sight of the fact that the only long-term solution …
Whole New World of Corn
Everything you ever wanted to know about corn is contained in the latest edition of the World of Corn from the National Corn Growers Association. This year’s publication, available online now, highlights the wide variety of roles that farmers must play, from environmentalist to technology geek, in order to ensure that both their farm and their industry as a whole …
Speculation, Not Ethanol, Driving Corn Prices
Erratic behavior on the futures market for corn over the past few weeks is evidence that paper bushels, not ethanol, are driving corn prices, according to Renewable Fuels Association president and CEO Bob Dinneen. “Corn futures prices have tumbled by $1/bushel just since March 3, as huge index and hedge funds and other large speculators are pulling out of the …
Governors Urge Change in Corn for Ethanol Reporting
U.S. governors from Washington to New York to Texas are asking Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to change the way USDA reports the use of corn for ethanol production. In a letter sent to Vilsack this week, the Governors’ Biofuels Coalition urged the change to reflect the fact that corn for ethanol usage produces livestock feed in the form of …
Ethanol Interests Urge Defeat of VEETC Amendment
Legislation that would immediately repeal the Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax Credit, or VEETC, is drawing criticism from ethanol interests. U.S. Senators Tom Coburn (R-OK) and Ben Cardin (D-MD) this week introduced the repeal as an amendment to the small business reauthorization bill, currently under consideration in the Senate. “The ethanol tax credit is bad economic policy, bad energy policy and …
POET Opens 27th Ethanol Plant in Indiana
The largest ethanol producer in the world got a little bigger today, and so did Indiana’s ethanol production capacity. POET opened its 27th ethanol plant and fourth plant in Cloverdale, Indiana with a grand opening event that included ethanol industry and government leaders, area farmers, new team members and area residents. The opening of POET Biorefining – Cloverdale represents an …
USDA Offers Renewable Energy Funding
USDA is seeking applications to increase the production and use of renewable energy sources under three different USDA Rural Development renewable energy programs authorized by the 2008 Farm Bill. USDA is now accepting applications for loan guarantees in the Biorefinery Assistance Program, Repowering Assistance Program, and the Bioenergy Program for Advanced Biofuels. USDA is making approximately $463 million available under …
Corn Ethanol Walks the Line Song
Here’s another video clip from the ethanol producer group known as “Green Floyd” that played at the recent National Ethanol Conference. The Green Floyd band is made up of Frontline Bioenergy CEO Bill Lee, Neil and Tom Koehler with Pacific Ethanol and Paul Kamp with Inbicon. This song is a parody of Johnny Cash’s “I Walk the Line” with lyrics …
Global Ethanol Leaders Together
In the great tradition of saving the best for last, the 2011 National Ethanol Conference concluded with a lively panel discussion featuring global ethanol leaders. Those on the panel were (LtoR) George Fitch, Director of the Caribbean Basic Ethanol Producers Association; Bob Dinneen, president and CEO of the Renewable Fuels Association; Marcos Jank, president and CEO of Brazil’s UNICA; Robert …