The loss of ethanol as a sponsor has left Rahal-Letterman Racing (RLR) without a car or a driver for the upcoming IndyCar Series season, but co-owner Bobby Rahal is still looking. In a statement responding to media reports this week, Rahal said, “As of this time we do not have any sponsorship that will allow us to compete in the …
Ethanol 2009 Emerging Issues Forum
An impressive line-up of national leaders in ethanol production, marketing, co-products, transportation, engineering, financing and environmental issues have been announced for the Ethanol 2009 Emerging Issues Forum, April 2-3 in Omaha. Organized by the Nebraska Ethanol Board, the Emerging Issues Forum is an annual regional conference for ethanol producers, marketers and related industries. Special topics this year will include ethanol …
Government Announces Biomass R&D Funding
The U.S. Departments of Energy (DOE) and Agriculture (USDA) today announced up to $25 million in funding for research and development of technologies and processes to produce biofuels, bioenergy, and high-value biobased products. “These projects will be among many Obama Administration investments that will help strengthen our economy and address the climate crisis. A robust biofuels industry – focused on …
Latest 2008 Ethanol Production Estimates
Ethanol production for 2008 is still expected to have exceeded the goal of nine billion gallons for the year, but not by as much as anticipated. While the industry was on track to produce about ten billion gallons for the year, the latest figures for November indicate it will be more like 9.1 billion. According to the Energy Information Administration …
Communicating Renewables Summit Set
A summit aimed at helping renewable energy professionals communicate the good, green news about this growing industry is coming up this April in Minneapolis. This timely event is the first of it’s kind dedicated specifically to the success of communicators working in the alternative energy industry. The Communicating Renewables Summit 2009 will feature presentations on topics such as, How to …
Ag Secretary Answers Ethanol Questions
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack got questions about ethanol during his first official press conference Monday. Vilsack says he favors improving efficiency in ethanol plants in order to ensure that the industry survives the economic downturn. “We need to make sure that the biofuels industry has the necessary support to survive the recent downturn,” Vilsack told reporters. “The USDA should research, …
Ethanol Part of Clean Energy Economy
Ethanol industry leaders are looking forward to working with the Obama administration on the creation of a “clean energy economy,” as outlined in the president’s “American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan.” This edition of “The Ethanol Report” features comments from Renewable Fuels Association chairman of the board Chris Standlee of Abengoa Bioenergy and RFA president and CEO Bob Dinneen on priorities …
President Promises Clean Energy Economy
Energy is one of the top priorities of the new administration, as outlined by President Obama in his first weekly address to the nation. Obama used the forum to explain how he believes his “American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan” will jump-start the economy. “This is not just a short-term program to boost employment,” he said. “It’s one that will invest …
Michigan State Patents Cellulosic Ethanol Process
Michigan State University (MSU) has patented a process to pretreat agricultural waste products that would dramatically reduce the cost of making biofuels from cellulose. According to a university release, The AFEX (ammonia fiber expansion) pretreatment process, developed by MSU chemical engineering professor Bruce Dale, uses ammonia to make the breakdown of cellulose and hemicellulose in plants 75 percent more efficient …
Report Shows Efficiency of Ethanol Production
A new report concludes that America’s ethanol industry is energy efficient and doing its part to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Nebraska Center for Energy Sciences Research has just released its report entitled “Improvements in Life Cycle Energy Efficiency and Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Corn Ethanol” which was published in Yale’s Journal of Industrial Ecology (JIE). According …