A British company has developed a hot new sports car that can run on ethanol. The description for the new Climax on its website is pure poetry: Inspiration for the design came from the legendary Cooper Climax F1 car of the 50’s and is drawing on Britain’s vast Motor Sport Heritage while keeping a firm eye to the future. It …
Food and Fuel Forum in KC
Representatives from both sides of the food versus fuel debate discussed the issue on Friday in Kansas City during a forum held by the Agricultural Business Council of Kansas City. Speakers included USDA Undersecretary Tom Dorr; editor Morton Sosland of Sosland Publishing Co.; and Randy Schnepf, agricultural economist with the Congressional Research Service. The panel moderated by Mike Adams of …
Ohio Ethanol Plant is 26th for POET
The world’s largest ethanol producer opened a third plant in Ohio on Friday. POET Biorefining – Marion is POET’s 26th ethanol plant, bringing the company’s total annual capacity to 1.54 billion gallons. Senator George Voinovich (R-OH) joined company representatives and local dignitaries for the opening ceremony. “I could not be more proud of POET’s commitment to Ohio agriculture and Ohio …
South Dakota Corn Sponsors Ethanol Bowl
The South Dakota Corn Utilization Council is partnering with Northern State University to present the First Annual Ethanol Bowl next month. The premiere event will feature the NSU Wolves facing Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference rivals the Augustana Vikings on November 8 at Clark Swisher Activities Complex in Aberdeen, S.D. “Northern State looks forward to celebrating a growing industry in our …
Ethanol Not Driving Food Prices
A Reuters report from the UK today quotes an economic expert as saying higher food prices this year were driven by speculators, not ethanol. Heavy demand for corn from ethanol makers was seen as a key driver of corn futures to record highs in June, but since then the sharp decline of corn along with other commodities shows that belief …
Candidates on Ethanol
Over the past two weeks, key energy advisors to the McCain and Obama presidential campaigns have shared their views on ethanol with Agritalk Radio host Mike Adams. Heather Zichal, the policy director for energy, environment and agriculture for the Obama campaign spoke on behalf of Senator Obama, while Jim Moseley, former Deputy Secretary of the US Department of Agriculture and …
USDA Clarifies Ethanol Plant Loan Comments
Comments made to the press last week by Secretary of Agriculture Ed Schafer regarding the possibility of USDA loans to ethanol plants that have been hurt by commodity market speculation this year have caused quite a stir. USDA has been working to get the word out this week to clarify that this is not any kind of a “bail out” …
Pilot Switchgrass Ethanol Plant Breaks Ground
A new pilot plant that broke ground in Tennessee last week will be testing the use of switchgrass as a feedstock for cellulosic ethanol. Genera Energy is a partnership between the University of Tennessee and DuPont Danisco Cellulosic Ethanol LLC, a joint venture formed this year by DuPont and Genencor to commercialize cellulosic ethanol. On hand to celebrate the groundbreaking …
Ethanol Maker Asks For Candidates’ Support
The stakeholders of the nation’s largest ethanol producer are asking the presidential candidates to support ethanol. More than 1,700 POET employees and investors sent an open letter to Senators McCain and Obama urging them to invest in domestic sources of renewable fuels, like ethanol. In the letter, they emphasized the positive impact that ethanol has already made in creating jobs, …
Southeast Ethanol Plants Move Forward
A Southeast ethanol company has formally announced the locations for four plants to be built around the sunbelt. East Coast Ethanol intends to construct plants in Northampton Co., NC; Chester Co., SC; Wayne Co., GA; and Jackson Co., FL. With a nameplate production capacity of 440 million gallons of ethanol per year, the four plants in operation would make ECE …