Leading industries in the race to commercialize next generation biofuels told a House agriculture subcommittee hearing on Thursday that more funding and stable government policy are needed to do the job. “The current financial crisis has prevented venture capitalists and bankers from investing in many worthwhile investments,” BP Biofuels North America president Susan Ellerbusch testified. “The industry and investors must …
Next Gen Biofuels Hearing Today
The House Agriculture Subcommittee on Conservation, Credit, Energy, and Research will hold a hearing today to review the future of next generation biofuels. Subcommittee chairman Tim Holden (D-PA) will preside over the hearing, which will include testimony from U.S. Department of Agriculture officials, as well as representatives from several companies involved in exploring new technologies and new feedstocks for biofuel …
Bioeconomy Conference to Focus on Biofuels Future
Land grant universities around the Midwest are joining together to hold simultaneous state conferences to discuss biofuels and the future of renewable energy. The 2009 Bio eConference – “Growing the Bioeconomy: Solutions for Sustainability” – will be held on December 1 through a network of co-host sites that will be “sharing content through high-speed communication systems to promote agriculturally-based sustainable …
Midwest States Support Ethanol and Biodiesel
The Midwest Legislative Conference of The Council of State Governments recently issued a series of policy resolutions supporting increased use of both ethanol and biodiesel, and specifically support ethanol blender pumps. The group also adopted resolutions calling for use of sound scientific methods when calculating carbon emissions. The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) is pleased with all the resolutions, particularly …
BlueFire Ethanol Locating Plant in Mississippi
California-based BlueFire Ethanol received approval from the Department of Energy (DOE) recently to locate its second planned cellulosic ethanol biorefinery in Fulton, Mississippi. The company was awarded a $40 million dollar grant from DOE for a second facility in 2007 that was originally to be located in California. However, development and licensing concerns, coupled with the challenging business climate in …
Loan Program Needs Changes to Advance Cellulosic Ethanol
An ethanol industry group says the loan guarantee program at the U.S. Department of Energy needs to function more efficiently and effectively to make capitol available to advance next generation biofuels like cellulosic ethanol. The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) is asking US Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Steven Chu to make needed changes in the loan guarantee program for biorefineries. …
Promoting BYO Ethanol to Retailers
Representatives from the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) and the American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) teamed up at the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) Show in Las Vegas last week to promote the BYO Ethanol blender pump program. Robert White (left) with RFA says blender pumps that can offer a variety of ethanol blends, from E10 to E85 and several …
Corn Grower Named to Growth Energy Board
A Minnesota corn grower has been named to the board of directors for Growth Energy. Gary Pestorious is a fifth-generation farmer and CEO of a family-run 12,500-acre farming operation in Freeborn County, Minn. He is a member of the Minnesota Corn Growers Association and has served as Chairman of POET-Glenville, a 44-million gallon farmer-owned ethanol plant, since production began 10 …
Companies Working on Cellulosic Technology
Two companies have formed an alliance to commercialize a patented process to economically and efficiently produce ethanol from cellulose feedstocks. The ChemPro Group of New Jersey has joined with Mo-Fuel (Rural Bio-waste) of Sikeston, Missouri on the project. According to Steve Lavorerio, President of ChemPro, the process can handle a full spectrum of cellulosic feedstock, from wood chips and pulp-and-paper-plant …
Ethanol Groups Refute Science Article
All of the major ethanol organizations in the country have made statements refuting an article in Science journal this week regarding indirect land use change effects of biofuels. “Fixing a Critical Climate Accounting Error”, authored by recognized ethanol-detractor Timothy Searchinger, argues that biofuels and other bio-based energies should be accountable for the biogenic tailpipe and “smokestack” CO2 emissions that are …