As the ethanol industry seeks a waiver to allow the use of up to 15 percent ethanol in gasoline, corn-based ethanol remains the basic building block for increased use of the product nationwide. “We have to build the cellulosic industry on the foundation of corn-based ethanol,” Growth Energy co-chairman Wesley Clark told reporters during an appearance at the National Press …
California Ethanol Lawsuit Dropped
An oil refiner has dropped a lawsuit against the California Air Resources Board (CARB) challenging a regulation that would boost ethanol consumption in the state by 2010. According to a story in the Sacramento Business Journal, Tesoro Corporation dropped the lawsuit after a judge denied the company’s request for a temporary injunction to delay a new gasoline standard set to …
Accelerating Drive Toward Higher Blends
The drive toward higher blends of ethanol in gasoline is accelerating and the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) is working to ensure that the blend wall is just another bump in the road for ethanol to ride over. This edition of “The Ethanol Report” podcast features comments from RFA President and CEO Bob Dinneen, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, EPA Acting Biomass …
USDA Increases Corn for Ethanol Use
The newest supply demand report out from the US Department of Agriculture today increases estimates of corn for ethanol usage. According to the report, “U.S. corn ending stocks for 2008/09 are projected 50 million bushels lower this month as higher ethanol use more than offsets a reduction in exports. Corn use for ethanol is projected 100 million bushels higher on …
MOR Offers More for Ethanol Producers
An Illinois-based technology services company recently unveiled a new set of “2nd Generation” technologies aimed at increasing the sustainability and profitability of corn-based ethanol plants. According to MOR Technology, the MOR-Frac Plus+ Milling System in combination with their supercritical CO2 corn oil extraction technology can help plants “increase and diversify revenues by producing premium, value-added food-grade products, while also decreasing …
Ag Secretary Focused on 12-13 Percent Ethanol Blend
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack would love to see the ethanol blend rate increased to 15 percent, but right now he would be happy with 12-13 percent. “Our view is that we can get to 12 to 13 percent by just simply understanding that it’s significantly not much different than 10 percent, it’s an insignificant difference, and under the rules and …
Ag Secretary Endorses Ethanol Blend Increase
In remarks to farmers meeting in Arlington, Virginia on Monday, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack endorsed a request to the Environmental Protection Agency for an increase in the ethanol blend rate up to 15 percent. “We can move fairly quickly to move that rate up from 10 percent to maybe 12 or 13 percent in the interim and then take …
Ethanol Group at the Press Club
General Wesley Clark, co-chairman of Growth Energy, addressed the National Press Club’s Newsmaker Series today in Washington, DC. Clark talked about the ethanol industry’s petition to the Environmental Protection Agency for a waiver to allow the use of up to 15 percent ethanol in gasoline. “When you are talking about energy, you’re talking about the fundamentals of national security,” said …
Ethanol Industry Formally Petitions for 15 Percent
A broad alliance of ethanol industry groups have joined together to formally petition the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to allow the use of up to 15 percent ethanol in gasoline for motor vehicles, according to the American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE). In addition to ACE, the alliance includes Growth Energy, the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA), and the National Ethanol …
Canadian Cellulosic Plant Plans
A new cellulose ethanol project is in the works for Saskatchewan. KL Energy Corporation of South Dakota and Prairie Green Renewable Energy of Alberta have announced their intent to develop a cellulose ethanol plant near Hudson Bay, Saskatchewan. According to a joint release from the two companies, the Northeast Saskatchewan Renewable Energy Facility will use KL Energy’s state of the …