A new international study indicates that small-scale bioenergy plants can play a significant role in rural development for poorer nations. The new report, “Small Scale Bioenergy Initiatives: Brief Description and Preliminary Lessons on Livelihood Impacts from Case Studies in Latin America, Asia and Africa,” was published jointly by the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the UK’s Department …
Ethanol is Second Place for Valero
Valero may be in the ethanol business now with its purchase of eight former VeraSun plants, but oil is still the company’s first priority. That’s why they are not backing the ethanol industry’s request for an increase in the ethanol blend level to 15 percent. According to an article in Ethanol Producer Magazine, Valero maintains its membership in the National …
Silver Anniversary for Ethanol Workshop
The ethanol industry has grown tremendously in the last 25 years – and so has the International Fuel Ethanol Workshop and Expo (FEW). “The first event in 1985 had four tabletop exhibits and 36 people,” according to Mike Bryan, CEO of BBI International, which organizes the FEW. Last year, FEW 2008 featured over 4,000 attendees and nearly 1,000 exhibits. It …
Ethanol Contributes to Happiness
Three of the nation’s top ethanol producing states – Nebraska, Iowa and Kansas – are also the top three financially happiest states in the nation. According to MainStreet.com’s new Happiness Index – which used unemployment figures, foreclosures and non-mortgage debt to determine a state’s overall financial well being – the Cornhusker state is the happiest place to live. The index …
Virginia Governor to Visit Biodiesel Plant
Virginia Governor Tim Kaine, along with his Cabinet and members of his staff will be visiting a biodiesel plant Thursday as part of the first “Cabinet Community Day” of 2009. The Governor holds four such events each year, visiting eight regions of the state twice over the course of the administration. The governor will visit Red Birch Energy – the …
Senate Hearing Focuses on Higher Blend Issue
One of the key messages of a Senate committee hearing on the Renewable Fuels Standard this week was that more research needs to be conducted before mid-level blends of more than 10 percent are approved. Margo Oge, the director of the Environmental Protection Agency’s office of transportation and air quality, submitted written testimony to the committee that said the agency …
Ethanol Production Still Up
Ethanol production was still up in January compared to the previous year, and down only slightly from the previous month. According to the Energy Information Administration (EIA), American ethanol facilities produced 630,000 barrels per day (b/d) in January, up 120,000 b/d from January 2008, but down 50,000 from December of 2008. Ethanol demand, as calculated by the Renewable Fuels Association, …
E20 Study Finds No Performance Problems
A new study has found no performance problems with doubling the amount of ethanol allowed in motor fuel. According to the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, research conducted by the Minnesota Center for Automotive Research at Minnesota State University found that increasing the amount of ethanol blended into gasoline from 10 percent to 20 percent “causes no significant change in performance …
E85 Challenge Deadline April 3
College students work best under pressure – so here’s your deadline to enter and win a MacBook Air laptop in the E85 Challenge – 11:59 pm EST April 3rd. All you have to do is answer the question, “What does renewable mean to you?” Put your answer in the form of a video or photo, and submit it to the …
Doubts About Meeting Cellulosic Ethanol Goals
Experts are expressing doubts the U.S. will meet targets for cellulosic ethanol production required under the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, but the need remains to make it happen as soon as possible. The legislation calls for the production of 4.3 billion gallons by 2015, but during a House Agriculture Subcommittee hearing this week, Dr. Howard Gruenspecht with …