A company seeking to build ethanol plants in four southeastern states needs to raise over $800 million to get the job done. East Coast Ethanol already has about $10 million in seed money, but they are looking for at least $254 million from equity investors to complete the four 110 million gallon a year plants in North and South Carolina, …
Corn Growers Provide Ethanol Facts and Free Bumper Stickers
***Post Update*** The National Corn Growers Association is regretfully out of these free bumper stickers. Thanks for your support of American Farmers! The National Corn Growers Association has updated its Ethanol Facts website. The Web site provides information on ethanol production, blends, suitability for engines and economic and environmental impacts, as well as a glossary and links to other online …
Ethanol to be Featured at RNC AgNite
The Minnesota Agri-Growth Council is hosting a celebration of America’s food, agriculture and energy industries during the second night of the Republican National Convention in the Twin Cities. AgNite is a non-partisan event independent from the RNC being coordinated by the council with the help of numerous sponsors, including the ethanol industry under the auspices of the Renewable Fuels Association. …
Colorado Cellulosic Ethanol Plant Confirmed
A cellulosic ethanol demonstration plant is planned for Grand Junction, Colorado. Lignol Energy Corporation has received approval from the U.S. Department of Energy to locate the facility on the western slope of Colorado. The approved location is a change from the originally proposed site adjacent to Suncor Energy refinery in Commerce City, Colorado. According to the company, the Grand Junction …
Lab to Test Ethanol Feedstock Powders
Gulf Ethanol Corporation has contracted a commercial testing laboratory to perform analysis on its preprocessed feedstock powders. Microbac Laboratories has over fifteen years’ experience in analyzing a wide range of biomass products. They work directly with national Renewable Energy Laboratories and various private entities to characterize and analyze biomass materials. According to a company release, Gulf Ethanol CEO Bill Carmichael …
Ag Secretary Defends Ethanol in WSJ
The Wall Street Journal published a letter to the editor this week from U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Ed Schafer that defends ethanol and the nation’s biofuels policies. Schafer wrote the letter mainly in response to an op-ed by Texas Governor Rick Perry that appeared in the paper after EPA’s recent decision to deny his request to waive the Renewable Fuels …
Transition to Bioeconomy Conference
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Ed Schafer will be the keynote speaker at the Oct. 15-16 conference, Transition to a Bioeconomy: Environmental and Rural Development Impacts. Secretary Schafer will address public policy challenges for the bioeconomy. Also featured on the program will be Under Secretary for Rural Development Thomas Dorr. The conference is is a collaboration of Farm Foundation, and USDA’s …
USDA Announces Renewable Energy Grants
USDA announced Wednesday that 639 individuals and businesses in 43 states and the Virgin Islands have been selected to receive $35 million in grants and loan guarantees for renewable energy systems or to improve energy efficiency in farm and business operations. USDA Undersecretary for Rural Development Tom Dorr announced the funding at the 2008 Farm Progress Show in Iowa on …
Agribusinesses Join Forces for Cellulosic Ethanol
Three global agribusiness giants have teamed up to explore technologies and processes to turn crop residues into feed and bioenergy products. Archer Daniels Midland Company, Deere & Company and Monsanto Company will work together to identify environmentally and economically sustainable methods for the harvest, storage and transport of corn stover that can be used as feed for animals, as biomass …
US and China to Study Sorghum for Ethanol
As athletes were racing for the gold in Beijing last week, representatives from the United States and China were in Texas teaming up in the race to develop new feedstocks for ethanol. The U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Ministry of Science and Technology of the People’s Republic of China signed an agreement to collaborate on biofuels research during the …