Sweet Sorghum for Ethanol in the Southeast

Cindy Zimmerman

The land around Lake Okeechobee has long been one of the largest sugarcane producing regions in the nation. One company now wants to use a tract of land along the lake to produce sweet sorghum for ethanol. Southeast Renewable Fuels plans to build a 20 million gallon per year ethanol production plant on a 60 acre site in Hendry County …

Ethanol, News

Geographic Information Helps Plan Ethanol Pipelines

Cindy Zimmerman

Major U.S. pipeline company Colonial Pipeline is using geographic information system (GIS) technology to study the feasibility of shipping ethanol by pipeline. According to a press release from ESRI, a mapping and software company, Colonial is using GIS to find the best ways to get ethanol from the production areas of the Midwest to pipelines and terminals and retail gas …

Ethanol, News

POET Opens 25th Ethanol Plant

Cindy Zimmerman

POET became the largest producer of ethanol in Ohio this week with the grand opening ceremony for their second ethanol production facility in Fostoria. POET Biorefining – Fostoria is POET’s 25th ethanol plant. Joining CEO Jeff Broin for the ribbon-cutting were Mike Wagner, Executive Director of the Buckeye Renewable Fuels Association; Robert Boggs, Director of the Ohio Department of Agriculture; …

Ethanol, Facilities, News

McCain Blames Subsidies for High Food Prices

Cindy Zimmerman

In a speech on Wednesday not far from the corn fields of proud Missouri farmers, Republican presidential candidate Senator John McCain blamed subsidies for higher food prices. “My administration will reduce the price of food by eliminating the subsidies for ethanol and agricultural goods,” McCain told an invitation-only group at the Harry Truman Library in Independence, Missouri. “These subsidies inflate …

Commentary, Ethanol, Farming, Opinion, politics

Registration Open for National Ethanol Conference

Cindy Zimmerman

“Growing Innovation – America’s Energy Future Starts at Home” is the theme for the 14th annual National Ethanol Conference to be held February 23-25, 2009 in San Antonio, Texas. Registration is now underway for the event which promises to be bigger and better than ever in the big state of Texas with over 2500 attendees expected. All the registration information …

conferences, Ethanol, RFA

Pacific Ethanol to Open New California Plant

Cindy Zimmerman

Pacific Ethanol has announced the start-up of its Stockton, California facility. The Company will hold a grand opening ceremony for its second California ethanol plant on October 10. “The start-up of our Stockton plant marks the achievement of our goal of 220 million gallons of annual production capacity and dramatically increases the availability of renewable fuels produced in the state …

Ethanol, Facilities, News

Improvements in Ethanol Efficiency

Cindy Zimmerman

A recent report clearly illustrates the energy improvements being made at ethanol biorefineries across country. According to the report by John Christianson, CPA of the independent accounting firm Christianson & Associates, the average amount of energy as measured by British Thermal Units (BTUs) required to produce ethanol and a livestock feed co-product across all ethanol production technologies was reduced by …

Ethanol, News

Nebraska Ethanol Forum

Cindy Zimmerman

The Nebraska Ethanol Board, in cooperation with the University of Nebraska Center for Energy Science Research, is hosting a policy forum in October to discuss issues of rising energy and food prices. The forum will provide an opportunity for Nebraska policymakers and consumers to better understand how ethanol policy plays a role in economic development, energy security, agriculture and the …

Ethanol, food and fuel, Food prices

Algae Biodiesel From Catfish Farms

Cindy Zimmerman

Algae has traditionally been a nuisance to catfish farmers, but it could end up being a new source of income for them and a new source of energy for the southeast. Ron Putt, an associate research professor at Auburn University, has been studying the feasibility of using algae from catfish farms for biodiesel production. “Currently I have a small project …

algae, Biodiesel

On-Farm Biodiesel

Cindy Zimmerman

Farmers on the panhandle of Florida can now make their own biodiesel on the farm with the help of the Three Rivers Resource Conservation and Development Council (RC&D) in Milton through USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service. The council recently invested in a portable biodiesel extruder that can be taken out to local farms to make biodiesel from plants and used …

Biodiesel, Farming