A team of Agriculture Department researchers may have found a new use for a by-product of ethanol production – controlling weeds in potted plants. Rick Boydston and his team with USDA’s Agriculture Research Service recently completed a study on the use of dried distillers grains, or DDGS, as a weed deterrent in container-grown ornamentals. The study was published in the …
Annoying Weed Could Make Ethanol
Making ethanol from a nuisance weed could be an idea whose time has come. A Tennessee entrepreneur claims to have found a way to make ethanol out of kudzu – into a product he calls “Kudzunol.” Doug Mizell is a co-founder of Agro*Gas Industries, LLC, which he promotes on his MySpace page. He and partner Tom Monahan are looking for …
Governor’s Ethanol Challenge in Minnesota
The Minnesota Corn Growers are hosting the 4th annual Governor’s Ethanol Challenge this week at various venues around their state. Minnesota Corn Growers treasurer Chad Willis says corn growers will be out at the events, talking to the fans and promoting ethanol. “For the past few years we’ve done an ethanol trivia contest with the t-shirts as a prize,” said …
World Ethanol Leaders Address G8
Officials from Canadian Renewable Fuels Association, the European Bioethanol Fuel Association, Brazil’s Sugar Cane Industry Association (UNICA), and the US Renewable Fuels Association have written a letter to the leaders of the G8 nations underscoring the critical importance biofuels play in reducing the growing demand for oil and the corresponding escalation in prices around the world. The letter reads in …
First Victory for Team Ethanol
Team Ethanol scored its first IndyCar Series win Sunday at the Camping World Grand Prix in Watkins Glen, NY. Appropriately on Independence Day weekend, it was an all-American win for the Rahal Letterman team, which is sponsored by the ethanol industry – including ICM, POET and Fagen – with driver Ryan Hunter-Reay at the wheel. “It’s a dream come true,” …
United for Energy Independence
A coalition of biofuels, agricultural and environmental organizations is calling for a united effort toward making July 4th Energy Independence Day by extending America’s domestic fuel supply through increased biofuels use and simple conservation strategies. Currently, America’s domestic gasoline and ethanol production combined is enough to supply the country’s gasoline needs for 149 days. But through the increased use of …
Poultry Company Behind Ethanol Waiver Request
An article in the Houston Chronicle this week traces Texas Governor Rick Perry’s request for a waiver of the Renewable Fuels Standard back to a March 25 meeting with Lonnie “Bo” Pilgrim, owner of Pilgrim’s Pride, the country’s largest chicken producer. According to the article, Pilgrim gave $100,000 to the Republican Governors Association chaired by Perry shortly after that meeting. …
USDA Report Good News for Ethanol
The USDA Planted Acreage report out Monday was good news, although it does not yet reflect the damage from Midwest flooding. Corn planted area is reported to be 1.31 million acres more than was estimated in the March intentions report at 87.3 million acres, down just 7 percent from last year. That is the second highest since 1946, behind last …
Louisiana Law Promotes Non-Corn Ethanol
Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal this week signed into law the Advanced Biofuel Industry Development Initiative, the most comprehensive and far-reaching state legislation in the nation enacted to develop a statewide advanced biofuel industry. Louisiana is the first state to enact alternative transportation fuel legislation that includes a variable blending pump pilot program and a hydrous ethanol pilot program. The legislation …
VeraSun Delays Startup of Third Plant
Due to the current market volatility, VeraSun Energy will delay the startup of its 110 million-gallon-per-year ethanol production facility in Hankinson, N.D. This is the third VeraSun facility that has delayed startup operations this month due to market conditions, the other two being Welcome, Minn., and Hartley, Iowa. Construction on the Hankinson facility will be completed by the end of …