U.S. Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer is defending the production of ethanol in Rome this week at the UN Food and Agriculture Organization High-Level Conference on World Food Security. During a press conference with international media at the opening of the conference, Schafer answered a number of questions related to biofuels and stressed the minimal impact of production on food prices. …
Florida Plans Third Farm to Fuel Summit
Florida is hosting the third annual “Farm to Fuel” summit July 30 to August 1 in Orlando. Last year’s conference in St. Petersburg attracted more than 450 participants and Florida Agriculture and Consumer Services Commissioner Charles Bronson believes this year’s conference will be even bigger and better. “There has been a good deal of momentum recently in our drive to …
Ethanol Industy Urges Balance at UN Conference
As talks are beginning in Rome about the factors behind and solutions to world food price inflation, Renewable Fuels Association President Bob Dinneen called on world leaders attending the summit to consider the issue in its entirety. “Addressing issues of food security is a matter of great importance that cannot be taken lightly. As world leaders meet in Rome this …
Ethanol Push in Paradise
Producers and politicians in Hawaii are promoting increased production of ethanol in the Aloha State. KITV in Honolulu reports that state lawmakers are trying to encourage the production of sugarcane for ethanol on land that is currently not in production. Hawaii is one of only a handful of states that currently requires ethanol to be blended in all gasoline sold, …
Ribbon Cut For Nebraska Ethanol Plant
Nebraska Governor Dave Heineman helped officials with VeraSun Energy and others in a ceremonial ribbon cutting ceremony and open house Thursday for its 110 million-gallon-per year biorefinery in Albion, Nebraska. The plant is one of 11 VeraSun ethanol production facilities currently in operation. The company has an annual production capacity of more than one billion gallons, making VeraSun one of …
Good Fuels Offers Good News About Ethanol
A new website has been launched to focus on the positive impacts of biofuels on the economy, the environment and America in general. GoodFuels.org is “for” clean energy, domestic energy production, fair reporting and balanced research. What they are against is unbalanced reporting, misleading research, relying on imported fuel and vilifying the American farmer. GoodFuels.org seeks to provide a thoughtful …
Fungus Improves Corn Ethanol Process
A fungus that can be grown in ethanol production leftovers could help save energy, recycle more water and improve livestock feed ethanol co-products. That is according to research done by a team from Iowa State University and published this week by Science Daily. “The process could change ethanol production in dry-grind plants so much that energy costs can be reduced …
Ag Leaders Challenge Ethanol Myths
Leaders of five major agricultural organizations and the head of the Renewable Fuels Association joined together Wednesday to try and dispel many of the accusations that have been levied against biofuels in recent months and emphasize the positive contributions of ethanol in particular. “Instead of using ethanol as a scapegoat for increased food prices, we should be having a discussion …
Ribbon Cutting Planned for Ethanol Plant
VeraSun Energy will hold a ribbon cutting ceremony and open house Thursday for its 110 million-gallon-per year biorefinery in Albion, Nebraska. The plant began operation in October 2007 and VeraSun announced it would acquire the facility from ASAlliances in July 2007. The plant is one of 11 VeraSun ethanol production facilities currently in operation. According to VeraSun officials, the ribbon …
Ethanol Focus of Corn Utilization Technology
The theme for the 6th Corn Utilization and Technology Conference (CUTC) is “Corn – New Horizons,” and ethanol is definitely a big part of that landscape. Organizers say the theme reflects the continued growing importance of corn as a keystone to a carbohydrate-based economy. The conference has been expanded to include new topics in wet milling, dry grind technologies, value-added …