The agenda has been set for the Washington International Renewable Energy Conference, or WIREC 2008. Cabinet-level government officials from more than 70 countries will gather with industry leaders at the event to discuss the opportunities and challenges of a global, rapid deployment of renewable energy. WIREC 2008 is the third global ministerial-level conference on renewable energy, following events in Beijing …
MO Governor Pushes More Ethanol
Missouri Governor Matt Blunt is serious about making the Show Me State a renewable fuels leader. As of January 1, the state became only the third in the nation to implement a statewide 10 percent ethanol standard. Now the governor has proposed several initiatives targeted at promoting the use of and expanding access to E85 in Missouri. At the Missouri …
New Ethanol Book
Two brothers with plant and environmental science backgrounds have just released a new book about the “past, present, and future of ethanol fuel.” “Sustainable Ethanol,” written by Jeffery and Adrian Goettemoeller, attempts clear up myths and misconceptions about fuel ethanol. They tackle topics such as ethanol’s fuel economy, energy replacement ratio, transportation issues and food versus fuel arguments. It explores …
OJ and Ethanol
Xethanol Corporation is looking for a grant from the state of Florida to make ethanol from citrus waste. According to a company release, Xethanol subsidiary Southeast Biofuels LLC has filed a grant application with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to expand the company’s work on converting waste to energy, using citrus waste as the raw material and …
Florida Biofuels Boost
New proposed motor fuel rules for Florida could be just the ticket to boost ethanol blends in the country’s third largest gasoline market. Reuters reports that the proposed rules are the result of a hearing held in October at the urging of the ethanol industry and several oil companies to relax the state rules that had discouraged refiners from adding …
Make Ethanol New Year’s Resolution
The American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) also voiced concern about oil reaching $100 a barrel for the first time this week. ACE Executive Vice President Brian Jennings said, “For the sake of the nation’s economic health, our New Year’s resolution must be to put the brakes on this costly and risky reliance on oil and accelerate our use of domestically …
New POET Plant Opening
POET Biorefining – Leipsic will host a grand opening ceremony January 10 to mark the beginning of ethanol production. This facility will be the first operating ethanol plant in the state of Ohio and POET’s 22nd ethanol production facility. Among the speakers scheduled to kick off the new plant are Renewable Fuels Association president Bob Dinneen, Ohio Governor Ted Strickland …
Oil Hits $100 a Barrel
Crude oil prices broke the $100 a barrel barrier for the first time today on rising concerns over violence in Nigeria. Light, sweet crude for January delivery rose $4.02 to $100 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, before slipping back to $99.48. Robert White, interim head of the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council, says higher oil prices translate …
Happy ReNEWable Fuels Year
The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 will get the new year underway with a burst of renewable fuels. The bill, signed by President Bush on December 19, includes an expanded Renewable Fuels Standard that requires significant development of other feedstocks to produce ethanol. This edition of “Fill up, Feel Good” features comments by President George W. Bush, EPIC …
Indy Vettes
History will be made at the 2008 Indianapolis 500 when not one, but two distinctive vehicles will serve as the official pace cars. Chevrolet and Indianapolis Motor Speedway officials gathered at the Indianapolis Auto Show Thursday to make the announcement. One of the pace cars is a customized Corvette Z06 E85 concept that runs on E85 ethanol fuel that will …