POET and the U.S. Department of Energy have signed a cooperative agreement for a commercial cellulosic ethanol project in Emmetsburg, Iowa. According to a company release, the agreement finalizes the first phase of a DOE award that was announced in February and will govern all aspects of the project leading up to construction. With the agreement in place, POET will …
New RFA Chairman and Board Members
The board of directors for the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) has unanimously elected Chris Standlee, Executive Vice President of Abengoa Bioenergy in Chesterfield, Missouri, as chairman. He succeeds Ron Miller, President and CEO of Aventine Renewable Holdings, Inc., in the position. “It is an honor to be elected chairman of the RFA,” said Standlee. “For more than 26 years, the …
Product of the Year
In a near unanimous decision, ethanol has been chosen as the 2007 AgriMarketing Product of the Year by AgriMarketing Magazine. According to the magazine, the entry was submitted by the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council (EPIC). In just the past year, ethanol production has increased over 50%, given several segments of the ag economy a much needed boost, and increased …
The Future is Now
Ethanol industry leaders want to tell the story that the future of cellulosic ethanol has arrived. To that end, the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) is hosting a media event in Washington DC on October 2 featuring representatives from some of the pioneering companies that are making cellulosic ethanol a reality. Among those companies are Abengoa Bioenergy, which is buidling the …
ADM, ConocoPhillips Partnership
ConocoPhillips and Archer Daniels Midland Company have agreed to collaborate on the development of renewable transportation fuels from biomass. According to a joint press release, the alliance will research and seek to commercialize two components of a next-generation biofuel production process – the conversion of biomass from crops, wood or switchgrass into biocrude, a non-fossil substance that can be processed …
Switchgrass Ethanol Near Reality
Mascoma Corporation of Massachusettes has announced plans to establish the country’s first operating facility producing cellulosic ethanol utilizing switchgrass as feedstock. According to a company release, the project represents one of the largest commitments of capital yet made in support of the cellulosic biofuels industry. Mascoma and The University of Tennessee plan to jointly build and operate the five million …
Ethanol Stall
Business Week is reporting that Big Oil is trying to put the brakes on ethanol. In the October 1 edition on-line, the article entitled “Big Oil’s Big Stall On Ethanol” claims that oil companies “seem determined to fight the spread of E85, a fuel that is 85% ethanol and 15% gas.” At the same time the industry is collecting a …
Ethanol on the Cob II
Citigroup is presenting “Ethanol on the Cob II,” a biofuels conference, October 2 in New York City. A number of companies with a biofuels interest will be presenting at the event, including Bunge North America. Tim Gallagher, Executive Vice President, Bunge North America and Todd Bastean, Vice President & General Manager, Bunge North America Biofuels, will address the conference and …
Check out POET TV
The largest dry mill ethanol producer in the United States has now become the first to have its own YouTube site. POET has introduced POET TV to feature coverage of events, interviews and “anything else that gives you a deeper understanding of our company,” according to a post on POET’s blog Rhapsody in Green. Our focus for POET TV is …
Fueling America
CNN.com has an interactive special report called “Fueling America” that features information on a variety of alternative fuel and energy source with a relatively objective viewpoint – simply putting it out there and pointing out some pros and cons. There is also a good article on CNN about the lack of ethanol production outside of the Midwest. Outside the country’s …