The administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency says a proposed rule change regarding ethanol plant emissions is a matter of consistency, not favoritism. When asked about the expected rule change during a press conference announcing the administration’s new Renewable Fuels Standard, administrator Stephen L. Johnson responded, “If you are using corn to produce alcohol for human consumption, you are under …
RFA Pleased With RFS
It comes as no surprise that the Renewable Fuels Association is very pleased with the Bush Administration’s Renewable Fuels Standard announced today. In a press release, RFA Chairman Ron Miller of Aventine Renewable Energy called the RFS “a watershed piece of legislation for the U.S. ethanol industry.” “It has provided our industry a solid foundation from which to grow and …
RFS Program Announced
In step with the Bush Administration’s call to increase the supply of alternative and renewable fuels nationwide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today established the nation’s first comprehensive Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program, according to an EPA news release. At a press conference today, EPA Administrator Johnson, joined by Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman and National Highway Traffic Safety Administrator Nicole …
Interamerican Biofuels Seminar
The Interamerican Ethanol Commission (IEC) held a seminar on biofuels last week in Washington DC. At the event, IEC co-chairmen – former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, Inter American Development Bank chief Luis Alberto Moreno and Roberto Rodrigues, Brazil’s former agriculture minister – introduced a comprehensive study of biofuels markets through 2020. According to the IEC, some key findings of the …
Ethanol on the Speaking Circuit
Racing Legend Bobby Rahal and Tony George, the CEO and Founder of the Indy Racing League, will be the featured guests at the National Press Club’s distinguished luncheon speaker series on May 5. The topic will be “The Greening of Racing: Ethanol Powers the Indianapolis 500.” Special guests also include Ethanol Promotion and Information Council’s Board President Tom Branhan and …
Ethanol on Tap
Officials in Monroe County, New York are working with High Falls Brewery on a plan to turn beer waste into ethanol and produce enough of it to power much of the county’s fleet of vehicles. If all goes well, the county hopes to have extra available to offer ethanol-based fuel to the public. According to a Gannett News Service story …
USDA Ethanol Enzyme Research
USDA Agricultural Research Service scientists at the Eastern Regional Research Center in Wyndmoor, Pa., are investigating ways to avoid overburdening the corn market as ethanol production expands. Researchers David Johnston and Kevin Hicks are investigating new processes using protease enzymes from microbial and fungal sources to make ethanol more efficiently. Working with Vijay Singh, an agricultural engineer at the University …
Sorghum Growers Cellulosic Forum
This week, the National Sorghum Producers hosted a forum with representatives from Abengoa Bioenergy and the U.S. Department of Energy’s Idaho National Laboratory, as well as sorghum researchers to discuss how the sweet crop fits in the ethanol industry. Participants shared research plans and findings in regard to sorghum biomass-to-ethanol and sweet sorghum-to-ethanol production. Researchers from Kansas State, Texas A&M, …
Granite Falls Sticks With Aventine
Ethanol company Aventine Renewable Energy Holdings Inc., will continue to market ethanol for Granite Falls Energy LLC, of Minnesota. According to a press release, Granite Falls has been member of Aventine’s marketing alliance since 2005. In November 2006, Granite Falls notified Aventine that it would not automatically renew its agreement with Aventine in order to evaluate other alternative ethanol marketers. …
Ethanol and Food Prices
Ethanol has been blamed for both higher egg prices and higher milk prices recently due to higher costs for livestock feed. Overall, the American Farm Bureau Federation reports that for the first quarter of this year, food prices are about four percent higher than the previous quarter. Farm Bureau’s regular market basket survey shows 12 of 16 basic grocery items …