A four hour hearing of the House Agriculture Committee Thursday covered the waterfront on mainly ethanol, even though it was supposed to be on renewable fuels in general. After USDA’s Tom Dorr, the second panel offered some really interesting testimony on lots of new developments in the field. First up was Mark Gaalswyk, president of Easy Automation in Welcome, Minnesota …
Dorr Pays Tribute to Paul Dana
In testimony before the House Agriculture Committee Thursday, USDA Undersecretary Tom Dorr paid tribute to Indy race car driver and ethanol advocate Paul Dana for his contributions to the ethanol industry. “Last month I was in Indianapolis for an ethanol event at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway,” Dorr said. “While I was there I met Tanya Dana, the wife of Paul …
Penford to Produce Ethanol in Iowa
Colorado-based Penford Corporation has announced plans to invest $42 million for approximately 40 million gallons of ethanol production capacity at its Cedar Rapids, Iowa facility. According to a news release, the facility is expected to be producing ethanol by the end of 2007. “Penford’s entry into ethanol will create value for our shareholders from more complete utilization of existing facilities …
NEX Marks the Spot
Xethanol Corporation is parthering up Global Energy and Management, LLC to develop ethanol production in New England states. According to a press release, the new venture, known as NewEnglandXethanol LLC, or NEX, plans to open several ethanol plants throughout the region deploying Xethanol’s proprietary technologies. Additionally, Xethanol may co-locate biodiesel production in its facilities under Xethanol’s sub-license from H2Diesel, Inc.
New Fuel Frontier
Nuclear Solutions of Washington DC, “an emerging innovative technology development company,” is behind a company called Fuel Frontiers, Inc. which proposes to use commercially available and proprietary technologies to transform low-value, end-of-life carbonaceous waste materials such as waste coal, used tires, wood wastes, biomass, discarded corn stalks and other agricultural by-products, into high-value, environmentally friendly, clean-burning ethanol. They plan to …
Fill Up, Feel Good Podcast
The latest “Fill Up, Feel Good” podcast from the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council is on ethanol making tracks all over the racing world. It features interviews with people who use ethanol in competition vehicles, including tractor pulls and sprint cars, as well as Indy car drivers Jeff Simmons and Danica Patrick and a guy who makes fast cars go …
Xethanol On the Defensive
Xethanol Corporation issued a press release this week defending itself against “inaccurate and misleading statements” made in an article published by The Motley Fool on Friday, June 23. Xethanol took offense at the Fool’s suggestion that it “was formed simply to capitalize on the ethanol interest in today’s market.” To set the record straight, the release states that Xethanol was …
New Mexico Plant Plans
Clovis, New Mexico is the future site of a 105 million gallon a year ethanol plant planned by private equity firms Riverstone Holdings and The Carlyle Group. According to a news release, “the plant will more than triple New Mexico’s ethanol output. New Mexico’s only other ethanol plant, Abengoa in Portales, currently produces 30 million gallons annually.” The plant will …
Bill Would Keep Incentives in Place
A bill introduced this week in Congress would make the federal excise tax credits for renewable fuels permanent. According to a release from the National Biodiesel Board, Congressmen Kenny Hulshof (R-MO) and Earl Pomeroy (D-ND) introduced the Renewable Fuels and Energy Independence Promotion Act, which removes sunset provisions for ethanol and biodiesel incentives that accompanied the Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax …
USDA Will Help Fund IA Biodiesel Plant
Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns has announced a loan guarantee and grant totaling $3.75 million for construction and operation of a new biodiesel production facility in Iowa. Riksch BioFuels LLC will construct a plant near Crawfordsville, Iowa. Twenty-five investors, including farmers and business owners, already have raised over $3.3 million for the project and will receive $400,000 from the Iowa Department …