Seventy-three percent of American consumers are likely to purchase ethanol-enriched fuel, according to the results of a new national study by the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council. This represents a nine percent increase over January 2005. In addition, nearly 90 percent of those who are familiar with ethanol associate the fuel with its many positive benefits. However, Tom Slunecka, executive …
USDA and DOE Announce Renewable Conference
U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns and U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman today announced that the two agencies will co-host a national renewable energy conference to help create partnerships and strategies necessary to accelerate commercialization of renewable energy industries and distribution systems, the crux of President Bush’s Advanced Energy Initiative. According to a USDA release, the conference, …
Ethanol Car Wins European Fuel Efficiency Contest
A group of French high school students proved that ethanol can be fuel-efficient. According to Environment News Service, an ethanol powered car engineered by French high school students has achieved the best fuel efficiency at the European Shell Eco-marathon 2006, winning the race at the Nogaro auto racing circuit in southwest France. It also took the Climate Friendly prize for …
Manure Powered Ethanol Production
An ethanol facility powered by renewable energy from dairy waste is planned for a large Indiana dairy farm. Bion Environmental Technologies and Fair Oaks Dairy Farms have announced a joint venture that will enable environmentally sustainable expansion of animal agriculture in concert with ethanol production. According to the news release, Bion’s technology platform provides sufficient renewable energy from the associated …
Two Ethanol Companies Merge
Alternative Energy Sources, Inc. has completed a stock-to-stock merger with Beemer Energy, led by CEO Mark A. Beemer and Chief Operating Officer Lee Blank, both former executives of Archer Daniels Midland Company, the largest producer of ethanol. According to a news release, Beemer is a privately held Delaware corporation engaged in the development of “green-field” ethanol sites, the conversion of …
Broin Pushes Billion Gallon Mark
The Broin Companies are approaching a milestone. According to a release from the development, production, management, and marketing firm, “combining the production from plants now in operation and those currently under construction, the Broin Companies will push past the one billion gallon mark in annual ethanol production.” As the second largest producer in the industry, the Broin Companies have designed …
Coal Powered Ethanol Plant Planned for NE
Plans for a 125-million-gallon ethanol plant in Nebraska that will use coal as its primary energy source were announced this week by the Phelps County Development Corp, and Alcorn Energy LLC of Troy, Mich. According to a Kearney (NE) Hub news story, Alcorn Energy Chief Executive Officer Tom Randazzo said the large local supply of corn was one of the …
Next Generation of Biofuels
DuPont and BP are partnering up to develop, produce and market “the next generation of biofuels” to help meet increasing global demand for renewable transport fuels. Pioneer Hi-Bred International, a subsidiary of DuPont, is playing a role in this new partnership, according to Pioneer President Dean Oestreich. He says the first jointly developed product the partnership will bring to market …
FL Governor Signs Energy Bill at Ethanol Plant Site
The planned site of Florida’s first major ethanol facility served as the backdrop for Governor Jeb Bush this week as he signed into law the four-year, $100 million Florida Renewable Energy Technologies and Energy Efficiency Act, designed to encourage the development of alternative fuel technologies in the state. U.S. EnviroFuels is planning a 40 million gallon per year facility at …
New Ethanol Enzyme Technology
Genencor International, a division of Danisco A/S, announced today the availability of a new acid fungal protease enzyme product for use in the ethanol industry. According to a company release, the new product, called FERMGEN™ will be introduced this week at the Fuel Ethanol Workshop in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Thanks to Erick Erickson in Nebraska for forwarding the release to me.