I have been on the road for the past two days, up in Sioux Falls, SD at the Broin Companies to help with media training for some of the industry’s ethanol ambassadors. It was a very interesting group of people who are proving the performance value of ethanol in different types of vehicles. In the photo, I am doing a …
More on Sugar-Ethanol Study
Here is a link to the power point presentation used by USDA economist Keith Collins during the press conference Monday unveiling the sugar to ethanol study. Have not yet gotten the actual report from USDA, but this might help answer some questions – or generate more.
Riding the Ethanol Express
Truck pulling is another racing event that is being fueled by ethanol. This is Scott Jensen with the Ethanol Express Pulling Team and here is an interview Chuck did recently with Scott explaining what he does and how ethanol plays a role: Jensen Interview (3 min MP3)
Sugar Not So Sweet For Ethanol
Producing ethanol from sugar cane or sugar beets in the U.S. would cost about 2 1/2 times more than it costs to produce it from corn. That is according to a long-awaited USDA study on the economics of producing ethanol from sugar authored by the agriculture department’s top economist Keith Collins. The detailed report compares production scenerios for sugar cane, …
Mixed Marriage
We will probably be seeing more of these types of business unions take place in the near future. Houston-based Marathon Oil Corporation and The Andersons, Inc. of Ohio have signed a letter of intent which “could lead to the formation of a 50/50 joint venture that would construct and operate a number of ethanol plants.” According to a press release, …
MO Governor Says E-10 Bill is a Win-Win
Here’s another picture of Missouri Governor Matt Blunt at one of the several signing ceremonies for the state’s new 10 percent ethanol standard. Here he puts pen to paper as FFA students look on at Missouri Ethanol, LLC located in Laddonia, Mo. The governor also wrote a personal opinion piece in the Kansas City InfoZine about the legislation that will …
Don’t Drink the Fuel
Here is a story from the Des Moines Register about a recovering alcoholic who tried to get unemployment benefits from the ethanol plant he worked for because he drank some 190-proof alcohol that spilled into a holding pond. At the hearing, the judge asked, “Why would you drink fuel?” “I don’t have a good explanation for that,” he replied. “Curiosity?” …
Cellulosic Roadmap
The U.S. Department of Energy has released an ambitious new research agenda for the development of cellulosic ethanol as an alternative to gasoline. According to a DOE release, the 200-page scientific “roadmap” cites recent advances in biotechnology that have made cost-effective production of ethanol from cellulose, or inedible plant fiber, an attainable goal. The report outlines a detailed research plan …
Look It Up
Biodiesel has hit the big time – it’s in the dictionary now. The National Biodiesel Board is pleased that the word “biodiesel” appears in the 2006 update of the Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, Eleventh Edition . This marks the first time that it has appeared in the dictionary, and signifies that biodiesel is becoming a household word. What’s more, word has …
Bird Fueled
A British company is using poultry litter to fuel power plants in the US. Fibrowatt, based in Philadephia, has projects planned or under development in poultry-growing states across the country, including Minnesota, Maryland, Mississippi and North Carolina. According to the company’s website, Fibrowatt Ltd built the world’s first three poultry litter fueled power plants and has licensed its technology to …