The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) has relaunched the formerly defunct Current Agricultural Industrial Reports (CAIR) survey program. NASS will collect and publish vital statistics for the dry and wet alcohol milling and flour milling sectors. Beginning this year, NASS will collect data and publish the industrial reports. In addition to the flour milling, and dry …
Brazil’s GranBio Begins Producing Cellulosic Ethanol
GranBio has begun producing cellulosic ethanol at its first commercial-scale plant for second-generation (2G) ethanol in Brazil. The Bioflex 1 unit located in São Miguel dos Campos, Alagoas, has an initial production capacity of 82 million liters of ethanol per year. According to GranBio, its 2G ethanol is the cleanest fuel produced on a commercial scale in the world in …
UK Supports Ocean Energy Development
Leaders in Europe (UK) are supporting ocean renewable energy and announced their commitment to accelerate the development during the Ocean Energy Europe 2014 that took place in Paris, France this week. Ministers from France, the UK, Ireland, Portugal and Greece all highlighted European collaboration as the key to commercialization. Industrial heavyweights such as DCNS, GDF SUEZ, Alstom and Siemens also …
BioEnergy Bytes
Genescape has released a free white paper about the status of cellulosic biofuels and the availability of, and the policy surrounding, cellulosic Renewable Identification Number (RINs) in 2014 and the near future. The paper highlights history and progress of cellulosic liquids and presents projections for the new cellulosic biogas pathways. Dyadic International, Inc. has announced the receipt of a $500,000 …
Governors’ Biofuels Coalition: Restore RFS
The Governors’ Biofuels Coalition has sent a letter to the Obama Administration urging action on the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) and for the restoration of biofuel levels as designated by the mandate. This, the group said, will protect consumer choice, ensure jobs and reduce dependence on foreign oil. The initiative was led by Governor Pat Quinn and Iowa Governor Terry …
Randall Doyal Elected as Board Chairman of RFA
The new leadership of the Renewable Fuels Association has been elected. The Board selected Randall Doyal, General Manager and CEO of Al-Corn Clean Fuel, as the next Chairman of the Board of Directors. Doyal heads an ethanol facility in Claremont, Minnesota that produces 50 million gallons annually. Doyal’s career in the ethanol industry began in 1982 at Mountain Development Corporation. …
Renewables Outpacing Nuclear
According to a recent Vital Signs, renewable energy is outpacing nuclear electricity expansion even though renewables still have a long way to go to catch up with fossil fuel power plants. Michael Renner, senior researcher with Worldwatch Institute writes that nuclear energy’s share of global power production has declined steadily from a peak of 17.6 percent in 1996 to 10.8 …
Largest Vermont Solar Farm Completed
AllEarth Renewables and Claire Solar Partners have announced the completion of a 2.2MW solar tracker farm in South Burlington, Vt. According to the companies, it’s the largest solar project in North America to feature distributed inverters and dual-axis trackers to maximize production. JA Solar provided multi-crystalline 260 watt PID resistant modules for the project. Claire Solar utilized 366 AllSun Trackers …
BioEnergy Bytes
During the United Nations Climate Summit in New York last week, a Global Geothermal Alliance was created. Partners include: Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Fiji, Iceland, Kenya, Nicaragua, the Philippines; The Inter-American Development Bank, the World Bank Group; and The International Renewable Energy Agency. The Global Geothermal Alliance Action Statement (PDF) states it is “a platform for dialogue and knowledge-sharing among partners …
Urban Air Initiative Launches Public Campaign
Urban Air Initiative has launched a public awareness campaign with the first phase the launch of a new website. The consumer-focused site draws attention to the problem of toxic compounds in gas with a call to action for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to regulate some of the most harmful components in fuel. According to Urban Air Initiative President David …