The first of three E85 stations owned and operated by the Navy has opened. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) is using the station, located at the Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam (JBPHH) to fuel its fleet of flex-fuel vehicles. Ray Mabus, the Secretary of the Navy, has announced initiatives to reduce petroleum consumption by 50 percent before 2015. In addition, …
USDA Explores Alternative Energy at Airports
There have been a few companies that are exploring growing bioenergy crops on land owned by airports. Now the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is in the game. The division of Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is looking at the potential for alternative energy production at airports in a published article, “Airports Offer Unrealized Potential for Alternative Energy …
20 Northeast Dealers Adopt Bioheat
Last week during the New England Bioheat Symposium 20 oilheat dealers made the switch to Bioheat, heating oil common to the Northeastern part of the U.S. that is a blend of oilheat and at a minimun 2 percent biodiesel. The workshop was held at the Boston Red Sox’s home Fenway Park. Competition was a fitting theme as the oilheat industry …
W. Scott Thurlow Joins CRFA
W. Scott Thurlow has joined the Canadian Renewable Fuels Association (CRFA) as the new president effective April 2, 2012. Thurlow, a lawyer, has past experience in government relations, legislation and regulation. Most recently, he was a Vice President with Temple Scott Associates where he provided strategic government relations advice to both corporations and nongovernmental organizations. Tim Haig, Chair of the CRFA Board …
Quick Brief Delves Into Bio-Industry Sustainability
How do we make the biofuels and bioproduct industry sustainable? This question is answered in the lastest “quick brief” published by Advanced Biofuels USA. According to the paper, the key is the development of low cost, decentralized biomass to biofuel production systems that can economically increase the travel distance of biomass. It is also important to make biomass available year …
Amyris Names New CFO
Steven R. Mills has been named as Amyris’s new Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and will take over the reigns on May 2, 2012. He is replacing Jeryl L. Hillman who announced last August that he would be leaving the company. “Amyris is leading the way in an array of renewable chemicals and fuels. I’m looking forward to joining Amyris’s extraordinary …
Dates for 2012 Process Optimization Seminar Announced
It may seem like only yesterday the last Process Optimization Seminar took place but the next seminar is right around the corner. You do not want to miss out; every past seminar has been sold out well before the deadline. This year’s conference will be taking place on July 17-18, 2012 at the Hilton President Kansas City. The seminar is …
All-Florida Ag Show Announced
April 25-26, 2012 is the date for the new All-Florida Ag Show sponsored by Florida Grower and the Highland County Farm Bureau. The event will take place at the Highlands County Fair Convention Center in Sebring, Florida and will bring together a diverse group of agribusiness leaders ranging from fruits to vegetables to livestock to biofuels. There will also be …
New Funding For Biomass Research & Development
Yesterday in conjunction with Presidenta Obama’s visit to Ohio State University to discuss the administration’s strategy for American energy, he announced $35 million in new federal funding over the next three years for biomass research and development. The project is funded by the Biomass Research and Development Initiative (BRDI) and will focus on the development of advanced biofuels, bioenergy and …
Hydropower Favored in Africa, Latin America
Africa and Latin America are taking great leaps to hydropower according to a new report by GBI Research. Today, hydropower leads the renewable category for the generation of power and is expected to remain in the lead globally despite investments in other renewable resources. Around the world, hydropower has large support in the form of financial policies and incentives. This …