Several POET Plants Earn Safety Award

Joanna Schroeder

The Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway (BNSF)has recognized eight POET plants with the Annual Product Stewardship Award  for their records of safe transport. BNSF presents the award to shippers who transport a minimum of 500 loaded tank cars of hazardous materials during the previous year with zero non-accident incidents. Earlier this year, several plants received a safety award from Union …

Company Announcement, Ethanol, transportation

Ethanol Nameplate to Run at 67% Through 2010

Joanna Schroeder

The ethanol industry received some negative news today compliments of the newly released Soyatech Biofuels Monitor, a publication from HighQuest Partners. The study projects that for First Quarter 2009 the U.S. ethanol industry will operate at 67 percent of nameplate capacity through 2010. The study authors, in part, based their predications on data from the USDA Planting Intentions report that …

Company Announcement, Ethanol, Production, Research

Vote in the Green Choice Awards 2009

Joanna Schroeder

Earth Day 2009 may have come and gone but organizations doing great things for the environment happens all year long. The organization “Great Nonprofits” wants you to vote for their Green Choice Awards which honors local nonprofit environmental organizations that are doing great things in your neighborhood, community or the world. The environmental organization (entrees must be for nonprofit associations) …

Environment, Miscellaneous

Hereford Biofuels Sold As Part of Bankruptcy

Joanna Schroeder

One of the most notable ethanol plants in the country was sold today.  The Hereford ethanol plant, which is most noted for its plan to turn more than 1 billion pounds of manure into fuel for the boilers that supply steam for the plant, was sold to its creditors for $25 million in credit. Societe Generale, is the lender and …

Ethanol, News

Bright Automotive Unveils The IDEA

Joanna Schroeder

In the race to develop and produce more efficient electric vehicles, Bright Automotive has launched a brand-new, 100-mpg plug-in hybrid electric (PHEV) fleet vehicle –The IDEA. This is one of the first PHEVs designed “for the people by the people,” to compete in the light-duty truck market. The vehicle offers 180 cubic feet of interior space and a 1-ton payload …

Car Makers, Electric Vehicles

New Study: Evaluating Options for GHG Mitigation

Joanna Schroeder

There is a lot of dialogue surrounding the best way to create energy and environmental policies, specifically around greenhouse gas emissions. The RAND Corporation recently released a study, “Evaluating Options for U.S. Greenhouse-Gas Mitigation Using Multiple Criteria,” that evaluates three past attempts to develop energy policy. The study notes that the majority of current policy focuses on cost-effectiveness but policy …

Company Announcement, Energy, Environment, Legislation

10 Big Oil Front Groups to Watch

Joanna Schroeder

Front groups are as old as Big Oil. These are coalitions, committees, alliances and think tanks that are created by organizations that don’t disclose their support. They usually have misleading names, for example the Citizen’s Alliance for Responsible Energy (CARE), which is now defunct, and often consumers take them and their positions at face value, not understanding the group’s underlying …

Opinion

KL Energy Corporation Expanding Into Brazil

Joanna Schroeder

KL Energy Corporation, based in Rapid City, South Dakota, has announced a partnership agreement with add blue Ltda, based in São Paulo, Brazil, to build a cellulosic ethanol plant in Brazil utilizing KL Energy’s cellulosic ethanol technology for the use of sugarcane bagasse and straw feedstock. The plant will use KL Energy’s enzymatic process which will be integrated into a …

Cellulosic, Company Announcement, Ethanol, International

Canadian’s Support of Biofuels Strong

Joanna Schroeder

Public support for biofuels continues to grow in Canada according to national poll results released today. The poll was conducted by Praxicus Public Strategies and funded by the Canadian Renewable Fuels Association. When respondents were asked if they support replacing some fossil fuels with renewable fuels like ethanol and biodiesel, 69 percent said yes. This is an improvement from last …

Biodiesel, Ethanol, International

California Motorists Fill Up With Cellulosic Ethanol

Joanna Schroeder

In what might be one of the first deals of its kind, Pearson Fuels, a company installing “alternative fuels stations” across the state of California, has inked a deal with AE Biofuels, Inc. to supply cellulosic ethanol for its E85 and other ethanol fuel blends. Pearson Fuels, based in San Diego was the first company to build an E85 station …

Biodiesel, Cellulosic, E85, Ethanol, Miscellaneous