Members of the Global Renewable Fuels Alliance say calls to reduce or even halt production of biofuels in the face of the U.S. drought are “pennywise, but… pound foolish.” The group is responding in particular to International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) Director General Shenggen Fan’s call to stop producing corn-based biofuels through the following statement: “Calls to curtail biofuel …
Gevo Ships First Biobased Isobutanol from Minn. Plant
Next-generation biofuels and renewable chemicals producer Gevo, Inc. has shipped its first batch of biobased isobutanol from its production facility in Luverne, Minnesota. “We are laser-focused on our startup at Luverne,” said Patrick Gruber Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of Gevo. “With the completion of our offerings last month, we have the funding in hand to complete the next phase of …
Farmers Look to GROWMARK for Reliable Fuel, Stable Prices
It was originally started as a way for a group of farmers to make sure they were able to get a reliable source of fuel. Today, our friends at GROWMARK Energy are helping producers make sure they have those quality fuels at prices that remain stable throughout the seasons. Marty Wieland, GROWMARK director of energy operations and risk management, explains …
DF Cast: House’s Turn at Biofuels in Farm Bill
During the last Domestic Fuel Cast, we talked about the U.S. Senate’s work on the renewable energy provisions of the Farm Bill. In this edition, we follow the debate over to the House, where not much funding in the energy title of the bill moved out of the Agriculture Committee. Listen to what some key lawmakers, as well as leaders …
Biodiesel Gains New ASTM Standard
In a bid to better meet the needs of customers, the biodiesel industry sought out and gained approval of a new voluntary No. 1-B grade for B100 from the ASTM D2 Committee on Petroleum Products and Lubricants. This news release from the National Biodiesel Board says the new standard will help make the green fuel better for customers with Ultra-Low …
iDiverse’s New Yeast Gene Boosts Ethanol Production
Officials with biotech company iDiverse say they have discovered a yeast gene that can increase ethanol production yield by up to 34 percent: “The gene functions by protecting the yeast against some of the lethal stresses encountered in the bioproduction process,” said John Serbin, Chief Business Officer at iDiverse. “In its current embodiment, it allows yeast to produce significantly more …
Ag Chief: Biodiesel Driving, Revitalizing Rural Economy
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack traveled back to Iowa today, praising biodiesel in his home state for driving and revitalizing rural America’s economy. In remarks during a meeting with Iowa biodiesel and farm industry representatives at the Soy Energy biodiesel production facility in Mason City, the USDA chief pointed to the green fuel as a demonstration of farmers bouncing …
Vilsack to Keynote American Coalition for Ethanol Conference
News just in to Domestic Fuel this morning: U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack will be the keynote speaker for the American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) conference, August 8-10, 2012 in Omaha, Nebraska. “The Secretary has been the most effective spokesperson for ethanol in the administration,” Brian Jennings, Executive Vice President for ACE, told me in an interview, previewing the …
Biofuels Play Major Role in Great Green Fleet Exercise
Biofuels are playing a significant role in the biggest maritime exercise in the world. About 450,000 gallons of biofuels made from non-food stocks have been used to fuel the ships and aircraft, known as the “Great Green Fleet,” taking part in the U.S. Navy’s and allied nation’s Rim of the Pacific Exercise (RIMPAC). “Yesterday, off the coast of Hawaii, was …
SoloPower’s Flexible Solar Cells Receive Certification
California solar cell maker SoloPower received ETL certification for its next-generation, thin, flexible SF1, SP1, and SP3L SoloPanels to UL 1703 and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) standards. Company officials say this just adds to to its track record on flexible solar modules: [Tim Harris, CEO, of SoloPower says,] “It represents another step towards our goal of making solar the …