DF Cast: Flying at 200 MPH on Ethanol

John Davis

Indy cars recently tore up the track running on clean-burning ethanol, right next to the Iowa corn fields where the feedstock for the green fuel is grown. In this edition of the Domestic Fuel Cast, we bring you some of the sounds and interviews from the Iowa Corn Indy 250 presented by Pioneer, and the Iowa Corn Growers Association. Our …

Audio, corn, Domestic Fuel Cast, Ethanol, Ethanol News, IA Corn Indy, Indy Racing

METRO Helps NY

John Davis

Recently, I told you about how New York loves biodiesel, using the green fuel to run many of the city’s parks and recreation department vehicles and heat the agency’s buildings. One company that’s helping parks and rec keep their buildings warm with biodiesel is Brooklyn-based METRO Fuel Oil Corp. “Our initiative is to help New York become a cleaner, greener …

Biodiesel

ASTM Voting on Biodiesel Standards at KC Meeting

John Davis

Biodiesel could be divided into two different grades, if some backers of a new grading system at the ASTM meeting this week in Kansas City, Mo. Biodiesel Magazine reports there are several ballots up for a vote that would have biodiesel graded as No.1 and No.2, much like regular diesel … a proposal backed by the National Biodiesel Board’s technical …

Biodiesel, NBB

Biodiesel Credit Fails to Pass Key Vote

John Davis

Just in case you think that I’m just re-running the same story from all this past winter and spring, honestly, I’m not. But there’s trouble … again … for the $1-a-gallon federal biodiesel tax incentive. This article from ICIS.com says while the measure, tied to unemployment benefits, failed to garner enough votes by just three that would have ended debate …

Biodiesel

Possible Future World Cup Site to Use Solar Power

John Davis

In light of the dramatic American soccer victory at the World Cup in South Africa (and moving on to the next round), I thought you’d be interested in knowing that the power of the sun could help run some of the venues at one country’s bid to host the event in the future. While seems a long way off, inhabitat.com …

International, Solar

Algae Producers to Help Fight Gulf Oil Spill

John Davis

Got an urgent message from my friend Tamra Fakhoorian with the Mid-South Chapter of the National Algae Association looking for volunteers to help with a cleanup effort some members of the algae-producing community are sponsoring. She says they need 10,000 volunteers to help algae oil and biofuel producers Ultra Green International and Algaeventure Systems use their algae know-how to clean …

algae, Biodiesel

Biodiesel Has Place in USDA Biofuels Report

John Davis

While the ethanol industry has been praising the USDA’s report entitled “Roadmap to Meeting the Biofuels Goals of the Renewable Fuels Standard by 2022,″ there’s plenty in there for biodiesel fans to like as well. The feds are optimistic that biodiesel will be able to carry its share of the overall 36 billion gallons of biofuels goal: The U.S biofuels …

Biodiesel, biofuels, Soybeans, USDA

USDA Releasing Report on Biofuels

John Davis

The USDA is releasing a report on renewable transportation fuels and the role the agency will play in development of those biofuels. Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack says the report comes as the federal Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS2) gets ready to kick in on July 1st and will require that 36 billion gallons of biofuel per year be in America’s fuel …

biofuels, Ethanol, Ethanol News, News, USDA

USDA: Ethanol Plants Gain in Net Energy Output

John Davis

A new report shows that ethanol plants are becoming even more efficient in turning energy into more energy, showing great energy gains. The USDA’s Agricultural Resource Management Survey of corn growers for the year 2005 and the 2008 survey of dry mill ethanol plants show that dry grind ethanol plants that produce and sell dry distiller’s grains and use conventional …

Ethanol, Ethanol News, News

More Senate Inaction on Biodiesel Bill Draws IRFA Ire

John Davis

Another procedural vote failure in the U.S. Senate has put up yet another roadblock to renewal of the federal $1-a-gallon biodiesel tax incentive. And that isn’t sitting well with the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association. Past President and Western Iowa Energy Board Member Denny Mauser blasted the Senate and the Obama administration for having plenty of time to help doctors but …

Biodiesel