Indiana-based e-biofuels, LLC is being sold to Imperial Petroleum, Inc. This press release posted on MarketWatch.com says Imperial will keep on e-biofuels principal management and make the 15-million-gallon-a-year biodiesel maker a wholly-owned subsidiary of Imperial: “We’re very excited about e-biofuels and its management joining our Company,” said Jeffrey T. Wilson, President of Imperial. “Through our research and development efforts over …
Ford Unveils Biodiesel-Compatible F-Series Truck
The new Ford F-Series Super Duty truck will be able to run on a 20 percent blend of biodiesel. This article from Fleet Owner says the 2011 model year also features an optional Ford-designed and built 6.7-liter Power Stroke V-8 turbodiesel rated at 390 hp and 735 ft-lbs torque … making green and mean: Ed Waszczenko, Ford lead engine durability …
Obama Changes Tune from Biodiesel to Biofuels
Some others have started to notice something I told you about back in January. It seems that while he campaigned on the word “biodiesel,” President Barack Obama is now talking “biofuels” … a more ambiguous term that is leaving some biodiesel producers scratching their heads wondering whether the president backs them. This piece from Biodiesel Magazine points out that Stimulus …
Iowa Biodiesel Board Refutes Truckers’ Claims
Things are getting a bit tough in the fight to get a biodiesel mandate implemented in Iowa. This post from the Des Moines Register says a letter that Decker Trucking of Fort Dodge sent to the legislature outlining the company’s two million mile biodiesel study that hurts biodiesel’s case is being refuted by the Iowa Biodiesel Board. The letter says …
California Solar Plant Gets $1.37 Bil Federal Loan
A California company planning to build a large-scale solar power plant has received a Department of Energy $1.37 billion loan guarantee. The New York Times reports that BrightSource Energy of Oakland will put in the first utility-scale solar power plant to undergo licensing in California in nearly two decades: It would use solar thermal technology, in which mirrors concentrate sunlight …
Researcher to Genetically Modify Algae for Biodiesel
A researcher at Iowa State University is genetically modifying algae to make it a better feedstock for biodiesel. This article from Biodiesel Magazine says Martin Spalding, ISU professor of genetics, development and cell biology,has received a $4.37 million grant U.S. Department of Energy to stack traits in algae, specifically, one type of alga, Chlamydomonas, whose genome has already been mapped …
Rate Increase to Pay for Biodiesel Plant, Future
Some electricity customers in Hawaii will have to pay a little more for power from a biodiesel-powered generating plant now, but utility officials believe it will save those same customers in the long run. This article from the Honolulu Star Bulletin says the state’s Public Utilities Commission approved a 1 percent increase to help pay for a new $142.3 million, …
SG Biofuels Doubles Jatropha Output, Triples Profits
SG Biofuels, a company that specializes in developing jatropha for use in alternative fuels, such as biodiesel, has announced a new variety of the tropical plant that has double the oil output of normal jatropha and is best for the tropics where it is grown. This company press release says the new variety is named JMax 100, a proprietary cultivar …
Grassley: Jobs Bill Forgot 23,000 Biodiesel Jobs
The latest jobs bill seems to be forgetting the 23,000 workers in the biodiesel industry who are at risk since the provision renewing the federal $1-a-gallon tax incentive was removed. That’s the opinion of Sen. Charles Grassley, a Republican from Iowa who saw his version of the jobs bill with the biodiesel provisions get scrapped for a pared down version …
US Wind Energy Potential 3Xs Higher Than Thought
The potential amount of wind energy in this country is actually more than three times what is was previously thought to be. This post from the Energy Collective blog says a new analysis from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) credits the increase to improvements in wind turbines over the last decade and a half: The assessment of onshore wind …