Harvesting willow trees for biomass in Vermont… turning corn stover into biofuels in Minnesota… these are just a couple examples of projects sponsored by the growing number of colleges and universities in the country that are finding greener alternatives to non-renewable petroleum sources of fuel. There’s a fascinating story in the Christian Science Monitor about how some of these institutions …
Kansas Ethanol, Biodiesel Retailer Wins Green Design Award
A Kansas biodiesel and ethanol seller has been recognized for its efforts to sell the green fuels in a station that reflects that commitment to a better environment. Zarco 66, which boast eight gas stations and convenience stores in Lawrence, Kansas, has picked up the Convenience Store Petroleum (CSP) Excellence in Green Design Award for its innovation to bring biofuels …
Big Stimulus Bill Might Help Small Wind Turbines
While large-scale infrastructure projects grab the headlines, the recently passed gargantuan-sized $787 billion economic stimulus bill might end up helping a small, emerging, renewable energy business in the United States. This story from CNN says the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009… with its 30 percent investment tax credit for those who buy wind turbines for homes or small …
Finding a Gel-Free Biodiesel at the Arctic Circle
Biodiesel is a great, clean-burning fuel for most of the country for most of the year, but there are some issues regarding gelling in extremely low temperatures. Just like petroleum diesel, biodiesel will gel when the temperatures drop. But a group from Indiana thinks it has the answer and is testing it in one of the harshest cold climates this …
Oregon Looks to Build Biofuels Research and Processing Plant
The folks in Salem, Oregon are hoping to get some of federal money to build a new biofuels research and processing plant… the first of its kind in the state. This story from the Salem Statesman Journal says a group of biofuel advocates, a local college and businessmen are hoping to get $10 million from Washington, DC to build the …
Solar Power Fueling Atlantic City
You wouldn’t think of the bright lights of the casinos of Atlantic City, New Jersey as the place for energy conservation, but the East Coast’s gambling center is the home of a pioneering solar energy project. This story from CNN says government officials were on hand to show off solar panels on top of the city’s convention center, the largest …
Company Turning Biodiesel By-Product into Two Fuels
Gotta give props right up front to the readers of Domestic Fuel who passed along this story to us. What was a big waste product for the biodiesel industry could soon be fueling turbines and industrial boilers and offsetting coal use at power plants. They found this story in Biodiesel Magazine about how Virginia-based Xcelplus Global Holdings Inc. is beginning …
Farm Foundation Announces Competition to Solve Food, Fiber & Fuel Challenges
The world faces some serious challenges… as pointed out in a Farm Foundation report released last December (see my post from December on AgWired.com). That report identifies six major areas of challenges with a role in agriculture’s ability to provide food, feed, fiber and fuel to a growing world: global financial markets and recession; global food security; global energy security; …
Report: Alt Fuels Could Clean Up Ports
Alternative fuels, such as biodiesel and natural gas, and hybrid electric vehicles could be the keys to cleaning up the world’s ports, polluted by the running of petroleum diesel enginesto onload and offload the goods coming and going through these points of commerce. This story from NGVGlobal.com quotes a study, “Container Ports and Air Pollution,” published by Energy Futures, Inc.: …
Chicago Farmers to Meet About Energy Matters
The Chicago Farmers, a group that provides educational forums between its members and those allied to agribusiness, will talk energy matters during its next meeting on Monday, March 16th at the University of Northern Illinois-Naperville campus. According to the group’s Web site, the “Renewable Energy: Agriculture’s Impact Present & Future” is a must-attend event for those who own farmland in …