By a 7-2 vote, the Chesapeake, Virginia city council has given the green light to what will be the nation’s largest biodiesel plant. This story in the Virginian-Pilot says council members found the proposal to build Smiling Earth’s 320 million gallon refinery to be a lot less dangerous than the jet fuel and gasoline tanks already around the 30 homes …
Study Shows World’s Biodiesel Production Potential
A study from the University of Wisconsin-Madison looks at the potential for biodiesel production worldwide and identifies some of the countries that could become big players in the future of biodiesel. This article on the Science Daily web site says the study ranked 226 countries according to their potential to make large volumes of biodiesel at low cost. While many …
Ohio Commits to Utility-Scale Wind Energy Production
Ohio wants wind energy to be a bigger player in it’s overall energy production. That’s why the state is incorporating new projects to develop utility-scale wind energy as part of it’s commitment to renewable energy innovation. The Ohio Department of Development, through its Ohio Wind Production and Manufacturing Incentive Program, has awarded grants totaling $5 million to The Buckeye Wind …
MYCOGEN Ramps Up Ethanol Production
Dow AgroSciences is promoting a product that it says will drive higher production of ethanol. The seed company says it’s MYCOGEN® brand corn hybrids will help corn growers meet the increasing demand for ethanol. The Mycogen Seeds ethanol product lineup features superior yield protection technologies such as HERCULEX® XTRA Insect Protection and the latest in weed control options. “As industry …
Biodiesel Jet Flies Into History
A Czechoslovakian-made jet has made history when it became the first jet to fly on 100 percent biodiesel. The L-29 military aircraft flew over the high desert near Reno, Nevada piloted by C. This press release from Green Flight International says it was a joint project with Biodiesel Solutions… a maker of community-scale biodiesel equipment: The experimental test flights were …
Americans Buying Record Numbers of Alternative Fuel Autos
Americans bought nearly half a million alternative fuel automobiles (AFAs) during the second quarter of 2007… a record and good news for the alternative fuel industry and the environment. The Missouri Soybean Association lists the story in its “Bean Briefs” and says the numbers from R.L. Polk & Company are a 27 percent increase from a year ago: Sales of …
Blencoe Throws Down Hydrogen Gauntlet
Greg Blencoe, the CEO of Hydrogen Discoveries, Inc., an alternative energy research and development start-up company based in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, has issued a challenge to hydrogen energy skeptic Joseph Romm to debate the merits of hydrogen power. Romm is the author of a book titled “The Hype About Hydrogen: Fact And Fiction In The Race To Save The Climate,” …
Volkswagon Sponsoring Dieselution Revolution
An interactive Volkswagon trailer has hit the road, making its way across the country in a four-month campaign to highlight current environmental issues. The Volkswagon Dieselution Tour is using interactive exhibits to display advances in diesel engine technology, design and performance. Volkswagen of America, Inc. is launching the Dieselution Tour, a mobile marketing exhibit, to educate the media and the …
Higher Petroleum Prices Helping Ag Commodity Prices
High crude oil prices are prompting more soyoil to be bought… with the idea that soyoil would be turned into an alternative to all that foreign oil: domestically made biodiesel. This Dow Jones Newswires story posted on the Missouri Ruralist web site breaks down the rise and what caused it: November soybeans settled 10 1/4 cents higher at $9.87 and …
Biofuels Helping Fuel Cargill’s Profits
Ethanol and biodiesel are making “modest” contributions to ag products giant Cargill’s profits… according to numbers released by the U.S.’s largest agricultural company. This story in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune says the company reports fiscal first-quarter profit rose 83 percent as more soybeans and corn were processed and the company was able to successfully hedge higher grain costs: Cargill benefited from …