Republican presidential contender Sen. John McCain of Arizona seems to be changing his views on ethanol. This United Press International story explains the switch seems to come down to two words: Iowa caucus. During the 2000 presidential campaign, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., skipped the Iowa caucuses, perhaps sensing that, among other things, his opposition to ethanol subsidies would not go …
Soros Warns About Ethanol Tariffs
Billionaire investor George Soros is warning that U.S. and European tariffs on Brazilian ethanol might keep that country from reaching its potential in alternative fuel production. According to this story posted on Bloomberg.com, Soros, who is a major investor in Brazil’s ethanol industry, needs bigger markets to justify the expansion and building of new distilleries there: “Unless the markets in …
WindPower 2007 Underway in LA
Attendees to the American Wind Energy Association’s annual conference going on this week in Los Angeles heard that their industry faces quite a challenge to go from the current 1% of U.S. energy supplies to President Bush’s goal of 20% by 2030. In fact, it could be a half-billion-dollar challenge. This article from Reuters says delegates are trying to figure …
Cold Crushing Explored for Biodiesel
Toronto, Canada-based Bio-Extraction Inc. is joining with BioNex Energy Corp to develop and test, and then prove the commercial viability of using a cold crushing technology to more efficiently extract oils from seeds for use in a BEC biodiesel refinery in the works in western Canada. Check out this story from Renewable Energy Access.com: BEC is a developmental stage company …
Caltrans Considering Biodiesel
After testing B20 biodiesel for nearly the last six months, the California Department of Transportation could be switching some of its vehicles to the cleaner fuel. According to this story in the Central Valley Business Times, up to 4,500 diesel-burners could make the switch later this summer: Caltrans uses about three million gallons of regular diesel from its fuel sites …
Oklahoma to Host Biofuels Conference
Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry is hosting a conference on biofuels October 16-17th in Oklahoma City. More information is on the way but this web site www.growok.com is a start. From the governor’s welcome: It is my pleasure to invite you to attend to the Oklahoma Governor’s Conference on Biofuels. For reasons of national security, economic well-being, concern for our environment …
Ethanol Key Topic at OAS Meeting
A showdown over ethanol is brewing at the Organization of American States’ General Assembly meeting this week in Panama. According to this story in the Washington (DC) Times, the U.S. and Brazil are pushing an OAS paper promoting looking for alternative fuel sources in the Western Hemisphere, more specifically, ethanol, which the Americans and Brazilians are producing in the billions …
Finding A Place to Fill Up
On empty in East Lansing? Runnin’ low near the Alamo? The Ethanol Promotion and Information Council or EPIC has an E85 station finder on its web site www.drivingethanol.org. Playing around with it a bit, I was able to easily find a station on the northeast side of San Antonio… on the way to New Braunfels, home to German brats and …
Biofuel Pipelines Proposed
Congress is considering some proposals that would fund studies to figure out if pipelines that would carry ethanol and biodiesel are viable options. Wallaces Farmer reports Democrat Iowa Congressman Leonard Boswell, and Republican Cong. Jerry Moran of Kansas have introduced the bill: The Ethanol Infrastructure Expansion Act, H.R. 2426, would direct the U.S. Secretary of Energy to fund studies on …
Ethanol: The Hot Rod Fuel of the Future
Nearly 50 years in the business of engine performance should be enough experience to earn one the title of “Auto Performance Expert.” Gale Banks with Gale Banks Engineering started his business in 1958. His business, which consists of designing engines for various factories, manufacturing his own line of engines and developing after market performance products, is just a year shy …