According to Purdue University researchers, removing corn stover from agricultural fields to produce cellulosic ethanol requires careful management to avoid adding greenhouse gas emissions and soil erosion to the environment. However, environmental impacts from stover removal can be reduced by switching to no-till corn or adding winter cover crops, but these practices likely would increase production costs, researchers reported in …
Sapphire Energy To Sell Algae-Based Crude to Tesoro
Sapphire Energy has entered into an agreement to sell its algae-based Green Crude oil to Tesoro Refining and Marketing Company. Under the agreement, Tesoro will purchase crude oil from Sapphire Energy’s Green Crude Farm in Columbus, New Mexico, which recently reached a new milestone: continuous cultivation and crude oil production. This begins the first step of a commercial relationship to …
Senate Spending Bill Keeps Military Biofuels
The U.S. Senate yesterday passed a continuing budget resolution that would keep the federal government operating through the end of the fiscal year on September 30th and keep funding for advanced biofuels testing in the military. By a vote of 40-59, the Senate rejected an amendment from Sen. Patrick Toomey (R-PA) that would have transferred $60 million in funding for …
Renewable Fuels Leaders Refute Oil Industry Claims
Leaders of Fuels America held a press conference this morning to “preemptively answer misinformation on renewable fuel blends and gasoline prices” in a new report by the American Petroleum Institute. Speaking in defense of the renewable fuels industry were the heads of several industry organizations and companies, including Growth Energy CEO Tom Buis, Renewable Fuels Association CEO Bob Dinneen, Advanced …
Energy Security Trust Not the Answer
Advanced Biofuels USA says President Obama’s proposed plan for an Energy Security Trust is not the right solution. The organization calls the plan, “counterproductive, insufficient and inconsistent with previous Administration statements regarding the urgency of addressing the harmful effects of climate change.” Advanced Biofuels USA says that if the Obama Administration is serious about reducing the effects of climate change …
America Poised to Take Control of Energy Future
According to President Obama, America is poised to take control of our energy future, but this could be compromised due to the arbitrary cuts caused by the so-called “sequestration” now taking place. During his speech last Friday at Argonne National Laboratory in Chicago, Illinois, the President pointed out the cuts would affect the federal research projects, “at a time when …
Biodiesel Use on the Rise
Biodiesel use is on the rise. From the delivery of food and goods, to city fleets and transit systems, to construction and other heavy equipment, diesel-power is driving the economy. And on National Biodiesel Day, the anniversary of Rudolf Diesel’s birthday, Gary Haer, National Biodiesel Board Chairman, says that even if you don’t use biodiesel in your car, biodiesel still …
Genera Awarded for Sustainable Feedstock Innovations
Genera Energy Inc. (Genera) was awarded the 2013 Sustainable Biofuels Award in the Sustainable Feedstock Innovation category at the World Biofuels Markets 2013 Congress and Exhibition, held in Rotterdam, Netherlands. The award recognizes outstanding achievement for a project that displays “innovation to enhance sustainability in feedstock supply.” According to Genera, it’s integrated solution covers the full biomass system from the …
KiOR Delivers Cellulosic Diesel
KiOR, Inc. has announced the initial shipments of cellulosic diesel from its commercial scale facility in Columbus, Mississippi. The biorefinery uses pine wood chips and produces gasoline and diesel, the first renewable hydrocarbon fuels in the U.S. manufactured at commercial scale with no compatibility issues. KiOR’s renewable gasoline is also the first renewable cellulosic gasoline ever registered by the Environmental …
It’s National Biodiesel Day!
Today is National Biodiesel Day! The Iowa Biodiesel Board is asking Iowans to reflect on the contribution the biodiesel industry is making to Iowa and to the nation. March 18 is National Biodiesel Day because it is Rudolf Diesel’s birthday, the man who invented the engine that bears his name. He ran early models on peanut oil, and was a …