Grilling enthusiasts will find a new product that uses ethanol as an alternative to charcoal or propane on the shelves of many grocery and hardware stores this summer. The FlameDisk® actually utilizes proprietary solidified ethanol and is the first ethanol product to be used exclusively for outdoor grilling, according to manufacturer Sologear, the Wisconsin-based company that invented the product. They …
Ethanol Advertising Blitz
Expect to see ethanol advertising saturating the airwaves over the next few months. Growth Energy and POET both announced major television advertising campaigns this morning that will air on major cable television networks, including Fox News, MSNBC, CNBC, and CNN. The POET campaign includes three ads, each representing a different aspect of ethanol production with a farmer, a scientist and …
Process Optimization Seminar Success
Nearly 60 ethanol plant managers attended the second Process Optimization Seminar held in Indianapolis this week. The interactive seminar is a team effort of Fremont Industries, Fermentis, Novozymes and Phibro Ethanol Performance Group. “All four of us companies got together and realized a need to provide training for plants,” said Steve Rust with Fremont. “So we decided to provide this …
RFA Pleased with Bill to Extend Ethanol Incentives
The Renewable Fuels Association today praised the Renewable Fuels Reinvestment Act (RFRA) introduced by Representatives Earl Pomeroy (D-ND) and John Shimkus (R-IL). The bill would extend the $0.45 Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax Credit (VEETC), commonly called the blenders’ credit, and the secondary tariff on imported ethanol until December 31, 2015. It would also extend the Small Producers Tax Credit and …
DF Cast: Ethanol & Biodiesel Talk of Commodity Classic
Since it was the biggest gathering of the year for corn and soybean growers, it’s only natural that Commodity Classic was also a good place to talk about the state of the ethanol and biodiesel industries, especially when you consider the two grains are still the biggest feedstocks for the biofuels. In this edition, we listen in on the conversation …
Ethanol Tax Incentive Loss Would Mean Lost Jobs
According to a report out today from the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA), failure to extend the Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax Credit (VEETC) would reduce U.S. ethanol production capacity by 38% and eliminate 112,000 jobs in rural communities already hemorrhaging employment opportunities. “Ethanol has provided an unparalleled, value-added opportunity for agriculture and rural America,” said RFA President Bob Dinneen. “Supporting nearly …
Biodiesel – A Great Success Story
“Biodiesel is a great fuel. It’s a great success story,” said Rob Joslin, the President of the American Soybean Association when I asked him during an interview (see below for audio) why biodiesel is so important to our country. While the biodiesel has had great success, it is currently facing a challenge – the $1 per gallon tax credit expired …
Growth Energy Member Comments on Conference
The first annual leadership conference for Growth Energy, the ethanol industry organization that was formed just 16 months ago, was held this week in Phoenix to focus on the future. The conference included roundtable discussions on a number of topics, including navigating policy in Congress during an election year. A bipartisan panel moderated by Growth Energy CEO Tom Buis featured …
Sorghum Poised for Bigger Role in Ethanol Production
Today, about 1/3 of the sorghum crop goes into ethanol production. An interesting little piece of information I picked up when I spoke with Gerald Simonsen, the Chairman of the National Sorghum Producers during Commodity Classic. Sorghum is a good feedstock for ethanol production for several reasons. First, it uses half the amount of water used in corn production and …
Biofuels Alliance Disputes Virginia Research
A recent study by some University of Virginia researchers who say that algae might not be as environmentally friendly as some regular row crops when it comes to making biodiesel is coming under fire by algae and algal-biofuel organizations. As you might remember from my post back on January 22, 2010, a study headed by Andres Clarens said that “algae’s …