The alliance known as 25X’25 has just completed a study that outlines the positive impact producing 25 percent of the nation’s energy supply from renewable sources by 2025 could have on rural America. According to J. Read Smith, co-chair of the 25x’25 Project Steering Committee, “Not only would reaching the goal drastically reduce our dependence on foreign energy sources, it …
Biofuels Big at NAFB
The National Association of Farm Broadcasters annual meeting in Kansas City brings about 100 broadcasters and a few hundred more agricultural industry company and organization representatives together each year. Hundreds of interviews are done in a span of six hours during an event called “Trade Talk.” Ethanol and biodiesel were especially big topics at Trade Talk this year – at …
Talking Biofuels in Kansas City
Cindy and I are attending the National Association of Farm Broadcasters Convention in Kansas City this week. It follows the National Agri-Marketing Association’s Agribusiness Forum. I’m sure we’ll have several posts for you over the next few days that will include interviews with some people we hope you’ll find interesting. For example, at yesterday’s Forum session one of the presenters …
Biofuels Could Complicate WTO
The International Food and Agricultural Policy Trade Council has conducted the first comprehensive assessment of how World Trade Organization disciplines may apply to the rapidly expanding biofuels sector. The study sets out key WTO issues that need to be clarified, such as the classification of biofuels and their feedstocks and whether they are to be considered industrial, agricultural or environmental …
Mechanics Can Fill Up and Feel Good With On-Line Course
Learn more about how auto technicians and anyone else can benefit from taking the free on-line “Ethanol Fuel Performance Training” course from the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council. This simple, user-friendly computer course provides an understanding of ethanol fuel and how it affects engine performance and the environment. Different lesson levels provide information from the very basic to the very …
The President Has Left the Building
This was no tough crowd for the president – with the exception of a anti-war protester who started shouting during the speech and had to be escorted out. He said all the right things to make this group of renewable energy entrepreneurs happy. Here is the president’s full remarks – about 30 minutes worth – I’ll pick out some soundbites …
Ethanol Industry Connections
Everybody who is anybody in the ethanol industry are in attendance here at the Advancing Renewable Energy Conference in St. Louis. Here is Greg Krissek, (left) Director of Governmental Affairs with ICM, Inc., one of the nation’s major ethanol plant design/build firms, located in Colwich, KS. He is networking with one of the many attendees on hand about the potential …
Corn Grower President at Renewables Conference
The president of the National Corn Growers Association says the interest in renewable energy across the nation is really a renewed interest in agriculture. Ken McCauley, a corn grower from White Cloud, Kansas, says “it elevates agriculture to a whole new level” and he notes that ethanol and biodiesel are giving young people a new future in agriculture and helping …
Secretaries’ Day in St. Louis
The US Secretaries of Agriculture and Energy are the hosts of the Advancing Renewable Energy Conference in St. Louis this week. Both addressed the crowd, estimated at upwards of 1500 people, showing the huge interest in renewable energy nationwide. Both Secretaries talked about the great need for cellulosic ethanol – in fact, just about every speaker today has at least …
Home of the Biodiesel Rams
The newest breed of Dodge Ram comes factory-fueled with biodiesel. Under the Gateway Arch in St. Louis Tuesday, representatives from the National Biodiesel Board and Daimler-Chrysler announced that every 2007 Dodge Ram diesel coming off the assembly line at the company’s Fenton, Missouri north plant will be fueled with B5, a blend containing 5 percent biodiesel made from soybeans grown …