For Summer Fun, Rent an Alt Vehicle

Joanna Schroeder

This summer, Disneyland is promoting energy efficiency to those coming to their famous theme park. MPG Car Rental gives California visitors a chance to try out some alternative energy cars including the Prius, the Volkswagen TDi and the fully electric Tesla Model S, winner of the 2013 Motor Trend Car of the Year award. The tie-in to green cars and …

Alternative Vehicles, Biodiesel, biofuels, Ethanol, Opinion

Australian Biodiesel Headed for U.S.

John Davis

About 1.5 million gallons of Australian biodiesel is headed for the U.S., with another 1.32 million gallons fast on its heels. Biodiesel Magazine reports Australian Renewable Fuels Ltd. sent 5.7 million liters, and the other shipment is scheduled for August: Customers for the order are Valero Energy Corp. and Gavilon Inc., two of the world’s leading energy companies. Gavilon is …

Biodiesel, International

Biodiesel Bounces Back in Iowa

John Davis

The last year or two has been especially tough for the biodiesel industry, but the green fuel is seeing a comeback. And nowhere is that more apparent than Iowa, one of the nation’s leaders in biodiesel production. This article in Iowa Farmer Today says the biodiesel industry is having a much better year this year and even quotes Iowa Biodiesel …

Biodiesel

Genscape Monitoring to Ensure RIN Integrity

John Davis

The recent crisis over fraudulent Renewable Identification Numbers (RINs) led to great consternation in the biofuels community, as obligated parties sought assurances that the RINs they were buying were legitimate and met their obligations. Provider of energy information for commodity and financial markets Genscape, which got its start in monitoring the power grids, has expanded into the biofuels area. “We …

Audio, Biodiesel, biofuels, Ethanol, News, RINS

EPA Approves EcoEngineer’s QAP Program

Joanna Schroeder

The U.S. Environmental Agency (EPA) has approved EcoEngineers’ application to implement a quality assurance program (QAP) for Renewable Identification Numbers (RINs) generated on biofuels produced at foreign facilities and imported into the U.S. In February, EcoEngineers became the first in the U.S. to be approved to audit domestic RINs, which oil companies use to account for their compliance under the …

Biodiesel, biofuels, Ethanol, RFS, RINS

Students’ Biodiesel Project is EPA Winner

John Davis

Students from a school in Chicago are one of the groups of winners an U.S. Environmental Protection Agency award, recognized for their biodiesel project. The EPA announced that the students from Loyola University of Chicago developed a greener way, through a wetland and a distillation process, to treat and reuse byproducts of biodiesel. EPA’s People, Prosperity and the Planet (P3) …

Biodiesel, Government

Biodiesel Ally Chides House Over Farm Bill Defeat

John Davis

The Farm Bill in the U.S. House goes down to defeat, and that was not welcome news to one of biodiesel’s allies. The American Soybean Association (ASA) said it is disappointed frustrated with the 195-234 defeat of the Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act of 2013. ASA President Danny Murphy, a soybean farmer from Canton, Miss, issued the following …

Biodiesel, Government, Legislation, Soybeans

US Energy Init., Promethean Sign Biodiesel Deal

John Davis

Automotive and hybrid fuel systems and technologies developer U.S. Energy Initiatives Corp. Inc. and California-based Promethean Biofuels signed a biodiesel production agreement that will bring Promethean’s facility to its maximum capacity starting in a couple of weeks. Biodiesel Magazine reports Promethean could produce 2.1 to 3 MMgy, and the two companies could split the revenues which could top $6 million …

Biodiesel

Rise in Alt Fuels Prompts Training Network

Joanna Schroeder

Several of the top alternative fuel experts in the U.S. have joined forces to form the Alternative Fuel Training Network, launched this month on the website AFVtraining.net. With a rise in alternative fuel vehicles on the road coupled with a rise in biofuels and alternative fuels at the pump, a need has been created for professional alternative fuel fleet training. …

Alternative energy, Biodiesel, biofuels, Ethanol

Biodiesel Keeps U.S. Tallow at Home

John Davis

The world is seeing less of American tallow as biodiesel makers turn more of the animal grease into the green fuel. This article from Bloomberg says U.S. tallow exports are expected to fall nearly 4 percent because the biodiesel market is squeezing the supply and keeping the price up: Tallow shipments from the U.S. may decline to 680,000 metric tons …

Biodiesel, International, livestock