The nation’s largest biodiesel refinery, the GreenHunter Energy Renewable Fuels Campus in Houston that is capable of cranking out 105 million gallons of biodiesel a year, will be shut down for the next six to eight weeks because of the damage caused by Hurricane Ike. This information from the company’s web site has details: Structural losses at the facility include …
Biodiesel Bus Coming to ISU
Last week, I told you how a group of students at Washington State University had formed a biodiesel club to make their own green fuel to run a bus around campus. Well, it must either be the high cost of tuition or the realization that regular gas is just too much of a drain on the wallet (most likely, both), …
Austrian Views on Food Versus Fuel
The issue of food versus fuel was a topic of discussion among international agricultural journalists visiting Austria this past week. The group of 250 International Federation of Agricultural Journalists members representing nearly 20 countries was led by former commissioner of agriculture for the European Union Franz Fischler, a native Austrian. Fischler called the food versus fuel controversy “unfair.” “They don’t …
Biodiesel Board Makes Case for Tax Break
Members of the National Biodiesel Board were on Capitol Hill this week, trying to convince lawmakers to renew the biodiesel tax incentive set to expire at the end of this year. This NBB press release says Manning Feraci, the Vice President of Federal Affairs for the board made the case before the U.S. House Committee on Small Business: “We have …
Wazzu Biodiesel Club Gets Start
A handful of students at Washington State University are trying to take their energy future into their own hands. While the WSU Biodiesel Club only got about 10 members at their first meeting this week, organizers hope that the student-run operation soon will be producing 200 gallons of the green fuel a day. This story from the student paper, The …
NBB Ceremony: Biodiesel Part of Solution
During this week’s ribbon-cutting ceremony at the new National Biodiesel Board building in Jefferson City, those in attendance included local and state officials and nine members of the Board from around the country. Ed Hegland, chairman of the NBB, told the crowd that as a family farmer from Appleton, Minnesota he has felt the pain at the pump as fuel …
Wind and Biofuels Keep Iowa’s Economy Going
While much of the nation’s economy is on shaky ground right now, places in the Midwest, such as Iowa, seem to be doing all right… thanks to wind energy and biofuels, such as biodiesel and ethanol. This story from the Burlington (IA) Hawk Eye says Mike Tramontina, director of the Iowa Department of Economic Development, recently told a group in …
Biodiesel Chief Blasts UN “Expert”
While Joe Jobe can be quite the accommodating host when it comes to open houses at his new building, he shows no hospitality to those who try to smear the good name of biofuels, in particular, biodiesel. This week, Belgian professor and so-called United Nations “expert” Olivier de Schutter tried to blame the rise in food prices on biofuels. But …
Nickel Tour of Biodiesel Board’s Green Building
Yesterday, I tried to bring you some of the sights and sounds of the ribbon-cutting ceremony at the National Biodiesel Board’s new, eco-friendly building in Jefferson City. Today, I’ve got a few pictures from the inside and outside of the building I’d like to share. Jenna Higgins Rose, the friendly communications director at NBB, gave me the “nickel tour” (although …