25 x ’25 Energy Summit This Week

Cindy Zimmerman

Coming up this week in Omaha is the National 25x’25 Renewable Energy Summit. The conference will feature leading renewable energy experts from across the nation. More than two dozen pre-eminent authorities on biofuels, biomass, wind, solar and other land-based renewable energy sources will address the summit. Presenters will include Dr. Steven Chu, Nobel laureate and director of the Lawrence Berkeley …

Biodiesel, Cellulosic, conferences, Energy, Ethanol, News, Solar, Wind

Volvo Debuts Biofuel-friendly Trucks

John Davis

Automaker Volvo has unveiled seven trucks that the company sees as the future for long-haul transportation in the country. This story in Land Line Magazine says Volvo officials debuted the trucks at the Washington International Renewable Energy Conference in Washington, DC: The trucks, powered by everything from biodiesel and ethanol to biogas and hydrogen, are touted by the company as …

Biodiesel, Ethanol, Hydrogen, Miscellaneous, News

Bush Urges US to “Get Off Oil”

Cindy Zimmerman

As crude oil jumped to new record highs on the New York mercantile exchange due to falling oil inventories, trading over $104 a barrel, President Bush renewed his support for ethanol as a means toward energy independence. Speaking at the Washington International Renewable Energy Conference 2008 (WIREC) Wednesday, Bush said, “America has got to change its habits. We’ve got to …

Biodiesel, Car Makers, Cellulosic, conferences, Energy, Ethanol, Government, Hydrogen, News, Solar, Wind

Sustaining the Faith

John Davis

A group is trying to combine their faith with its desire to live a life that will allow everyone to enjoy the Earth before they have to head off to Heaven. FUSE… Faiths United for Sustainable Energy… is a collection of scientists, religious leaders, government officials, and more which wants to become a catalyst to rid our society of its …

Biodiesel, Ethanol, Miscellaneous, News

Farm Equipment Manufacturers Support of Biodiesel

Chuck Zimmerman

Ed Hegland is a farmer from Minnesota and currently serving as Chairman of the National Biodiesel Board. He stopped by the New Holland booth while I was attending the Commodity Classic trade show in Nashville where I got to talk to him about how equipment manufacturers are supporting biodiesel. Ed says that as a farmer he’s excited to see companies …

Audio, Biodiesel

Her Glass and Her Tank is Half-full

John Davis

I couldn’t resist this story when I ran across it. A science teacher from Miami, Florida is truly putting her money where her mouth is when it comes to how safe biodiesel is. Bertha Vasquez demonstrates for Miami’s NBC6 (which has this cool link to a bunch of ecologically-friendly in its Going Green section) and reporter Patricia Andreu just how …

Biodiesel

Building A Sustainability Task Force

John Davis

The National Biodiesel Board is looking for people to serve on its new Sustainability Task Force. You might remember from Cindy’s posting from Feb. 6th on the NBB National Conference & Expo blog that NBB chair Ed Hegland appointed Emily Bockian Landsburg of the Energy Cooperative and Philadelphia Fry-O-Diesel as the chair of the new group. Landsburg and NBB task …

Biodiesel

Deere Running on Biofuels

Cindy Zimmerman

John Deere sponsored one of the most popular and well attended Learning Center sessions at the 2008 Commodity Classic in Nashville this week. “Starch and Cellulose as Ethanol Feedstocks” discussed the importance of starch as today’s primary ethanol feedstock, harvesting challenges for increased corn yields as well as cellulose, and how to increase demand for biofuels. Don Borgman, director of …

Audio, Biodiesel, Cellulosic, Commodity Classic, Ethanol, John Deere, News

Challenge to Argentine Export Tax System

John Davis

The American Soybean Association (ASA) is filing a World Trade Organization challenge to Argentina’s export tax system… a system the ASA says turns out to be an unfair subsidy for Argentine biodiesel exports. This story posted on Agriculture Online has details: The Argentine export tax system favors biodiesel with lower export taxes for the fuel than for exports of raw …

Biodiesel, International, Legislation

Ohio Becoming Mecca for Green Collar Jobs

John Davis

A new report says Ohio could be home to 174,000 advanced, renewable energy jobs by 2030. The report by the American Solar Energy Society, funded by the non-profit Ohio Business Development Coalition, says the Buckeye State is pioneering efforts to increase the number of skilled professionals in the renewable energy field: According to the Ohio Business Development Coalition (OBDC), the …

Biodiesel, Ethanol, Miscellaneous, News, Solar, Wind