As the debate continues to rage over using some foodstuffs for fuel, there seems to be a plant that could solve the issue. The jatropha plant from Africa has been used for centuries as a natural hedge. Now, it could be a natural substitute for plants such as soybeans in the search for feedstocks for biodiesel. This story on CNNMoney.com …
Chesapeake Biodiesel Plant Gets Environmental Evaluation
Engineers for the company developing a 320-million-gallon-a-year biodiesel plant on a river around Chesapeake Bay in Virginia have looked at the possible impact the facility would have on the surrounding wetlands. WAVY-TV in Portsmouth, VA reports that the facility will be on the Elizabeth River: “Our site is designed every step of the way to minimize any impact on the …
Biodiesel Project Kicks off in Pocatello
Five departments of the City of Pocatello, Idaho are making the switch to biodiesel for their fleet of vehicles. This story from KIFI-TV says the move comes after months of careful planning: [T]he City of Pocatello has initiated a Biodiesel Pilot Project with a portion of the City’s diesel fleet. The current pilot project will be initially conducted with B20, …
North Carolina Drives Toward Statewide Ethanol Fuel Blend
A newly appropriated biofuel center in North Carolina will be the state’s launch pad for its latest targeted benchmark with biofuels. Catalyzing an entire new industry for North Carolina is the long-term task of the newly established Biofuels Center of North Carolina, which moved to reality Tuesday following its first board of directors meeting. Funded with a $5 million initial …
Coast to Coast Biofuels Workshops
No matter which coast you call home, BBI has a Biofuels Workshop for you this fall. The Western Region workshop will be held October 9-11 in Portland, Oregon. The conference includes an opening keynote address from Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski and a conclusion on “Policies and Technologies for a Sustainable Biofuels Industry” by Alex Farrell, Assistant Professor, Energy and Resources …
Biofuels Forum in Vegas
The Alternative Fuel Vehicle Institute’s “Biofuels Drive Economic Solutions Forum” in Las Vegas this month will feature an automotive journalist and an energy expert as keynote speakers. According to an AFVi news release, Michael Caudill, automotive journalist for KTLA in Los Angeles, and expert on the vehicle marketplace kicks off the morning with his insightful automotive forecast. Nationally recognized energy …
Bike-friendly, Pet-friendly Bus Line Getting More Earth-friendly
In an effort to get back on the road, Shared Route… a colorful, biodiesel bus that runs between Portland, Oregon and Olympia and Seattle, Washington… will run on vegetable oil. This blog post in the Seattle (WA) Post-Intelligencer says the bus service known for its welcoming arms to bikes and pets… as well as the human passengers… has been suspended …
Navistar Wins Blue Sky Award
Illinois-based Navistar International Corporation, the maker of diesel hybrid school buses and trucks, has won the prestigious 2007 Blue Sky Award from WestStart-CALSTART, the nation’s leading advanced transportation technologies consortium. Navistar was recognized for its contributions to commercial hybrid-diesel technology. This press release from the company says Navistar officials will be on hand for the award presentation and will provide …
Minneapolis-St. Paul Buses Up Biodiesel Percentage
Metro Transit… the public transportation service for the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area… is raising the amount of biodiesel it is using in its vehicles to a 10% blend. For the last 14 months, Metro Transit has been using a 5% blend. This story on The Farmer.com says the move is welcomed as making an efficient form of transportation, mass transit, …
Biodiesel Seminars Offered Across Iowa
The Iowa Biodiesel Board and Iowa Soybean Association, along with the commercial biodiesel maker and biodiesel plant maker, Renewable Energy Group are offering a series of biodiesel management seminars in different parts of the state. This article in Wallace’s Farmer the seminars will offer information on the best management practices of blending, storing and using biodiesel year-round, including cold weather …