Eighteen million dollars in government grants are up for grabs as the U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Energy announce solicitations for biomass research and development. This press release from USDA’s web site says the money will go to researching and developing biomass-based products, biofuels, bioenergy and related processes: “Making these funds available represents this Administration’s ongoing commitment to promoting clean …
GAO Says Energy Department Lacks Biofuels Plan
Congress’ financial watchdog, the Government Accountability Office, says the U.S. Department of Energy lacks a plan for how to match up increased biofuels production with infrastructure and vehicles to use the green fuels. This highlight report on the GAO web site says that America’s reliance on oil poses significant economic and environmental risks. But ethanol and biodiesel could replace oil …
EcoJet Talk With Bernard Juchli
While I was attending last week’s CMA Music Festival Jay Leno’s EcoJet showed up on display. Traveling along to appear in the Michael Peterson/New Holland Celebrity Tractor Race was Jay Leno’s Garage manager, Bernard Juchli. Thanks to John Herath, producer of the nationally syndicated agricultural talk radio show, AgriTalk, for videotaping me doing the interview. John also edited it together …
Biodiesel Talk With Joe Jobe
After Joe Jobe, CEO of the National Biodiesel Board did an XM Radio, Dave Nemo Show appearance I got a chance to interview him here at the CMA Music Festival. He’s really happy to get an opportunity this weekend to work with New Holland and Michael Peterson as they help promote biodiesel here. Earlier this year the NBB gave New …
EcoJet On Display at CMA
When I traveled to Jay Leno’s Garage recently the EcoJet was still being worked on and we couldn’t take pictures of it. Now it’s out on tour and the latest stop is the CMA Music Festival at the New Holland tent. Jay has a New Holland Boomer tractor to pull cars around in his garage and it runs on a …
On the Road in Jenny Owen Youngs’ Biodiesel Van
Singer Jenny Owen Youngs, known for her music on the Showtime series Weeds, is incorporating some green (different kind of green in this case) in the van she’s using to tour the country. This article from HARP Magazine features Youngs: On her current tour, Jenny Owen Youngs will be tooling around in a biodiesel van. She got the idea from …
Portland Mandates Biodiesel
Starting next month, all diesel sold in Portland, Oregon will have to have at least a five percent biodiesel content. And according to this story on eTrucker.com, the City Council has made the standard even higher for city vehicles: City-owned diesel vehicles must use fuel with a biodiesel content of more than 20 percent. The rule also mandates that all …
Michigan’s BIG Program Installing Biofuels Pumps
That’s the Biofuels Infrastructure Grant Program that gets federal money to help gas station owners/operators install E-85 and B20 (or higher percentage) pumps to encourage the Earth-friendly fuels. The latest was a station the Quick Sav Food Store in Swartz Creek. That station got about $8,400 to put in the new pumps… one of six stations in Michigan that received …
FFA Making Biodiesel
This week I’m attending the CMA Music Festival in Nashville, TN to do some work with New Holland and Michael Peterson. The activities culminate for us with the 2nd annual Michael Peterson/New Holland Tractor Race. You can learn more about it on Agwired. While here though I ran into a story I thought you might be interested in. Pictured here …
Incoming British PM Pushes Biodiesel
The man expected to replace British Prime Minister Tony Blair has called for more tax incentives for the production of biodiesel. According to this story on the Scotsman.com, to make his point, Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown made a recent trip on Europe’s first biodiesel-powered train with Sir Richard Branson, the chairman of Virgin: The pair travelled on a …