Being able to make biofuels cheaper, faster, and without the help of government subsidies seems to be the theme of some recent work by American researchers. This story in the Des Moines Register highlights a couple of programs, in particular, one by an Iowa State professor who has teamed up with the private sector to find a way to make …
McDonald’s Driving on Own Cooking Oil
Fast-food giant McDonald’s will be fueling some of its delivery trucks in the United Kingdom on the leftover oil used to cook its french fries and chicken nuggets. This story in London’s Financial Times says 155 trucks could be running on the fuel made from the grease by the end of the year: The fast-food group, which to date has …
Meet the American Biofuels Council
There’s a new player on the block in the alternative energy group sector: The American Biofuels Council. Sean O’Hanlon is the executive director for the new group that he says has gotten a better-than-expected response in their first few months of existence. In an interview with energy.agwired.com, he explains that his council is different than other groups such as the …
Investors Still Want Alt Energy
Investors still seem to have quite an appetite for alternative energy… but their tastes might be changing a bit. This AP story posted on Forbes.com says energy sources such as solar and wind have made some gains, while ethanol investments became somewhat flat: According to IPOHome.com, 115 companies went public in the U.S. during the first half of the year. …
Dakota Skies Turn Dark
Just less than a year ago, the prospects for a biodiesel plant in Minot, North Dakota seemed pretty promising as the state’s governor, a U.S. Senator, and North Dakota’s ag commissioner attended the groundbreaking at the Dakota Skies Biodiesel plant. But a decision by the Minot Area Development Corporation, which donated the land for the plant in the first place, …
Soybean Acres Drop Despite Biodiesel Rise
In what might be considered a bit counter-intuitive, U.S. soybean acres planted have dropped to the lowest level in 12 years… despite increased interests in biodiesel… a product that often uses soy oil as its feedstock. This story posted on Forbes.com says the culprit is more farmers switching to corn to make the even more popular ethanol: The USDA reported …
Speaker Declares “Energy Independence Day”
Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives have rolled out an energy plan during what they tout as America’s “Energy Independence Day.” The Houston Chronicle reports Speaker Nancy Pelosi outlined a broad array of “green energy” proposals her party hopes to get through Congress before leaving for the August recess: “When it comes to energy, we must think big,” Pelosi …
Making Biofuels More Accessible in Tennessee
Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen wants drivers to be able to find ethanol and biodiesel to fill their tanks. This story on the WKRN-TV web site says stickers at the gas pumps pushing the state’s new BioTenn plan, promoting E85 ethanol and biodiesel, should be popping up in about a month or so: “What I’m trying to do is get Tennessee …
Tuscaloosa Latest to Make Biodiesel Switch
Tuscaloosa, Alabama is the latest city to switch its diesel powered fleet to biodiesel. This story on the WVUA-TV web site says the city is switching nearly 300 vehicles to run on a 20% biodiesel blend: The fuel comes from a plant in West Alabama called Alabama Biodiesel, located in Moundville. According to the company’s website, they began producing biodiesel …
Familiar Face to Lead Renewable Energy Market
For a long time, Texas was known to be a leader in the non-renewable energy fields… in particular, the petroleum market. But it looks like the Lone Star State is now poised to dominate the green fuel picture as well. This story in the Houston Chronicle says Texas will lead the nation in renewable energy production by 2025, and could …