The Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IRFA) has submitted a letter responding to the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s request for stakeholder comment on the Committee’s white paper regarding the so-called blend wall. IRFA Policy Director Grant Menke stated, “Our stakeholder comments focused on three main points. First, there is no valid E10 blend wall. The blend wall vanished as soon as …
Renewable Fuels Infrastructure Funds Available
Retail and wholesale distributors of fuels who are interested in installing new equipment to offer consumers more choice at the pump – higher blends of ethanol and biodiesel – can apply for financial assistance through the Iowa Renewable Fuels Infrastructure Program. Applications must be received by April 30, 2013 and will be considered at the May 14th meeting of the …
DOE to Fund Three Bioenergy Research Centers
Three labs working on advanced, next-generation biofuels will get funding for another five years … of course, if Congress funds it. The U.S. Department of Energy announced the intent to fund the BioEnergy Research Center (BESC) led by Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center (GLBRC) led by the University of Wisconsin-Madison in partnership with Michigan State …
Ethanol’s Enviro Benefits Keep on Growing
The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) has developed a comparison of the environmental impacts of ethanol and petroleum as transportation fuels. Using scientific data, the side-by-side comparison examines a wide array of environmental factors. Most know today that petroleum, made from oil, is not “renewable”. Created over millions of years, it will takes thousands of years for more oil to …
Popke’s in Rock Rapids, IA Joins the E15 Club
Popke’s, Inc. in Rock Rapids, Iowa has joined the E15 “club” now joining four other stations in Iowa to sell the 15 percent ethanol, 85 percent gasoline fuel blend. “My business believes in supporting Iowa’s farmers and growing our local economy,” said Popke’s, Inc. owner Greg Popke. “American-made E15 is the next step in securing our independence from foreign oil. …
FREE EPA Rulemaking Seminar
EcoEngineers is offering a FREE webinar for renewable fuel producers to offer clear direction for successfully implementing policies currently in process by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The informational webinar on QAP A AND B and EPA’S Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) is set for Wednesday, April 3, 2013 from 1-2 pm CST. During this session, EcoEngineers Partner and Chief …
Algae.Tec Using Shipping Containers to Grow Algae
When it comes to alternatives to some of the more conventional sources of oils for biofuels, many companies are looking to go green. And some, such as the folks at Algae.Tec, are looking to green shipping containers to grow a literal green feedstock. “What we wanted was a significant bulk outcome, in other words fuels and possibly food, producing the …
Green Biologics Wins Biobutanol Funding
Green Biologics has received funding from the Technology Strategy Board (TSB), based in UK, to engineer a bacterial host for biobutanol production. The project is in collaboration with the Clostridia Research Group (CRG) at the University of Nottingham which is funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC). The goal of the 18 month project is to develop a novel bacterial …
AFPM Attack on RFS, Inaccurate, Typical
The American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM) held teleconferences last week in an effort to discredit the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). During the call, AFPM blamed increased gas prices on renewable fuels, which, says, Tom Buis, CEO of Growth Energy, is false. “Manipulating data and spreading misinformation is not the way to educate lawmakers and drive policy decisions. Our energy …
RFS & E10 Blend Wall White Paper Released
The U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee has released a “white paper” analyzing the federal renewable fuels standard (RFS) and the so-called E10 blend wall. On page two, the white paper highlighted that new fuels are banned from competing with petroleum products unless first approved for use by the federal government. According to the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IRFA), this federal …