LOVE IT! The winners of the 3rd Annual High School Renewable Fuels Video Contest hail from Muscatine, Iowa and wow are they clever. Alli Burns, Ana Arzate and Sariah Garrido of Muscatine took the top price in the “Fuel the Future” video contest for high school students that was sponsored by Faegre Baker Daniels, LLP. The Iowa Renewable Fuels Association …
General Wesley Clark Rallies The Troops
At today’s U.S. Custom Harvesters luncheon, sponsored by New Holland, retired General Wesley Clark, co-chairman of Growth Energy, took the stage. The organization is holding their 30th annual convention which is co-located with the 2013 AG CONNECT Expo in Kansas City, MO. Gen. Clark says his passion was the military and now his passion is national energy security and the …
RFA Condems UN Biofuels & Food Security Study
Earlier this month, the U.N. Committee on World Food Security (CFS) has released a draft study on biofuels and food security with a public comment period until January 30, 2013. Yesterday, the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) submitted comments about the report and its several policy recommendations. The authors write, “Our report has confirmed the central role of biofuels in provoking …
Using Corn to Support Biofuel Production
Our latest ZimmPoll asked the question, ”How many machines (tractors, etc.) does your farm own?” Our poll results: The majority of you at thirty-five percent own 10+ machines and equipment. Twenty-five percent own 3-5, close behind was 6-9 at twenty-one percent, thirteen percent own 1-2, and six percent said other. As we suspected, every farm and farmer has a different …
Regional Clean Energy Challenge Winners Named
Aerosol Control Technologies (ACT) of Washington University in St. Louis, has won the $10,000 Missouri Clean Energy Student Challenge. The team will compete for more than $300,000 in prizes in the second annual Clean Energy Student Challenge on April 4, 2013 in Chicago. ACT is developing an advanced particulate matter capture system that will significantly improve diesel engine efficiency using …
Ethanol Industry Responds to API E15 Study
The American Petroleum Institute (API), released a new E15 study today and representatives of all the major ethanol industry associations issued statements. In addition, the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) held a media conference to discuss why the study oil-funded study was “flawed” and “misleading”. Ethanol experts Kristy Moore, Vice President for Technical Services for RFA, along with Bob Reynolds, President …
Iowa Senator Harkin to Retire
Iowa Senator and renewable fuel advocate Tom Harkin has announced over the weekend that he will retire after his current term. Leading up to the 2014 elections, Harkin will have served five terms. He said in a statement he will spend more time with his family. In response to the news, the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IRFA) today thanked Senator …
Photovoltaics Versus Biofuels in Energy Conversion
How does energy produced by the sun (solar) compete with ethanol in terms of land use, life-cycle emissions and cost? These questions are being asked by University of California Santa Barbara (UCSB) Bren School of Environmental Science & Management Professor Roland Geyer. He wants to know what makes more sense, growing fuel crops to supply alternative-fuel vehicles with ethanol or …
Chicken Wing Shortage for Super Bowl?
Despite the win going to the renewable energy industry for the Renewable Fuel Standard to remain in play with no penalties, the National Chicken Council is still attempting to blame the RFS and biofuels for the reduced number of chicken wings this coming Super Bowl. In response to the rough play, Growth Energy called several penalties: “Roughing the facts” – …
Get a Biodiesel Update During IRFA Summit
Those attending the 7th Annual Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit will have the opportunity to learn about biodiesel along with a host of other information about biofuels. The FREE event takes place on January 30, 2013 at The Meadows Conference Center in Altoona, Iowa. The “More B For Me” biodiesel panel will include Terry Murray, a livestock and crop farmer from …