The rule to increase the 2013 Biomass-Based Diesel volumes under the RFS to 1.28 billion gallons needs swift action by President Obama according to the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IFRA). The organization sent a letter to the president urging his administration to keep its track record of support for biodiesel and approve the requested increase for 2013. IRFA President Brad …
USDA Plays Biofuels “Matchmaker”
The U.S. Department of Agriculture will be hosting a “match making day” later this month to promote connections between agricultural producers of energy feedstocks with biorefiners seeking to produce biofuels for commercial sale and consumption. Officials from the U.S. Department of Navy, U.S. Department of Energy, and the Federal Aviation Administration will also attend the March 30 event at USDA …
Cobalt Forms New Bio n-Butanol Partnership
The Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division (NAWCWD) is in the final stage of a biojet fuel project using bio n-butanol produced by Cobalt Technologies. Albemarle Corporation, a chemical company, will use NAWCWD technologies to process Cobalt’s fuel into renewable jet fuel. The project is underway in Albemarle’s Baton Rouge, Louisiana processing facility. Dr. Michael D. Seltzer, head of NAWCWD’s …
Susie The Biodiesel Bike Ready For The Highway
The COO for the National Biodiesel Board, Donnell Rehagen, proudly displayed Susie, the Biodiesel Bike, to a local audience at the organization’s headquarters in Jefferson City, MO. The event happened just in time for National Biodiesel Day on March 18. National Biodiesel Board member CIMA Green partnered with Paul Sr. and Orange County Choppers to craft a high performance diesel …
Sorghum for Ethanol Increases
Early March is an important time for the agricultural industry when they come together for Commodity Classic. With the challenges facing both the ag and energy industries, which go hand-in-hand, Terry Swanson, Chairman of the National Sorghum Producers said, “We have to be unified.” When compared to other commodities used to produce biofuels, sorghum growers are a relatively small group. …
Sustainable Biofuels Awards Presented
The Sustainable Biofuels Awards were presented this week at the World Biofuels Markets 2012 Congress in Rotterdam, Netherlands. The awards include biofuels leadership, technology, adoption, bioethanol, biodiesel, feedstock innovation, innovation in aviation, biopower generation and bio-based chemicals and are determined based on judging by an elite panel of independent industry experts, with final voting by individuals in the general biofuels …
Bioenergy Interests Invited to Attend Capitol Hill Day
A diverse group of bioenergy stakeholders is holding a Capitol Hill Day for Bioenergy in Washington, DC on March 21. The event is being sponsored by a number of organizations including the 25x’25 Alliance, American Farm Bureau Federation, Advance Biofuels Organization, Algal Biomass Organization, American Council on Renewable Energy, Biomass Power Association, Energy Future Coalition, National Alliance of Forest Owners, …
Progress in Blueprint for Secure Energy Future
The White House today released a one-year progress report on the “Blueprint for a Secure Energy Future,” the Administration’s all-of-the-above approach to American energy. Among the highlights noted in the report is that the plan has resulted in a doubling of renewable energy generation from wind, solar, and geothermal sources since 2008. According to the report, “Since 2009, DOI has …
Butamax Granted Patent for Iso-Butanol
Butamax Advanced Biofuels LLC, has been granted patent number 8,129,162 for production of iso-butanol from biological resources. This latest patent was issued from a series of applications covering modified KARI enzymes that optimize production of biobutanol by Butamax’s proprietary microorganisms. These microorganisms are engineered with the isobutanol biosynthetic pathway invented by Butamax that includes five enzymatic steps that convert sugar …
Amendment Would Extend Domestic Energy Tax Credits
Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) introduced an amendment to the Transportation Bill (S.1813) Thursday that would extend tax incentives for domestically produced energy sources, including biodiesel, ethanol, cellulosic biofuels, electric vehicles, wind energy and solar. The measure would re-instate and extend the $1 per gallon biodiesel tax incentive, which expired at the end of last year, and the Advanced Energy Manufacturing …