New dates have been scheduled for a conference on the future of energy in Florida. The 6th annual Farm to Fuel Summit had been scheduled for August 3-5 in Orlando but was postponed in May after the Florida legislature approved the transfer of the State Energy Office from the Executive Office of the Governor to the Department of Agriculture and …
Stephanie Herseth Sandlin to Keynote ACE Conference
Former South Dakota Representative Stephanie Herseth Sandlin will be a keynote speaker at the upcoming American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) conference being held in Des Moines Iowa August 22-24 in the Marriott Hotel. Her speech, “Our Sons’ and Daughters’ Ethanol Industry: Adjusting to New Realities and Enlisting More Allies,” will be given at 12:15 pm CST on August 23rd. “The …
Industry Urges Opposition to Anti-Ethanol Amendments
The renewable energy and agricultural industry today sent a letter to all Members of the House of Representatives urging them to vote no against amendments that would harm the growth of the ethanol industry. The coalition says moves such as prohibiting the Environmental Protection Agency from implementing the E15 waiver would “weaken efforts to reduce our nation’s dependence on foreign …
Book Review – The Vertical Farm
I switched gears this week and spent some time learning about ways the world can feed a burgeoning population. One emerging idea is through a “vertical farm,” an idea that has been promoted by Dr. Dickson Despommier, a former professor of microbiology and public health in environmental sciences at Columbia. He recently authored, “The Vertical Farm Feeding the World in …
Synterra Energy Takes Commericalization Step Forward
Synterra Energy has taken a step forward in bringing advanced biofuels to commercial scale with the merger of Pacific Renewable Fuels and Chemicals and Red Lion Bio-Energy. Synterra will now own key intellectual property and assets designed for waste biomass conversion. This announcement signals the company’s move to commercial scale production of renewable fuels, chemicals and power from waste biomass …
SDSU Studies Production of Biochar, Bio-Oil from Biomass
South Dakota State University (SDSU) is researching the future, one is which rural landscapes would no longer be dotted with grain elevators but rather with pyrolysis plants that would convert energy crops to fuel or “bio-oil”. This bio-oil would be passed along to other refiniries to produce products such as drop-in fuels or biochemicals while the plants would recycle the …
The Real Impact of U.S. Biofuels on ILUC
A new study has looked at the “real” impacts of U.S. biofuels production both domestically and internationally and has concluded it is “negligible or nonexistent.” The research was coauthored by Dr. Seungdo Kim and Dr. Bruce E. Dale and was published in the July issue of Biomass and Bioenergy Journal under the title, “Indirect land use change for biofuels: Testing …
Paul Beckwith Takes the Reigns at Butamax
Butamax announced today the changing of the guards with Paul Beckwith taking over the reigns as CEO. Beckwith will be leading the company into its next phase of commercial development in biobutanol. He succeeds Tim Potter, who served as CEO for Butamax during the company’s start-up phase that began in 2009. Butmax is a partnership between DuPont and BP and …
Elsevier Biofuel Launched to Guide Innovation
A new tool is now available for biofuel managers and research development professionals to help solve innovation challenges. Elsevier Biofuels is an unique online search and discovery tool that gives companies access to the highest level of scientific, industrial and commercial information that can be utilized by companies to assist them in solving problems or make key decisions. “BioEnergy RD&D …
Buses in São Paulo to Use Sugarcane Diesel
Sugarcane is not just for ethanol. Amryis Brasil S.A., the Brazilian arm of Amyris, has announced that it will be supplying 160 city buses in São Paulo with its Diesel de Cana, or renewable diesel produced from sugarcane. Beginning this August and expiring at the end of 2012, buses operated by the Viação Santa Brígida will run on a blend …