This week I read the book “The Frugal Superpower,” by Michael Mandelbaum. For much of the beginning, I couldn’t quite figure out what this book had to do with energy. But I kept on going and was rewarded by some true insights as to other good reasons why reducing our dependence on Middle Eastern oil can help our country out …
Renewables In and Out of Obama Budget
There are renewable winners and losers in the FY2012 budget proposed this week by President Obama. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack says the president has included funding in the budget “To promote the domestic production of renewable energy, we invest in renewable energy programs related to commercialization; research and development; education and outreach; and energy efficiency and conservation. We are also …
USDA Changes to Rules to Help Biofuels
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has changed some of its rules that will help the bifuels industries, and, in turn, help create jobs in rural America and increase the production and use of renewable energy. The changes will allow non-rural areas to get funding and remove prior citizenship requirements for borrowers under the Biorefinery Assistance Program, the Repowering Assistance Program …
Florida Advanced Biofuels Plant Breaks Ground
A new commercial scale advance biofuels plant broke ground today in Vero Beach, Florida. The $130 million plant is being developed by INEOS New Planet BioEnergy (INPB), a joint venture between INEOS Bio and New Planet Energy. The Indian River BioEnergy Center in Vero Beach, Florida, will convert yard, vegetative and household wastes into cellulosic ethanol and renewable power for …
Elixir Bio-Tech Wins Award
A New Mexico Algae Biotech company, Elixir Bio-Tech Inc. (EBT), has been named one of the top 50 winners of the FundingPost’s 7th annual “Pitching Across America” competition. EBT is attempting to demonstrate accelerated approaches in producing algal biofuels with its Algae Biomass Feedstock project and has a patent pending on its Open and Closed Algae Biomass Systems. FundingPost is …
Update on DDCE Cellulosic Ethanol Projects
Two and a half years ago DuPont partnered with Danisco (whom DuPont is now acquiring) to create DuPont Danisco Cellulosic Ethanol (DDCE). In just a short amount of time, the venture has come a long way in bringing cellulosic fuels closer to commercial scale. During the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association’s (IRFA) annual conference, Kyle Althoff, DDCE’s Director of feedstock development …
KiOR Lands DOE Loan Guarantee Promise
KiOR, Inc. has a $1 billion biofuels project in the works that will convert wood biomass into drop-in biofuels such as gasoline and diesel fuel. Today the company announced that it has received a term sheet for a DOE loan guarantee to help financially support the project. KiOR’s project under the DOE loan guarantee program will consist of four biorefineries …
Online Biodiesel Equipment Auction Set to Begin Feb. 7
Maas Companies of Rochester, Minn. is coordinating an online auction of the sale of Sustainable Energy’s brand new 600 tons/day Hexane Extraction Equipment. The timed, online auction will take place on Monday, February 7, 2011 and end on Friday, February 18, 2011 at 5:00 p.m. EST. Maas specializes in the selling of ethanol and biodiesel plants and related equipment. This …
Algae Harvesting No Problem for Kent Bioenergy
One potential hurdle to the commercialization of algal fuels are how to harvest the algae. But one company believes that they already have this challenge figured out. Kent Bioenergy has been harvesting algae for years, as part of their aquaculture business that dates back the the 1970s. The original company needed to learn how to clean the water used for …
DF Cast: New Year, New Legislation for Ethanol, Biodiesel
The new year brings talk of new legislation for the ethanol and biodiesel industries. In this edition of the Domestic Fuel Cast, we talk to some of the leaders of the green fuels’ industries, as well as the head of the nation’s largest farm organization, to get their takes on what should be coming from Washington, D.C. as far as …