One of the people I met with here at the Cellulosic Ethanol Summit is Tim Lust, CEO of the National Sorghum Producers. Tim provided me with a historical perspective on how sorghum has been involved in ethanol production. For example, he says that the first ethanol plant to use sorghum in the production of ethanol was in New Mexico 20 …
Cellulosic Ethanol Summit Day Two
The Cellulosic Ethanol Summit is wrapping up this morning in Washington, DC. I haven’t been able to post much from it due to a complete lack of internet access in the venue (Almas Temple Club). So I’m playing a little catch up. The program has been pretty much back to back panels and speakers on a variety of topics related …
Report Highlights Future of Ethanol
A National Research Council report released today examines policy options and identifies opportunities for new agricultural techniques and technologies to help minimize effects of biofuel production on water resources. While many media reports have focused on the potential effects increased corn ethanol production could have on water supplies and quality, the report was focused on identified options for addressing those …
Announcing WIREC 2008
The United States will host the Washington International Renewable Energy Conference March 4-6, 2008. The conference, which has been held previously in Bonn and Beijing, is an opportunity for government, private sector, and non-governmental leaders to jointly address the goal of advancing renewable energy. Under Secretary of State for Democracy and Global Affairs Paula Dobriansky hosted stakeholders in the renewable …
Cows Are Like Ethanol Plants
Here is a riddle for you – “How is a cow like an ethanol production plant?” That question was posed at a booth manned by Nick Baker of the U. S. Dairy Forage Research Center at last week’s World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wisconsin. Baker explained to expo visitors that basically the cow’s rumen uses microbes to break down forage …
POET Finalizes Agreement With DOE
POET and the U.S. Department of Energy have signed a cooperative agreement for a commercial cellulosic ethanol project in Emmetsburg, Iowa. According to a company release, the agreement finalizes the first phase of a DOE award that was announced in February and will govern all aspects of the project leading up to construction. With the agreement in place, POET will …
Switchgrass Ethanol Near Reality
Mascoma Corporation of Massachusettes has announced plans to establish the country’s first operating facility producing cellulosic ethanol utilizing switchgrass as feedstock. According to a company release, the project represents one of the largest commitments of capital yet made in support of the cellulosic biofuels industry. Mascoma and The University of Tennessee plan to jointly build and operate the five million …
Fueling America
CNN.com has an interactive special report called “Fueling America” that features information on a variety of alternative fuel and energy source with a relatively objective viewpoint – simply putting it out there and pointing out some pros and cons. There is also a good article on CNN about the lack of ethanol production outside of the Midwest. Outside the country’s …
Agenda Change for Cellulosic Summit
With the resignation of US Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns last week, the Cellulosic Ethanol Summit next month has made an agenda change. Johanns was scheduled to be the keynote speaker at the event but now Acting Secretary Chuck Conner will be the keynoter. The Summit will be in Washington, D.C., Oct. 15-17. The annual three-day event has established itself as …
Former EU Ag Commissioner on Biofuels
Back in 2003, the European Union instituted some major reforms in its agricultural sector, which are now known as the “Fischler Reforms” after the Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development and Fisheries at the time, Franz Fischler. Among the policies instituted at the time was a very small incentive for farmers to produce crops on set aside land that could be …