USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service is on the forefront of developing plants that could be used as future energy sources through the NRCS Plant Materials Program. National Program leader for Plant Materials Bob Escheman says that is part of their mission to solve resource concerns. “The Plant Material program began back in the middle ‘30s when the Soil Conservation Service …
Energy Crop Incentive Bill
Sen. John Thune (R-SD) has introduced legislation aimed at helping farmers near biorefineries begin growing dedicated energy crops. According to Thune, the Biofuels Innovation Program Act would offer farmers incentives to grow crops, such as switchgrass and fast-growing trees, for use as cellulosic ethanol feedstocks. “Cellulosic ethanol, produced from homegrown sources like corn stover, wheat straw, switchgrass and wood chips, …
Farm-to-Fuel Investment Act
As livestock producers continue to voice concerns about rising feed costs, proposed “transition assistance” for farmers to grow dedicated energy crops was introduced this week in legislation sponsored by Senators Tom Harkin (D-IA) Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Kent Conrad (D-SD). “Farmers are going to be a key part of our nation’s ability to achieve energy independence,” said Klobuchar. “These crops …
Committee Passes Energy Bill
The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee has approved energy legislation that calls for 36 billion gallons of renewable fuels use by 2022. The bill also provides the necessary incentives to spur the development of commercial-scale cellulosic ethanol production. The bill received bi-partisan support in the committee, with eight Republicans and 12 Democrats voting in favor of passage. Three Republicans …
More DOE Funds for Biofuels
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) will provide up to $200 million, over five years to support the development of small-scale cellulosic biorefineries in the United States. According to a DOE announcement, the funding will be for projects to develop biorefineries at ten percent of commercial scale that produce liquid transportation fuels such as ethanol, as well as bio-based chemicals …
Millers Focus on Fuel
The 48th Annual Corn Dry Milling Conference is coming up May 31 – June 1 at the National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research in Peoria, Illinois. The conference is jointly sponsored by the North American Millers’ Association and the National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research Agricultural Research Service, USDA. Among the ethanol-related topics at the meeting will be the National …
Another Cellulosic Breakthrough
Cornell University researchers have reportedly discovered a class of plant enzymes that potentially could allow plant materials used to make ethanol to be broken down more efficiently than is possible using current technologies. According to Jocelyn Rose, Cornell assistant professor of plant biology, the breakthrough could make the production of cellulosic ethanol less expensive. “The bottleneck for conversion of lignocellulose …
Corn Pores Hold Ethanol Promise
Purdue University researchers are opening the pores of corn to try and increase ethanol yield. According to a Purdue news release, researchers have discovered that particles from cornstalks undergo previously unknown structural changes when processed to produce ethanol, an insight they said will help establish a viable method for large-scale production of ethanol from plant matter. Their research demonstrates that …
Supercomputer Cellulosic Work
Scientists have used an SDSC supercomputer to help improve cellulose conversion to ethanol. Their “virtual molecules” show how the enzyme complex may change shape to straddle a broken cellulose chain, gaining a crucial foothold to digest cellulose into sugar molecules, which can then be fermented into ethanol. A team of scientists has conducted molecular simulations at the San Diego Supercomputer …
Robotic Ethanol Research
A robotic arm is providing a helping hand for USDA researchers doing cellulosic ethanol research. The one-armed robot is helping scientists with the Agricultural Research Service in Peoria, Illinois speed studies aimed at harnessing the power of proteins for industrial uses, such as making fuel ethanol from fibrous corn stover. According to an ARS article, the robotic system can carry …