It’s NASCAR race weekend in Joliet, IL at Chicagoland Speedway. My home today and tomorrow. I’m joining the Illinois Corn Growers and Family Farmers for two races. First up will be tonight’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series American Ethanol 225. Then on Sunday we’ve got the second annual STP 300 which is part of the NASCAR Nationwide Series. The Sprint …
Ag Secretary Says RFS Okay with Ethanol Stocks
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack held a sobering press briefing Wednesday after meeting with President Obama about the impact of the nation’s drought on agricultural production. Vilsack says the drought is “most serious situation we’ve had in 25 years” with 61% of the land mass of the United States is currently characterized as being impacted. About one third of the counties …
Can Ethanol Meet RFS Demand with Lower Corn Crop?
USDA already cut the corn crop forecast by 12% but as conditions continue to worsen, concerns are being raised about whether the ethanol industry will be able to meet demand under the Renewable Fuels Standard with a drastically reduced crop. Renewable Fuels Association VP of Research and Analysis Geoff Cooper tackled that question in a white paper posted on the …
Latest Soil Research Supports Biomass Harvesting
Good news is emerging from the most recent soil data of the Project LIBERTY biomass harvesting research in northwest Iowa. Harvesting crop residue can be a responsible part of good farm management. Project LIBERTY is a commercial-scale, cellulosic ethanol plant that is scheduled to begin operations in Emmetsburg, Iowa in late 2013. The plant will use corncobs, leaves, husk, and …
Fungus Could Be Key for Corn Stover Ethanol
Trying to get more ethanol out of every part of the corn is the goal for many alternative fuel producers. With demand for the actual grain of corn for food, scientists are looking at the rest of the plant to try to extract ethanol. This article from the American Chemical Society’s journal Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research says researchers have …
Adding Value To Ethanol Byproducts
Researchers are looking for ways to get more value out of the byproducts of ethanol production, and thus, making the production of the green fuel more efficient and cost effective. During the recent Corn Utilization Technology Conference, USDA’s Kurt Spokas presented his ideas of getting more value out of those ethanol byproducts. He’s been working with the Minnesota Corn Growers …
Ethanol Report on First E15 Sales
The nation’s first E15 gallons under the EPA waiver were finally pumped this week at the Zarco 66 “Oasis” station in Lawrence, Kansas at a price two cents a gallon less than E10. This edition of “The Ethanol Report” features comments from Jere White, Executive Director of the Kansas Corn Commission, who bought the first gallon of E15 at the …
USDA Cuts Corn Yields and Ethanol Use
As expected, the USDA World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimate report out this morning did lower corn yields as a result of the hot and dry conditions throughout much of the growing region this summer. The projected U.S. corn yield was lowered 20 bushels per acre to 146 bushels reflecting the rapid decline in crop conditions since early June and …
Study: High Corn Lowers Indirect Land Use for Biofuels
A new study seems to add credibility to the arguments that high corn prices, often driven by demand for biofuels, are not increasing the actual indirect land use effects. This press release from the Iowa Corn Promotion Board says researchers at North Carolina State University and the University of Illinois at Chicago found that as prices for corn go up …
Nebraska Corn Board Funding More Blender Pumps
Retailers in Nebraska will get some help putting in pumps that give more choices when it comes to ethanol. The Nebraska Corn Board will give grants of $30,000 for acquisition and installation of the first blender pump at a location and $10,000 for a second pump to qualifying retailers: Blender pumps allow retailers to more easily offer additional ethanol blended …