The U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee began debate on the so-called climate bill Tuesday with testimony from four top members of the Obama administration – U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson. Secretary Vilsack testified discussed the importance of engaging farmers and ranchers in crafting …
Canada Plans Advanced Energy Research Center
Enerkem, a leading waste-to-biofuels and green chemicals technology company, today announced that it will jointly form an advanced energy research center with the City of Edmonton and the Alberta Energy Research Institute (AERI). The research center will focus on the development and demonstration of novel catalytic conversion processes to produce advanced biofuels and green chemicals from non-hazardous industrial waste (generated …
Pickens and Propane
Billionaire oilman and energy activist T. Boone Pickens says propane is an important part of the “Pickens Plan”, citing propane’s environmentally friendly profile and ample production in the United States. Pickens made that announcement at a recent propane industry event in Washington with the Propane Education & Research Council (PERC). “America has the opportunity today to reduce its dependence on …
Celebrate Energy Independence
As Americans celebrate Independence Day this weekend, it is a good time to reflect on our need to increase our energy independence. The good news is, we are becoming less dependent on foreign sources of oil for our transportation fuel needs. According to the Energy Information Administration (EIA), ethanol displaced almost 322 million barrels of oil in 2008. The Renewable …
Franken Says He’s Pro-Ethanol
The newest member of the U.S. Senate says he is pro-ethanol. In an interview with MinnPost.com today, Senator-elect Al Franken (D-MN) expressed his support for ethanol. “What we’re talking about here is the science of how ethanol affects our carbon footprint,” Franken said. “The science to me tells me it helps. I’ve looked at this a lot, and it seems …
5 Reasons Why the Climate Bill Will Ruin Your Life
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 42 percent of Americans oppose the climate bill that passed the House last week because respondents believe the bill will hurt the economy. Well, the more I dig into the nuances of the proposed climate bill, the more I realize that this bill will do more damage than good. Here are …
New RAND Study: Energy Security Benefit Overblown
As we approach America’s independence day, the “energy security” benefit many organizations and government officials tout may be overblown, according to a new study conducted by RAND Corporation. The study, “Does Imported Oil Threaten National Security?” evaluated the risks to national security associated with U.S. imports of oil and assessed the costs and benefits of policies to address these risks. …
Climate Bill Compromise Better for Ethanol
Farm state lawmakers led by Rep. Collin Peterson (D-MN) have reached a compromise with Democratic leadership in the House on the so-called climate change bill that makes it more palatable to agriculture and biofuels interests. Part of the agreement includes allowing USDA to have oversight for agricultural carbon offset programs instead of EPA. “The climate change bill will include a …
Renewable Electricity Use Continues to Grow in 2009
Non-hydro sources of electricity continues to gain market share according to the latest statistics published by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) in its “Electric Power Monthly” report released on June 15, 2009. The even better news is while renewable energy is growing, coal and natural gas use in steadily decreasing (five and four percent respectively) while nuclear power has …
Ethanol and Biodiesel Testimony Presented at EPA Hearing
The Environmental Protection Agency’s public hearing on the proposed rule for the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) is now underway in Washington, DC. The first testimony presented was from Renewable Fuels Association President and CEO Bob Dinneen, who expressed the ethanol industry’s major concerns about the agnecy’s attempt to measure greenhouse gas lifecycle analysis including international indirect land use changes. “There …