A California company has announced plans to build a plant in Rialto, California for the production of ultra-clean synthetic fuels and electric power from renewable waste biomass feedstocks. Rentech, Inc. is working on what they are calling the Rialto Renewable Energy Center, or Rialto Project, which is designed to produce approximately 600 barrels per day of pure renewable synthetic fuels …
A Bigger Bang for the Buck: Bioelectricty or Biofuels?
ScienceDaily.com broke a story today about an article that will published in the May 22, 2009 issue of Science. The article focuses on what is more efficient – converting biomass to fuel or converting biomass to electricity? The study authors wrote in the online edition of the journal that the best bet is to convert the biomass to electricity rather …
NREL Recipient of Recovery Act Funding
“The goal is to set America on a course for a secure and sustainable energy future.” DOE Energy Secretary Steven Chu The alternative energy industry is already receiving the monies set aside to help spur the economy and reduce America’s dependence on fossil-fuel based energy sources. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory was the recipient of $110 million in funding, announced …
House Ag Committee Chair Blasts EPA Rule
The chairman of the House Agriculture Committee on Wednesday announced strong opposition to the Environmental Protection Agency’s just released proposed rulemaking on the Renewable Fuels Standard that includes impacts from indirect land use changes. During a hearing to review the impact of the indirect land use and renewable biomass provisions in the renewable fuel standard, Rep. Collin Peterson (D-MN) blasted …
Corn Ethanol Positives in RFS Announcement
Corn ethanol seems to have made out better than expected in the proposed rulemaking for the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) under the 2007 Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) announced this week by the Obama administration, mainly because it allows the industry to provide more input regarding indirect land use impacts. The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) is pleased with …
Ethanol Industry Pleased With White House Action
The ethanol industry is unanimous in its praise for the actions announced today by the Obama administration with regard to the future development of biofuels under the Renewable Fuels Standard and the creation of a Biofuels Interagency Working Group. During a press conference immediately following the announcement, Renewable Fuels Association president Bob Dinneen said, “The president has sent an incredibly …
Agencies Work Together for Biofuels
Three government agencies have been given a presidential directive to aggressively accelerate the investment in and production of biofuels. The U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Energy, together with the Environmental Protection Agency will make up the the new Biofuels Interagency Working Group. “The president has directed us to create a comprehensive biofuel marketing development program to focus on the infrastructure …
White House Announces Interagency Biofuels Group
The White House will form a working group to be chaired by the heads of three government agencies to speed the sustainable development of biofuels. The action was announced during a press conference this morning with Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson and Energy Secretary Steven Chu, who will head the new Biofuels Interagency Working Group. They pledged …
Administration to Announce RFS Rulemaking
The long-awatied notice of proposed rulemaking on the Renewable Fuels Standard will be issued Tuesday morning at 10:00 Eastern time by the Obama administration. The announcement will be made jointly in a press conference by Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, Secretary of Energy Steven Chu and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson who will discuss President Obama’s commitment to advance …
EPA Rulemaking on RFS May Come Soon
The notice of proposed rulemaking on the Renewable Fuels Standard may be imminent. News out of Washington last week was that the Office of Management and Budget has completed the review of the Environmental Protection Agency’s rule, specifically as it relates to indirect land use and greenhouse gas emissions of biofuels compared to gasoline. Renewable Fuels Association president Bob Dinneen …