The opening of an E-85 pump on Friday at Oceania Naval Air Station in Virginia Beach, Virginia received enthusiastic response from the public and the media. The Virginia-Pilot reported that, “A crowd of Navy officers, energy executives, a congressman and camera-toting media circled the first customer who pulled up to the shiny new pump, Petty Officer 1st Class Lacresha Fears.” …
Obama Wants to Maintain Ethanol Progress
Ethanol came up in a meeting this week between President Barack Obama and regional newspaper reporters in Washington D.C. According to the Des Moines Register, the president did not say whether the administration would increase the amount of ethanol that could be added to regular gasoline, as requested by the ethanol industry, but did indicate he would ultimately make that …
Ag Secretary Focused on 12-13 Percent Ethanol Blend
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack would love to see the ethanol blend rate increased to 15 percent, but right now he would be happy with 12-13 percent. “Our view is that we can get to 12 to 13 percent by just simply understanding that it’s significantly not much different than 10 percent, it’s an insignificant difference, and under the rules and …
Scientists Question California Climate Plan
Over 100 of the nation’s top scientists are questioning the approach taken by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) which singles out biofuels for “indirect effects,” claiming that petroleum products result in lower carbon emissions. Scientists affiliated with research labs such as the National Academy of Sciences, UC-Berkeley, Sandia National Labs, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab and MIT sent a letter …
Biofuels Council Founder Appointed to Advisory Board
The Latin American biofuels development firm of Santiago & Sinclair has appointed Sean O’Hanlon, founder and executive director of the American Biofuels Council (ABC), to their advisory board. The firm is comprised of experts who assist organizations looking to enter the biofuels sector in Latin America. “As the founder of one of the most influential biofuels associations in America, Sean …
Stimulus Includes Billions for Renewables
Renewable energy and biofuels are among the big winners in the $787 billion economic stimulus package signed by President Barack Obama today. “Because we know we can’t power America’s future on energy that’s controlled by foreign dictators, we are taking big steps down the road to energy independence, laying the groundwork for new green energy economies that can create countless …
Musical Activist to Headline World Biofuels Meeting
Activist and musician Bob Geldof has been announced as the keynote speaker at World Biofuels Markets 2009 (WBM09) to be held March 16-19 in Brussels, Belgium. Geldof, an Irish musician who launched his activist career by organizing Live Aid in 1985, will discuss how he believes biofuels can help developing countries become more energy independent without impacting food production. He …
EPA to Introduce RINs System
The Environmental Protection Agency is hosting a webinar next week on a new system for controlling renewable fuel credits known as RINs (renewable identification numbers). The webinar will lay out EPA concepts for the new RIN Moderated Transaction System (MTS) and solicit feedback from regulated industry. According to an EPA announcement, webinar participants will have the opportunity to ask questions, …
Catalyst Could Jump Start Ethanol Fuel Cells
Researchers have developed a new catalyst that could make ethanol-powered fuel cells feasible. The research was done by a team of scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Brookhaven National Laboratory, in collaboration with researchers from the University of Delaware and Yeshiva University, and was published online in the January 25 edition of Nature Materials. According to the researchers, the …