Since it is an even-numbered year, that means the National Corn Growers Association’s Corn Utilization and Technology Conference (CUTC) will be held this year. The 2012 CUTC agenda features cutting-edge technologies and new uses that are positioned change the corn industry. Among the session topics is Advance Biofuels, which will highlight some of the most recent research on advanced biofuels. …
Corn Progress Running Ahead of Normal
Nationwide, over 70% of the corn crop is planted now, well ahead of the less than half average for this time of year, according to the latest report from USDA. “In spite of the wettest weather of the spring, producers in the Midwest still managed to plant a significant acreage of corn and soybeans” last week, says USDA Meteorologist Brad …
Ethanol Blend Wall Still There
The ethanol blend wall is still a reality for the industry, according to the chief economist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. “For the time being, I think we are at a blend wall and it’s a pretty hard wall,” said USDA’s Joe Glauber during a recent gathering of farm broadcasters in Washington DC. Glauber says the general feeling now …
NCGA Ethanol Rocks Video Contest
A little ethanol on the rocks kind of rocks my world sometimes. But Ethanol Rocks is actually a National Corn Growers Association video contest :). NCGA is conducting a nationwide competition to promote the advantages of ethanol in motor vehicles. The NCGA “Ethanol Rocks” Video Contest invites high school and college students to produce a promotional video that highlights the …
Ag Secretary Urges Oil Companies to Accept E15
Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack today urged petroleum companies to increase adoption of 15% ethanol blended gasoline (E15) to help decrease reliance on foreign oil. “The availability of E15 will increase America’s energy security and spur additional job creation,” Vilsack said. “The Obama Administration has an ‘all-of-the-above’ to promoting domestic energy security, and increasing the percentage of ethanol to be …
Ethanol Groups Respond to Oil Gripes About E15
The ethanol industry responded today to complaints made by the American Petroleum Institute about the Environmental Protection Agency’s approval of E15 for commercial use. In a conference call with reporters, API Downstream Group Director Bob Greco presented a “new analysis” of EPA’s regulations which claims “an estimated half of all gasoline station equipment is not compatible with E15” and said …
Advanced Biofuels Moved From “Beaker to Barrel”
The head of the Advanced Biofuels Association (ABFA) told a House subcommittee this week that America’s domestic advanced biofuels industry has “moved from the beaker to the barrel, all in record time.” AFBA president Michael McAdams testified before the U.S. House Small Business Committee’s Subcommittee on Agriculture, Energy and Trade on Thursday, sharing some of the advance biofuels success stories …
Novozymes Partners with Chinese Firm for Cellulosic Ethanol
Novozymes has announced a partnership with Shengquan Group, a Shandong-based company specializing in furan resin and polymers, to start commercial-scale production of cellulosic ethanol for solvents in June 2012 using Novozymes’ technology. “Shengquan is a global first mover in this industry, which is on the verge of materializing right now,” says Poul Ruben Andersen, Vice President for Bioenergy at Novozymes. …
Energy Title Funding Restored to Farm Bill
In the Senate Agriculture Committee markup of the 2012 Farm Bill on Thursday, an amendment was added to reauthorize mandatory funding for several national renewable energy programs. Renewable fuel organizations praised the action. “There is no more urgent need in this country today than creating new jobs and reducing our dependence on foreign oil. The programs reauthorized and streamlined today …
UNICA Announces Interim CEO
The Brazilian Sugarcane Industry Association (UNICA) today announced the appointment of an interim CEO to replace Marcos Jank, who announced his resignation on March 27th. UNICA’s Board of Directors has named the organization’s Technical Director, Antonio de Padua Rodrigues, to serve as interim CEO during the selection process, now underway, for a new chief executive. A member of the executive …