A new report from the feds says, due to the recession, overall energy consumption in the U.S. dropped in 2009. However, renewable energy … biodiesel, ethanol, wind, solar and hydro power … use during that same period actually increased. This report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration shows that overall energy consumption in 2009 dropped by 4.8 percent, the second …
UNICA Appoints Two in DC
The Brazilian Sugarcane Industry Association (UNICA) today announced the appointment of David Thomas as Chief Lobbyist and Leticia Phillips as Representative for North America, both based at UNICA’s Washington, D.C. office. They replace Joel Velasco, who left UNICA in January to become Senior Vice-President for External Relations at California Biotech Company Amyris. A seasoned strategist with almost two decades of …
E85 Station Opens in Atlanta
“Protec Fuel is excited to work with Ayad and his team to make E85 available to more Atlanta flexible fuel vehicle (FFV) drivers. We would like to inform all FFV owners of the benefits of E85 versus regular unleaded gasoline and of the cost benefit to using this product,” said Protec Fuel’s Managing Partner, Todd Garner. “It has been a …
Recovering Ethanol From Waste Water
R3 Fusion, Inc. has announced the availability of its commercial system for recovering ethanol from waste scrubber water. The technology is coined the SPaCeRTM. The system is designed to process 50 gallons per minute of scrubber waste generated from a 50 million gallon per year (MMGY) ethanol plant and the first modular system will be fully operational this month. Dr. …
Ethanol Production Up, Demand Down
Ethanol production started the year strong, but demand is much weaker, according to the latest figures. The first monthly ethanol production data for 2011 shows continuing strong production numbers. According to the Energy Information Administration (EIA), monthly ethanol production for January 2011 was just over 920,000 barrels per day (b/d), or 1.2 billion gallons for the month. That’s up slightly …
New Blender Pump in York, NE
A new ethanol blender pump opened last week in York, Nebraska thanks to the efforts of the Nebraska Ethanol Board and the Nebraska Corn Board. “E85 is cleaner than gas, it’s produced here in Nebraska, and more and more cars can use it every year,” said Todd Sneller, Nebraska Ethanol Board Administrator. ”The addition of this new flex fuel dispenser …
Vilsack Named Biofool of the Year
Friends of the Earth (FOE) has named U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack the 2011 Biofool of the Year, the organization’s award that recognizes “leaders that promote dirty biofuels.” According to FOE, Vilsack received 2,424 votes of the more than 6,000 cast and they say he definitely deserves the honor. “With Secretary Vilsack at the helm, the USDA has doubled …
UNICA Expects Decline in Brazil Ethanol Exports
Ethanol exports from Brazil could drop by as much as 18% this season compared to last year, according to the Brazilian Sugarcane Industry Association (UNICA). UNICA is expecting a slight increase in ethanol production this year, however. “Ethanol production should reach 25.51 billion liters in the 2011/2012 season, a 0.52% increase compared to the last harvest, when the total reached …
Ag Secretary Promotes Biofuels for Jobs
U. S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack made a visit to St. Louis earlier this week where he was the keynote speaker at the St. Louis Agribusiness Club meeting. As part of his address, he noted the importance of biofuels production for rural economies. Vilsack noted that there are about 600,000 people in rural America who would describe themselves as …
RFA Analyzes USDA Report for Ethanol
The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) hosted a webinar this morning to discuss the new USDA Prospective Planting and Grain Stocks reports and what they indicate for America’s supply of corn and how demand from ethanol production might play into food pricing this year. Some of the main points made by RFA VP of Research and Analysis Geoff Cooper about the …

