Iowa’s two senators and others from the Midwest are co-sponsoring amendments to legislation that funds the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) which would address two important issues facing the ethanol industry. Iowa Senators Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA), along with Ben Nelson (D-NE) introduced an amendment to the Senate Interior-Environment Appropriations bill that would prevent the EPA from going …
Ethanol Plant on the Auction Block
A partially completed 110 million gallon per year ethanol plant in Nebraska will go up for auction next month. Altra Nebraska, LLC began construction of this facility in 2006 and work halted in November of 2007 when additional financing could not be obtained due to economic challenges. The plant was expected to be one of Nebraska’s largest ethanol plants employing …
Pacific Ethanol Facing Stock Delisting
Pacific Ethanol will be booted from the NASDAQ unless its stock goes up soon. NASDAQ sent a letter last week notifying Pacific Ethanol that “it does not comply with the $1.00 minimum bid price requirement for continued listing on The NASDAQ Global Market set forth in NASDAQ Listing Rule 5450(a)(1).” The company has been given 180 calendar days, or until …
Studying Sorghum for Ethanol in Maryland
Researchers at Salisbury University in Maryland are studying the potential for growing sweet sorghum for cellulosic ethanol in the state. Since May, eight sweet sorghum varieties have been growing on a Wicomico County farm for evaluation as potential stock for ethanol production on the Delmarva peninsula. Dr. Samuel Geleta of Salisbury Univerisity’s Biological Sciences Department says about half of the …
Hops Could Solve Ethanol Bacteria Issue
An AP wire story out last week highlights the use of hops in ethanol production to combat bacteria. DomesticFuel did a feature on BetaTec, the company referenced in the article, about two years ago after their debut at the 2007 Fuel Ethanol Workshop. They market a product called IsoStabTM , which is derived from natural acids found in hops and …
RFA Urges EPA to Level Playing Field
A new video launched by the Renewable Fuels Association makes the point that other fuels have indirect effects, not only biofuels. The video, which shows images of burning oil wells, oil spill damage, oil contamination of natural habitat, and the destruction brought on by oil exploration and tar sands excavation, is meant to draw attention to the Environmental Protection Agency’s …
New President for Missouri Renewable Fuels Group
Members of the Missouri Renewable Fuels Association (MoRFA), an organization comprised of the state’s six farmer-owned ethanol plants and the Missouri Corn Growers Association, have selected Ryland Utlaut of Alma, Mo., as the organization’s 2009-10 president. Utlaut, president and general manager of Mid-Missouri Energy, a majority farmer-owned ethanol plant in Malta Bend, Mo., assumes the new leadership responsibilities Oct. 1. …
Report Finds Oil Subsidies Higher Than Ethanol
A new report from the Environmental Law Institute (ELI) finds that federal subsidies for fossil fuels are twice that of renewables. According to a summary on the ELI report store website: The largest U.S subsidies to fossil fuels are attributed to tax breaks that aid foreign oil production, according to research released by ELI. The study, which reviewed fossil fuel …