Cellulosic ethanol from the nation’s largest ethanol producer is powering a cross country road trip of the non-profit EcoTrek Foundation to showcase renewable fuels and educate the public about environmental issues. The cellulosic ethanol made from corn cobs and stover will be provided by POET, which has a pilot plant in Scotland, S.D. that has produced cellulosic ethanol for more …
DuPont Acquiring Danisco in $6.3B Deal
DuPont Dansico has been in a multi-year powerhouse partnership to develop cellulosic ethanol. Today, DuPont has announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire Danisco, a global enzyme and specialty food ingredients company to the tune of $5.8 billion along with the assumption of $500 million of Danisco net debt for a total of $6.3 billion. Once the …
High Oil Prices Threaten To Topple Tipsy Economy
High oil prices threaten to topple a tipsy global economy that is still fragile and has yet to find stable ground according to the International Energy Agency (IEA) who issued a wakeup call to the world. The IEA recommends that high oil-consuming countries, such as the U.S., boost efforts to cut back on oil use. In response to these warnings, …
Wesley Clark at AG CONNECT Expo
Retired General Wesley Clark visited the second AG CONNECT Expo Saturday in Atlanta to talk with farmers and ranchers visiting the event about the importance of ethanol to our nation’s security. Representing Growth Energy, Clark greeted folks at the CASE IH exhibit on the floor of the agricultural trade show. He also made time for some media interviews to talk …
Ethanol All The Way In NASCAR
Kenny Wallace, NASCAR driver, says, “Ethanol all the way in NASCAR!” That’s what he told me this afternoon in the American Farm Bureau Federation Pavilion on the floor of the AG CONNECT Expo. Thanks to Tricia Braid, Illinois Corn Growers, for setting up our interview and taking the photo. Kenny was signing autographs in the Nationwide Insurance exhibit. You won’t …
Ethanol Alone Can’t Meet Renewable Fuel Goals
The U.S. is at the “blending wall” saturation point for ethanol use according to a new Purdue University study. The cause is lack of infrastructure to meet the federal mandate for renewable fuel use with ethanol, but the country could still meet the standard with significant increases in next-generation biofuels and cellulosic fuels. Wally Tyner, the James and Lois Ackerman …
Book Review – Why We Hate The Oil Companies
Two, four, six, eight, who do we love to hate? The oil companies! Despite my story lead, I was not a cheerleader in another life but I couldn’t get that cheer out of my head while I read this week’s book, “Why We Hate The Oil Companies Straight Talk From An Energy Insider,” by John Hofmeister. I recently gave Mr. …
Velasco Leaves UNICA for Amyris
The Brazilian Sugarcane Industry Association (UNICA) announced today that Joel Velasco, the organization’s Washington, DC-based Chief Representative for North America, is leaving the position he has held since 2007, to join Amyris, Inc., as Senior Vice-President, External Relations. “Joel has provided UNICA with wise counsel, effective strategy and solid results. We wish him well at Amyris and will continue cooperating …
Update on China DDGS Dumping Probe
Three years ago there were virtually no dried distillers grains (DDGS) going to China. Last year there were more than 1.5 million metric tons of DDGS exported to the country and some estimate that the number could be as high as 3 million metric tons at the close of this year. So, although the U.S. Grains Council (USGC) felt that …
Banned Energy Drinks Turned To Ethanol
People desperate for the rush of excessive caffeine while drinking alcohol had their shaky nerves calmed when oodles of Four Loko and other alcohol-laden energy drinks were yanked from the shelves. Federal authorities asked manufactures to discontinue producing these drinks citing they were dangerous and calling them an “unsafe food additive” that caused partakers to become “wide-awake drunk.” According to …