Researchers in Oklahoma have discovered the gene responsible for how dense of material a plant grows, and that discovery could open the door to more biomass for biofuels grown in the same amount of land. This press release from the Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation says making denser plants allows farmers to increase the amount of biomass without increasing their agricultural …
Ethanol Report on 2010
As the champagne corks pop this New Year’s Eve, the ethanol industry will be celebrating more than they were a year ago. In this edition of “The Ethanol Report,” Renewable Fuels Association president and CEO Bob Dinneen talks about the year that 2010 was for the ethanol industry. “In many ways, 2010 was a record setting year,” Dinneen says. It …
China DDGS Dumping Probe Surprises US
The announcement this week out of Beijing that China’s Ministry of Commerce has launched an anti-dumping probe into the ethanol co-product distillers dried grains (DDGS) from the US came as a surprise to the U.S. Grains Council (USGC). “The U.S. Grains Council has a 25 year history of market development and capacity building programs in China and values the U.S./China …
New Yeast Strain Could Help Cellulosic Ethanol Production
A collaborative effort has produced a yeast strain that speeds up the process of making ethanol from cellulosic materials. Researchers at the University of Illinois, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, the University of California at Berkeley, Seoul National University and the oil company BP worked together to develop the newly engineered yeast strain that can simultaneously consume two types of sugar …
2011 Ethanol Symposium Kicks off New Year
Although January is just around the corner, it’s not too late to add an event to your calendar. The 2011 Ethanol Symposium: An Examination of Demand vs. Availability is scheduled for January 14 at Rio Hondo College in Whittier, CA. This free event is part of the Clean Transportation Education Project, a collaboration of the Clean Cities Coalition and the …
Research to Study Impact of Ethanol on Older Vehicles
Kettering University in Flint, Michigan is one of several that have been tapped by the Department of Energy (DOE) to study the impact of higher ethanol blends on older vehicles. The use of up to 15 percent ethanol in gasoline for 2007 model year vehicles or newer has been approved by the federal government, while the use of E15 in …
Biodiesel, Ethanol Contribute to Gasoline Demand Drop
A new report from the U.S. Department of Energy says that gasoline demand will drop in this country by another 20 percent by the year 2030. And this article from the Examiner.com says part of that drop is due to alternative-fueled vehicles, including those running on biodiesel and ethanol: “A combination of demographic change and policy change means the heady …
South Dakota Road Trip Set to Drive Off in 2011
When nearly 5,000 South Dakota fourth graders return to school after the holidays, they will be getting some new lesson plans. They will be learning about alternative energy including ethanol, wind and hydroelectricity as well as conservation and other green practices. The lessons have been added to the 2011 “South Dakota Road Trip,” a 13-week virtual tour of the state …
Court Ruling Positive for Biodiesel
The biodiesel industry got another early Christmas present when a district appeals court today denied a petition challenging the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS2). The U.S. District Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia set forth a unanimous decision to deny the petition by National Petrochemical Refiners Association (NPRA) and the American Petroleum Institute (API) challenging the Renewable Fuels Standard …
Ask the Fuel Answerman
This fall, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved the use of E15 (15 percent ethanol, 85 percent gasoline) in conventional vehicles manufactured in 2007 or later. As a result, many questions have been raised as to the effect the increased level of ethanol will have on vehicles on other small engine equipment. (It should be noted that at this time, …