The Midwest Legislative Conference of The Council of State Governments recently issued a series of policy resolutions supporting increased use of both ethanol and biodiesel, and specifically support ethanol blender pumps. The group also adopted resolutions calling for use of sound scientific methods when calculating carbon emissions. The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) is pleased with all the resolutions, particularly …
BlueFire Ethanol Locating Plant in Mississippi
California-based BlueFire Ethanol received approval from the Department of Energy (DOE) recently to locate its second planned cellulosic ethanol biorefinery in Fulton, Mississippi. The company was awarded a $40 million dollar grant from DOE for a second facility in 2007 that was originally to be located in California. However, development and licensing concerns, coupled with the challenging business climate in …
Loan Program Needs Changes to Advance Cellulosic Ethanol
An ethanol industry group says the loan guarantee program at the U.S. Department of Energy needs to function more efficiently and effectively to make capitol available to advance next generation biofuels like cellulosic ethanol. The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) is asking US Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Steven Chu to make needed changes in the loan guarantee program for biorefineries. …
Switchgrass Varieties From Ceres
We’ve certainly heard a lot about switchgrass as a biomass option for the production of ethanol. How many of you have seen it growing? That’s it behind Cory Christensen, Director of Product Managment, Ceres, who was conducting Sunbelt Ag Expo presentations in the field. He says it’s a first season stand of their Blade energy crop. It was developed specifically …
ND Offers $2 Mil for New Ethanol Blender Pumps
The State of North Dakota has launched a program that will make $2 million in grants available for fuel station owners who install new, multifuel pumps that will mix ethanol right at the point-of-sale. This post on InForum, the forum of Fargo-Moorhead, says buyers will be able to choose from pure gasoline up to E85 ethanol: “We’re excited about this …
CFDC Awarded DOE Funds
The second award included the Clean Fuels Foundation and the FlexFuel Vehicle Club teaming with the Tennessee Clean Cities program. The University of Tennessee at Knoxville (UTK) was awarded up to $818,091 to increase the availability of E85 and B20 along I-75. This project will provide E85 and B20 every 200 miles or less, enabling drivers to travel from Sault …
Promoting BYO Ethanol to Retailers
Representatives from the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) and the American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) teamed up at the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) Show in Las Vegas last week to promote the BYO Ethanol blender pump program. Robert White (left) with RFA says blender pumps that can offer a variety of ethanol blends, from E10 to E85 and several …
Corn Grower Named to Growth Energy Board
A Minnesota corn grower has been named to the board of directors for Growth Energy. Gary Pestorious is a fifth-generation farmer and CEO of a family-run 12,500-acre farming operation in Freeborn County, Minn. He is a member of the Minnesota Corn Growers Association and has served as Chairman of POET-Glenville, a 44-million gallon farmer-owned ethanol plant, since production began 10 …
Ethanol, Biodiesel to be Part of Navy’s Green Fleet
The U.S. Navy has launched a new program to green its fleet… and biodiesel and ethanol are important elements of that campaign. This article in the Pacific Coast Business Times says that during a seech this week in Santa Barbara, California, U.S. Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus launched the idea of a “Green Fleet,” an ambitious goal to use …