The chairman of the Renewable Fuels Association outlined the industry’s top priorities for 2009 during a telephone press conference Tuesday morning. Chris Standlee with Abengoa Bioenergy says there are three main priorities for the industry – stimulating economic growth, increasing blend limits, and modeling life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions. Standlee called on Congress and the Obama administration to recognize and continue …
Verenium Back in Compliance
Cellulosic ethanol company Verenium Corporation has regained compliance with the continued listing requirements of the NASDAQ Global Market. NASDAQ previously notified Verenium that it had fallen out of compliance with a rule requiring listed companies on the NASDAQ Global Market to maintain a minimum market capitalization of $50 million. NASDAQ has confirmed that Verenium now meets the requirements of this …
Obama, Congress Considering Alt Energy in Stimulus Bill
As leaders in Congress and President-elect Barack Obama look at another possible economic stimulus package, renewable energy sources, such as biodiesel, ethanol, solar and wind, look to get $25 billion in tax credits from the plan. This story from the Washington Post says the credits could come in either a single bill or a series of legislative moves: The main …
US Produces Enough Corn for Food and Fuel
The final 2008 corn crop estimate from the U.S. Department of Agriculture released today confirmed that American farmers produced the second-largest crop on record with the second highest average yield per acre in history – despite adverse weather across the Corn Belt during the early part of the growing season and a late fall harvest. Corn for grain production in …
Biofuels Focus at Farm Bureau Meeting
Biofuels have been a major topic of discussion at the American Farm Bureau Federation 90th annual meeting in San Antonio this week. A conference titled “The Growing Role of Biofuels for Today, Tomorrow and Beyond,” featured Brooke Coleman, executive director of the New Fuels Alliance and spokesperson for FoodPriceTruth. “Agriculture is the key to the new energy economy,” Coleman said. …
Ethanol Industry Outlook for 2009
2008 was a year that for the most part everyone would like to forget – including those in the ethanol industry. Now that 2009 is underway, Renewable Fuels Association president and CEO Bob Dinneen says there are still challenges ahead for the industry – but opportunities as well. That is the subject of this edition of “The Ethanol Report” podcast …
POET Producing Pilot Cellulosic Ethanol
The world’s largest corn ethanol producer is now successfully producing cellulosic ethanol at a pilot plant in South Dakota. According to company officials, POET Research Center in Scotland, S.D. is now producing cellulosic ethanol at a rate of 20,000 gallons per year using corn cobs as feedstock. “The start-up of the pilot scale facility has been extremely smooth,” said POET …
Economist Says Biofuels Demand Will Drive Crop Prices
An agricultural economist speaking to members of the nation’s largest general farm organization meeting in San Antonio this weekend said crop prices this year will be driven by demand for biofuels. Jim Sullivan of Informa Economics in Washington, D.C. told a crop outlook seminar at the American Farm Bureau Federation 90th annual meeting that the global recession will mean weakening …
Obama Economic Speech Highlights Alt Energy Plans
This week’s major economic speech from President-elect Barack Obama pointed out how ethanol and biodiesel, as well as other alternatives to conventional energy sources, will be key to the nation’s economic recovery. This article from the New York Times says the plan also pushes energy efficiency: “To finally spark the creation of a clean energy economy, we will double the …