The National Watermelon Association is still working on making fuel from melons. Executive Director Bob Morrissey says they still believe there is a future in the idea, which we first reported on here in September 2006. “We still have to do some homework on the logistics portion and the economics portion,” he said. “Our initial idea is to get a …
WIREC 2008 Agenda Set
The agenda has been set for the Washington International Renewable Energy Conference, or WIREC 2008. Cabinet-level government officials from more than 70 countries will gather with industry leaders at the event to discuss the opportunities and challenges of a global, rapid deployment of renewable energy. WIREC 2008 is the third global ministerial-level conference on renewable energy, following events in Beijing …
MO Governor Pushes More Ethanol
Missouri Governor Matt Blunt is serious about making the Show Me State a renewable fuels leader. As of January 1, the state became only the third in the nation to implement a statewide 10 percent ethanol standard. Now the governor has proposed several initiatives targeted at promoting the use of and expanding access to E85 in Missouri. At the Missouri …
Panda Puts Ethanol in Texas
Texans in Sherman County can expect a new ethanol refinery. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has given Panda Ethanol the okay for an air permit for the company’s plans to build a 115 million gallon-per-year ethanol refinery. Panda says the refinery will be fueled by biomass. The facility will be designed to annually refine an estimated 38 million bushels …
Missouri Governor Unveils Incentives for E-85 Pumps
Missouri Governor Matt Blunt has unveiled a plan to provide $2 million in tax incentives to fuel retailers who install E-85 ethanol pumps. According to a press release from the governor’s office, there are only 92 gas stations capable of pumping E-85 out of the more than 4,300 stations in the state. These tax credits would help offset the cost …
Obama’s and Huckabee’s Biofuels Stands
Well, it looks like Iowans have chosen Illinois Senator Barack Obama and former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee as the top vote-getters in the Democratic and Republican caucuses in the Hawkeye State. While there’s still a lot of election left to go with all of the rest of the country’s primaries and caucuses still up for grabs, Iowa is many times …
New Ethanol Book
Two brothers with plant and environmental science backgrounds have just released a new book about the “past, present, and future of ethanol fuel.” “Sustainable Ethanol,” written by Jeffery and Adrian Goettemoeller, attempts clear up myths and misconceptions about fuel ethanol. They tackle topics such as ethanol’s fuel economy, energy replacement ratio, transportation issues and food versus fuel arguments. It explores …
OJ and Ethanol
Xethanol Corporation is looking for a grant from the state of Florida to make ethanol from citrus waste. According to a company release, Xethanol subsidiary Southeast Biofuels LLC has filed a grant application with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to expand the company’s work on converting waste to energy, using citrus waste as the raw material and …
Florida Biofuels Boost
New proposed motor fuel rules for Florida could be just the ticket to boost ethanol blends in the country’s third largest gasoline market. Reuters reports that the proposed rules are the result of a hearing held in October at the urging of the ethanol industry and several oil companies to relax the state rules that had discouraged refiners from adding …
Rose Bowl Fans Learn About Renewable Fuel
The Illinois Corn Growers made some in-game statements during the Rose Bowl. Too bad the local team didn’t win. This graphic is an example of the messages they used for this promotional opportunity. The game on the field may not have yielded the desired results that the University of Illinois football program had hoped for on Tuesday, but Illinois did …