I’m wondering how many times I’ve taken a picture of this car. Actually this is the new show car for Team Ethanol which was on hand at yesterday’s Snappy Mart pump promotion. The demand for this show car is tremendous and there are now several of them that tour the country and get displayed at events of all types. One …
IRL Loves Ethanol Public Relations
On hand at the pump promotion for ethanol in Kansas City yesterday was Amy Konrath (pictured to the right of two representatives of Rahal-Letterman Racing). Amy works in public relations for the Indy Racing League. I thought it would be interesting to hear her perspective about how the relationship between the IRL and Team Ethanol has benefited the League. She …
Jeff Simmons Feeling Confident
Although it was a cool morning yesterday, Indy car driver Jeff Simmons was on location at a pump promotion filling up gas tanks with gasoline blended with ethanol. I interviewed Jeff about how he thinks these localized pump promotions work in terms of helping with consumer awareness and education. He thinks they’re very beneficial. It helps when a lot of …
Watchdog Group Questions Study Credibility
A consumer watchdog group is questioning the credibility of a widely reported Stanford University study warning that ethanol use could be harmful. The Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights says the school’s ties to ExxonMobil make the study’s findings “difficult to accept.” ExxonMobil has given $100 million to fund Stanford’s Global Climate and Energy Program (GCEP). Though the ethanol study …
Corn Pores Hold Ethanol Promise
Purdue University researchers are opening the pores of corn to try and increase ethanol yield. According to a Purdue news release, researchers have discovered that particles from cornstalks undergo previously unknown structural changes when processed to produce ethanol, an insight they said will help establish a viable method for large-scale production of ethanol from plant matter. Their research demonstrates that …
E85 Everywhere
The American Lung Association of the Upper Midwest is holding an “E85 Everywhere” rally in the Minnesota State Capitol Rotunda this Friday, April 27. Governor Tim Pawlenty and a bipartisan gathering of legislators from both the Minnesota Senate and Minnesota House of Representatives will speak on the importance of maintaining the lead in E85 development and on their support for …
Ethanol in Ag Hall of Fame
Ethanol and the Indy Racing League will be in the spotlight at the National Agricultural Center & Hall of Fame 2007 Annual Meeting Thursday in Bonner Springs, KS. Featured speaker for the “Farm-Fueled” event is Tom Slunecka, executive director of the Ethanol Promotion & Information Council. The event will also set the stage for the Kansas Lottery 300 scheduled for …
Pioneer Teams With EPIC
Pioneer Hi-Bred, a subsidiary of DuPont, is teaming up with the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council (EPIC) in an effort to educate consumers on the benefits of ethanol-enriched fuel. The effort includes funding for ethanol promotion and education programs. According to Pioneer officials, the investment from Pioneer includes a sponsorship of Team Ethanol in the IndyCar® Series for the 2007 …
Ethanol from Carbon Monoxide
A New Zealand technology company has secured $3.5 million in private venture capital to develop ethanol from carbon monoxide. LanzaTech is getting the funding from Khosla Ventures and two existing New Zealand-based investors. According to a news release, this funding will support further technology development, establishing a pilot plant, engineering work to prepare for commercial-scale ethanol production and positions the …
Australian Ethanol Investment
International investment and advisory firm Babcock & Brown has finalized plans to acquire Iroquois Bio-Energy Company of Rensselaer, Indiana. This is the Australian firm’s fourth investment in the US ethanol industry. In January 2006, Babcock & Brown Environmental Investments completed the acquisition of Diversified Energy Company, whose primary asset is a 25 mgpy facility in Morris, Minnesota. Babcock & Brown …