One of the big knocks against ethanol is that it uses too much water. But an ethanol plant in North Dakota is finding a way to limit its use of freshwater. This AP story on the KXMC-TV (Minot, ND) web site says what could have been a one-million-gallon-a-day drain on the local freshwater source has been significantly reduced: Duaine Espegard …
Verenium to Present at Big Apple Conferences
Cellulosic ethanol leader Verenium will present at two upcoming conferences… one on biofuels and one on life sciences… next week in New York City. This article on CNNMoney.com has more details: John A. McCarthy, Jr., Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Verenium, will be presenting at the ISI Biofuels Conference. The presentation is scheduled to begin at 10:00 …
Ethanol at the EC
Leaders of the biofuels industry in both Europe and the United States are calling on the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) to disavow a paper issued last week critical of world ethanol production. Europe is well behind the United States in biofuels production and use, but the European Commission is moving ahead with its plans to have biofuels …
Ethanol Prices Lower than Regular Gasoline
Gas prices all over the country are higher than ever – more than 50 cents a gallon from a year ago – and with the latest spike in crude oil prices hitting record levels of more than $82 a barrell, expect those prices to continue to climb. But KELO-TV in Sioux Falls, South Dakota says while regular unleaded is hitting …
RFA Refutes Claims Against Ethanol
The Renewable Fuels Association is fighting back against the latest report put out by the nation’s livestock and food and meat processing industries that tries to blame ethanol for the rise in corn prices and the harm to consumers. Renewable Fuels Association President Bob Dinneen has issued the following statement to respond to the latest smokescreen from meat and poultry …
Lies, Damn Lies, and Statistics About Ethanol
Borrowing part of a phrase from that great American humorist Mark Twain, when it comes to critics of ethanol, there seems to be “lies, damn lies, and statistics.” There has been a lot of misinformation spread about the green fuel, but there are some out there fighting the good fight dispelling these myths… especially the one that says it takes …
Nebraska Hazmat Crews Train on Ethanol Rail Cars
Nebraska is becoming one of the leaders in ethanol production and is shipping about 900 million gallons of the biofuel out of state. Since the ethanol industry has not quite figured out how to get the fuel through existing pipelines, long lines of tanker rail cars are the only way to move ethanol around. This story in the Columbus (NE) …
Virginia Governor’s Energy Plan Highlights Biofuels
Virginia Governor Timothy M. Kaine has released his plan for how Virginia will become more energy independent and practice better energy conservation… and at the top of the list seems to be the promise of more ethanol and biodiesel production. This press release from the governor highlights the Virginia Energy Plan: The first goal calls for increased energy independence through …
Ethanol Not to Blame for High Wheat Prices
The latest knock against ethanol claims the green fuel was fueling a spike in wheat prices as more growers were switching to corn acres to provide the feedstock for ethanol. But USDA’s Chief Economist Keith Collins says it just isn’t so. This story from Farms.com says Collins claims global stocks are really behind the rise in wheat: Collins took umbrage …
First Commercial Biomass Ethanol Plant Slated for Kansas
An area best known for its natural gas fields will become home to the first commercial biomass ethanol plant in the U.S. This story in the High Plains Journal says Abengoa Energy will build the plant in Hugoton, Southwest Kansas: The new plant should be completed in 2010 and is funded in part by the U.S. Department of Energy. Abengoa …