Now former Team Ethanol car driver Jeff Simmons released a statement this week after being replaced on the Rahal-Letterman team. “I want to thank everyone involved in the Team Ethanol program for all of their support and friendship. I was honored to be a part of the program and to have the opportunity to carry on Paul Dana’s vision. I …
Florida Getting Ethanol
The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) and the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council (EPIC) both had a presence at the Florida Farm to Fuel Summit this week in St. Petersburg. Matt Hartwig with RFA (pictured at the podium) drove home the growth of the ethanol industry, the economic importance and what RFA has been doing in Washington to help the industry …
Giuliani Promotes Ethanol During Iowa Campaign Stop
Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani says he can lead America to energy independence, and of course, tells Iowans during a campaign stop in the Hawkeye State that ethanol is one of the keys. This story in Forbes points out that Iowa leads the nation in ethanol production. And right now, it leads in presidential campaign promises: Presidents going back to …
Florida Farm to Fuel
Government and industry leaders addressed a sold-out crowd at the second annual Farm to Fuel Summit in St. Petersburg on Thursday. Florida governor Charlie Crist told the group that fuels made from agricultural commodities have reached the tipping point in terms of public acceptance. “It’s finally registered with everybody that this is something that is not only good for the …
Ryan Hunter-Reay New Team Ethanol Indy Car Driver
Rahal Letterman Racing announced today that Ryan Hunter-Reay will be taking over driving duties with the team’s #17 Team Ethanol car effective immediately. I look forward to meeting him soon and I’m sad to see Jeff Simmons replaced. As Bobby Rahal explains in the announcement which I’ve posted below, Jeff stepped into a difficult situation last season. I think Jeff …
USDA: Half of Livestock Producers Feeding Ethanol Co-products
A new USDA report says that about half of the cattle and hog operations in a 12-state Midwest region either fed ethanol co-products or considered feeding them to their livestock last year. This story from Cattle Network.com says about 9,400 livestock operations in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin were surveyed. …
Saab: Minnesota Tops in E85
Sweden and Minnesota have a lot in common: Both are full of Swedes (OK, one more than the other), and both use a high percntage of E-85 ethanol. This article from the Saab (another Swedish product) web site makes a comparison between the country and the state that saw massive Swedish immigration in the late 19th century: Where Sweden is …
NCERC Teams up with Siemens
The National Corn-to-Ethanol Research Center at Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville has teamed up with Siemens Energy & Automation, Inc., the Georgia-based electrical, engineering, and automation giant, to speed up the development of alternative fuel technology. This story from the Chemical Online web site says a 10-year agreement between the two will involve hundreds of thousands of dollars in equipment, …
Women and Ethanol
Women are heavy purchasers of fuel and most say they are willing to buy alternative fuels, but a recent survey indicates they need more information to make that choice at the pump. The survey was conducted by sending 9,000 emails to women readers of magazines published by Meredith Corporation, which includes some of the oldest and most popular, such as …
Ethanol and Energy Security
Weather-related problems that have caused damage to refineries in the Midwest have highlighted the need to diversify our nation’s transportation fuel needs. This issue is not only important for consumers who are feeling the pinch at the gas pump, but also for our country’s overall energy security. This edition of “Fill up, Feel Good” discusses ethanol’s benefits in terms of …