The state of Nebraska is receiving $38 million from the USDA Rural Development agency for renewable energy and conservation, with most of the money to be used for an ethanol plant in McCook. According to the McCook Daily Gazatte, the funding incudes a “$10 million Renewable Energy Systems Guaranteed loan and a $25 million Business and Industry Guaranteed loan to …
Heartland Energy Sells Dogwood Stills
Heartland Energy Group Inc. of Louisiana is setting up the backyard still. A press release from Heartland announces the receipt of ethanol production equipment from Dogwood Energy, LLC (see previous post). Heartland Energy will exclusively sell and market Dogwood’s full line of ethanol stills and related ethanol products in the Louisiana territory. In addition, the agreement grants Heartland Energy, first …
Ethanol Market Reports
Fall is bringing in a bumper crop of stories about ethanol earnings, corn prices and whether the gold rush is over. Associated Press, NEW YORK — Makers of ethanol, an alternative fuel derived from corn, witnessed a third-quarter retreat from the strong industry conditions that characterized the second quarter: peak oil and ethanol prices, and rapid demand growth for ethanol …
Political Ethanol
Ethanol has become a campaign issue in many areas, with political candidates often trying to outdo each other in proving how supportive they are of domestic fuels. Take Missouri, for example. This story from the Columbia Missourian reports: There’s consensus on ethanol among the candidates for state representative seats in two rural Missouri districts: It’s good for farmers, good for …
Third Alternative Energy Plant Announced
Kansas City-based Alternative Energy Sources Inc. has announced plans to build a 110-million-gallon ethanol plant in Greenville, Ill., 45 miles east of St. Louis. According to a company release, this follows announcements in August that the company plans to build ethanol plants in Central Iowa and Northern Illinois.
Buy American
American Ethanol has broken first ground on its way to a planned two billion gallons of annual ethanol production. The Chicago-based company broke ground last week on the first of 15 planned 100+ gallon-per-year facilities in Nebraska and Illinois. Sutton, Nebraska was the site for the ceremony on Thursday, according to this story from the Lincoln Journal-Star. Another groundbreaking is …
Confusion Over E85 Pump Certification
Reports from the Detroit Free Press about E85 pumps losing their safety rating from Underwriters Laboratory are causing quite a bit of confusion in the ethanol world. Justin Hyde of the Free Press Washington Bureau followed up his first report yesterday with another one today giving further information, as well as an article in USA Today. The initial report had …
ILFB Creates Ethanol Blog and TV Spots
Illinois Farm Bureau is trying to get the good news about ethanol out in two ways – a new blog and some cute and corny TV spots posted on YouTube. Illinois Farm Bureau News Service Director John Hawkins says they started the new ethanol blog “to provide the latest information on renewable energy and ethanol for Illinois Farm Bureau members. …
Support for Biofuels Investment
A new survey from the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) shows strong support for government investment in biofuels research. According to a press release: Four in five U.S. adults (80%) strongly or somewhat agree that national and state governments are not doing enough to promote production of biofuels. The survey, conducted by Harris Interactive®, also found that 82% of adults say …
Midwest Ethanol Iowa Plant Meetings
Public meetings are part of the process of bringing an ethanol plant to any community. Plans must be presented and concerns addressed. Monona County Ethanol – a Midwest Ethanol Producers company – held two public meetings this week in the area where they plan to build a 100 million gallon per year facility. About 200 people attended the meetings held …