Ethanol Myths and Realities

Cindy Zimmerman

Business Week Online tries to take a somewhat balanced look at ethanol here that falls a bit short. The article has a decidedly cynical tone about ethanol but does present some positive information regarding the energy issue, presenting the findings of Michael Wang with the Argonne National Laboratory for Transportation Research – some very good research. Whenever anyone starts talking …

Ethanol, Research

100 Illinois Ethanol Pumps

Cindy Zimmerman

Illinois Corn Growers are proud to announced the grand opening of the state’s 100th E85 fuel station Wednesday in Litchfield. According to ICGA, Gov. Blagojevich contributed $40,000 in state funding to establish the new E-85 facilities in Litchfield, and he is also investing $25 million to support research, production and consumption of ethanol in Illinois as part of the state …

Ethanol

Badger State Ethanol

Cindy Zimmerman

Here’s a nice shot of the Badger State Ethanol plant in Monroe, Wisconsin – sent in by reader Gary Dikkers, who took it “on a very cold day in February.” The plant started production mid-October, 2002 with a name-plate capacity of 40 million gallons of ethanol and 128,000 tons of dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS) each year. Since startup, …

Ethanol

JW Writes

Cindy Zimmerman

Jim Jubak of MSN was writing about solutions to our energy problems and solicited suggestions from readers. He got several, including both ethanol and biodiesel. He decided to do further research on the subjects and the first one is ethanol. He’s looking for good information on the subject, so here’s an opportunity for you to jump in the mix. Send …

Biodiesel, Ethanol

MO Corn Billboard Campaign

Cindy Zimmerman

The Missouri Corn Growers Association is seeking input on their next billboard design. The association’s billboard campaign to promote support for a statewide ethanol mandate got some major publicity when it was accused of being a “hate message” against Arabs (see previous post). MCGA now has a web site, www.madaboutgas.com, to poll public opinion on the next ethanol billboard campaign. …

Ethanol

Getting Revved Up For Indy

Cindy Zimmerman

The latest “Fill up, Feel Good” podcast features several people who took part in last week’s “Ethanol Day” at the Indianapolis Speedway. Among them are Indy Car drivers Danica Patrick and Jeff Simmons, U.S. Secretary of Energy Sam Bodman, ethanol hot rod racer Mark Thomas, and EPIC president Tom Branham. The “Fill up, Feel Good” podcast is available to download …

Audio, EPIC, Ethanol, Fill Up Feel Good

Green Star Plans BioRefineries

Cindy Zimmerman

Green Star Products, Inc. has announced plans to construct facilities for the production of both biodiesel and biomass ethanol, according to a press release. The first facility is planned for North Carolina, the second location is yet to be announced but the company says it will be somewhere in the northwestern US. Each GSPI-designed Bio-Refinery will have a start-up production …

Biodiesel, Ethanol

Indy Driver Likes Ethanol

Chuck Zimmerman

Danica PatrickAt last week’s Ethanol Day at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway I got to meet Danica Patrick, one of the drivers for Rahal-Letterman Racing. Team Ethanol is a big sponsor of the team and Jeff Simmons drives the ethanol-wrapped car. But I wanted to find out what his teammates think of this new fuel they’re putting in their cars this year.

Audio, EPIC, Ethanol, Racing

Home Stills Selling Like Hot Cakes

Cindy Zimmerman

We got a couple of comments about this company when I did the post about The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) warning not to make ethanol at home (see previous post). Dogwood Energy claims that it is “perfectly legal to own and operate an ethanol still on your property, provided that you are using it ONLY to …

Ethanol