Among the challenges outlined by President Barack Obama in his inaugural address today was a nod to the need for alternative energy sources in our nation. “We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories,” the new president said as part of his paragraph on “work that needs to be …
Feds Give Cape Cod Wind Project Thumbs Up
A 130 giant wind turbine project planned for off the shore of Cape Cod, Massachusetts has received the green light from a key federal agency, but it still faces some opposition from one of its powerful neighbors. This story from the Boston Herald says the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Minerals Management Service has given a preliminary approval to the …
Obama Makes Case for Wind & Other Renewables
An Ohio wind-turbine parts factory was the backdrop today as President-elect Barack Obama made his case to include renewable energy in his economic-stimulus package. The Wall Street Journal reports Obama made his push at the Cardinal Fastener & Specialty Co. in a Cleveland suburb: Mr. Obama has pledged to double over three years the amount of U.S. wind, solar and …
USDA Provides Loan for Cellulosic Ethanol Plant
In one of his last official acts as Secretary of Agriculture, Ed Schafer announced today that USDA Rural Development has approved the first ever loan guarantee to a commercial-scale cellulosic ethanol plant. Under the Biorefinery Assistance Program authorized by the 2008 Farm Bill, USDA will provide an $80 million loan to Range Fuels of Soperton, Georgia. When fully operational in …
Biodiesel Leads ASA’s Priorities to Obama
Less than a week before the inauguration, the American Soybean Association (ASA) has given President-elect Barack Obama a list of its 2009 policy priorities… and biodiesel tops that list. This press release from the soybean advocacy group has details: “ASA looks forward to working closely with the Obama Administration to achieve these policy priorities, which not only make sense for …
PA Biodiesel Mandate Kicks In
Pennsylvania has produced enough biodiesel so that each gallon of diesel sold in the state will have to have a mix of the green fuel. According to this National Biodiesel Board press release, Gov. Ed Rendell made the announcement at the Pennsylvania Farm Show that the 2 percent biodiesel mandate will kick in a year from now. “The major challenge …
Ag Secretary Hearing Touches on Ethanol
President-elect Obama’s choice for Secretary of Agriculture sailed through his Senate confirmation hearings this week and may be confirmed in time to take office on Inauguration Day. As expected, former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack faced no opposition in the Senate and no controversial questioning. With regard to biofuels in general and ethanol in particular, Vilsack stressed the importance of moving …
NREL: Biodiesel Keeps Getting Better
The overall quality of biodiesel keeps getting better. The National Renewable Energy Lab says that quality is key to the growing industry: NREL Principal Engineer on Fuel Performance Robert McCormick says biodiesel quality is improving rapidly in the United States, with large producers consistently meeting specifications. However, some small producers still have trouble meeting national standards. McCormick and Senior Engineer …