New Orleans is getting some biodiesel buses… thanks to some money from the federal government. This press release from Louisiana Sen. Mary Landrieu says the Federal Emergency Management Agency has given the city the New Orleans Regional Transit Authority (RTA) $44 million to replace… and to upgrade… 204 buses and 31 vans that were destroyed by flooding during Hurricane Katrina: …
Ethanol in Focus at AEM Ag Executive Forum
Ethanol and biofuels in general were in the spotlight at a forum for agribusiness executives held this week in St. Louis by the Association of Equipment Manufacturers. About 100 executives of farm equipment companies and other agribusinesses attended the one day event, which featured a number of presentations that focused on biofuels. Even those speakers who were addressing other topics …
NJ Gov Looks to Triple Offshore Wind Power
New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine has announced he wants to triple the goal for the amount of offshore wind power the state will produce by 2020. Corzine called for the higher amount as he announced the selection of Garden State Offshore Energy (GSOE) as the recipient of a grant incentive to build New Jersey’s first offshore wind pilot: “Our draft …
Solving Global Warming Gets Debaters Going
Just when I thought we would not get much on renewable energy in tonight’s presidential debate from Belmont University in Nashville, a question from the crowd has started the conversation in earnest. A lady asked if the candidates would take the same quick call-to-action approach to solve the looming global warming crisis as we saw in the recent financial crisis. …
Government Releases Biofuels Action Plan
The U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Energy today released the National Biofuels Action Plan (NBAP), an interagency plan detailing the collaborative efforts of Federal agencies to accelerate the development of a sustainable biofuels industry. The departments jointly chair the Biomass Research and Development Board. The plan was developed in response to President Bush’s call to change the way America fuels …
Mascoma Announces Funding for Cellulosic Ethanol Plant
Mascoma Corporation will receive a total of $26.0 million in funding from the Department of Energy and an overall contribution of $23.5 million from the State of Michigan for the development of a cellulosic fuel production facility that uses non-food biomass to convert woodchips into fuel. Mascoma executives made the announcement Tuesday with officials from the DOE, Michigan Governor Jennifer …
National Biofuels Action Plan Expected
Department of Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer and Department of Energy Secretary Samuel W. Bodman are planning to release the National Biofuels Action Plan tomorrow in Washington DC. The action plan is an interagency plan detailing the collaborative efforts to accelerate the development of a sustainable biofuels industry. The Cabinet Secretaries will announce additional news related to the biofuels industry, new …
Wall Street Bailout Bails Out Stalled Biodiesel, Solar & Wind Credits
The U.S. House of Representatives has reversed direction from just a week ago and approved 263-171 the Senate’s version of the $700 billion bill to fix the nation’s financial crisis. And this story from Reuters says incentives for biodiesel, wind and solar are also the big benefactors from the vote: Legislation to extend the renewable energy tax credits, which were …
VP Candidates Spar Over Domestic Energy
Here at Davis Debate Central once again tonight… OK, so it’s just my couch as I blog with my laptop on my lap and watch the Vice Presidential debate… as Democrat Sen. Joe Biden and Republican Gov. Sarah Palin duke it out. Renewable energy has gotten a little bit of attention, in the form of Palin and Biden sparring over …