Senator John Thune (R-SD) and Senator Charles Grassley (R-IA) led a bi-partisan group of Senators in writing a letter to the President last week urging him to direct the Environmental Protection Agency to approve higher blends of ethanol in commercial gasoline. The current maximum blend for non-flex fuel vehicles is 10% ethanol. “The current 10% standard, or blend wall, will …
Arming the Military with E85
Ft. Leavenworth in Kansas has a vested interest in E85 and flex-fuel vehicles. The Combined Arms Center will soon have to be operating its fleet of more than 200 vehicles on E85. That’s in compliance with the executive order President Bush signed in January of this year. John Tirpak, Traffic Manager at Ft. Leavenworth, came to the Ethanol and Promotion …
Georgia Considers Ethanol Blend Changes
Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture Tommy Irvin is holding a couple of town hall meetings later this month to listen to comments regarding updating Georgia’s fuel standards for ethanol blends. A recent article in Florida Today noted that state officials in Georgia and other Southeastern states, including Florida, are moving to alter fuel-quality standards that have discouraged refiners from adding ethanol …
Ag Secretary Nominee Has Biofuels Credentials
In his nomination of former North Dakota governor Ed Schafer as Secretary of Agriculture on Wednesday, President Bush noted his support of domestic fuel. “Ed Schafer is the right choice to fill this post. He was a leader on agricultural issues during his eight years as the governor of North Dakota,” Bush said. “He oversaw the development of the state’s …
Wisconsin Budget Gains Biodiesel Group’s Praise
It took a lot longer than anticipated, but lawmakers in Wisconsin have finally reached agreement on that state’s budget… and the Wisconsin Biodiesel Association (WBA) says its $26 million renewable energy package will help make the state competitive in the biodiesel business. This story in Wisconsin Ag Connection says the WBA is applauding the approval of the biodiesel measures in …
U.S. Army Takes a Look at Hydrogen
The Tank and Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center, a department of the U.S. Army, is working with executives from Chevron Technology Ventures and the Hyundai-Kia America Technical Center to see how the military could use hydrogen fuel technology and how the technology operates in a real-world setting. The joint-project will take place at the Selfridge Air National Guard (SANG) …
SD Democrat Calls Ethanol Critics “Misguided”
A South Dakota congressional representative supports increasing the Renewable Fuels Standard in the energy bill and fires back at critics of ethanol. According to an article in the Daily Republic, U.S. Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin says opponents of the biofuel industry are using “misguided and inaccurate” claims in an attempt to derail the growth of renewable fuels. While discussing her …
Soybean Growers Concerned About Biodiesel Support Funding
The American Soybean Association (ASA) is raising concerns about the level of government funding to alternative energy sources, particularly biodiesel, in the Senate’s version of the Farm Bill. This article from Grainnet.com says provisions in the energy portion of the bill are among the group’s concerns: In the Energy Title, ASA is very concerned with the level of funding provided …
Rockers, Biofuel Makers Appeal to Congress
The U.S. House Select Committee on Energy Independence will hear from biofuel producers, environmentalists, and even some music stars when it holds a hearing entitled “The Grass is Greener: The Future of Biofuels,” tomorrow morning (Wednesday, October 24th) at 9:30 EDT in Washington, D.C. Among those testifying before Rep. Edward J. Markey’s (D-Massachusetts) committee, musician Adam Gardner (left) of the …
Energy and Farm Bill Updates
Ethanol interests are hoping that Congress might finally get the energy bill into conference committee this week. Brian Jennings with the American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) says, “It sounds like Democrats and Republicans are beginning to work out some of the political differences and procedural differences they had in moving forward,” Jennings says. “I would predict that hopefully this week …