Senator John Thune this week hosted a hearing in his state on the growing need for ethanol research and availability. The Senate Agriculture Committee’s energy subcommittee field hearing on “The Next Frontier of Biofuels Production: Cellulosic Ethanol and the 2007 Farm Bill” included testimony from representatives of VeraSun Energy, Poet (the company formally known as Broin), South Dakota Corn Growers, …
Florida E10 Hold Up
Despite the support of Florida’s commissioner of agriculture for biofuels production, despite two recent ethanol history-making races held in the Sunshine State, and despite a new campaign that “Florida Needs Ethanol” – a bureaucratic snag is keeping Marathon Oil from blending and distributing 10 percent ethanol-enhanced fuel in Florida. According to an article in the St. Petersburg Times, Marathon and …
Fueling North Carolina’s Future
The North Carolina General Assembly is considering a sweeping statewide strategic plan to strengthen North Carolina’s future in biofuels development and use. According to a release from the North Carolina Biotechnology Center: The 16-page document, “Fueling North Carolina’s Future: North Carolina’s Strategic Plan for Biofuels Leadership,” is the culmination of a seven-month process involving more than 70 leaders from across …
Ethanol Demand Drives Planting Intentions
As expected, the USDA Prospective Plantings report out Friday morning showed that farmers expect to make a dramatic shift to corn acreage, and away from cotton and soybeans. The main reason – increased demand and higher prices of crops used for bio-fuels. According to USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, corn growers intend to plant 90.5 million acres of corn for …
Biodiesel Part of Latest Illinois State Agribusiness Grants
Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich has given out $240,000 in Opportunity Returns grants including money for a feasibility study to find new uses for a by-product of biodiesel production. Northern Illinois University in DeKalb received $16,850, to identify and evaluate new uses for glycerin to use as an energy feedstock. This from a governor’s press release: “This investment demonstrates Gov. Blagojevich’s …
Special Delivery by Alternative Fuel
After meeting with the CEOs of major automobile manufacturers on Monday, President Bush spent Tuesday taking a look at alternative fuel vehicles used by the U.S. Postal Service, FedEx, UPS, and the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. According to a White House fact sheet, the U.S. Postal Service has the “largest alternative fuel vehicle fleet in the world. Almost 13 …
Crops for Fuel
During a renewable energy roundtable discussion at Purdue University last week, the question was posed, why are we using food for fuel? USDA Chief Economist Dr. Keith Collins had the chance to respond to the questioner with an important point. “I first would say that I don’t think about using food for fuel. I think about using crops for fuel. …
Bush and the Big Three
President George W. Bush participated in a demonstration of alternative fuel vehicles on the South Lawn drive of the White House Monday with the CEOs of the three largest auto makers. The president said he “found it very interesting that by 2012, 50 percent of the automobiles in America will be flex-fuel vehicles. That means that the American consumer will …
UL Closer to E85 Pump Certification
Underwriters Laboratories is getting closer to approving fuel pumps for dispensing of 85 percent ethanol. According to a press release, UL currently expects to finalize research and publish certification requirements by the end of the fourth quarter of 2007 and, immediately thereafter, accept E85 dispensing equipment for investigation to the safety requirements and certification of compliant equipment. UL has been …
Indiana Johanns Adventures
Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns spent Wednesday in the state of Indiana talking about domestic fuel. First, the secretary joined Governor Mitch Daniels to break ground for BioTown, USA’s Phase II technology suite. BioTown is the country’s first effort toward creating communities where all energy needs are met through biorenewable resources. At that event, Johanns also announced the availability of $176.5 …