President Obama reaffirmed the importance of domestically produced fuels in his address to Congress on jobs Thursday night. “If we provide the right incentives, the right support — and if we make sure our trading partners play by the rules — we can be the ones to build everything from fuel-efficient cars to advanced biofuels to semiconductors that we sell …
Sobering Cost of Oil Addiction
A CNN Money report this week offered some sobering statistics on the true cost of our addiction to oil. According to the report, about 3,000 of the Army casualties reported in Iraq between 2003 and 2007 were protecting fuel convoys. That is one out of eight killed or wounded during that time period. The report notes, “Among the many incentives …
USDA Guarantees Loan for Florida Biofuels Plant
The U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack today announced a $75 million loan guarantee for a Florida bioprocessing facility to create fuel from citrus and yard waste. The guarantee will support construction of the INEOS New Planet BioEnergy facility in Vero Beach, Florida that will produce up to 8 million gallons per year of cellulosic ethanol from citrus fruit, vegetable …
Navy, Energy and USDA Partner for Advanced Biofuels
The Obama Administration today announced a partnership between the private sector and the U.S. Departments of Agriculture, Energy and Navy to produce advanced drop-in aviation and marine biofuels to power military and commercial transportation. President Obama made the announcement during a stop in Iowa, at the same time the three department secretaries held a telephone conference call with the press. …
President Visiting Three of Top Four Ethanol States
During his Midwest bus tour this week, President Barack Obama is visiting three of the nation’s top four ethanol producing states, accounting for more than 42 percent of the country’s ethanol production. The president’s first audience question today in Minnesota, the number four ethanol state, was “How are you going to use renewable energy to create jobs in the future?” …
Iowa Biodiesel Board Comments to EPA
In comments submitted this week to the Environmental Protection Agency, the Iowa Biodiesel Board (IBB) said that the federal Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) has “breathed new life into Iowa’s struggling biodiesel industry.” The comments were submitted by IBB executive director Randy Olson in regard to EPA’s notice of proposed rulemaking on the Regulation of Fuels and Fuel Additives: 2012 Renewable …
New Biofuels Projects Funded
Ten new government-funded research projects were announced today to help accelerate bioenergy feedstock production. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack visited a waste-to-energy bioprocessing facility under construction in Florida today to announce that the Departments of Agriculture (USDA) and Energy (DOE) have awarded 10 grants totaling $12.2 million to spur research into improving the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of growing biofuel and bioenergy …
Iowa to Showcase Ethanol Pride During Straw Poll Week
As the media heads to Iowa next week for the August 13 Straw Poll in Ames, they will have the opportunity to learn more about the importance of ethanol to the state and the nation. Iowans Fueled with Pride is hosting a series of events during the week to provide the media with opportunities for first-hand interaction with leaders in …
ACE Urges Ethanol Industry to Contact Congress
Members of the American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) are being urged to contact their congressional representatives during down time this month. ACE Executive Vice President Brian Jennings says there are three key issues important to the ethanol industry that they are encouraging members to discuss with congressmen and senators during the August Recess. They include the offer by the ethanol …
Ethanol Compromise Not in Debt Deal
The deal to raise the U.S. debt ceiling and make spending cuts agreed upon by President Obama and congressional leaders includes no mention of the compromise to reform ethanol policy worked out last month in the Senate and ethanol industry leaders are disappointed. “As this deal calls for a commission and a future budget framework, the possibility still exists for …