The man in charge at the USDA says American farmers are producing enough to provide the food AND fuel, in particular ethanol and biodiesel, this country needs. During the recent Commodity Classic, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack took on the food vs. fuel debate head-on. “It is irritating to me that we have to read about this all the time, …
GAO: Difference Between Policy & Practice on Alt. Fuels
A new report from the Government Accountability Office shows there seems to be a disconnect between what the U.S. government’s policy is regarding using alternatively fueled vehicles and what the actual practices are. This article from the Pittsburgh Business Times says the GAO has found that decision makers are faced with “confusing and, at times, contradicting mandates” that end up …
Vilsack to Sign Biofuels Agreement
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack will sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that will encourage development of bio-based products, including biodiesel and ethanol. This USDA release says Vilsack will sign the MOU with the 36-state Governors’ Biofuels Coalition, a group dedicated to providing leadership on ethanol and biodiesel policy development: “This agreement will strengthen public, private and academic partnerships that are …
Calif. Senate Calls for 1/3 of Energy from Renewables
In a move that is already generating plenty of controversy (and I’m sure plenty of comments on this blog), the California State Senate has voted to require utilities in the state to get one-third of their energy from wind, solar and other renewables by the year 2020. The Los Angeles Times reports the measure moves up the requirement from 20 …
DOE National Labs Debut Hydrogen-Powered Buses
Officials at Lawrence Livermore and Sandia California national laboratories have debuted a pair of hydrogen-powered shuttle buses. This article from Patch.com says the Ford E-450, nine-passenger vans will be tested as they shuttle people around the two campuses: The demonstration will test how well the hydrogen-powered vans and their fueling stations stand up to the normal wear and tear. They …
Ethanol Producer on Capitol Hill
Considering Republication opposition to ethanol initiatives in the House Continuing Resolution, some ethanol producers are taking to Capitol Hill for face-to-face discussions with their lawmakers about the importance of ethanol to the country. Two representatives from Marquis Energy of Hennepin, Illinois were in Washington, D.C. this week for personal meetings with representatives from their state, including Robert Schilling (R-17), Aaron …
Biofuels Part of Bright Outlook for Farm Economy
The full House Agriculture Committee held a hearing today to hear from Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack about the outlook for the farm economy, which is being supported by strong demand for ethanol and biodiesel. Vilsack told the committee that the farm economy continues to remain strong with U.S. agricultural exports, farm cash receipts and net farm income projected at …
Air Force C-17s Certified for Unlimited Use of Biofuels
The big, beautiful cargo plane you see here is the C-17 Globemaster III, capable of bringing in everything from beans to bullets, as well as taking to war and bringing back home the men and women who serve our country so proudly. And U.S. Air Force officials have certified it for unlimited usage of biofuels, more specifically, hydrotreated renewable jet …
Renewables In and Out of Obama Budget
There are renewable winners and losers in the FY2012 budget proposed this week by President Obama. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack says the president has included funding in the budget “To promote the domestic production of renewable energy, we invest in renewable energy programs related to commercialization; research and development; education and outreach; and energy efficiency and conservation. We are also …
Ag Environmental Lawyer on Ethanol Policy
The challenge to American agriculture to produce more food, fuel, and fiber on decreasing acreage continues to be challenged by governmental regulation, according to Gary Baise, agricultural lawyer with Olsson, Frank, Weeda, Terman, Bode, and Matz law firm in Washington, D.C. At a recent GROWMARK FS Green Plan Solutions “In Pursuit of Maximum Yields” conference in East Peoria, Baise talked …