Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Brookhaven National Laboratory have created a new enzyme that has the potential to create plants that are easier to convert into cellulosic ethanol. “Increasing the ‘digestibility’ of plant matter is one main approach to making plants a viable alternative energy source,” said Brookhaven biochemist Chang-Jun Liu. Plants with less lignin in their cell …
Biodiesel Part of 11 States’ Low Carbon Fuel Standard
Eleven states in the New England and the Mid-Atlantic region have inked a deal to develop a comprehensive, regional low carbon fuel standard to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from transportation fuels, including biodiesel. This press release from the Pennsylvania’s Department of Environmental Protection says that state’s governor, Ed Rendell, sees alternative energy as a locally produced, clean source of fuel …
Iowa Biodiesel Plant Gets $3.9 Mil State Grant
An Iowa biodiesel plant that picked up a $2.5 million federal grant earlier this month (see my post from Dec. 7) has picked up another $3.9 million from the state. Wallaces Farmer reports that Elevance Renewable Sciences of Bollingbrook, Illinois and the Renewable Energy Group biodiesel plant in Newton received the Iowa Power Fund money to develop a Nobel Prize-winning …
Baucus, Grassley Vow to Extend Biodiesel Tax Incentive
Biodiesel producers have seen the last chance at renewing the federal biodiesel tax incentives before they expire at the end of the year slip away. But two key lawmakers have vowed the $1-a-gallon tax credit will be renewed, retroactively. Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT), chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, and Sen. Charles Grassley (R-IA), Ranking Member of the same committee, …
USDA & EPA Called to Update Climate Change Analysis
Questions by the Secretary of Agriculture himself about the USDA’s and EPA’s climate change analysis has prompted the two ranking members of the U.S. Senate and House Ag Committees to ask questions as well. U.S. Senator Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.) and U.S. Representative Frank Lucas (R-Okla.) have sent a letter to Secretary Tom Vilsack, asking him about his apparent lack of …
Grassley Blasts Dems for Biodiesel Incentive Lapse
Republican Senator Charles Grassley of Iowa says Democrats seem to just paying lip service to the concept of green energy and green jobs. He took to the floor of the Senate this week to blast the Democratic leadership for what appears to be allowing the $1-a-gallon biodiesel tax incentive to expire at the end of this month. Here are some …
NBB: No Long-Term Biodiesel Tax Extension this Year
The National Biodiesel Board seems to be conceding defeat for a long-term extension of the the biodiesel blender tax credit … but the group seems to be holding out hope for a one-year extension of the incentive set to expire after Dec. 31, 2009. The U.S. House has already passed the tax extender package in H.R. 4213, which included a …
Audi Tells Obama, “Forget Plug-Ins, Think Biodiesel”
The top executive at Audi’s U.S. offices says American political leaders need to think less about plug-in electric vehicles and more about vehicles that run on biodiesel, as well as standardizing the rules for biodiesel. The Detroit News reports that Audi of America President Johan de Nysschen made the remarks at Washington, D.C.’s National Press Club, where he told the …
Biodiesel Gets British Columbia to Cut Carbon Tax
A controversial tax imposed on some Canadians will be reduced at the beginning of the new year, thanks to biodiesel. Today’s Trucking.com reports that British Columbia’s carbon tax will drop by 5 percent and planned increases will also be lessened because of renewable fuels: On Jan. 1, 2010 the carbon tax rate on diesel drops from 4.04 cents per litre …
DOE Issues Final Rule on Loan Guarantee Program
It was a busy day in Washington yesterday as U.S. Secretary Steven Chu announced the issue of a final rule for the Loan Guarantee Program. The revised rule was designed to increase participation from private investors and banks as well as to support more innovative energy technologies. This announcement came on the same day that Chu released another $100 million …