The chairman of the Renewable Fuels Association is excited about the developments in cellulose technology for the future of the ethanol industry. “And we fully believe that many of these technologies will in fact be proven to be economically viable on a commercial scale,” said Chris Standlee, who is executive vice president of Abengoa Bioenergy in St. Louis. He says …
Green is Universal
Universal Studios theme park in Orlando was in the spotlight during the National Biodiesel Conference last week for its biodiesel use, but they are using ethanol as well – and that will be highlighted during the National Ethanol Conference coming up later this month. Robert Winslow, Universal Senior Director Engineering and Environmental Sustainability Technical Services, gave a behind the scenes …
I Love Ethanol Song
The National Ethanol Conference is now over and saying goodbye was RFA President/CEO, Bob Dinneen. Next year’s Conference will be held in Orlando, FL so be sure to plan ahead early to make sure you participate in this industry-leading event. Although I don’t have the video (I’ll try to get a copy) I do have the audio from the final …
Economic Analysis on the Impact of U.S. Ethanol Industry
To get a complete understanding about the Ethanol Tax Incentive, attendees at the National Ethanol Conference heard this morning from Dr. John Urbanchuk, Director, LECG, LLC. He started out talking about how work needs to be done to renew the Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax Credit (VEETC) in a couple years. He talks about how the ethanol industry is in its …
Rep. Hulshof’s Capitol Hill View
Congressman from Missouri, Kenny Hulshof, (R-MO) was on stage today at the National Ethanol Conference as part of the session on how things look on Capitol Hill for the 110th Congress. Hulshof said that he might get in trouble as a Republican by saying it, but he said that he thinks agriculture will fare well with Rep. Peterson at the …
Capitol Hill View by Rep. Peterson
This morning at the National Ethanol Conference we got the view from Capitol Hill as two of our Congressmen provided their thoughts on the legislative agenda for the 110th Congress. First up was Representative Collin Peterson (D-MN). He serves as Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee. Peterson started out mentioning the farm bill and the challenges presented by the successes …
Bob in a Saab
General Motors is sponsoring a display of flex fuel vehicles here at the conference as I mentioned previously. This afternoon I had a chance to go on a test drive with Bob Dinneen, President/CEO of the Renewable Fuels Association at the helm and with him was Coleman Jones, Biofuels Implementation Manager, GM Powertrain. We took a short drive around the …
Ethanol & Racing by Bobby Rahal
Bobby Rahal, Rahal-Letterman Racing, was our luncheon speaker today. Bobby says that racing has always been the place that auto manufacturers have experimented with various technologies and fuel is no exception. He says that with the Indy Racing League moving to 100% ethanol this year and with the American Le Mans Series moving to a blend of ethanol that the …
Understanding Alternative Fuels Policy Proposal
Here at the National Ethanol Conference we got some policy information you might find helpful to understand the President’s proposal on alternative fuels. With policy playing such an important role in the growth and development of the ethanol industry it was necessary to get the perspective from one of the government agencies that has a significant role in regulation. To …
A Global Perspective on Ethanol
We had a special presentation this morning at the National Ethanol Conference from former U. S. Trade Representative and now partner in the firm of Mayer, Brown, Rowe and Maw LLP, Mickey Kantor. Kantor spoke on the subject of “Understanding Ethanol in a Global Marketplace.” He provided an interesting and at times amusing perspective on the subject. You can listen …