Government biofuel policies affect fuel and farm commodity prices, but the price of a barrel of oil can have even larger effects. That is the conclusion of a report by the University of Missouri Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute (FAPRI). The study researched biofuel scenarios based on 500 random draws of possible weather, production and other market influences. The …
Ethanol Credited for Lowest National Gas Prices
Nationwide, the average cost of gas has hit a record $4 a gallon, which means some areas, like California, the average price has topped $4.50 a gallon. But in Missouri, the average price of $3.82 a gallon is the lowest in the nation – in part because of ethanol. The state implemented a ten percent ethanol mandate this year, which …
Ethanol is “Ugly Baby”
Ethanol is “an ugly baby but it’s ours and it will move cars,” according to billionaire oilman T. Boone Pickens. Speaking at the Oil and Gas Investor’s Energy Capital Forum in Houston Tuesday, Boone emphasized that he prefers the less-than-perfect fuel over imported oil because there is “no question” that America must embrace alternate energy sources to alleviate the $700-billion …
Investment Banks Bank on Alternative Energy
A growth sector focused investment bank is hosting its annual Alternative Energy Conference today at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in New York. The Thomas Weisel Partners one-day event will focus on the opportunities and challenges of the Alternative Energy industry for 2008 and the future. The conference will showcase presentations from over 30 established and emerging public and private companies, …
Suncor Expands Ethanol Production in Canada
The largest ethanol facility in Canada is becoming even larger. Suncor Energy has announced plans for a $120 million expansion of its St. Clair Ethanol Plant. The expansion is expected to double the plant’s ethanol production of 200 million litres per year to 400 million litres annually. Expanding ethanol production is part of Suncor’s plan to invest $750 million in …
Algae-ethanol Coming Soon
Well, just as soon as I posted the previous story about Solazyme making the world’s first algae-based biodiesel to meet American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) D-975 specifications, I found a story about a producer that plans to make ethanol out of algae. This story from Reuters says Algenol Biofuels has big plans for making the green fuel south …
Ag and Energy Chiefs Say Ethanol is Moderating Gas Prices
The U.S. Secretaries of Agriculture and Energy sent a letter to Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Chairman Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) answering questions about biofuels production and food prices. In the joint letter, Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman and Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer noted the complexity of the food and fuel pricing issues and cautioned the senator “against hasty judgments driven …