Auburn University is getting new biomass pilot plant facilities. Masada Resource Group is donating the technology and facilities to the Alabama university. Masada Resource Group, LLC, a Birmingham, Alabama firm specializing in municipal solid waste-to-ethanol technology, has announced that it has donated biomass pilot plant facilities and equipment the company recently purchased from the Tennessee Valley Authority to Auburn University …
Ethanol Production Moves Full Steam Ahead
The latest technology for producing ethanol is getting steamy. Literally. A new patent means more environmentally-friendly production of ethanol. Interstate Power and Light Company, a subsidiary of Alliant Energy Corporation, and AE&E – Von Roll, Inc., a technology provider of steam generating systems using renewable, waste and conventional fuels, have together patented(*) a technology application that helps ethanol plants run …
Study: Switchgrass Better Ethanol Producer than Expected
A long-term study in the Midwest shows that switchgrass is a better feedstock for ethanol than previously thought. This AFP story says the trial showed that native North American prairie grass could produce a whopping 540 percent more renewable energy than what it takes to produce the ethanol: Previous estimates, based on small scale research plots, suggested the grass would …
E States Number 28
The Ethanol Promotion and Information Council (EPIC) state branding program has added another three states to the list of those that have approved the “e” label for ethanol at the pump. Maine, Mississippi and Wisconsin are the latest to approve the pump label, a project EPIC has been working on for just about a year now. The map shows all …
Melon Fuel Still in Development
The National Watermelon Association is still working on making fuel from melons. Executive Director Bob Morrissey says they still believe there is a future in the idea, which we first reported on here in September 2006. “We still have to do some homework on the logistics portion and the economics portion,” he said. “Our initial idea is to get a …
WIREC 2008 Agenda Set
The agenda has been set for the Washington International Renewable Energy Conference, or WIREC 2008. Cabinet-level government officials from more than 70 countries will gather with industry leaders at the event to discuss the opportunities and challenges of a global, rapid deployment of renewable energy. WIREC 2008 is the third global ministerial-level conference on renewable energy, following events in Beijing …
MO Governor Pushes More Ethanol
Missouri Governor Matt Blunt is serious about making the Show Me State a renewable fuels leader. As of January 1, the state became only the third in the nation to implement a statewide 10 percent ethanol standard. Now the governor has proposed several initiatives targeted at promoting the use of and expanding access to E85 in Missouri. At the Missouri …
Missouri Governor Unveils Incentives for E-85 Pumps
Missouri Governor Matt Blunt has unveiled a plan to provide $2 million in tax incentives to fuel retailers who install E-85 ethanol pumps. According to a press release from the governor’s office, there are only 92 gas stations capable of pumping E-85 out of the more than 4,300 stations in the state. These tax credits would help offset the cost …
Obama’s and Huckabee’s Biofuels Stands
Well, it looks like Iowans have chosen Illinois Senator Barack Obama and former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee as the top vote-getters in the Democratic and Republican caucuses in the Hawkeye State. While there’s still a lot of election left to go with all of the rest of the country’s primaries and caucuses still up for grabs, Iowa is many times …
New Ethanol Book
Two brothers with plant and environmental science backgrounds have just released a new book about the “past, present, and future of ethanol fuel.” “Sustainable Ethanol,” written by Jeffery and Adrian Goettemoeller, attempts clear up myths and misconceptions about fuel ethanol. They tackle topics such as ethanol’s fuel economy, energy replacement ratio, transportation issues and food versus fuel arguments. It explores …