Chris Hurt, ag economist at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana says ethanol and biodiesel… and the demands for the feedstocks to make the biofuels… are a big reason for the current bull market. This story in the Bluffton (IN) News-Banner says Hurt made the remarks at a recent ag outlook breakfast: Hurt sees continual price rises in the corn, …
Energy Bill Passes with Expanded RFS
The U.S. House has passed the Energy Independence and Security Act (H.R. 6) by a vote of 235 to 181. The measure expands the Renewable Fuel Standard by seven times to 36 billion gallons a year by 2022… with 21 billion gallons of ethanol coming from cellulosic feedstocks, such as wood scraps… and requiring that 500 million gallons of biodiesel …
New Study Supports Mid Range Ethanol Blends
A new study released today by the American Coalition for Ethanol shows that mid-range ethanol blends – fuel mixtures with more ethanol than E10 but less than E85 – can in some cases provide better fuel economy than regular unleaded gasoline, even in standard, non-flex-fuel vehicles. The new research strongly suggests that there is an “optimal blend level” of ethanol …
RFS Supporters Rally
Members of Congress and representatives from a variety of organizations held a media event Wednesday morning in support of an increased Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) in the Energy Bill. House Ag Committee Chairman Collin Peterson (D-MN) says House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) is in full support of the RFS. “The speaker understands that this is critical for this industry,” Peterson …
RFS Rally
With a vote on the Energy Bill expected this week in the House, a Wednesday morning rally is being planned in support of increasing the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS). House Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson (D-MN) and Congressman Eliot Engel (D-NY) will host the media event which will include representatives from the Renewable Fuels Association and the National Biodiesel Board, …
FTC Reports on Ethanol Market Concentration
A new report from the Federal Trade Commission says U.S. ethanol industry become more competitive in 2007. According to the report, “The ethanol production industry is not concentrated, and has become even more unconcentrated over the last year.” The FTC utilizes the Herfindahl-Hirschman Indices (HHIs) to determine concentration. As outlined by the FTC and the Justice Department, HHIs with values …
Corn Commentary Videos
I don’t think I’ve had a chance to bring your attention to a series of video interviews I did recently at the National Association of Farm Broadcasting Convention. They have all been featured on Corn Commentary, the blog of the National Corn Growers Association that we created for them and help manage. In this one I interview NCGA CEO Rick …
POET Celebrates 20 Years
Hardly anyone knew what ethanol was 20 years ago, but that is when the company formally known as Broin started in the ethanol business. United States Senator John Thune, South Dakota Lieutenant Governor Dennis Daugaard and other elected officials helped the company now known as POET celebrate at their corporate headquarters in Sioux Falls, S.D. “Jeff Broin and POET were …
Closed Loop Plant Closing
An innovative “closed loop” ethanol plant in Nebraska shut down last week as the company filed bankruptcy, according to a report in the Omaha World Herald. E3 BioFuels opened in June as a model for using energy from biogas derived from cattle manure and cellulosic biomass to power the plant. Manure from 28,000 head of cattle in a nearby feedlot …
GM Disputes E85 Report
General Motors issued a statement in response to a USA Today report this week on a cost-benefit analysis of E85 ethanol, saying the report failed to take into account several positive factors. “We believe ethanol as a renewable fuel is the best near-term alternative to oil as a transportation fuel and replacing gasoline with ethanol positively contributes to lowering greenhouse …