California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger talked about making biofuels cool and sexy during two speeches last week on the East Coast. Schwarzenegger spoke to the Council on Foreign Relations Board in New York on Thursday and at the Global Environmental Leadership Conference at Georgetown University on Wednesday, making nearly identical speeches comparing the environmental movement to bodybuilding and the need to …
Prairie Grass Mixes for Ethanol
Cellulosic ethanol might be better made from a blend of prairie grasses, rather than just one variety. That is the finding of research being done at the University of Minnesota, according to researcher Dr. Jason Hill who testified at a Field Hearing of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, held April 3 in Fargo, ND. According to …
E85 Viper Sets Speed Record
A Dodge Viper fueled with 85 percent ethanol set a world speed record when it hit 189 mph last week on the runway at the Mojave Air & Space Port. Not the one that speed enthusiast Karl Jacob was looking for, but a record nonetheless. According to the LA Times, the 189 mph speed on that one run was the …
CBOT Ethanol Seminars
The Chicago Board of Trade will be holding a series of educational seminars for managing price risk using CBOT Ethanol futures contracts and its Over-the-Counter calendar swap products. According to CBOT officials, the seminars will be held during April and May in Omaha, Cedar Rapids, Bloomington/Normal, Indianapolis, Minneapolis and Sioux Falls. The free seminars will be held from 10:30 a.m. …
EPA Issues Ethanol Plant Rule
The Environmental Protection Agency has issued a final ruling that assures facilities producing ethanol for human consumption, industrial use or fuel are treated equally under Clean Air Act permitting requirements. According to EPA officials, this final rule establishes the same emissions thresholds for new facilities that produce ethanol using a feedstock such as corn or sugar beets regardless of the …
VeraSun Plant Opens Early
VeraSun Energy Corporation, the nation’s second largest ethanol producer, has announced the early startup of its 110-million gallon facility located in Charles City, Iowa. According to a company release, construction on VeraSun’s third ethanol production plant began in March 2006 and was completed nearly three months ahead of schedule. The plant will annually process 39 million bushels of corn and …
Andersons Marathon Ethanol Grants
The Andersons Marathon Ethanol project in Greenville, Ohio is getting about $650,000 in state money to move the plant toward completion. According to state officials, the plant will receive a $100,000 grant to help cover the costs of buying machinery and equipment. Additionally, the state is providing Darke County with a $500,000 roadwork grant to facilitate the project. The Andersons …
Chavez Criticizes Ethanol
The president of oil-rich Venezuela is campaigning against President Bush’s plan to increase ethanol use in the United States, with the help of his close friend, Cuban President Fidel Castro. According to NewsMax, Hugo Chavez pledged to undermine a U.S.-Brazil ethanol agreement in a speech made on Tuesday. “We are working on an alternative proposal,” he said without elaborating. “Just …
EPA Chief on Ethanol Plant Emissions
The administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency says a proposed rule change regarding ethanol plant emissions is a matter of consistency, not favoritism. When asked about the expected rule change during a press conference announcing the administration’s new Renewable Fuels Standard, administrator Stephen L. Johnson responded, “If you are using corn to produce alcohol for human consumption, you are under …
RFA Pleased With RFS
It comes as no surprise that the Renewable Fuels Association is very pleased with the Bush Administration’s Renewable Fuels Standard announced today. In a press release, RFA Chairman Ron Miller of Aventine Renewable Energy called the RFS “a watershed piece of legislation for the U.S. ethanol industry.” “It has provided our industry a solid foundation from which to grow and …