The American Farm Bureau Federation and several other ag and industry organization are urging Congress to include adequate funding for two programs that will move cellulosic ethanol closer to reality – the biorefinery grant program and the cellulosic loan guarantee. According to a release,The two programs were created under the Energy Policy Act of 2005. The biorefinery grant program has …
Carnegie Mellon Research Could Improve Ethanol Efficiency
Carnegie Mellon University chemical engineers say they have found a new way to improve the efficiency of ethanol production. According to a university release, Carnegie Mellon researchers have used advanced process-design methods combined with mathematical-optimization techniques to reduce the operating costs of corn-based bio-ethanol plants by more than 60 percent. The key to the Carnegie Mellon strategy involves redesigning the …
Purdue Scientist Honored by President
A senior research scientist from Purdue University was among those honored to attend the President’s State of the Union address last week, thanks to her groundbreaking work in cellulosic ethanol. According to BoilerStation.com, Nancy Ho was asked to attend the event by the White House and sat near First Lady Laura Bush. “I will treasure this all my life,” Ho …
Fuel for Thought at EPCOT
General Motors and Disney have teamed up to bring the wonder of fuel cell technology, hybrid vehicles and ethanol-powered cars and trucks to life with the newly opened “Fuel For Thought” display at Walt Disney World Resort’s Epcot® theme park near Orlando, Florida. According to GM, “Fuel For Thought” is comprised of interactive kiosks and games, a special floor projection, …
New Officers For NEVC to Continue Record Growth
The National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition recently elected new officers for 2007. The new chairman of the organization is Greg Krissek of ICM, Inc. and Vice-Chairman is Bernie Punt of Siouxland Energy Livestock and Coop. NEVC reports a dramatic increase in E85 infrastructure in 2006, assisting in the establishment of 569 new stations in 2006 to a total of 1,087 as …
Florida Ethanol Plant President Sees Bright Future
The president of Florida’s only ethanol plant under construction was a featured speaker in Indian River citrus country this week. Bradley Krohn of U.S. EnviroFuels plans to use corn from the Midwest to produce ethanol for a 40 million gallon a year plant at Tampa Bay, but he believes there is good potential for Florida producers to grow alternative crops …
NIAA to Discuss Impact of Biofuels
There’s been a lot of talk lately about how the increased demand for ethanol and biodiesel will affect farmers and ranchers using the same stocks for feed for their animals. The National Institute of Animal Agriculture plans to make the topic a top priority at its annual meeting, April 2-5 in Sacramento, California. From the group’s press release: “With all …
EPIC Shares President’s Goals
A stable supply of domestically-produced fuel is vital to achieving the goals outlined by President Bush in his State of the Union address, and the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council (EPIC) is determined to help make that happen. In a news release, EPIC Executive Director Tom Slunecka said, “We share the administration’s vision on an issue of such critical importance …
Ethanol and Global Warming 101
In an effort to bring attention to the issue of global climate change and the role ethanol can play in the solution, the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council has joined the team for explorer Will Steger’s Global Warming 101 Expedition, according to an EPIC release. Steger, who has long been a proponent of alternative energy in the fight against global …
Poll Shows Support for Government Involvement in Alternative Fuels
A new poll indicates that 85% of American voters think that the government should be involved in the development of alternative fuels. According to a release from the Renewable Fuels Association, the poll was conducted by The Winston Group prior to President Bush’s State of the Union speech. It also found that 84% of voters think that the government should …