Guardian News & Media recently announced their Global Cleantech 100 presented by the Guardian. Although this was the first year the list was created, more than 3,500 nominations were submitted. On this year’s list were 55 American based companies including Mountain View, California based Cobalt Biofuels. The list includes companies that are on the forefront of cleantech innovation. Cobalt Biofuels …
Brazilian Sugar Crop Forecasts Dropped
In a follow up to a recent post about the forecasted record sugarcane harvest in Brazil, it appears that this won’t come to fruition. UNICA, the Brazilian Sugarcane Industry Association, has released today the news that heavy rains in South-Central Brazil, the country’s top sugarcane producing region, caused a drop of 23.8 percent in the volume of sugarcane crushed during …
BRAIN-y Idea Helps Wisconsin Biodiesel & Ethanol
Wisconsin will be getting $1 million to help put in E85 ethanol and biodiesel stations and infrastructure across the state. This article from the Milwaukee Business Journal says that the new Biofuels Retail Availability Improvement Network (BRAIN) will fund the installation of 27 E85 and biodiesel retail locations around the state, as well as support the installation of biodiesel blending …
Competition Underway to Build Biofuel Snowmobile
The race is on… but this time it’s to build a cleaner burning snowmobile. This post on the Good Green Cars blog says the Society of Automobile Engineers… aka SAE International… has challenged college engineering students to build a snowmobile that runs on biodiesel, ethanol or electricity: The snowmobiles will be rated in categories like emissions, noise, and acceleration.The idea …
Brazil to Have Record Breaking Sugar & Ethanol Production
Conab has released the results of its national crop survey and reported that the Brazilian sugar and alcohol sector will grind a record-breaking volume of sugarcane this year. Total harvest is expected to reach an estimated 629 million tons, a 10 percent increase over 2008. The increase in production is attributed to both good rains and expanded planted area, which …
USDA Gives $13 Mil for Renewable Energy Projects
The USDA is handing out another $13 million in loans and grants for 233 renewable energy projects in rural areas of 38 different states. The projects were announced in this press release and during a speech at the Farm Progress Show in Illinois, that included some of the highlighted projects: The loan guarantees and grants can be used for renewable …
Grassley to Host EPA Officials at Iowa Biodiesel Plant
U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) will play host to a pair of EPA officials at an Iowa biodiesel plant this coming Thursday at 3 pm. Let’s hope he can use the opportunity to teach them the REAL math behind the amount of corn and soybeans it takes to make ethanol and biodiesel. This story from Biodiesel Magazine says Grassley will …
The U.S. Needs to Transition to Hydrous Ethanol
Our nation needs to transition to hydrous ethanol as the primary renewable transportation fuel, writes Brian J. Donovan with Renergie, Inc. Many of you may be thinking that this is no different than what many people are proposing – the move to ethanol- but Donovan is proposing the use of hydrous ethanol versus anhydrous ethanol. Simply put, anhydrous ethanol has …
Florida Vetrans Denounce Big Oil Front Group
Big Oil is out astroturfing once again, this time under the guise of the group “Energy Citizens,” a front group set up by their Washington lobbying arm, the American Petroleum Institute. The goal of this effort is to stage rallies across the country in an attempt to kill the clean energy and climate plan now being considered by Congress. It’s …
Energy Grants $1.6 Mil for Public Education Efforts
The U.S. Department of Energy has handed out $1.6 million to the Alternative Fuel Trade Alliance… a group made up of the Renewable Fuels Association, the National Biodiesel Foundation, the Propane Education & Research Council, the Clean Vehicle Education Foundation and ASG Renaissance… to boost efforts for a targeted educational plan aimed at Clean Cities Coordinators and related stakeholders. This …