Aviation and clean technology leaders have joined together to launch the Midwest Aviation Sustainable Biofuels Initiative (MASBI). United Airlines, Boeing, Honeywell, the Chicago Department of Aviation and the Clean Energy Trust formed the initiative with the goal of advancing aviation biofuel development in a 12-state region of the central United States. MASBI will deliver “a comprehensive evaluation of the region’s …
Ethanol Report Analyzes USDA Corn Numbers
The first guess of corn production for the new year in USDA’s May 10 World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates report is even higher than many in the industry expected. “By all accounts, it could be a monster,” says Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) Vice President of Research and Analysis Geoff Cooper who did an analysis of the numbers that came …
USDA Offers Optimistic Outlook for Corn Crop
The first U.S. Department of Agriculture outlook for this year’s corn crop is calling for record yields and record production, while corn use for ethanol is expected to remain the same. The May 10 World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates report projects U.S. feed grain supplies for 2012/13 at a record 416.3 million tons, up 16 percent from 2011/12 at …
Ethanol Blend Wall Still There
The ethanol blend wall is still a reality for the industry, according to the chief economist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. “For the time being, I think we are at a blend wall and it’s a pretty hard wall,” said USDA’s Joe Glauber during a recent gathering of farm broadcasters in Washington DC. Glauber says the general feeling now …
Ag Secretary Urges Oil Companies to Accept E15
Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack today urged petroleum companies to increase adoption of 15% ethanol blended gasoline (E15) to help decrease reliance on foreign oil. “The availability of E15 will increase America’s energy security and spur additional job creation,” Vilsack said. “The Obama Administration has an ‘all-of-the-above’ to promoting domestic energy security, and increasing the percentage of ethanol to be …
Early Planting Fuels Corn Production Speculation
Corn planting is running well above normal across the country, fueling speculation that this year’s crop could be huge. The crop progress report this week shows that seven percent of the nation’s corn crop is now planted – more than double normal for this time of year. Progress in some Midwestern states has already hit double digits. Missouri has 23% …
Join Ag Sec. Vilsack in First Twitter Chat on Energy
Tomorrow at 1:30pm EDT, Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack will hold the first “USDA Virtual Office Hours on Twitter.” I’d recommend using TweetChat, Twubs or an app like TweetDeck or HootSuite to follow along. It looks like these planned monthly sessions will focus on different topics. Tomorrow it’s renewable energy. You’re asked to submit your questions via Twitter to either @USDA …
Vilsack Announces Advanced Biofuels Roundtable
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack addressed the 2012 Advanced Biofuels Leadership Conference, presented by Biofuels Digest, Tuesday in Washington D.C. and announced an upcoming Advanced Biofuels Industry Roundtable to be held next month. Vilsack said the Roundtable will be a joint effort between USDA, the Department of Energy, and the Department of Navy and will be held on May 18 “as …
USDA Announces Ten Rural Energy Grants
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has selected 10 projects for funding 10 to help rural small businesses and agricultural producers reduce energy consumption and implement renewable energy technologies. The funding will be made available through the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP), which was authorized by the 2008 Farm Bill. “For the first time in 13 years, imported oil accounts …
Most Corn Acres Since 1937 Expected
The last time the United States planted as many corn acres as USDA is predicting for this year, Franklin D. Roosevelt was just entering his second term as president. It was 1937 when an estimated 97.2 million acres were planted. This year, the USDA Prospective Planting report predicts that corn growers will plant nearly 96 million acres – 95.9 million …