The U.S. Department of Agriculture was one of the government agencies that sponsored a report on biofuels released yesterday by the National Research Council, but the secretary of agriculture is critical of the findings. “I think they’re basing conclusions on old information that’s not as accurate as it once was,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack during a press conference on …
More Corn Stocks Positive for Ethanol
More corn stocks than expected showed up in the latest report out from USDA on Friday, which was a pleasant surprise for the ethanol industry. Despite the fact that corn stocks are reported to be 34% lower than a year ago, it was expected to be much worse, even just a few weeks prior to the Friday Grain Stocks report. …
Southeast Partnership Formed for Biomass Development
Development of biomass for energy in the southeast was also included in the USDA grants announced this week in the Pacific Northwest. Among the grants is $15 million for research to be led by the University of Tennessee to develop sustainable feedstock production systems using switchgrass and woody biomass that will “produce low-cost, easily converted sugars for biochemical conversion to …
Sorghum Could be Aviation Biofuel Feedstock
Louisiana State University is getting $17 million from USDA to study how to turn sugar cane and sorghum into biofuels. The project is one of the five announced yesterday by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, focused on developing aviation biofuels from various types of biomass. “We have an incredible opportunity to create thousands of new jobs and drive economic development in …
USDA Announces New Aviation Biofuels Projects
At the Seattle-Tacoma Airport on Wednesday, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced five major agricultural research projects “aimed at developing regional, renewable energy markets, generating rural jobs, and decreasing America’s dependence on foreign oil.” Altogether, the five-year program will deliver more than $136 million in research and development grants to public and private sector partners in 22 states. University partners from …
USDA Approves Payments for Advanced Biofuels
USDA will make payments to more than 160 energy producers in 41 states “to support and ensure the production and expansion of advanced biofuels.” “Renewable energy production will create tens of thousands of direct, American jobs; thousands more indirect jobs, and clean electricity to power millions of homes. The payments I am announcing today represent the continuing commitment of the …
USDA Studies Yeast and Enzymes for Ethanol Production
USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists are studying a new yeast that could help make cellulosic ethanol production less expensive and a commercial enzyme that could reduce overall costs linked with producing ethanol from grain. Molecular biologist Zonglin Lewis Liu with ARS’ National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research in Peoria found a biorefinery yeast that successfully ferments plant sugars from …
Growth Energy Honors Vilsack for Ethanol Support
Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack addressed members of Growth Energy at their Second Annual Legislative Conference in Washington DC this morning and was honored with the ethanol organization’s “Fueling Growth” award for his dedication and support of domestic, renewable fuels. Vilsack (left) is pictured here receiving the award from Growth Energy Co-Chairman Jeff Broin of POET and CEO Tom Buis. …
USDA Cuts Corn and Ethanol Forecasts
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has lowered its estimate of both corn production and ethanol usage of corn for this year. The latest crop forecast for corn was cut three percent in the August report, due to excessive summer heat that lowered average yields by almost five bushels an acre. The estimate for corn production this year is now 12.5 …
Grading Grasses for Ethanol Potential
U.S. Department of Agriculture researchers have developed an inexpensive way to grade the ethanol potential of perennial grasses at a biorefinery’s loading dock. Geneticist Ken Vogel (pictured) was one of a team of USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists who developed the grading process that costs only about $5 a sample rather than the $300 to $2,000 per sample that …