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. Earlier this year, USDA was predicting corn stocks would finish the year at just 675 million bushels, less than a three-week supply. But as of September 1, stocks instead totaled 1.13 billion bushels, with disappearance over the summer months indicated at 600 million less bushels than last year.
The immediate effect of the report was lower prices and a little more breathing room for the industries that rely on corn, like ethanol. “Pushing corn stocks back above one billion bushels is important for the psyche of the market,” said Renewable Fuels Association Vice President Geoff Cooper. “Having more corn available should somewhat ease supply concerns brought on by poor growing conditions this year and provide more of a buffer until farmers complete the harvest of this year’s crop.”
With corn prices higher this summer, livestock producers may have been using more distillers grains (DDGS), the by-product of ethanol production. When the amount of corn used for ethanol feed co-products is combined with feed and residual demand, total feed demand becomes 6.35 billion bushels, or 47 percent of expected use in 2011/12.
A popular syndicated National Public Radio program Tuesday will focus on the perceived decline in political support for America’s ethanol industry and where the industry will go from here.
The 
Advanced biofuels can be commercialized rapidly for military use, on military timelines, with adequate support and coordination of efforts by the U.S. Departments of Agriculture, Defense and Energy, according to comments submitted by the 
The use of anaerobic digesters for livestock operations in the Southwest is the focus of the Renewable Energy Education Field Day webinar planned for later this month.
The webinar’s origination site will be the New Mexico Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum, Las Cruces, N.M., where anyone interested in the area is invited to attend live. Five viewing sites have been set up across the Southwest at Lamar Community College, Lamar, Colo.; Otero County Extension Office, Rocky Ford, Colo.; Arizona State University, Polytechnic Campus, Mesa, Ariz.; the U.S. EPA Region 9 Office, San Francisco, Calif.; and the Texas A&M’s AgriLife Research and Extension Center, Amarillo, Texas. Additional sites may be added.
The Flex Fuel Pump Program, unveiled during the Indiana Ethanol Forum in Indianapolis earlier this summer, awarded cost-share dollars to Indiana fuel retailers looking to install flex fuel pumps.
The board of 
According to a statement from the board, “Mr. Stroburg and Mr. Oh have worked together closely throughout the last six years to manage the company’s strategic development. With more than twelve years at the helm of the company and an impressive resume of agricultural and energy industry leadership, we are pleased Mr. Stroburg will remain on the board to share his vision and leadership as the Chairman.” 
“Working closely with Mr. Stroburg has been a remarkable learning experience,” said Oh. “More than a decade ago he had a vision for a value-added agricultural business that would move our country away from imported petroleum. I look forward to maintaining our relationship as he continues to lend his experience and expertise as the Chairman of the Board.” 
Louisiana State University is getting $17 million from USDA to study how to turn sugar cane and sorghum into biofuels.
This new project is in addition to a