The European Commission has awarded a €13.3 million grant to eStorage, a group of European stakeholders representing the electric power value chain. The grant is to help develop a solution for cost-effective integration of renewable energy generation, such as wind or solar, to the electrical grid. One challenge with renewable energy is that is can be intermittent – if the …
Driving Forward Speakers Announced
Speakers for the National Ethanol Conference (NEC): Driving Forward being held Feburary 5-7, 2013 in Las Vegas have been announced. The conference will kick off with the Chairman of the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) Neill McKinstray, who is the president, Ethanol Group, The Andersons. The line-up will then feature the much anticipated State of the Industry Address from RFA President …
Teaching Biofuels in School
Shane Robinson, associate professor in the Oklahoma State University Department of Agricultural Education, Communications and Leadership wants to teach students math and science through green energy and biofuels. He is partnering with the OSU Biobased Products and Energy Center (BioPEC), who has an objective to provide education about biobased products and energy through secondary education. “A focus of ours is …
The Business Case for E15
While the roll-out of E15 has been a bit slow out of the gate, the ethanol blend is now being legally sold in four states: Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, and South Dakota. “While progress has been slow, it is progress,” said Robert White, director of market development for the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) during an interview with Cindy Zimmerman on site …
Restaurant Owners Join Fight Against RFS
The National Council of Chain Restaurants today joined the fight against the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) with the release of a new report on its impact on the chain restaurant industry, commodity prices and the food supply chain. The study, which was conducted by PwC, “concluded that the RFS mandate could cost chain restaurants up to $3.2 billion annually, with …
DoShort Review – Sustainable Transport Fuels
What do you do when you’ve got a frustrating case of insomnia? You read books about energy. Okay, maybe not something you would do but it always keeps me good and entertained. Last night I read the DoShort, “Sustainable Transport Fuels Business Brief,” by David Thorpe in less than two hours. That is part of the sell – learn about …
Iowa RFA Asks Car Makers to Endorse E15
The Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IRFA) is asking all auto makers to recommend the use of 15% ethanol blended fuel (E15) for use in new model vehicles. IRFA has sent letters to the heads of 12 auto manufacturers asking them to follow the trend set by Ford Motor Company and General Motors and endorse the use of E15 as approved …
WindMade Label Awarded to BD
The Windmade label has been awarded to Becton, Dickinson and Company (BD) a global medical technology company, for using wind power to energize its global operations. The label, which is backed by the UN Global Compact and conservation group WWF, requires participating companies to obtain at least 25 percent of their electricity from wind power. BD uses as much as …
Investors Ask for Wind Tax Credit Extension
Dozens of investors totaling more than $800 billion in assets have called for an immediate extension of the Production Tax Credit (PTC) for renewable energy, specifically wind power. In a letter delivered to Congressional leaders, investors noted that this critical tax credit creates broad economic benefits, both for wind power producers and their suppliers across the nation. Several of these investors met …
Governors Decline Iowa Hospitality
Despite planned trips to Iowa, Texas Governor Rick Perry and Virginia Governor Robert McDonnell declined invitations to visit an Iowa ethanol plant and cattle operation from the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IRFA). Both governors were part of a group that filed for waivers of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS2) for 2012 and 2013. At this time, the Environmental Protection Agency …