The world’s largest corn ethanol producer is now successfully producing cellulosic ethanol at a pilot plant in South Dakota.
According to company officials, POET Research Center in Scotland, S.D. is now producing cellulosic ethanol at a rate of 20,000 gallons per year using corn cobs as feedstock.
“The start-up of the pilot scale facility has been extremely smooth,” said POET CEO Jeff Broin, who held a telephone press conference Monday calling it a “grand opening” of the plant – although weather prevented them from actually holding the call at the facility. “After producing 1,000 gallons, we’ve already been able to validate all of what we learned in the lab and believe the process will be ready for commercialization when we start construction on Project LIBERTY next year.”
Broin stressed the potential for producing cellulosic ethanol from corn cobs and other agricultural waste products. “Because they are being grown today, they don’t require farmers to plant a new crop,” said Broin. “And there are lots of them. Enough to produce five billion gallons of ethanol every year. That’s five billion gallons of ethanol that can come from what is a waste product today.”
Broin is optimistic about being able to achieve commercialization of cellulosic ethanol by 2011 but he hedged when asked whether he thought the industry would be able to meet the goal of 100 million gallons by 2010. “This is a brand new technology, it takes time to develop it, so we’re going to have to have a wait and see attitude,” Broin said. “You can put a number on a piece of paper, but it’s going to come at the speed at which the technology is developed.” However, he noted that the industry has been very successful in the past at meeting and even exceeding the goals set forth.
Jim Sullivan of Informa Economics in Washington, D.C. told a crop outlook seminar at the 
This week’s major economic speech from President-elect Barack Obama pointed out how ethanol and biodiesel, as well as other alternatives to conventional energy sources, will be key to the nation’s economic recovery.
In an effort to quell skepticism over the renewable energy industry’s chances to meet the 10.5-billion Renewable Fuels Standard in 2009, the National Biodiesel Board has reaffirmed its industry’s ability to hold up its end of the deal… and then some.
“The U.S. biodiesel industry’s contribution to the nation’s fuel supply will help ensure that the RFS targets for 2009 will be met,” said Manning Feraci, NBB’s Vice President of Federal Affairs. “In 2008 alone, the U.S. biodiesel industry produced nearly 700 million gallons of biodiesel, which equates to 1.05 billion ethanol equivalent gallons for purposes of the RFS.”
Speaking to reporters this week, Secretary Ed Schafer noted that growth in ethanol and biodiesel production have helped create “remarkable prosperity and growth in the agriculture economy” during the Bush administration. 
Less than two weeks after Air New Zealand took to the air in a flight powered by jatropha-based biodiesel, American carrier Continental Airlines has used a combination of the the weed and algae to fuel one of its 737s.
U.S. Sen. Christopher “Kit” Bond, a longtime friend of renewable and clean energy efforts, has announced he will not seek re-election in 2010.
The National Biodiesel Board is welcoming a new face to its great communications team.
Robinson has been involved in the communications industry for more than a decade, most recently serving as Press Secretary for Missouri Governor Matt Blunt when the state adopted a ten percent ethanol standard, and for the first time began fully funding biodiesel incentives. Robinson has worked in radio and television news stations in New Mexico, Missouri and Florida. She is a graduate of the University of Missouri’s School of Journalism.
In addition to Federal tax credits, Michigan fueling station owners can now receive 30 percent up to $20,000 to install E85 or biodiesel. Rep. Joel Sheltrown introduced House bill 5878’08 in March 2008, and it was signed into law on December 30 of last year.
Colorado-based