It’s been a rough year for ethanol but the industry continues to move forward.
The hundreds of ethanol industry representatives at the 21st Ethanol Conference and Trade Show this week were “cautiously positive” about the future, according to American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) executive vice president Brian Jennings.
“They recognize some of the volatility we are facing, they recognize that we are a commodity that has to deal with peaks and valleys,” said Jennings. “But I think there is also a commitment that we need to continue to pull together to move this industry forward.”
He says that ACE is working closely with both the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) and the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council (EPIC) to present a united front and accomplish the goals of the industry.
Jennings displayed a couple of quotes during his address to the conference. “Everyone is entitled to their own opinion but not their own facts,” attributed to Daniel Patrick Moynihan, which Jennings said was exemplified in last week’s decision by the EPA to deny a waiver of the Renewable Fuels Standard.
Another was Winston Churchill’s famous “If you’re going through hell, just keep going.” Jennings says the point there is that “nothing that is significant is easy to accomplish” and the industry just needs to keep going in the face of the negative publicity.
While attendance at the conference was down a bit this year compared to last year, Jennings is already looking forward to a better year ahead and next year’s conference, which will be in Milwaukee on August 11-13.
Listen to an interview with Brian Jennings here:
[audio:http://www.zimmcomm.biz/ace/ace-brian.mp3]
An animated version of an enzyme that could accelerate the process of making cellulosic ethanol from woody plants and farm waste looks kind of like “a Technicolor dinosaur fossil chomping on dinner.”
Retail giant JCPenney has inked an agreement with BroadStar Wind Systems to install BroadStar’s unique wind turbines at the retailer’s massive 1.6 million-square-foot distribution center in Reno, Nevada.
Music and a message will be what goes from the West Coast to the East Coast as the biodiesel-powered Green Train is set to make a tour across the country this coming April.
The train will include two flatbed concert stage cards. During the six-week tour the train will stop in seven major cities where country music performer and songwriter Merle Haggard, along with other musicians, will perform. They will also hold dozens of small-town whistle stop acoustic performances. Other artists and celebrities who have pledged their support for the Green Train include Vince Gill, Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, Cher, The Dave Matthews Band, Collective Soul, Jewel, John Mayer, and The Indigo Girls.
The city beaches and streets in Long Beach, California are going to be kept clean by using a greener fuel.
Nebraska Governor Dave Heineman is calling on the agriculture industry to stick together on the issue of ethanol. 
“Nebraska and America need a strong ethanol industry and Nebraska and America need a strong livestock industry,” Heineman stressed. “One cannot succeed without the other. America’s agriculture industry must remain united in support of a strong ethanol industry and a strong livestock industry. America must become energy independent and ethanol is one step in that process.”
At the 21st annual American Coalition for Ethanol conference on Wednesday, 
“Our expanded research effort has led to several significant strides in the development of cellulosic ethanol technology at the lab scale in recent months,” said Broin. “Construction of this pilot facility will allow our company to take the next step toward the commercialization of cellulosic ethanol.” 
A 13-day cross-country road tour running on hydrogen kicked off this week in Portland, Maine and will wrap up in Los Angeles, CA… 31 stops and 18 states later, hoping to convince the public that hydrogen is the fuel of the future.