Biodiesel producers in Pennsylvania are in a tough spot these days, and unless the state steps in to help them, their industry could go bust by the end of the month.
This story in the Central Penn Business Journal says lawmakers are still sparring over subsidies that could help make the industry competitive again:
There are two proposals that would help the industry. One would increase subsidies and the other would mandate the blending of biodiesel into petroleum-based diesel. Both are part of Gov. Ed Rendell’s energy strategy to reduce the state’s dependence on foreign oil.
The Republican-controlled state Senate passed a subsidy bill in December. Special Session Senate Bill 22 would give biodiesel producers 75 cents per gallon. The Democrat-controlled House wanted a bill that raised subsidies to $1 per gallon. All biofuels producers, including ethanol producers, are eligible for a 5-cent-per-gallon subsidy.
Biodiesel producers last year asked for $1 per gallon so Pennsylvania producers could be competitive with Midwest producers that already receive subsidies ranging from $1 to $1.50 per gallon, said John Cole, founding partner of United Biofuels in Manchester Township, York County.
Meanwhile, biodiesel producers say they’re down to running on fumes and loans.
A process using the bacteria, developed by University of Maryland professors Steve Hutcheson and Ron Weiner, is the foundation of their incubator company Zymetis. When fully operational, the Zymetis process could potentially lead to the production of 75 billion gallons a year of carbon-neutral ethanol.
If you have a video camera and/or a computer, plus a little creativity and some time, you could win $10,000 and the chance to have your creativity seen by millions. 
At last week’s Washington International Renewable Energy Conference (WIREC) 2008, Agriculture Secretary Ed 
Eligible applicants may seek loan guarantees to cover up to 50 percent of a project’s cost up $10 million and grants are available for up to 25 percent of a project’s cost, not to exceed $250,000 for energy efficiency improvements and $500,000 for renewable energy systems. USDA Rural Development has invested $674 million in more than 1,763 renewable energy and energy efficiency projects since 2001 including ethanol, biodiesel, wind, solar, geothermal, methane gas recovery systems and biomass.
Coming up this week in Omaha is the 
The first large-scale ethanol plant in Texas will hold its grand opening this weekend near Hereford.
Automaker Volvo has unveiled seven trucks that the company sees as the future for long-haul transportation in the country.
The trucks, powered by everything from biodiesel and ethanol to biogas and hydrogen, are touted by the company as being carbon dioxide neutral. That means they don’t add any carbon dioxide to the air through the combustion process.
The 
A Minnesota company has developed a process to convert waste beverages into fuel.
What’s being billed as “the premier technical conference for solar energy and energy efficiency professionals in the U.S.,” SOLAR 2008 is set for May 3rd-8th in, appropriately enough, sunny San Diego, California.