The Iowa Renewable Fuels Association is inviting everyone to its 2nd Annual Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit, January 31st, 2008 at the Polk County Convention Complex in Des Moines, Iowa.
Activities begin at 1:00 p.m. and run through 5:30 p.m. and include:
* Keynote speaker Governor Chet Culver will share his vision for maintaining Iowa’s first-in-the-nation status in renewable fuels.
* Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey will outline his goals for expanding the adoption of biofuels among all consumer groups.
* Â Renowned economist, John Urbanchuk with LECG, LLC, will release a new study detailing the impact of renewable fuels production on Iowa’s economy.
* A Sustainable Renewable Fuels Future: Will corn sustain the U.S. ethanol industry or will dedicated energy crops become a popular choice? A panel of experts will discuss the feedstocks of the future in addition to the synergies of ethanol and biodiesel in the marketplace. And, learn about the advancements in technology that further reduce biofuels’ environmental footprint on the nation. Â
* Future Fuels Need Future Markets: The possibilities of breaking away from traditional fuels to using higher levels of ethanol and biodiesel will be explored. The viability of using a 20% ethanol blend, how to achieve success with E85 and the opportunities for 20% biodiesel blends will be shared by a panel who is committed to replacing oil with friendly, renewable fuels.
The summit is free, and registration is available by clicking here.
Large-scale community-based wind power generation company National Wind has opened up a new office at the company’s corporate center in Grand Forks, North Dakota.
Debbie Jacklitch-Kuiken is a graduate meteorologist and mechanical engineer and will serve as a senior wind analyst. She has conducted wind resource assessments on over 100 projects and has taught six courses on wind assessment.
Fred Romuld is a graduate mechanical engineer with an extensive construction background. Romuld has analyzed wind data and supervised the erection of meteorological towers in seven states and Canada. Two additional employees were added to National Wind Assessment’s Minneapolis location, Ryan Jakubov, a graduate meteorologist and wind analyst and Ben Ransom, a renewable energy business analyst.
The 
CFDC and NEVC will work with ethanol producers and E85 distributors and marketers to conduct a series of workshops covering a variety of subjects that will improve opportunities for direct E85 marketing. As the prime recipient of the grant, the Nebraska Ethanol Board will administer the project. One-day workshops, expected to begin in the second quarter of the year, will cover EPA storage requirements, fuel tax incentives, ethanol safety and handling training, and E85 brand awareness.
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Acting Secretary Chuck Conner and U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Samuel Bodman today announced the appointment of six new members and the reappointment of seven members to serve on its Biomass Research and Development Technical Advisory Committee for a term of three years. The Committee was established by the Biomass Research and Development Act of 2000 to assist USDA and DOE in meeting important national goals for a healthier rural economy and improved national energy security. 
It is easy being green this year at the
Nanfito was especially impressed with the Mazda Furai, which he says is an amazingly futuristic car. “Apparently E98 is the fuel of the future, because that is how they designed the car,” said Nanfito. “Our logo is on it, along with BP, and it is getting a lot of attention.”
E85, a blend of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline, will make its appearance in 2008 as a fuel alternative in the American Le Mans Series.
According to the 
“By showcasing the capabilities of E85 ethanol before an audience of knowledgeable and technically astute race fans, we can demonstrate the benefits of a renewable fuel that helps to reduce dependence on petroleum, helps to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases, and helps to create greater diversity in energy supplies,” Chevrolet General Manager Ed Peper said. “Of course, performance is what counts in racing, so E85 ethanol’s higher octane rating than gasoline wasn’t overlooked by the Corvette Racing engineers.”
“It’s a little bit of a surprise to see how much the market has rebounded,” said Dave VanderGriend, president of ICM at Colwich, one of the nation’s largest designers and builders of ethanol plants.
Renew, an independent brand of fuel stations based in Oshkosh, has offered E85 since the station opened on September 26, 2005. The company expects Oshkosh station customers helped save approximately 43,500 barrels of oil by choosing E85 over straight gasoline. Jay Stoflet, Director of Retail Marketing for Renew explains, “While there is no perfect solution for immediately reducing our country’s dependency on oil, E85 is a great first step that is helping make a change. These customers are really making a difference, one gallon at a time.”
North Dakota Governor John Hoeven is strongly disputing the contents of a National Geographic article that paints the Northern Plains state in a less-than-flattering light.