energy.agwired.com

The Senate Finance Committee has approved the Heartland, Habitat, Harvest and Horticulture (4-H) Act of 2007… a measure containing energy tax provisions considered very important to continue the integration of the biodiesel industry into the domestic energy supply. Those measures include an extension of the federal biodiesel tax incentive, that is set to expire at the end of 2008, through December 31, 2010. It also includes an extension of the Biodiesel Small Producer Tax Credit through 2012.

The approval won the praise of the National Biodiesel Board:

“Extension of the biodiesel tax incentive is vital to our industry,” noted NBB CEO Joe Jobe. “The U.S. biodiesel industry appreciates the Senate Finance Committee’s leadership in recognizing the valuable role biodiesel can play in reducing our dependence on foreign oil in an environmentally friendly way. Extending the biodiesel tax incentive as included in this bill will support the growth of a stable biodiesel industry and allow American biodiesel producers to compete for global demand while ensuring that only quality fuel is sold in the U.S. market.”

While much of the talk regarding biodiesel these days has been about mega-refineries that try to keep up with the growing demand for the green fuel, there was some recent “small” talk about the biofuel… in fact, microscopic talk.

This story in the Fort Worth (TX) Business Press says at the recent conference on nanotechnology, NanoTx 2007, in Dallas, scientists discussed how to apply the control of matter on the molecular level to biodiesel production:

Last year, researchers at UT Arlington’s college of engineering developed a microreactor that could dramatically reduce the time and cost needed to process biodiesel fuel.

“We are actively seeking companies that build biodiesel refineries to be our partners in this nanotechnology development effort,” said Dr. Richard Billo, associate dean of engineering at the school. “The microreactor can take what is now a 90-minute process to convert vegetable oil to biodiesel fuel and reduce it to less than four minutes, even down to as little as six seconds, depending on some beginning variables,” he said.

The energy segment of the conference (pictured at right) was reported to be very popular as the scientists also talked about how to recapture heat produced from engines.

Thanks, in part, to a $677,000 grant from the U.S. government, a program to plant jatropha trees to use as a feedstock for biodiesel in Hawaii will soon get underway.

This story on EnergyCurrent.com says the tropical plant is a natural for the island paradise… and having to import all of its petroleum products makes biodiesel a no-brainer for Hawaii:

Hawaii County Economic Opportunity, the non-profit organisation that was awarded the grant, will be exploring the cloning and mass production of jatropha plant seedlings to be marketed to commercial growers in the biodiesel industry.

The project aims to produce 3 million seedlings within three years and create 70 jobs for the local community. U.S. Senator for Hawaii, Daniel K. Akaka said the project is an important step forward for Hawaii to achieve reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and a self-sustaining energy future.