State, industry, and company officials gathered this week at a brand-new biodiesel plant near Farley, Iowa for the official ribbon-cutting ceremony for Western Dubuque Biodiesel’s $50 million plant.
This story in the Telegraph-Herald (Dubuque, IA) says those in attendance praised biodiesel’s environmental and economic contributions:
“This plant has no carbon (emissions),” [Nile Ramsbottom, president of Renewable Energy Group Inc. – the company that built the plant -] said. “For every gallon produced here, it’s just one less gallon we have to import.”
Western Dubuque’s successful launch is one more step toward pushing Iowa to the forefront of the alternative fuels industry, according to some of the state and local representatives at Wednesday’s gathering.
State Sen. Tom Hancock, of Epworth, said some state leaders are looking to make Iowa the “renewable fuels capital of the United States.”
“The best return on state incentives or benefits come from projects like the one we’re celebrating today,” he said.
Others think the goal of taking the lead in the industry has already been achieved.
“If we’re not there yet, we’re awfully close,” said Tom Brooks, the plant’s general manager.
And just like that, we’ve got another 30 million gallons of DOMESTIC, green fuel added to the mix.
Good luck, Western Dubuque Biodiesel!
Officials say with the rapid rate of ethanol production there are a number of emerging issues that will continue to be important. There’s water and air quality, OSHA regulations, spill response and more. Members of the Nebraska Ethanol board say their biggest obstacle is training and recruitment. They say since 1985, around 1-thousand people have found employment at plants in the state and within the next 18 months that number will need to be duplicated.
Todd Sneller, Adm. Nebraska Ethanol Board “So it’s a significant opportunity in terms of quality jobs spread across the State in some of our smallest communities. But, it’s a significant challenge trying to find people who want to enjoy life in a small community and bring the skills necessary to run the plants located in a small community.”
The biofuels industry is rapidly picking up steam and the fast track growth is spurring a demand for professionals who are educated in biodiesel, ethanol and other alternative fuels. The 
While the Series attracted unprecedented media attention with its switch to 100 percent fuel-grade ethanol, the renewable fuel performed flawlessly with little fanfare in one of the most demanding environments in racing. The IndyCar Series became the first in motorsports to embrace a renewable and environmentally responsible fuel source, setting the standard for the “Greening of Racing”.
Firefighters in Charlottesville, Virginia will be rushing off to fires, running their fire engines on biodiesel.
In a move that can only be seen as a bold one to boost renewable fuels north of the border, the Canadian government has pledged to put $500 million into development of fuels from renewable sources.
The news is being welcomed by the Canadian Renewable Fuels Association, which says it will build on the environmental and economic benefits of fuels such as ethanol and biodiesel.
Officials in the state of Maryland have pledged to buy more vehicles that run on ethanol and biodiesel and triple the number of hybrids in the state’s fleet by 2011. 
Ethanol producer POET is getting ready to open yet another ethanol plant… this time, a 65-million-gallon-a-year facility near Portland, Indiana.