One of the people attending the ethanol pump promotion in West Des Moines was Pioneer Hi-Bred Marketing Director for Quality Traits, Russ Sanders. I interviewed Russ as things were heating up (quite literally) at this Kum & Go facility. Here’s Russ posing next to the #17 Indy Ethanol car which Pioneer is a sponsor of this year.
Russ says that Pioneer is working hard on new corn traits that will be more productive in the ethanol production process while also creating a more nutritious animal feed component from the by-products of the ethanol production process. He says it’s a time for American corn growers to be proud of what they are accomplishing in helping our country become more independent of foreign oil while helping create a cleaner environment. He also says that Pioneer will have several hundred of their customers here at the race this weekend.
At today’s Kum & Go pump promotion I got a chance to interview IndyCar driver Jeff Simmons once again. Jeff was on hand to pump ethanol enriched gas for customers during this midday promotion.
Here’s the fine looking group of volunteers who worked on a hot day to pump and promote ethanol to consumers out here at the West Des Moines Kum & Go.
Since Cindy mentioned that 
As summer officially begins, events in Iowa to promote and expand the use of E85 are shifting into high gear. 
An additional group of stations is selling E85 at 85 cents below their posted price from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Council Bluffs, Dubuque, Durant, Estherville, Farnhamville, Fort Dodge, Keota, Mapleton and Roelyn.
Usually, you see votes in the Senate split along party lines, but this one had more of a regional feel to it as Midwestern Senators sided with protecting their homegrown ethanol. Plus, the corn-rich, and thus ethanol-rich, Midwest would continue to enjoy the 51-cent-a-gallon federal ethanol incentives. The Senate ended up voting 56-36 to reject a procedural move that was needed to add the tariff repeal to a pending energy bill.
EarthFirst Technologies, Incorporated will be building America’s first bio-refinery, capable of producing ASTM 6751 biodiesel from palm-based methyl esters. 
Two veterans of the energy business from Houston, Texas have been named to the board of directors of Better Biodiesel, Inc…. a Utah-based company that uses a proprietary technology that eliminates the use of some caustic chemicals for the production of biodiesel (see 
Steven A Nordaker was appointed as an independent member of the board.
A bill pending in Congress would provide grants to community colleges to implement renewable energy education and training programs.
This press release from the Renewable Fuels Association says the New Era Act, introduced by Iowa Congressman Bruce Braley, is before a congressional committee and would promote an educated and skilled workforce to meet the demands of an expanding renewable fuels industry: