By admin | June 26, 2009
Submitted by DTN Ethanol Blog
General Biodiesel Seattle, LLC, completed the acquisition of the former Seattle Biodiesel plant, a Seattle-based commercial biodiesel refinery, from Imperium Renewables, Inc., according to a news release from General Biodiesel.
NACS seeks Liability Relief for E15 Sales at C-Stores
DOE Picks Verenium-BP Cellulosic Plant for Loan Guarantee
Tennessee Governor Bredesen Signs Biofuels Bill into Law
Jatropha Offered to US Biodiesel Plants
Virginia Probes Ethanol Levels
By admin | June 26, 2009
Submitted by DTN Ethanol Blog
Abundant Biofuels Corp. is offering long-term contracts to supply jatropha oil to U.S. biodiesel producers that the company says has “under-capacity production issues,” according to a news release.
Virginia Probes Ethanol Levels
Peterson: ILUC Clause Crucial
MN Ethanol Plant Has Credit Extended
Study: Little Difference Between Biodiesel, ULSD Performance
Biodiesel Blending Facility in Orlando to Open in 2 Months
By admin | June 12, 2009
Submitted by DTN Ethanol Blog
Kinder Morgan said it plans to ship the first commercial batch of biodiesel blended with ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel later this month on its Plantation pipeline. The batch will be a B5 blend, which is 5 percent biodiesel with 95 percent petroleum-based diesel fuel.
CHS Opens Transload Terminal for Ethanol in Birmingham
Don’t Forget Biochemicals
Shell Station in Ottawa Offers Cellulosic Ethanol
Energy Interest Groups Take RFS to Task at EPA Hearing
RFA Concerned about Proposal to Change RIN Reporting
By admin | June 12, 2009
Submitted by DTN Ethanol Blog
While national debate has centered on the role of biofuels in greenhouse gas reduction, biochemicals have been left out of the discussion, representatives of the biochemical/cellulosic-ethanol community said during a news conference Thursday.
Shell Station in Ottawa Offers Cellulosic Ethanol
Energy Interest Groups Take RFS to Task at EPA Hearing
RFA Concerned about Proposal to Change RIN Reporting
RFA: EPA Interpretation Off
Lignol Produces Cellulosic Ethanol at Pilot Plant
By admin | June 10, 2009
Submitted by DTN Ethanol Blog
A Shell service station in Ottawa, Canada, on Wednesday became the first to offer regular gasoline containing 10 percent cellulosic ethanol produced locally from wheat straw at Iogen Energy Corp.’s demonstration plant.
Energy Interest Groups Take RFS to Task at EPA Hearing
RFA Concerned about Proposal to Change RIN Reporting
RFA: EPA Interpretation Off
Lignol Produces Cellulosic Ethanol at Pilot Plant
Nebraska Ethanol Plant Files Bankruptcy
By admin | June 9, 2009
Submitted by DTN Ethanol Blog
The Renewable Fuels Association expressed concern Monday regarding changes to the federal Renewable Fuel Standards, especially the reporting of renewable fuels credits being proposed by the Environmental Protection Agency.
RFA: EPA Interpretation Off
Lignol Produces Cellulosic Ethanol at Pilot Plant
Nebraska Ethanol Plant Files Bankruptcy
GreenGold Energies Moves Headquarters Closer to Jatropha Oil Refinery
86 New E85 Pumps Since Jan. 1
By admin | June 7, 2009
Submitted by Biofuels Digest Blog
Photograph by Peter Essick for National Geographic magazine.
Once considered too expensive, as well as too damaging to the land, exploitation of Alberta’s oil sands is now a gamble worth billions.
So intones an article in this month’s issue of National Geographic magazine titled “The Canadian Oil Boom: Scraping Bottom.” Its opening shot shows how arbitrary standards that attribute direct and indirect land use change factors can be when comparing fossil fuels verses biofuels created from cultivated crops.
Corn and energy crops are being held to a high standard in new Low Carbon Fuel Standard legislation passing through California’s legislature. This standard is reflected in U.S. EPA presentations which assign an arbitrarily high factor in assessing the indirect (aka “international”) land change impact of producing the fuel (shown in bright green in the graph above). Without the assessment, even the worst case scenario for producing ethanol (dry mill using coal for heat) including the GHG tailpipe emissions passes the standard set by gasoline tailpipe emissions alone.
But there is no attribution for direct land use change from gasoline production even though this article provides clear evidence that there is for mining Canadian tar sands. This is the kind of arbitrary comparative accounting that has biofuel producers claiming that the standard that applies land use factors is, at best, artbitrary and, at worst, biased.
As a native Californian, I too think that CARB is being incredibly arbitrary on defining indirect effects. What if, in addition to indirect land use change (iLUC) CARB considered a new factor – “indirect cultural abuse change” (iCAC). If they did, the oil benchmark would be pushed up off the chart.
The argument would be that our addiction to oil wreaks cultural abuse worldwide – including military manufacturing and logistics expenditures, war damage to existing utility infrastructure, pollution from sabotaged wells during conflict, and the transfer of wealth from democracies to tyrannies – who exploit natural resources and have much less stringent environmental and workplace controls than most democraciees do. Surely these add carbon to the atmosphere (not to mention carnage, health, environmental, and human rights abuse).
Bottomline – until we deploy emerging technologies and a progressive infrastructure path to distribute alternative products we should build upon what already gives us options and makes us more self-reliant. Otherwise we have no choice at the pump and we remain pawns to those who profit from and control the status quo.
By admin | June 3, 2009
Submitted by DTN Ethanol Blog
By admin | May 28, 2009
Submitted by DTN Ethanol Blog
Despite reporting a first-quarter net loss of about $3.2 million, Goldfield, Iowa, ethanol producer Corn LP said in a recent newsletter published on the company’s Web site that the 55-million-gallon plant is in position to weather the current economic storm.
Valero, TN Fuel Wholesalers Reach Deal on Biofuels Bill
Washington State Fails to Meet Its Biofuels Mandate
Oregon Senate Committee to Vote on Ethanol Bill Thursday
EPA Seeks Comments on Parts of RFS Law Dealing with RINs
ISU, Poet Study Finds Potential for Corn Cobs as Ethanol Feedstock
By admin | May 22, 2009
Submitted by DTN Ethanol Blog
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is taking comments on two alternatives to the current rule on renewable fuel credits under the federal Renewable Fuels Standard which says Renewable Identification Numbers, or RINs, must accompany fuel through the supply chain.
ISU, Poet Study Finds Potential for Corn Cobs as Ethanol Feedstock
AgStar Sells 2 VeraSun Plants
Oregon Legislators Close to Amending State’s RFS Program
Peterson Takes Issue with Climate Bill
Red Trail Optimistic About Future
By admin | May 20, 2009
Submitted by DTN Ethanol Blog
Oregon legislators are close to amending a law passed two years ago that mandated ethanol use in the state in a way that will allow the sale of premium gasoline without an ethanol blend, while also mandating biodiesel.
Peterson Takes Issue with Climate Bill
Red Trail Optimistic About Future
Refiner Sunoco Buys Ethanol Plant in Upstate NY
Innovation Fuels Begins Shipping from Port of Milwaukee
Four Ethanol Plants File for Chapter 11
By admin | May 15, 2009
Submitted by DTN Ethanol Blog
North Dakota ethanol producer Red Trail Energy LLC may be headed to bankruptcy or shutdown if the company is unable renegotiate its loan agreement with First National Bank of Omaha, according to a filing with the U.S. Securities Exchange Commission Friday.
Biodiesel Terminal to Open in Mass. by Summer’s End
Texas Company Launches Line of Ethanol Mini-Refineries
E15 petition gathers more than 5,000 signatures
Valero Seals Deal on Last VeraSun Plant
Bankruptcy Possible for PE
By admin | May 14, 2009
Submitted by DTN Ethanol Blog
Baystate Biofuels, LLC said in a news release Thursday that construction of its biodiesel terminal in North Andover, Mass., will begin by the end of the month and will have product to sell by the end of the summer.
Texas Company Launches Line of Ethanol Mini-Refineries
E15 petition gathers more than 5,000 signatures
Valero Seals Deal on Last VeraSun Plant
Bankruptcy Possible for PE
Renewable Energy Group to Consolidate
By admin | May 12, 2009
Submitted by DTN Ethanol Blog
California-based ethanol producer Pacific Ethanol needs to restructure debt and raise additional equity financing or face bankruptcy, according to a filing with the Securities Exchange Commission.
Renewable Energy Group to Consolidate
White Energy Files Bankruptcy
TN Bill Could Close Valero Refinery
White House Pushes New Biofuel Goals
EPA Stand Concerns Ethanol Industry
Corn and energy crops are being held to a high standard in new Low Carbon Fuel Standard legislation passing through California’s legislature. This standard is reflected in U.S. EPA presentations which assign an arbitrarily high factor in assessing the indirect (aka “international”) land change impact of producing the fuel (shown in bright green in the graph above). Without the assessment, even the worst case scenario for producing ethanol (dry mill using coal for heat) including the GHG tailpipe emissions passes the standard set by gasoline tailpipe emissions alone.
