Biofuel Blog War

The loss of ethanol as a sponsor has left Rahal-Letterman Racing (RLR) without a car or a driver for the upcoming IndyCar Series season, but co-owner Bobby Rahal is still looking.
In a statement responding to media reports this week, Rahal said, “As of this time we do not have any sponsorship that will allow us [...]

An impressive line-up of national leaders in ethanol production, marketing, co-products, transportation, engineering, financing and environmental issues have been announced for the Ethanol 2009 Emerging Issues Forum, April 2-3 in Omaha.
Organized by the Nebraska Ethanol Board, the Emerging Issues Forum is an annual regional conference for ethanol producers, marketers and related industries. Special topics this [...]

The U.S. Departments of Energy (DOE) and Agriculture (USDA) today announced up to $25 million in funding for research and development of technologies and processes to produce biofuels, bioenergy, and high-value biobased products.
“These projects will be among many Obama Administration investments that will help strengthen our economy and address the climate crisis. A robust [...]

Ethanol production for 2008 is still expected to have exceeded the goal of nine billion gallons for the year, but not by as much as anticipated. While the industry was on track to produce about ten billion gallons for the year, the latest figures for November indicate it will be more like 9.1 billion.
According [...]

Oregon could become the latest state to mandate that every gallon of diesel sold in the state have a 2 percent biodiesel blend.
As you might remember from my post last August 29, the state has a new five-million-gallon-a-year biodiesel plant run by Sequential Pacific Biodiesel, and five-million gallons is the threshold for Oregon’s mandate to [...]

The National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition (NEVC) recently elected five new members to three years terms on their Board of Directors. New members include: Shirley Ball of Ethanol Producers and Consumers ((EPAC) Ms. Ball was re-elected to an additional 3 year term); Don Borgman of John Deere; Tom May of MFA Oil Company; Dave Weber of [...]

Local 6th graders Maggi and Lilli Marshall have followed up on last years biofuel science fair projects with another set of first place entries. The 12-year-olds are 6th graders at West Melbourne Elementary School for Science. Both entries will now proceed to the Brevard County District Science Fair in April. The girls are daughters of Cammie and the late Chris Marshall - their work continues to honor his passion for biofuels.

Lilli’s project compared the effects of biodiesel, ethanol, and gasoline in a simulated marine spill environment. Her experiment ran for 22 days and measured pH and algae plant mass. Her abstract is available here.

Maggi’s project compared the fuel properties of various types of ethanol. Starting with denatured ethanol, she produced a usable fuel, and with the assistance of the Airmasters R/C club of Sebastian FL, flew RC airplanes on three types of fuel. Her abstract is available here.

That headline is not a slap to the green fuel. Biodiesel made from what would be waste is now fueling the trains at one of America’s most beloved theme parks.

This story from Orange County (CA) Register says Disneyland is now using the leftover grease from its restaurants to power its trains:
On Wednesday, the five [...]

British carmaker Bentley is known for its high-end, performance vehicles that will set you back some green. Now, the company is introducing a car that will run green.

The photo above of the “extreme Bentley” is just a sneak peak at its latest speed demon… one that will run on ethanol. From the Bentley [...]

Scientists have mapped the genome of sorghum, and the discovery could open the door for even greater use of the crop in biofuel, especially ethanol, production.

This story from the USDA’s Radio Newsline says since sorghum grows in drier climates and is more resistant to disease than corn, researchers are looking at ways to transfer some [...]