Growth Energy, Renewable Fuels Association rivalry prompts NGCA “make love, not war” ultimatum

In Washington, a storm has broken out in the ethanol lobby after the leak of a detailed memo from Darrin Ihnen, president of the National Corn Growers Association, criticizing the rivalry between Growth Energy and the Renewable Fuels Association.
“The ethanol and corn industries face many challenges today that could significantly impact our ability to help [...]

October 13, 2009 | Jim Lane | Comments 0

Today in Biofuels Opinion: “Brazilian sugarcane ethanol…is an almost perfect closed-loop system.”

Philip New, CEO, BP Biofuels: “Provided we don’t deplete scarce resources, the more relevant question is whether the chosen biofuel feedstock is resource efficient, carbon efficient and cost efficient. For example, you get less than 4000 litres of ethanol from a hectare of corn, growing corn intensively requires lots of fertiliser, the price of corn [...]

October 06, 2009 | Jim Lane | Comments 0

POET forms POET Biomass to manage cellulosic feedstock harvest, logistics

In South Dakota, POET announced the creation of POET Biomass, a division of POET devoted to managing harvest and transportation logistics for corn cobs – POET’s cellulosic feedstock – as well as waste wood and other feedstocks to be used for cellulosic ethanol and alternative energy projects at their production facilities.
POET’s pilot-scale plant in Scotland, [...]

June 18, 2009 | Jim Lane | Comments 0

Sunoco closes purchase of 100 Mgy Northeast Biofuels corn ethanol plant for $8.5 million

In New York, Sunoco said it has completed purchase of the 100 Mgy corn ethanol plant in Volney from Northeast Biofuels. The purchase price was $8.5 million. The plant, which was built by Northeast for $200 million on the site of a former Miller Brewing beer plant near Syracuse, was never completed due to construction [...]

June 18, 2009 | Jim Lane | Comments 0

Pacific Ethanol appoints interim CFO as beleaguered ethanol pioneer faces California fuel market shutout, cash drain

In California, Pacific Ethanol appointed Bryon McGregor as interim chief financial officer, as the beleaguered corn ethanol producer faced running out of cash by the end of the month and a shut-out from the California fuel market by 2011 unless indirect land use change penalties for corn ethanol were re-asssesed.
McGregor joined the company last September, [...]

April 24, 2009 | Jim Lane | Comments 0

Pork farmers call for 10 percent US ethanol cap, repeal of first-gen ethanol subsidy, to reduce corn price

Delegates to the annual Pork Forum in Texas called for the elimination of the 45-cent per gallon ethanol tax credit, in order to reduce the cost of corn. The delegates also passed a resolution requesting the EPA to cap ethanol blending at 10 percent. Pork producers said they are not opposed to ethanol, but that [...]

March 11, 2009 | Jim Lane | Comments 0

Today in Biofuels Opinion: “A new study deals another blow to corn-based ethanol.”

USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack, in Farmweek: “The USDA has a role, I believe, in helping develop and promote best practices that will increase and enhance management efficiencies which, in turn, will allow more of these producers of ethanol to stay in business. Meanwhile, I think its important for us to take a look at the [...]

February 05, 2009 | Jim Lane | Comments 0

Today in Biofuels Opinion: “Corn ethanol was our first attempt at a biofuel. And once it was given serious scholarship, serious analysis, we realized it has some major flaws.”

David Tilman, University of Minnesota, on the PBS NewsHour: “I think it was started with the best of intentions, but the problem with corn ethanol is that it turns out it takes a lot of energy just to grow corn, which we hadn’t thought about. The fertilizer, the pesticides, all those things require energy. Corn [...]

January 30, 2009 | Jim Lane | Comments 0

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