Jim Lane’s “Citizen Cane: Essays for New Days in Bioenergy” published; free PDF for Digest subscribers

Digest readers: Today, the new book “Citizen Cane: Essays for New Days in Bioenergy” by Biofuels Digest editor Jim Lane is available in PDF format for subscribers at the usual Biofuels Digest “low, low price of free”.
(Note to web and RSS readers: the book is available free to newsletter subscribers; to sign up and qualify [...]

November 06, 2009 | Jim Lane | Comments 1

KLM to test biofuels with passengers on flight, on November 23

In the Netherlands, KLM announced that it would become the first airline to test biofuels on a passenger flight. The company said that it would utilize a 50/50 mixture of camelina and standard jet fuel in a one-hour Boeing 747 flight on November 23 that would include, for the first time, a limited number of [...]

November 05, 2009 | Jim Lane | Comments 0

Indian Oil becomes fifth oil major, first NOC, to join algal fuels race; signs with PetroAlgae

In India, Indian Oil Company became the fifth oil major and first national oil company (NOC) to decisively enter the algal fuel race, signing a MOU to enter into an agreement with PetroAlgae to license micro-crop technology for the large-scale production of renewable fuels.
The announcement is also the first between an oil major and an [...]

November 04, 2009 | Jim Lane | Comments 1

50 Hottest Companies in Bioenergy: first ballots received; subscriber voting to begin November 16

In Florida, Biofuels Digest offered an update on voting procedures for the 50 Hottest Companies in Bioenergy rankings, and said that it has commenced receiving ballots back from its international panel of selectors.
SELECTOR PANEL VOTING
Selector voting will close on November 23, 2009.
SUBSCRIBER VOTING
Subscriber voting will commence on November 16, 2009, and continue through November 25th.
ANNOUNCEMENT [...]

November 03, 2009 | Jim Lane | Comments 0

The song remains the same: Bioenergy producers plea for US help on finance; feedstock stability a key; solutions in the student loan response?

In Washington, USDA Agriculture Undersecretary Dallas Tonsager said in congressional testimony that the credit crunch for advanced biofuels developers has much to do with lender disaffection with first-generation ethanol following the VeraSun bankruptcy, and the upside down economics of the 2008-09 feedstock and fuel markets. He also said that, while two more USDA loan guarantees [...]

November 02, 2009 | Jim Lane | Comments 0

Biofuels Heaven or Hell: Hot technologies, deep-pocketed investors and stable feedstock outlook brings promise after tough times

Generally recognized “hot technologies”, deep-pocketed investors, and a plentiful supply of raw material at stable prices: a recipe for growth in almost any industrial sector, but something felt to be elusive in the biofuels sector — with a general feeling that solar and battery technologies had received more attention, investors were hard to find and [...]

October 30, 2009 | Jim Lane | Comments 1

RFA lobbying of DOE to ease loan guarantee requirements, citing advanced biofuels difficulties in qualifying

In Washington, the Renewable Fuels Association commenced an effort to persuade U.S. DOE Secretary of Energy Steven Chu to address issues with the DOE’s loan guarantee program as related to cellulosic ethanol biorefineries. The association’s letter begins as follows:
Dear Secretary Chu:
The Renewable Fuels Association, the national trade association representing the U.S. ethanol industry, is writing [...]

October 29, 2009 | Jim Lane | Comments 1

Biofuels recovering as “moment of energy opportunity” arrives

If July and August were the “Summer of Algae”, then September and October are surely “the Indian Summer of Ethanol” for there has been unexpectedly warm results from the sector, and focus on the long-term “energy opportunity” inherent in the climate bill should give even more seasonal cheer to an industry battered by a plentitude [...]

October 28, 2009 | Jim Lane | Comments 0

ARPE-E awards $151 million in advanced energy R&D – pyrolysis, algae, butanol, CO2 capture among hot technologies funded

In California, Secretary of Energy Steven Chu announced that ARPA-E — the Department’s recently-formed Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy — has awarded $151 million in funding for 37 research projects. Among awardees:
University of Minnesota. Direct Solar Fuels Production of liquid hydrocarbon transportation fuels directly from sunlight, water and CO2 using an artificial symbiotic colony of photosynthetic [...]

October 27, 2009 | Jim Lane | Comments 0

National controversy, local success: CNN, designers look at biofuels, community, values

CNN “State of the Union” host and chief national correspondent John King reported that “Ethanol keeps Nebraska running in tough financial times,” where a “comparatively better” farm economy in Nebraska has an unemployment rate if 4.9 percent compared to the national average of 9.8 percent.
“In Washington,” said the report, “ethanol is a source of controversy, [...]

October 26, 2009 | Jim Lane | Comments 0

All Entries in the "Top Story" Category