Ric Larson, BioCat CEO, announcing a $7 million capital raise. “States are increasing their mandates and the incentives they offer for using biodiesel.  For example, Illinois offers an incentive where using 11.5% biodiesel eliminates the state fuel tax on the diesel fuel for farmers, truckers and construction companies.  In 2008, Illinois alone consumed over 200 million gallons which was over 50% of the biodiesel produced in the county.”

Today in Biofuels Opinion: “Significant portions of the ARB staff’s environmental and economic analyses appeared to be based on assumptions, rather than technical analyses.” is a post from: Biofuels Digest

National Research Council: “The report found that, in 2005, the hidden costs of energy production with fossil fuels in the United States amounted to $120 billion. Climate considerations aside, damages wrought by ethanol made from corn were usually similar to, or even slightly worse, than damages from gasoline. That’s because of the extra energy needed to convert corn to biofuel.

Today in Biofuels Opinion: “If you don’t have a big brother with deep pockets, like a BP, Exxon, Shell, or a Chevron, it’s going to be very difficult.” is a post from: Biofuels Digest

MSNBC.com: “A team of engineers plans to investigate whether algae commercially grown in the ocean on specialized platforms could reduce the high costs of biofuel production…Kansas State University engineer Wenquiao Yuan and his colleague think that growing algae on floating, acre-sized platforms in the ocean could dramatically reduce expenses associated with algae oil production by providing free sources of sunlight, nutrients, controlled temperature and water…Unless the platform can grow algae several millimeters thick, it would be too difficult to scrape off the biomass for processing into oil. So far, the algae have responded well to dimpled stainless-steel. But the engineers still don’t know why algae grow differently, depending on the type of material and surface texture. Understanding those “mechanisms of attachment” is the goal of the first portion of the research, which is funded by the National Academy of Sciences (NAS). From there, the engineers will likely test their platform system in a smaller pond environment and then take it offshore.”

Today in Biofuels Opinion: “Algae commercially grown in the ocean on specialized platforms could reduce the high costs.” is a post from: Biofuels Digest

Balloting will be open to the registered subscribers of the Biofuels Digest, Geothermal Digest and Biomass Digest e-newsletters, through Monday November 23rd at 5pm EST.  The link to the ballot will be distributed this week in every edition of the Digest newsletter.

To download your free copy of the Selectors Data Book for Digest subscribers – including 230 pages of company profiles, surveys and industry data, please click here.

“Early precincts” are reporting – 20 percent of the invited selectors have already cast their votes. Though it it far too early to “call” the results, early leaders are:

1. UOP (last year #10)
2. LS9 (last year #25)
3. POET (last year #4)
4. Amyris Biotechnologies (last year #7)
5. Coskata (last year #1)
6. BP Biofuels (last year – unranked)
7. ZeaChem (last year #11)
8. Sapphire Energy (last year – #2)
9. DuPont Danisco (last year #9)
10. Solazyme (last year #6)

Among subscribers, early ratings are:

1. BP (last year – unranked)
2. POET (last year #4)
3. Shell (last year unranked)
4. ExxonMobil (last year unranked)
5. Coskata (last year #1)
6. Novozymes (last year #14)
7. Sapphire Energy (last year #2)
8. Avantium (last year unranked)
9. Chevron (last year unranked)
10. DuPont Danisco (last year #9)

POET, BP, Coskata and Sapphire have appeared on both Top 10s in voting to date – too early to tell, but it may shape up to be a good year for these four companies.

Over the past week, Gevo and Verenium have slipped out of the top 10 as algae rallied, with Sapphire Energy rejoining the top 10. The big trend this year so far is the advance by companies making drop-in, renewable fuels, with companies such as UOP, BP Biofuels, Amyris and LS9 moving up. 6 of the top 10 now have drop-in fuel capabilities.

In all, more than 160 companies have received votes in this year’s ballot, to date. In all, 17 companies are currently in the “early results” top 50 that were unranked last year — including BP Biofuels, Enerkem, Codexis, Joule Biotechnologies, TMO Renewables, LanzaTech, PetroAlgae and more.

A factor? In a ranking system that rewards “visibility and credibility,” brand recognition is proving to be a factor. Otherwise well-regarded international companies have registered “don’t knows” in the mid to high 80s, including Drystill, RakennusTempo and Shree Renuka. Meanwhile, mainline oil and grain companies are in the teen and low 20s – ExxonMobil, Shell and Chevron having the highest recognition.

But visibility can pay – among companies with “don’t knows” in the 20s and low 30s are POET, Novozymes, Petrobras, Coskata, Sapphire Energy, and Verenium.

Another factor – name changing. HeroBX, Mission New Energy and Qteros had elevated “don’t know” levels after going through name changes.

Is your favorite bioenergy company missing? Be sure to cast your ballot in their support.

POET, BP, Coskata and Sapphire among early contenders in 50 Hottest Companies in Bioenergy underway is a post from: Biofuels Digest

Joanne Ivancic, executive director of Advancd Biofuels USA: “At the Infocast Cellulosic Biofuels Summit in DC, financing day today started with therapy session with panel talking about the myriad forms of pain and torture they’ve (we’ve) been through. Then got worse through federal government presentations of what money is not really available and state presentations of what tax credit programs they have that will be just great once advanced biofuels starts making money.  To the most depressing of all with financiers explaining why they aren’t touching this stuff with a 10 foot pole and wouldn’t even talk to the programs that they are funding now if they landed on their doorstep today. The only brightish light was from Canada where they actually talk to applicants and try to understand their technologies and help them put successful groups together. More or less.  And if you have the actual facility in Canada.”

Today in Biofuels Opinion: “financiers explaining why they aren’t touching this stuff with a 10 foot pole.” is a post from: Biofuels Digest

From the Sunderland Echo: “The move to electric vehicles being spearheaded on Wearside could lead to a rise in greenhouses gases, claims a new report. The Environmental Transport Association (ETA), which campaigns for sustainable transport, says a move to zero-emission vehicles has to be matched with changes to the way electricity is generated and energy use is taxed. “While the report is not intended to dampen enthusiasm for electric vehicles, their introduction should not be viewed as a panacea,” said ETA director Andrew Davis.”

Today in Biofuels Opinion: “Yield growth alone will provide significantly more than the 520 million bushels of additional feedstock required by the ethanol industry.” is a post from: Biofuels Digest

The Hindu.com: “New data show that the balance between airborne and absorbed Carbon dioxide has stayed approximately constant since 1850, despite emissions of CO2 having risen from about 2 billion tons a year in 1850 to 35 billion tons a year now…data suggests that terrestrial ecosystems and the oceans have a much greater capacity to absorb CO2 than had been previously expected…The strength of the new study, published online in Geophysical Research Letters, is that it rests solely on measurements and statistical data, including historical records extracted from Antarctic ice, and does not rely on computations with complex climate models…Another result of the study is that emissions from deforestation might have been overestimated by between 18 and 75 per cent….a team led by Guido van der Werf from VU University Amsterdam…re-visited deforestation data and concluded that emissions have been overestimated by at least a factor of two.”

Today in Biofuels Opinion: “Terrestrial ecosystems and the oceans have a much greater capacity to absorb CO2 than previously expected.” is a post from: Biofuels Digest

Rick Gilmore, CEO of The GIC Group: “Agribusiness companies can learn to manage carbon trading activities and unlock the carbon value of biofuels…the Ag Carbon Index captures the true worldwide footprint of agribusiness-related emissions, including the biofuel industry. Producers can use the index to hedge the value of reduction technologies through futures.”

Today in Biofuels Opinion: “[DOE] intends to develop drop in replacements for diesel and gasoline in a more accelerated fashion than cellulosic ethanol.” is a post from: Biofuels Digest

Chris Morrison in Bnet: “There’s no way we’ll grow enough of any plant to stop using oil for transportation. Biofuels cannot replace more than a small percentage of our oil needs — perhaps 10 percent. Bioplastics and bio-based chemicals, on the other hand, avoid both of these problems. First, on a per pound or per gallon basis, most chemicals and plastics sell for a higher price than gasoline or diesel fuel. In some cases they sell for a high multiple. Rather than having to figure out how to operate on a razor-thin margin, or none at all, a company that figures out how to make a plastic from a plant rather than oil will likely have some financial breathing room.”

Today in Biofuels Opinion: “From the point of view of the EPA, this should be like heaven.” is a post from: Biofuels Digest

Today in Biofuels Opinion: “The pathway that I think is likely to be the winner is enzymatic hydrolysis.” is a post from: Biofuels Digest