Ethanol

16 October 2007 -- U.S. farmers have gone through many cycles of boom and bust. But as VOA's Jeffrey Young reports, prospects for American agriculture are looking up, thanks to rising crop prices and land values, especially in areas where corn is grown.

In the Midwestern U.S. state of Iowa, corn and other crops cover the gently rolling ground as far as the eye can see. John Thompson farms near Webster City.    » read more »

October 2, 2007 -- Connecticut Governor M. Jodi Rell today announced plans for the conversion of one of two existing 10,000 gallon underground tanks at the state-run garage on Buckingham Street in Hartford from unleaded gasoline to E-85 ethanol. The conversion should be completed by the end of October.

“We continue to move Connecticut toward cleaner air and cleaner fuel,” Governor Rell said. “With today’s fuel prices, any way the state can diversify its fuel consumption will mean saving taxpayers money as well as improving our environment.    » read more »

August 27, 2007 -- WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) that will make available up to $33.8 million to support the development of commercially viable enzymes - a key step to enabling bio-based production of clean, renewable biofuels such as cellulosic ethanol. As part of the President’s Twenty in Ten Plan, DOE is pursuing a long-term strategy to support increased availability and cost-effective use of renewable and alternative fuels. Twenty in Ten seeks to displace 20 percent of U.S.    » read more »

JEFFERSON CITY, MO, AUG. 13, 2007 -- The Missouri Department of Natural Resources has issued an air pollution permit to Renewable Power of Cape Girardeau. The proposed plant will use corn to produce the ethanol.

The permit enables construction of a new ethanol plant at the southwest corner of Nash Road and County Road 217 in Cape Girardeau County. Once completed, the plant is projected to produce 93 million gallons annually.    » read more »

- Ad Asks Congress to Read the Fine Print of the Current Bills - Or Risk Sending Jobs Overseas

WASHINGTON, July 26 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Level Field Institute, an automotive research organization founded by retired autoworkers, today launched an ad campaign that will examine the potential economic impact of competing CAFE bills. Today's ad highlights two lesser known provisions that could have a significant impact on jobs.    » read more »

3 July 2007 -- With easy access to oil unlikely to last much longer, ethanol has the potential to replace a significant part of the world's petroleum-based fuels, says a leader of the push for energy sustainability in Brazil. But José Goldemberg, a physicist at the University of São Paulo, told a 27 June seminar at AAAS that there is considerable "hype" surrounding the recent popularity of ethanol.    » read more »

July 2, 2007 -- LANSING - Michigan Governor Jennifer M. Granholm today celebrated Albion's first E85 ethanol and biodiesel pumps at Albion Mobil (Kelly Fuels) and called for Michigan to take the lead in reducing the demand for foreign oil.

"Michigan is moving aggressively to increase the production and use of alternative fuels," Granholm said. "With organizations like NextEnergy, Michigan State University, and others attracting cutting-edge research and development in the ethanol and biofuels industries, Michigan can be the state that reduces our nation's dependence on foreign oil."    » read more »

June 24, 2007 -- On Sunday, June 24, 2007, Iowa Governor Chet Culver and Lt. Governor Patty Judge attended the inaugural Iowa Corn Indy 250 at the Iowa Speedway in Newton. On Sunday, June 24, 2007, Governor Chet Culver and Lt. Governor Patty Judge attended the inaugural Iowa Corn Indy 250 at the Iowa Speedway in Newton. During the day, the Lt. Governor promoted the use of renewable energy and thanked the Indy Racing League for their use of 100% ethanol in Indy cars.    » read more »

June 21, 2007 -- LANSING - The Michigan Renewable Fuels Commission today presented Michigan Governor Jennifer M. Granholm and members of the Joint House and Senate Agriculture Committee with a report on how to accelerate development of Michigan’s biofuels industry. The commission, which was created through Public Act 272 of 2006 as part of the state’s aggressive efforts to promote renewable energy, made a series of recommendations, including financial incentives, exploration of new funding sources and government streamlining.    » read more »

Governor Signs Third Executive Order to Increase State Government E-85 Usage

June 21, 2007 -- (Des Moines) Today, Iowa Governor Chet Culver and Lt. Governor Patty Judge joined with officials from the Department of Administrative Services and the American Lung Association at the “Kicking the Oil Addiction” workshop to encourage greater E-85 usage in state government and across the state.    » read more »

OAK RIDGE, Tenn., June 19, 2007 — Through a better understanding of photoreceptors that influence the shape and growth of poplar trees, researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory hope to improve crop yields for ethanol production.    » read more »

06/14/2007 -- California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger issued the following statement today regarding the California Air Resources Board's adoption of a resolution providing more flexibility for refiners to blend up to 10 percent ethanol in transportation fuels while still maintaining air quality:    » read more »

June 12, 2007 -- MONTGOMERY – Alabama Governor Bob Riley on Tuesday filled up the first state vehicle using alternative fuel from the new E-85 pump at the State Motor Pool.

Back in January, Governor Riley announced an E-85 fuel station would be added to the State Motor Pool so vehicles in the state’s fleet could fill up using the cleaner-burning alternative fuel. Construction of the new fuel station has just been completed.

E-85 is the term for motor fuel blends of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline.

Source: Alabama Governor

Launches Ethanol in East Lansing

June 5, 2007 -- LANSING - Michigan Governor Jennifer M. Granholm today celebrated East Lansing's first E85 ethanol pump at H&H Mobil and urged that the state continue to invest in Michigan citizens and Michigan's economic future.    » read more »

15 May 2007 -- Energy security was the issue on the table Monday at a public forum at Rice University's James Baker Institute in Houston. Experts on a panel agreed that diversifying energy sources is a key way of reducing dependence on foreign oil, but they questioned the will of politicians to take the necessary steps.

The topic of energy security includes everything from threats against oil shipments through the Straits of Hormuz to global warming and the need to find alternative fuels that will lessen dependence on fossil fuels.    » read more »