Proposed House legislation could reduce national energy use by 10%
Washington, D.C. –– Pending federal energy efficiency provisions could reduce U.S. energy use by 10.6 quadrillion Btu’s, about 10% of projected U.S. energy use in 2020, according to a new analysis released today by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE).
These energy efficiency savings are more than the entire current energy use of the [...]
Ethanol’s impact on food prices was minimal, says CBO report
An April 2009 report by The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that from April 2007 to April 2008, the rise in the price of corn resulting from expanded production of ethanol contributed between 0.5 and 0.8 percentage points of the 5.1 percent increase in food prices measured by the consumer price index (CPI).
Over the same [...]
EPA seeks comments on ethanol blend rate request
On April 16, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced it is seeking public comment regarding a request from ethanol producers for a waiver under section 211(f)(4) of the Clean Air Act to permit ethanol blends with gasoline of up to 15 percent (E15) by volume, according to recent news release from the Environmental and Energy [...]
ACORE offers members details about the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
Washington D.C., April 15, 2009 –– The American Council On Renewable Energy (ACORE) has launched a new section of its website to assist member renewable energy organizations to understand the provisions of the recently-enacted American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which pertain to renewable energy investment and production.
However, the new ACORE Implementation website is available to [...]
Better compatibility in ag machinery electronics is coming
The Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) is sponsoring a “Plugfest” at the Nebraska Tractor Test Lab on the Univ. of Nebraska-Lincoln’s East Campus, May 19-20.
The Nebraska Tractor Test Lab is in the process of becoming the North American certification facility for ISOBUS standards.
The event is not usually open to the public, but an informal special [...]
Two-step chemical process turns raw biomass into biofuel
Taking a chemical approach, researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have developed a two-step method to convert the cellulose in raw biomass into a promising biofuel.
The process, which is described in the Wednesday, Feb. 11 issue of the Journal of the American Chemical Society, is unprecedented in its use of untreated, inedible biomass as the starting [...]
Survey shows high interest in biofuels
Most Americans want to know more about biofuels, according to a new survey fielded by researchers in the Department of Life Sciences Communication at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
The national survey showed that 67 percent of respondents were interested in learning more about renewable biofuels. “These findings indicate people are really interested in this issue,” says [...]
Mother Jones: Ethanol’s African Land Grab
Some food for thought from Karl Ohm.
I’ve often said that, as a nation, we can waste renewable resources just as quickly as non-renewable ones. Unless we can throttle back on consumption, the potential contribution of renewable resources to our economy may be curbed in the long run.
If trees are cleared for energy crops, if it [...]