Aptera goes for 300 mpg for under 30k

This airplane-inspired electric or plug-in hybrid car looks really cool and actually sound practical and reliable. I hope it lives up to the billing and becomes widely available. They say rollout will be in 2008. -- Jeff G.
Aptera: The 'Wingless Bird' - MSN Autos

Branches from Ice Storm become Biomass Biofuel in Maryville Missouri

Residents of Northwest Missouri experienced their biggest ice storm in at least 40 years this December. Thousands of households were without power for a week or more as tree branches and power lines came crashing down from the weight. Northwest Missouri State University  in Maryville found  a way to help residents and save on fuel costs at the same. Years ago they built a bioenergy center that is fueled by wood or paper waste. They are 
accepting all the wood waste they can get, allowing residents to drop off branches on University property. They will then transform the debris into wood chips for fuel that can be used in place of fossil fuels to heat the campus. Residents would need to haul their branches somewhere, so this is a very efficient way to make use of biomass fuels on a local basis without incurring any extra cost for transporting the biomass. If cities, schools, hospitals, and other institutions would develop similar projects all
over North America, fossil fuel use would be curtailed considerably. Find out more about the NWMSU biomass program through this case study: Wood to Energy: Wood and Paper Trim the Energy Bill.

Dynamotive Energy Systems to Bringing Pyrolysis BioOil Production to Missouri

Fast Pyrolysis is yet another currently viable process for making a renewable biofuel from cellulosic materials. We don't need to wait for cellulosic ethanol technology to be perfected! Rather, we can go ahead with other biofuels. This company is already making BioOil in Canada, and this new facility in Missouri will use wood waste products as the feedstock. BioOil can directly replace heating oil, meaning that it can immediately displace some of our petroleum imports. Bio-gas is another renewable biofuel that can be made from cellulosic materials. It directly replaces natural gas when upgraded. -- Jeffrey Goettemoeller
Dynamotive Energy Systems to Build First Commercial Plant in U.S. to Produce BioOil From Wood Residues in Willow Springs, MO
Dec. 20 -- Grainnet

Facility to make ethanol from sweet sorghum

Sweet Sorghum could be an important new ethanol feedstock without the need for cellulosic processing technologies. Sorghum canes contain sugars that need little processing for conversion to ethanol. This project could be the start of something big. It sound like they'll even be able to sell excess electricity generated from left-over cellulosic materials. -- Jeffrey Goettemoeller
The Daily Advertiser - www.theadvertiser.com - Lafayette, LA:
by Bob Moser -- Dec. 15, 2007
"Sweet sorghum crop to fuel plans for mill, ethanol plantSweet sorghum crop to fuel plans for mill, ethanol plant"

New Study Finds Mid-Range Ethanol Blends Can Provide Better Fuel Economy Than Gasoline

Previous studies had already shown that some cars get better fuel economy on E10 as compared to ethanol-free gasoline. This new study cosponsored by the U.S. Dept. of Energy and the American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) shows that the same is true for mid-level ethanol blends such as E20 or E30 and tailpipe emmissions are reduced as well. More study needs to be done on optimizing cars and fuel blends to take full advantage of this phenomenon. It would be a huge boost for ethanol if motorists know they are saving money by using ethanol. -- Jeffrey Goettemoeller
New Study Finds Mid-Range Ethanol Blends Can Provide Better Fuel Economy Than Gasoline Dec. 5, 2007 -- Grainnet.com

Glycerol as an ethanol feedstock a solution to glut?

Somewhere I read someone has developed a system to use glycerol as a feedstock for ethanol. The ethanol could then be used in the biodiesel production process or sold into the fuel market. This would be a way to get more fuel from the soybeans or other biodiesel feedstocks. -- Jeffrey Goettemoeller
National Biodiesel Surge Creates Bittersweet Co-product with Glycerol by Raphael Shay, Dec 3, 2007 -- renewableenergyaccess.com

E85 not cost effective in today's Flex-Fuel Vehicles

This study is not telling us anything we can't figure out on our own by looking at e85 prices and EPA fuel economy ratings for the Flex-Fuel vehicles that use E85. It's usually going to cost more to drive on E85. What this story fails to mention, however, is that a new generation of flex-fuel vehicles could get much better fuel economy by taking advantage of ethanol's high octane rating. This would make E85 quite cost competitive even without reductions in ethanol price. Let's hope the car companies start offering these new Flex-Fuel Vehicles and ethanol-capable plug-in hybrids. -- Jeffrey Goettemoeller
Ethanol E85 fuel loses cost-benefit test to diesel - USATODAY.com: "Conclusion: Unless gasoline prices, averaging $3.10 a gallon now, rise above $4 and average $3.50 or more the next few years, or ethanol prices drop a lot, diesel's the best overall solution; E85's the worst."

Austrian motorists can choose a cellulosic biofuel

It looks like cellulosic biogas may be the first fuel to market made from cellulosic feedstocks. Grasses are digested in a fairly simple process that results in a biogas. The biogas can be upgraded so that it can directly replace natural gas. Cars can be converted to run on this upgraded biogas or natural gas. It looks like an idea that may rival cellulosic ethanol, especially when you consider that energy crops developed to maximize biomass could result in much increased yields over the grass being used in Austria. Also, many areas of the world already have a natural gas pipeline system for transporting and distribution. There would be no problem with tranporting biogas in these pipelines. -- Jeffrey Goettemoeller
Bioenergy pact between Europe and Africa:
Novemeber 24, 2007
"Austrian energy company Salzburg AG has opened its first biomethane gas station for cars in Eugendorf."

Sequential Extraction could get more value from a bushel of corn

This story is about sequential extraction--a method of extracting valuable proteins and other useful substances from corn kernels in which the ethanol is extracted as a by-product of the extraction of these potentially more valuable substances. This makes a lot of economic and environmental sense if they can make it work. -- Jeff Goettemoeller
Sequential Extraction Process Could Provide Many High-Value Ethanol Co-Products: Iowa State Professor: "'You have to think like a protein company,' Johnson said. 'Ethanol becomes a co-product. Zein is more valuable on a per pound basis. Oil is more valuable on a per pound basis. The other food-grade protein fraction is more valuable. We envision that being used for food purposes for human consumption.'"

Lee Lynd and the Genesis of Cellulosic Ethanol

This is a fascinating story about the early development of cellulosic ethanol. -- Jeff Goettemoeller
Bates College From Mulch to Motor: "A senior thesis project launched Lee Lynd ’79 on a quest to turn common plant materials into inexpensive, sustainable ethanol."

National Biomass Producers Association

This new membership organization focuses on production of biomass that will be increasingly in demand for many purposes. -- Jeffrey Goettemoeller
National Biomass Producers Association - Home Page: "NBPA is a grass-roots organization focused on independent or family owned farms."

10 Million Gallon/Year Commercial Cellulosic Ethanol Facility to be built in MN

This project is noteable because it is being built next to an exiting corn ethanol biorefinery that has been using cellulosic materials as process fuels (in place of the usual natural gas). This means they already have experience in sourcing and processing the material that will now be used as ethanol feedstock in the new facility. This should improve their chances for commercial success. -- Jeffrey Goettemoeller
SunOpta BioProcess Inc. Announces Plans to Develop a 10 Million Gallon Per Year Commercial Cellulosic Ethanol Facility - Business - RedOrbit:
Nov. 20, 2007
"The plant will be environmentally friendly and use locally contracted woodchips as the cellulose source, with residual lignin serving as fuel stock for an energy efficient gasification and co-generation system that will provide the required power for both the corn starch and cellulosic ethanol operations."

Is ethanol driving up food prices?

One of the criticisms of ethanol is that it drives up corn prices, in turn driving up food prices -- the "food vs. fuel" debate. The implication is that ethanol is immoral because it causes people to go hungry. At the grand opening of an ethanol biorefinery in Shenendoah, Iowa Monte Shaw Addressed this issue. Shaw is the executive director of the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association. He pointed out that corn farmers actually get very little of the money you pay for food items that had corn inputs. He gave a few current examples. The corn farmer, 
he said, gets 6.4 cents from an 8 oz chicken breast, 5.6 cents from a quarter 
pound hamburger, 13 cents from an 8 oz. pork chop, and 3.9 cents from a 
14 ounce box of corn flakes. So what does cause higher food prices these days? The rising cost of crude oil. This impacts the cost of transportation, processing, and packaging. Shaw pointed out one other factor -- record profits reported by some of the major food processing companies. They have been able to make a success of their business models despite higher input costs.
Shaw also addressed the complaint that ethanol production requires uses valuable water supplies. Fortunately, water use per unit of ethanol production has gone down over the years. Now, says Shaw, it takes a little less that 3 gallons of water for every gallon of ethanol. And in facilities such as the one at Shenandoah, municipal gray water is being used--water that would otherwise usually be wasted. Shaw then compared this to water 
requirements for other things. It takes 150 gallons of water, he said, to produce 1 copy of 
the Sunday paper. And 90 gallons of water per gallon of gasoline! Now that really puts the issue in perspective. 

New Iowa Ethanol Biorefinery Uses Gray Water

The new Green Plains Renewable Energy biorefinery at Shenandoah, Iowa held a grand opening on November 17, 2007. One the plant tour, I learned that they use gray water from the city of Shenandoah. Then some of the water leftover from the ethanol production process is used to water a golf course. The limited water supply available from the city water plant had threatened to stop plans for the ethanol facility until this solution was found. The ethanol biorefinery employs almost 40 people and provides a new market for area corn farmers. It also provides leftover distiller's grain for feeding livestock. A large crowd attended the grand opening, listening to speeches and taking the tour on a warm and beautiful November day. 

WLRM Celebrates Completion of Its Cellulosic Ethanol Breakthrough

This is the first I've heard of this waste managemnet company and their cellulosic ethanol process. It sounds promising if it works out. I'm assuming their first feedstocks would be materials currently going to landfills. -- Jeffrey Goettemoeller
Press Release - WLRM Celebrates Completion of Its Cellulosic Ethanol Breakthrough

POET to Power SD Ethanol With Wood Waste, Saving Up to 60% in Natural Gas

Much of the wood waste that will be used to produce steam for this ethanol biorefinery would otherwise go to landfills. This kind of efficiency will be increasingly important as cheap fossil fuels become more scarce. Waste could be usilized in this way at all ethanol biorefineries, not just those using new cellulosic technologies. -- Jeffrey Goettemoeller
POET to Power Chancellor, SD Ethanol Plant With Wood Waste to Produce Steam, Saving Up to 60% in Natural Gas:
Nov 15, 2007 -- Grainnet
"Waste wood from pallets, construction sites and area landfills will be the primary fuel source for the solid waste fuel boiler."

LS9 moving ahead with biofuel replacement for diesel and gasoline

This new biofuel will be made from the same feedstocks as ethanol, but will act more like fossil fuels in how it burns, where it can be used, and ease of transportation through pipelines. -- Jeff Goettemoeller
Inside Bay Area - 'Designer biofuels' may replace gas
11-5-2007 -- by Julia Scott

Researchers make ethanol from biodiesel byproduct

Biodiesel can be made from corn oil left over from ethanol production. Now researchers have developed a way to inexpensively produce ethanol from glycerine--a byproduct of biodiesel production in plentiful supply these days. With the implimentation of both processes, biofuel production will become more efficient, less reliant of fossil fuels, and less expensive overall. -- Jeffrey Goettemoeller
Biofuels News (Green Portal):
Nov 2, 2007 -- by Andiun Kirkbride McElroy

First "Closed Loop" Ethanol Biorefinery up and Running

This Biorefinery is fueled by gas from cattle manure and they feed byproducts back to the cattle, closing the loop. It's a revolutionary system that is developing a track record on a commercial scale at Mead, Nebraska. -- Jeffrey Goettemoeller
Suburban Newspapers - Mead Ethanol continues to produce:
October 22, 2007
"'We've been really pleased, especially with the quality of the gas,' he said. 'It's excellent.'"

Grand Opening at Shenandoah, IA Ethanol Biorefinery

This event is set for Novemebr 17th. Should be a good opportunity to hear some speakers and visit an ethanol biorefinery.
Grainnet -- October 23, 2007
Green Plains Renewable Energy to Hold Grand Opening in Shenandoah, IA For Company's First Ethanol Plant

Giant corn stalks may be better for ethanol

Here we are talking about getting sugars from the stalks--even easier to convert to ethanol than the starch from corn kernels. The long days of midwest summers cause high sugar production instead of forming ears in tropical maize (corn) varieties. This could mean a large increase in ethanol yield per acre and decrease in fertilization without the need for new cellulosic processing technology. -- Jeffrey Goettemoeller
If Corn Is Biofuels King, Tropical Maize May Be Emperor:
Science News -- Oct. 16, 2007
"Without ears, these plants concentrate sugars in their stalks, he adds. Those sugars could have a dramatic affect on Midwestern production of ethanol and other biofuels."

Ethanol plant with reduced emissions

These significant advances in ethanol production technology will reduce cost and environmental impact. -- Jeff Goettemoeller
The Times-Tribune - Ethanol plant a new breed:
by Elizabeth Piet -- 10/07/2007
"the facility will use 25 percent less thermal energy and 50 percent less water than existing U.S. ethanol plants, with the goal of eliminating both in the future."

Moving Wind to the Mainstream: Leveraging Compressed Air Energy Storage

Underground compressed air storage could move wind power to a new level in inexpensive production of electricity. Traditional coal or natural gas powered generators have always had a huge advantage over wind and solar because they could deliver power when needed. Batteries were never efficient or cost effective enough to compete with this. Underground comrpessed air storage powered by wind-driven compressors could close this gap, making wind power extremely attractive and competitive with fossil fuels. -- Jeffrey Goettemoeller
Moving Wind to the Mainstream: Leveraging Compressed Air Energy Storage :
by David Marcus -- October 1, 2007
"The study's results indicate that compressing air with wind power can deliver measurable economic value and make renewable wind power more cost-effective and grid-friendly."

Mid-America economy up on farming, ethanol

Mid-America economy up on farming, ethanol -survey | News | Economic News | Reuters

Texas A&M, Ceres To Develop Sorghum For Cellulosic Ethanol

When you consider sorghum requires much less water than corn, a 2000 gallon per acre per year ethanol yield would be a tremendous breakthrough for ethanol production in North America. It would expand the range of production well beyond the Corn Belt. -- Jeffrey Goettemoeller
Texas A&M, Ceres To Develop Sorghum For Cellulosic Ethanol:
CNNMoney.com -- Oct 1, 2007
"Rooney's first breeding lines - the precursors to hybrids - can grow to almost 20 feet under favorable weather conditions and could produce more than 2,000 gallons of ethanol per acre, more than four times as much as a conventional cornstarch-to-ethanol process."

Tennessee hosts U.S. first switchgrass ethanol plant

Emerging Energy News: Tennessee hosts U.S. first switchgrass ethanol plant:
October 1, 2007
"Construction of the 5 million gallon per year biorefinery will begin by the end of 2009, with the aim of commencing operation in 2009."

AAA Begins Posting Daily Average Price of E-85 Ethanol Fuel

AAA Begins Posting Daily Average Price of E-85 Ethanol Fuel on Fuel Gauge Report Website:
Grainnet.com -- September 27, 2007
"Pricing information for E-85 is also available on AAA’s TripTik� Travel Planner, an interactive mapping, routing and travel planning tool that is available free at www.AAA.com."