U.S. Ethanol Sector Contemplates Subsidy Cuts

Mark Marquis had planned to double the size of his Illinois ethanol plant in 2011, and was considering expanding a Wisconsin facility his family-run firm bought into last July. But those plans are now on hold, as Marquis and other ethanol producers brace for the possible end of $6 billion a year in U.S. subsidies

Biomass Growers Need To Consider Costs Carefully

Farmers in the northern Plains have the potential to supply large quantities of biomass. With respect to demand for biomass, U.S. federal policies and the creation of a U.S. national renewable electricity standard, form important future market opportunities. Moreover, several state renewable energy initiatives foster additional regional demand. Before a farmer begins establishing a biomass


Renewable Fuels Association Wants 10 Per Cent Biofuel

Canada’s renewable fuels industry is pressing the federal government to double the percentage of renewable fuels it will require in gasoline and diesel, the head of the industry association said Nov. 29. The Canadian Renewable Fuels Association wants Ottawa to raise the ethanol-in-gasoline mandate from five per cent to 10 per cent and the still-to-be-implemented

Funding For Cattails To Energy Project

Premier Greg Selinger last week announced $150,000 in funding for a pilot project at Netley- Libau Marsh to explore ways of preventing pollutants from getting into Lake Winnipeg while at the same time reducing greenhouse gas emissions. “In partnership with the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) and the University of Manitoba, we are announcing


S – for Nov. 18, 2010

everal years ago the federal government agreed it would pass a law requiring petroleum diesel fuel contain two per cent biodiesel. But so far, it hasn’t done it. Canadian canola grower associations want that renewable fuel standard in place April 1, 2011 and are urging farmers to lobby their MPs to make it happen. “If

Biofuel Worse For Climate Than Fossil Fuel: Study

European plans to promote biofuels will drive farmers to convert 69,000 square km of wild land into fields and plantations, depriving the poor of food and accelerating climate change, a report by green groups warned. That estimated area equals the size of the Republic of Ireland. As a result, the extra biofuels that Europe will


Vilsack Says E15 Decision Underscores U. S. Support

U. S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said Oct. 13 the government’s decision to boost the amount of ethanol allowed in U. S. gasoline was a strong signal the Obama administration will establish a strong U. S. ethanol industry. “Today’s announcement on E15 for 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and beyond is a positive signal that we

Ottawa Finally Makes Ethanol Mandatory – for Sep. 9, 2010

Long-promised regulations requiring all gasoline sold in Canada to contain at least five per cent ethanol will come into effect Dec. 15, the government announced last week. “Support for renewable fuels is support for farmers, rural communities and our economy,” Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz said in a statement. “This is a vital step in generating


Feeding Our Habit

Despite the millions of starving people in the world in the autumn of 2007, a looming expansion in use, and successive low-yielding crops, the market was telling us not to grow food. Longtime readers of my prognostications will note that I predicted the biofuel market would make grain prices more volatile, but not necessarily higher.

Oil Spill Helps Biofuel Image

Renewable fuels like corn-based ethanol will get a boost as the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico feeds worries by Americans about long-term dependence on oil, a top U. S. private agricultural economist said on June 8. “The spill has heightened the concern about our dependence on fossil fuels so that quite naturally