by Steve Weiss (Grey Heron/Biofuels Digest) In the bioeconomy, you need to compete for attention – of investors, customers, analysts, press,
economics
Back TO HOMEThe Digest’s 2023 Multi-Slide Guide to Forestry and the US Renewable Fuel Standard, the Key Issues.
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Where does forestry fit into the RFS and with the biofuels industry, asks Lee Enterprises
January 06, 2023 Read Full Article
The Impossibilities of the Circular Economy: Separating Aspirations from Reality
Edited ByHarry Lehmann, Christoph Hinske, Victoire de Margerie, Aneta Slaveikova Nikolova (Routledge) The fifth Factor X publication from the Federal Environment
November 16, 2022 Read Full Article
Biden Win Could Be Net Positive for Metals and Mining, Observers Say
by Jacob Holzman and Gaurang Dholakia (S&P Global Platts) ... As a result, observers have predicted that producers of battery
October 20, 2020 Read Full Article
New Iowa State Web Hub Offers Resources to Track COVID-19’s Economic Impacts
(Iowa State University) Tracking COVID-19’s economic impacts, especially in the state of Iowa, is now possible thanks to resources on a
May 26, 2020 Read Full Article
UC Researchers Discover Amount of Biofuel Needed to Match Price with Gasoline
by Tarunika Kapoor (Daily Californian) UC researchers published a study March 27 that found the exact amount of biofuel needed to
April 10, 2020 Read Full Article
#1 Biggest Barrier to Bioeconomy: The Digest’s 2020 Multi-Slide Guide to Bioeconomy Bottlenecks
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) What are the bottlenecks that prevent technologies from fueling the bioeconomy? Is it government? Is
January 28, 2020 Read Full Article
UFOP: Biodiesel Quotas Take Pressure off the Market - Non-EU Countries Show How Bioeconomics Work
(Union zur Förderung von Oel- und Proteinpflanzen (UFOP)/LifePR) ...The Union zur Förderung von Oel- und Proteinpflanzen (UFOP) has noted that
July 17, 2019 Read Full Article
Oil, Biomass, Carbon – The Value Story and a Look through the Lens of Price
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... So, producers band together to limit production and raise prices in the short term and
May 30, 2019 Read Full Article
Taxes versus Emissions Trading System: Evaluating Environmental Policies that Affect Multiple Types of Pollution
by Boon-Ling Yeo and Andrew Coleman (Environmental Economics and Policy Studies) This paper examines the interaction of different policies used to control
February 03, 2019 Read Full Article
QUOTE OF THE WEEK -- Michael Tamor
A recent Biofuels Digest article noted that Michael Tamor, a Henry Ford Technical Fellow at Ford, at a recent DOE
June 08, 2018 Read Full Article
Solar Fuels Come Nearer: Direct-from-Air CO2 Capture Cost Drops below $100/Ton Threshold
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) A technology for direct air capture of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, with a cost that
June 08, 2018 Read Full Article
Jet Fuel from Hooch Comes Closer as ASTM Clears Way for Ethanol-to-Jet, Higher ATJ Blends
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, an ASTM International Sub-Committee has voted in favor of revising specification D7566 (Standard Specification
April 09, 2018 Read Full Article
The Circular Economy: It’s Time Has Come
by KSL (Biofuels Digest) ... Prior to the energy crisis, most economies were too extravagant; now, they have now overreacted
March 30, 2018 Read Full Article
Expected Drop in Farm Income Highlights Need for Biofuels, RFS
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The USDA’s February 2018 Farm Income Forecast predicts net farm income will decline by or
February 19, 2018 Read Full Article
Techno-Economic Analysis of Biofuel Production from Macroalgae (Seaweed)
by Mohsen Soleymani and Kurt A. Rosentrater (Bioengineering) A techno-economic evaluation of bioenergy production from macroalgae was carried out in this
November 28, 2017 Read Full Article
BFC Keynote Addresses Policy, Technology, Economy
by Lisa Gibson (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Geoff Cooper, senior vice president of the Renewable Fuels Association, told attendees at the Biofuels
October 03, 2017 Read Full Article
Crossing the Valley of NLACM with Alcohol-to-Hydrocarbon Technology
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) There’s one crossing worse than the Valley of Death and that is the Valley of
September 26, 2017 Read Full Article
The Next Oil Price Spike May Cripple The Industry
by Andreas de Vries & Salman Ghouri (OilPrice.com) Two diametrically opposed views dominate the current debate about where the oil
August 24, 2017 Read Full Article
Oil Price Information Service Publishes "The New Economics of Octane"
(Oil Price Information Service) The unexpected run-up in octane's market value is puzzling to the marketplace. What factors are driving
June 23, 2017 Read Full Article
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest), explaining how international efforts to reduce the carbon footprint of aviation that focus on cheap offsets
June 22, 2017 Read Full Article
Explosive New ICCT Report Says “Offsets” Will Dominate “Alternative Fuels” in Aviation
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) “Bulk of aviation emissions reductions will be achieved through carbon offsets,” not fuels, writes ICCT Slow
June 22, 2017 Read Full Article
What’s My Feedstock Worth? A Primer for Measuring Bio-Value
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... Whether you are owner or seller, you need to know the underlying value of a
June 06, 2017 Read Full Article
$20 Oil? $200 Oil? Does It Matter? Part 1 of the 3-Part Digest series: Carbon 2017
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) For the world of renewable fuels — the only significant carbon legislation on the books, it
May 10, 2017 Read Full Article
E15 Infrastructure Bill Would Add $35.9M to Minnesota GDP
(Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association/Ethanol Producer Magazine) An infrastructure bill in the Minnesota House and Senate that calls for expanding access to
April 07, 2017 Read Full Article
First-Gen Fuels under Siege, Hit Back with Hard Data
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Ethanol supporters in the US and Australia and first-gen fuels advocates of conventional ethanol and
April 07, 2017 Read Full Article
As OPEC Falls, What Is the Liberated Market Signaling to Producers?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... There’s a theory going around that biofuels are “government fuels” — and prices are
March 22, 2017 Read Full Article
What is Australia’s Biofuel Future?
(Ecogeneration) With growing interest in Australia in the production of liquid biofuels, bio-refining experts Geoff Bell, CEO of Australian company
November 07, 2016 Read Full Article
How to Thrive in Emerging Markets: Making Industrial Biotechnology Work away from Home
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Why do hot US agricultural technologies fail to get the explosive growth they deserve? BEE
August 12, 2016 Read Full Article
Plans Farmers Are Making this Year in Reaction to Lower Commodity Prices.
(Zimm News) J.L.Farmakis, Inc has just released a new research study conducted in February by Millennium Research that shows plans
April 08, 2016 Read Full Article
The Roads to Decoupling: 21 Countries Are Reducing Carbon Emissions While Growing GDP
by Nate Aden (World Resources Institute) As countries embark on the transition to a new climate economy, there’s a debate
April 06, 2016 Read Full Article
Setting the Record Straight on Heartland Institute’s False RFS Claims
by Tom Buis (Growth Energy) Last week, the Heartland Institute published a blog post claiming the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) has
March 24, 2016 Read Full Article
The United States’ Shifting Approach to Ethanol and other Biofuels Is a Case Study in Short-Sighted Decision Making.
by Alexis Bateman and Yossi Sheffi (MIT Sloan Management Review) How a Lack of Systemic Thinking Threatens a Sustainable U.S. Energy
March 23, 2016 Read Full Article
Ethanol Industry Contributed $2.1 Billion to Minnesota's Economy in 2015
(Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association) Minnesota’s ethanol industry contributed $2.13 billion to the state’s gross domestic product in 2015, according to a
March 16, 2016 Read Full Article
Tesoro Makes Its Move on Renewable Biocrude
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Texas, Tesoro has unveiled its plan to foster the development of biocrude made from
January 22, 2016 Read Full Article
Upside Down Ethanol-Gas Ratio Appears to Be New Normal
by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) After a decade of ethanol mostly being priced lower than gasoline, the ethanol/gasoline price
January 19, 2016 Read Full Article
Renewable Energy Benefits: Measuring the Economics
(International Renewable Energy Agency) This report from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA)provides the first quantification of the macroeconomic impact
January 19, 2016 Read Full Article
Economist: Blend Wall Debate Might Help Sluggish Crop Prices
by Nat Williams (The Southern News Services) ...The reasons include the Great Recession and falling gasoline prices, among a few
January 12, 2016 Read Full Article
Large-Scale Reaction Screening Study of Advanced Cellulosic Biofuel Pathways Finds ethyllevulinate and 2-MTHF Promising Alternatives to Ethanol
(Green Car Congress) A team at RWTH Aachen University has identified ethyllevulinate and 2-methyltetrahydrofuran as promising alternatives to cellulosic bioethanol
January 04, 2016 Read Full Article
EU Biodiesel Premiums Hit New Highs as Global Energy Prices Tumble
(Platts) Biodiesel premiums to the underlying ICE gasoil futures in Europe rose steeply Monday, as energy prices tumbled further after
December 09, 2015 Read Full Article
Indonesia to Boost Biodiesel Output to Meet New Mandates -Industry
by Emily Chow (Reuters) * Expected to boost biodiesel output capacity by a fifth next year * It will be enough
November 28, 2015 Read Full Article
Oil Jobs Lost: 250.000 And Counting, Texas Likely To See Massive Layoffs Soon
by Charles Kennedy (Oilprice.com) Crude oil just capped off a third straight week of declines, as WTI nears the $40
November 26, 2015 Read Full Article
Ethanol Industry Making Profits Despite Lower Price of Fuel
(Bloomberg/McClatchy-Tribune/Star Tribune) Low prices at the gas pump have put a persistent squeeze on Midwest ethanol producers, but most are
November 17, 2015 Read Full Article
Study Shows Potential for Growth in Biofuels from Corn Stover
by Jessica Eise (Phys.Org) Making biofuel from corn crop residue could become economically viable for farmers with government support and, therefore,
November 17, 2015 Read Full Article
Skyfill: Where the Sky Is a Free Sewer, Are Bioeconomy Thermodynamics Extremely Flawed from the Get Go?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... As the reader notes, much of the original underlying biomass is not utilized when we
November 17, 2015 Read Full Article
Don’t Weaken the RFS
by Rep. Donald Payne Jr. (R-N.J.) (The Hill) ... The RFS is Congress’s answer to lowering greenhouse gas emissions and expanding the
November 10, 2015 Read Full Article
A High Price to Pay: The Hidden Costs of Corn-Ethanol Mandates on New England
(Center for Regulatory Solutions) ... How have the RFS and federal corn consumption mandates impacted non-corn states, and the
November 10, 2015 Read Full Article
U.S. Oil Refiners Look Abroad for Crude Supplies as North Dakota Boom Fades
by Jarrett Renshaw and Catherine Ngai (Reuters) ... North Dakota's Bakken production peaked at 1.153 million barrels per day in June,
November 04, 2015 Read Full Article
Guest Post: The Petrobras Corruption Scandal and Brazil’s Ethanol Sector
by Luis Ferreira Alvarez (Council on Foreign Relations) As Brazil’s Petrobras corruption investigation continues to roil its economy and politics,
October 26, 2015 Read Full Article
New Biodiesel Fuel Will Save Bellevue $25,000 Each Year
(Bellevue Reporter) A new fuel mixture in city vehicles will save the City of Bellevue more than $25,000 a year
October 16, 2015 Read Full Article
Biofuel Buses: Transguard UAE Biodiesel Case Study
by John Bambridge (Construction Week Online) Operating in any sector presents both challenges and opportunities to cut costs. When a
October 07, 2015 Read Full Article
The Business of Algae and the Dream of Algae
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Sapphire’s Jamie Levine, Matrix Genetics’ Margaret McCormick, Algal Scientific’s Geoff Horst, Heliae’s Len Smith and
October 02, 2015 Read Full Article
Is U.S. Commitment to Renewable Fuels Waning?
by John Sedbrook (Chicago Business) ... The Obama administration has taken laudable strides to reconcile fossil fuel dependence and climate change.
September 10, 2015 Read Full Article
8 Ways to Win with $30 Oil: “Energy at the Extremes”
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) What works, what struggles, what changes when oil prices head into the tank? Who will
August 26, 2015 Read Full Article
Crude Oil Pressures Ethanol / DTN Hypothetical Ethanol Plant Margins Narrow
by Todd Neeley (DTN The Progressive Farmer) It has become the question of the day for U.S. ethanol producers: What happens
August 26, 2015 Read Full Article
Michigan-Made Biofuels the Way to Increase Energy Security (Guest column)
by Drew DuBois (DuPont Pioneer/MLive) In a recent guest column in the Kalamazoo Gazette, Michael Miller thanked Congressman Fred Upton for
July 01, 2015 Read Full Article
Thrive, Survive, Jive or Take Five: Who Is Weathering the $50 Oil Storm in Biofuels, and How?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... Survive -- First-Gen ethanol producers. So-so. Corn prices have fallen, and though margins have
May 14, 2015 Read Full Article
Growers Want Permits to Produce Ethanol from Sugarcane
by N. Dinesh Nayak (The Hindu) The Karnataka State Sugarcane Growers Association has urged the Union government to allow sugarcane growers
May 13, 2015 Read Full Article
Cellulosic Refiners Hamstrung by Chaos in RFS-Credit Market
Amanda Peterka (E&E Publishing) ... Refiners aren't buying cellulosic fuel credits through the renewable fuel standard program for what the company
May 12, 2015 Read Full Article
The Push Is on for “High Renewable Content Fuels”
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... In the world of gasoline replacement, it is any fuel which has a renewable
May 12, 2015 Read Full Article
Is EPA's Biofuel Policy Eroding the Industry?
by John Siciliano (The Examiner) The Environmental Protection Agency's attempts to get its flagship renewable fuel program back on track is
May 11, 2015 Read Full Article
Ethanol Industry Looks to Drivers and Exports for Path out of a Slump
by David Shaffer (Star Tribune) After a weak start to 2015, industry sees strong exports, more fuel consumption. Increased driving and
May 11, 2015 Read Full Article
Ethanol Friendly to Hoosier Economy in 2014
by Cayla McLeland (HoosierAgToday) The Indiana Corn Marketing Council has released their economic impact study of the ethanol industry in
May 11, 2015 Read Full Article
The Wealth Effect, and Farm Impact on the US Economy
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Though representing just 1.3% of the US GDP, if the farm sector has a major
April 07, 2015 Read Full Article
Do Falling Gasoline Prices Threaten the Competitiveness of Ethanol?
by Scott Irwin and Darrel Good (FarmDocDaily) Wholesale (CBOB) gasoline prices in the U.S. have declined by about a dollar per
November 14, 2014 Read Full Article
Press Release: “Should Corn Land Be Used for Bioenergy/Biomaterial Crops?” Advanced Biofuels USA Publishes Thought-Provoking New Approach to Food, Feed, Fuel and Fiber Crop Land Use
October 6, 2014—Columbus, OH -- Robert Kozak of Atlantic Biomass Conversions contributes his thoughtful approach to answering these questions* posed
October 06, 2014 Read Full Article
Brazil Study Shows 30 Ethanol Mills Near Bankruptcy, Valor Says
by Vanessa Dezem (Bloomberg) Brazilian policies to cap gasoline prices may lead 30 ethanol and sugar plants to file for bankruptcy,
October 01, 2014 Read Full Article
VIII Annual ISO DATAGRO New York Sugar and Ethanol Conference: Report
by Pamela Rockwell* (Advanced Biofuels USA) It was fitting that the VIII annual ISO DATAGRO New York Sugar and Ethanol
September 08, 2014 Read Full Article
USDA REAP Sinks $3.4 Billion into Rural Economies
by Anna Simet (Biomass Magazine) Though the USDA Rural Energy for America Program has been hugely successful since it was first
August 28, 2014 Read Full Article
Thai Govt to Aim for Rubber Supply Cut to Support Prices
by Apornrath Phoonphongphiphat (Reuters) Thailand's military government will encourage farmers in the world's biggest rubber producer and exporter to cut
August 12, 2014 Read Full Article
The Hydrogen Wall: Looking at the Prospects for Drop-In Biofuels
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Think affordable, available, sustainable carbon is the biggest barrier to the growth of biofuels? Or,
August 12, 2014 Read Full Article
Maginot Line Mentality
by Douglas L. Faulkner (“The Cleantech Conservative”/Biofuels Digest) ... It does not appear any of the experts are looking at the entire
February 12, 2014 Read Full Article
Energy Self-Sufficiency in Brazil
by Roberto Coelho* (Advanced Biofuels USA) The global energy demand will rise 35% by 2035 due to population and economic
December 09, 2013 Read Full Article
Venter: Biofuels 'Dead' without U.S. Aid
by Bradley J. Fikes (North County Times) Famed genomics researcher J. Craig Venter, who is working to develop biofuels from