Florida Governor Promotes Alternative Fuels

Domestic Fuel - Alternative Fuel
Posted by Cindy Zimmerman
July 31, 2008

Florida Governor Charlie Crist spoke to a group of over 450 gathered for the third annual Florida Farm to Fuel summit in Orlando Thursday, following an address by US Secretary of Agriculture Ed Schafer.

“You know that Florida is a top agricultural state already,” Crist told the group. “The development of ethanol and other biofuels is incredibly important to Florida’s future and America’s future. I truly believe that investing in renewable and alternative energies in the Sunshine State can propel us as a leader, no question about it.”

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Jatropha, the 'bioenergy tree,' may one day fuel your car with biodiesel

By Yvonne Swanson, Special to the Times In print: Saturday, August 2, 2008
St. Petersburg Times (Florida)

When the Beijing Olympic Games begin Friday, China will have planted more than 2-million trees in urban parks, including the new Olympic Forest Park. The primary goal isn't to create beautiful parks or provide shade for visitors. In this year of the "Green Olympics" initiative, Chinese officials hope the trees will reduce high levels of air pollution in the capital city. • But while the world focuses on Beijing this month, something much bigger is taking root in millions of acres of farmland in Southwest China that could reduce pollution on an Olympic scale. Jatropha (Jatropha curcas), known to environmental groups as the "bioenergy tree," is being planted in massive fields by farmers who have received subsidies and seedlings from the Chinese government. • Jatropha curcas is one of many species of jatropha, which are planted as a flowering landscape specimen throughout the Tampa Bay area. Jatropha is a hardy, Florida-friendly evergreen that produces pretty red flowers. But that's not this Cuban native's real claim to fame.

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Algae farm someday could produce biodiesel of choice

Orlando Sentinal (Florida)
Ludmilla Lelis Sentinel Staff Writer
July 29, 2008

Algae are not something most people want to grow, especially not in their ponds or lakes.But a Brevard-based company wants its algae to grow. And flourish. And get so fat that the tiny green cells can be harvested for fuel.

PetroAlgae of Melbourne thinks that algae can provide the fuel of tomorrow.

"We are farming oil, and we are very proud of our American oil farm," said Fred Tennant, PetroAlgae vice president of business development.

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'Major discovery' from MIT primed to unleash solar revolution

massachusetts institute of technology press release

Scientists mimic essence of plants' energy storage system
Anne Trafton, News Office
July 31, 2008

In a revolutionary leap that could transform solar power from a marginal, boutique alternative into a mainstream energy source, MIT researchers have overcome a major barrier to large-scale solar power: storing energy for use when the sun doesn't shine.

Until now, solar power has been a daytime-only energy source, because storing extra solar energy for later use is prohibitively expensive and grossly inefficient. With today's announcement, MIT researchers have hit upon a simple, inexpensive, highly efficient process for storing solar energy.

Requiring nothing but abundant, non-toxic natural materials, this discovery could unlock the most potent, carbon-free energy source of all: the sun. "This is the nirvana of what we've been talking about for years," said MIT's Daniel Nocera, the Henry Dreyfus Professor of Energy at MIT and senior author of a paper describing the work in the July 31 issue of Science. "Solar power has always been a limited, far-off solution. Now we can seriously think about solar power as unlimited and soon."

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Harvard Sustainability Science Program Issues "Biofuels and Sustainable Development" Report

Harvard Sustainability Science Program Issues "Biofuels and Sustainable Development" Report

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Man uses canola seeds to produce biodiesel fuel

Danville News (Virginia)

By Sarah Arkin
Published: July 26, 2008

Dean Price smiled Tuesday as he eagerly dug his hands into what he thinks will be the next black gold: six acres’ worth of tiny, round, black canola seeds.

In those seeds, cascading into the pronounced 100-foot tall grain bin on U.S. 220 in Bassett, Price sees the next wave of non-petroleum options and the future of America’s energy industry.

In just a few days and with some chemical conversions, that canola — grown at the Upper Piedmont Research Center at the Chinqua Penn plantation in Rockingham County, N.C. — will be ready as fuel for trucks and tractors.

It also can be used for home heating.

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Ford Offers New Flex-Fuel Vehicles in 2009

GrainNet.com
Date Posted: August 1, 2008

Ford Motor Company, a member of the National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition, has recently announced that it will add four new flexible fuel vehicle (FFV) models to their line in 2009.

These actions will assist in meeting the company’s commitment to doubling FFV production by 2010 and producing 50% of their total production as FFVs by 2012.

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New Technology Promises Huge Increase in Ethanol Yield from Grass

Daily Tech - Chicago
Science
Shane McGlaun (Blog) - July 30, 2008 5:02 PM

Process promises 10 fold increase in simple sugar production from non-food crops
As scientists all around the world look for alternatives to oil for fuel, several options have materialized. Electricity has a significant amount of support behind it, but for many drivers an electric vehicle isn't a real option due to the extremely limited range current battery technology can provide.

One of the few fuel alternatives not based on oil that is currently in use in relatively large quantities is ethanol. Many of the fueling stations around the U.S. now have stickers on pumps that say the gasoline is mixed with 10% ethanol. Large portions of General Motor's vehicles are already capable of running on 85% ethanol.

The problem with the mass production of ethanol is that the crops most suited to making ethanol -- corn, potatoes, and sugar cane -- are also food crops that are needed to feed people in many developing parts of the world. Another problem is that production costs for ethanol using these food crops vary with the price of the food crops. Another fear is that in areas where the amount of land for growing food crops is limited, the amount of crops grown that need to go to human consumption could be greatly reduced leading to increased food shortages around the world.

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DOE and USDA Announce More than $10 Million in Bioenergy Plant Feedstock Research

USDA
Release No. 0202.08
Contact: Jennifer Martin, USDA, (202) 720-8188
Jeff Sherwood, DOE, (202) 586-5806

WASHINGTON, DC -July 31, 2008-- Agriculture Under Secretary for Research, Education and Economics Gale Buchanan and Energy Department (DOE) Under Secretary for Science Raymond Orbach and today announced plans to award 10 grants totaling more than $10 million to accelerate fundamental research in the development of cellulosic biofuels.

"USDA is committed to fostering a sustainable domestic biofuels industry at home in rural America," Buchanan said. "These grants will broaden the sources of energy from many crops as well as improve the efficiency and options among renewable fuels."

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U.S. ethanol production rises 10 pct in May - EIA

Reuters India
Tue Jul 29, 2008 10:01pm IST

NEW YORK, July 29 (Reuters) - U.S. ethanol production in May jumped 10 percent from April as the growing fleet of distilleries boosted output, a government report said.

U.S. ethanol output rose 1,675,000 barrels to 18,543,000 barrels in May, the latest month for which data was available, the Energy Information Administration said on Monday.

"Ethanol is cheaper than gasoline and new distillers keep opening so it makes sense that production is going to rise," said Mark Mayo, an ethanol expert at the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

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