Ethanol Week - April 7, 2014

Senate committee approves tax credit extension package The Senate Finance Committee approved tax credit extension package on April 3 that includes several biofuel and bioenergy provisions. The committee voted down an amendment that aimed to strip biofuel and renewable energy credits from the bill. READ MORE SHARE
GeoSynFuels purchases, retrofits idle demonstration plant GeoSynFuels LLC has acquired the cellulosic demonstration facility formerly owned and operated by Blue Sugars Corp., the parent company of Western Biomass Energy LLC. GSF plans to retrofit the plant to use its proprietary 5CS Technology. READ MORE SHARE
	Iowa Senate unanimously passes biofuels bill, sends it to House An Iowa bill that extends several tax credits for producers and retailers passed the Iowa Senate with 48 "yes" votes and zero "no" votes on April 1. The bill was referred to the Iowa House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee on April 2. READ MORE SHARE
Global ethanol production to reach 90 billion liters this year The Global Renewable Fuels Alliance, in cooperation with F.O. Licht, has released its Global Annual Ethanol Production Forecast, which predicts global fuel ethanol production to surpass 90 billion liters (23.78 billion gallons) in 2014. READ MORE SHARE
EIA: Rail congestion, cold weather raise ethanol spot prices Ethanol spot prices have increased steadily since early February. By late March, New York Harbor spot ethanol prices exceeded prices for RBOB (the petroleum component of gasoline) by more than $1 per gallon. READ MORE SHARE
Nebraska corn producers are excited about Brazilian biofuels A group of Nebraska, Iowa, and Ohio corn farmers have returned from a multi-state trade mission to Brazil excited about the potential relationships and similarities of ethanol fuel. READ MORE SHARE
County waives majority of taxes for formerly idled Texas plant A Texas county commission recently voted to waive all but 5 percent of a Plainview, Texas, ethanol plant's taxes, as part of a 10-year tax abatement pact signed with the county in 2009. READ MORE SHARE
First functional 'designer' chromosome in yeast is synthesized An international team of scientists has synthesized the first functional chromosome in yeast, an important step in the emerging field of synthetic biology, designing microorganisms to produce novel medicines, raw materials for food, and biofuels. READ MORE SHARE
Purdue researchers launch innovative bioenergy company Purdue University researchers are launching a company, Spero Energy Inc., focusing on an innovative process that could revolutionize how lignocellulosic biomass is used to make biofuels and other bio-based products and chemicals. READ MORE SHARE
Fire consumes small percentage of DuPont's stover bales An early morning fire on March 31, destroyed about 5,200 of the 55,000 corn stover bales stored at a 30-acre DuPont stover storage site located about 10 miles northeast of Nevada, Iowa. It is suspected lightning started the fire. READ MORE SHARE
American Ethanol to plant trees to put more green in spring The National Corn Growers Association will join NASCAR in kicking off its second year of the NASCAR Race to Green Campaign. The campaign is intended to highlight the environmental accomplishments of green programs put in place by NASCAR. READ MORE SHARE
No production delays expected at Wisconsin plant following fire A minor fire that broke out in a section of ductwork at Monroe, Wis.-based Bader State Ethanol LLC is not expected to impact plant operations. The incident occurred in the early morning hours of April 1. No injuries were reported. READ MORE SHARE
Axens, Total and IFPEN launch ethanol-to-ethylene technology Axens, Total and IFP Energies nouvelles have launched Atol, an innovative technology for bioethylene production through dehydration of bioethanol. The resulting bioethylene can be integrated in existing downstream polymerization installations. READ MORE SHARE
EIA data shows U.S. ethanol consumption continues to grow The U.S. Energy Information Administration has published the March edition of its Monthly Energy Review, which features final 2013 data for ethanol production, imports and consumption. The report shows ethanol consumption continue to grow last year. READ MORE SHARE
USDA: Corn planting down, but still fifth largest acreage The USDA's National Agriculture Statistics Service has released its Prospective Plantings report, predicting 91.7 million acres of corn will be planted this year, down 4 percent from last year. Soybean acreage, however, is forecast to increase. READ MORE SHARE
Researcher wins grant for hybrid conversion biofuel process Hasan Atiyeh, assistant professor in biosystems and agricultural engineering at Oklahoma State University, recently received a South Central Sun Grant Award to advance the development of a new hybrid conversion process. READ MORE SHARE
Iowa bill would extend state renewable energy tax credit The Iowa Senate has passed a bill that aims to extend the deadline for renewable energy projects to qualify for the state's renewable energy tax credits. It also has provisions that apply to cogeneration projects associated with ethanol plants. READ MORE SHARE
Senate Finance Committee to markup tax extenders legislation The Senate Finance Committee is scheduled to markup a tax extenders bill on April 3. The legislation, titled the Expiring Provisions Improvement Reform and Efficiency (EXPIRE) Act, includes extensions of several biofuel tax credits. READ MORE SHARE