The U.S. Department of Agriculture said Tuesday a record 77.5 million acres of soybeans were planted through June,…

Delray Beach, FL biodiesel plant planned at $20 million cost

Photo of jatropha field: http://www.mydreamfuel.com/ 

DELRAY BEACH – Ag-Oil, a Delray Beach-based biofuel start-up, plans to build a $20 million pilot-scale biodiesel production facility in the Agricultural Reserve west of Delray Beach with the potential to produce 15 million gallons a year.

Teri Gevinson, CEO of Ag-Oil, said the company has planted 20 acres of jatropha, a fast-growing plant with seeds that contain oil, to make biodiesel. The biorefinery will use a patented technology to convert jatropha seeds, algae and related by-products into fuel.

Good biodiesel plant idea because it uses land which other farmers have given up on, and it looks for feedstock oil in algae and other plant sources. I wish AgOil well in this new startup company.

State of Mass. builds biodiesel into the law of the land

Green energy is set to take another big leap in Massachusetts as the state begins requiring blends of “bio fuels” into home heating oil and diesel fuel sold in the state. And that's giving new life to an old industrial site here that's being turned into part of New England's cleaner-energy future.

If you're a New Englander who heats your home with oil, probably you've seen or gotten a pitch to try something called bio heat, typically regular oil with some crop- or plant-derived fuel mixed in. Buying a blended fuel like that will actually become the law for everyone next year in Massachusetts, with a steadily growing requirement for how much green biofuel has to get mixed into the fuel supply.

Mass. is a pretty advanced state, and they are heating their homes with a biodiesel mix—by law. Why can’t all the states look at this program and use as much biodiesel as they possibly can? Here’s another story all about the new Mass. law: http://www.newburyportnews.com/puopinion/local_story_181233250.html

Jury orders Baldwin County, Ala. company to pay $10.4 million in biofuel fraud case

Baldwin County businessmen Jack and Allen Boykin show off their operation in Bay Minette. A jury ordered their company on Monday, June 29, 2009, to pay more than $10.4 million in a fraud case.

MOBILE, Ala — A federal jury today ordered a Baldwin County company to pay more than $10.4 million to a New York-based paper company that invested $2.5 million in an effort to turn vegetable matter into biofuel.
Parsons & Whittemore Enterprises sued after concluding that Montrose chemist Jack Boykin had lied about his claims.

I hate to see lawsuits in the early stages of biofuel industries, because they drag down the entire mood the the industry, but it happens in software and hardware also. Interesting, although disappointing story.

New Mexico: Congressman Harry Teague visits UNM to discuss biofuels training programs

New Mexico’s Second Congressional District Congressman Harry Teague visited the UNM campus to announce legislation intended to set aside funds for training and fellowships in accredited biofuels engineering programs. Teague says his bill will allow for a one time grant to study appropriate standards for the accreditation of undergraduate and graduate biofuels engineering programs.

Photo: Congressman Harry Teague visits with Vice President for Research Julia Fulghum.

It will also provide funding for biofuels engineering programs and biofuels engineering training centers. In addition, the bill will provide fellowships to undergrads and graduate students studying biofuels engineering and provide access to scientific research facilities.

UNM’s School of Engineering is involved in a variety of biofuels related research efforts including the National Science Foundation Engineering Research Center, a partnership with other universities, and the Partnership for International Research which allows students to study both at UNM and at universities in Europe.

Yes by all means teach biofuels in school, just like the future needs are building up, so should the knowledge of how to get by with mainly a diet of biofuel, biodiesel being the most efficient type.