ETHANOL BUSINESS

The Associated Press: If federal renewable fuel mandates require ethanol to be mixed into gasoline, the nation’s largest independent oil refiner figures it might as well just do it itself. The ethanol industry is under duress partly due to overcapacity and biorefineries can now be had for pennies... More

Business Mirror: The Department of Energy (DOE) said the local alternative-fuels sector would further grow amid claims that biofuel projects around the world have been placed on the back burner due to the dropping world oil prices. Mario Marasigan, DOE director for energy utilization and management,... More

MoneyWeek: Falling oil prices mean companies are scaling back on hard-to-exploit sites. What does that mean for oil supplies – and green energy companies? Tim Bennett reports. What’s going on? “Investment in alternative energy is becoming less attractive,” says Bob Parker, vice-chairman... More

Houston Chronicle: Energy is on everyone’s mind these days, particularly Houstonians, after we just spent weeks without electricity. Imagine doing without electricity, natural gas, gasoline and water, all at the same time! Despite the recent drop in the price of oil (which is likely only temporary),... More

Mother Proof: President Bush recently lifted an executive ban that restricted offshore oil drilling, but the move won’t affect gas prices unless Congress lifts its ban as well, according to the Associated Press. Bush says he’s trying to ease market tensions and boost oil supplies, but Congress hasn’t... More

Wall Street Journal Blogs: Ethanol is on the ropes because of the food versus fuel debate, but now a new heavyweight just stepped into the ring and this one has got some really big guns. OPEC president Chakib Khelil has a new culprit for the rising cost of oil–ethanol. Mr. Khelil says about 40% of... More

Reuters: A U.S. firm that believes it has the answer to high fuel prices with machines that make ethanol at home says it has been swamped with orders even before the first unit ships in September. Since California-based firm E-Fuel Corp officially unveiled the 100 MicroFueler last month, there had been... More

Boston Herald: Rising in the Senate on May 13, Chuck Schumer, the New York Democrat, explained: “I rise to discuss rising energy prices.” The president was heading to Saudi Arabia to seek an increase in its oil production, and Schumer’s gorge was rising. Saudi Arabia, he said, “holds the key... More

Bloomberg: Elimination of subsidies and duties may help ethanol become a globally traded energy source like crude oil, Antonio de Aguiar Patriota, Brazil’s ambassador to the U.S., said today in Chicago. The U.S. imposes a 54-cent-a-gallon tariff on imports of biofuels, including ethanol from Brazil,... More

Boca Raton News: Historically high gasoline prices are on the mind of virtually everyone in Boca Raton; indeed, virtually everyone in the nation Dr. Chuck Laser serves on the board of governors for Northwood University; he’s also a well-known Boca Raton area oil wildcatter – and he will tell anyone... More

Newsweek: In the 12 years that I have speaking to him, Robert Zubrin has never disappointed. Whether he was devising a bargain-basement way to mount a manned mission to Mars (rather than taking along the fuel you need for the return trip, produce it from compounds in the Martian atmosphere once you get... More

Automotive Blogs: Are you getting resentful at the oil companies because of their enormous profits? Do you want them to be knocked down a peg? Well, ethanol may be the key. It seems that ethanol output in the U.S. will be 33 percent higher over last year and could help to lower oil profits. Ethanol... More