News and Notes - June 12, 2008

US News

Government: Ethanol helps keep gas prices low
http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/govt-officials-ethanol-helps-keep/story.aspx?guid=%7B81858B8C-CD9D-48AC-8D4D-B7EBB762F3C7%7D&dist=msr_1

U.S. biofuels industry presses for tax breaks
http://www.reuters.com/article/bondsNews/idUSN1119868020080611?sp=true

BP says oil industry did not prepare for high demand
http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/energy/2008-06-11-bp-chairman-oil-demand_N.htm

Energy Dept.: Gas Prices To Stay High
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/06/11/national/main4172516.shtml

Algenol trains algae to turn carbon into ethanol
http://www.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idUSN1032368520080611?pageNumber=2&virtualBrandChannel=0

Retuning Bacteria: Gene-silencing techniques for bacteria could mean more-efficient biofuel production
http://www.technologyreview.com/Biotech/20891/

Baucus-Backed Measure In Limbo After Failed Cloture Vote (Credits and Incentives for biodiesel, solar, clean coal and other technologies)
http://www.nationaljournal.com/congressdaily/cdp_20080610_9169.php

Coskata Raising Cash to Scale Up Next-Gen Ethanol
http://earth2tech.com/2008/06/09/coskata-raising-cash-to-scale-up-next-gen-ethanol/

Planting of switchgrass plot in Panhandle begins
http://newsok.com/planting-of-switchgrass-plot-in-panhandle-begins/article/3255891/?tm=1213179932

USDA Official Supports Ethanol
http://www.porkmag.com/directories.asp?pgID=675&ed_id=6146

WASDE: USDA raises projections for soybean prices
http://www.biodieselmagazine.com/article.jsp?article_id=2429

Cottondale plant cranks out biofuel (Florida Wood Pellet Plant)
http://www.tallahassee.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080611/BUSINESS/80611004/1003

Arizona's Largest Renewable Energy Plant Commences Commercial Operations
http://www.primenewswire.com/newsroom/news.html?d=144369

International News

Biofuels should run on solar energy not on taxpayers dollars
http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/business/story.html?id=eb3acfd2-19fc-4add-b4ee-21de25d57b17

Worldwide trade of wood pellets reached a record three million tons in 2007
http://www.newsdesk.se/view/pressrelease/worldwide-trade-of-wood-pellets-reached-a-record-three-million-tons-in-2007-220698

Peruvian biofuel producer starts jatropha nursery
http://www.energycurrent.com/index.php?id=3&storyid=11127