News and Notes - August 12, 2008

Feature Article

EPA to Crack Down on Ethanol Cheats
http://www.kiplinger.com/businessresource/forecast/archive/epa_to_crack_down_on_ethanol_cheats_080808.html

Cheap ethanol is making it into gasoline in larger and larger percentages as blenders try to take advantage of cost savings. Any blends above E10, excluding E85, are in violation of the Clean Air Act and subject to $32,500 per day in fines from EPA. Spot tests have shown blends of up to 20% at retail stations. Automotive manufacturers are leery of the problem and some states, like Tennessee, are taking closer looks at blending facilities.

US News

VeraSun Reports Record Revenues for Second Quarter 2008
http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/verasun-reports-record-revenues-second/story.aspx?guid={8F679904-6434-459A-9362-C40C6977CE93}&dist=hppr

POET to open 65 Mgy Indiana plant in September; to make major cellulosic ethanol pilot plant announcement
http://biofuelsdigest.com/blog2/2008/08/12/poet-to-open-65-mgy-indiana-plant-in-september-to-make-major-cellulosic-ethanol-pilot-plant-annoucnement/

RFA Applauds American Farmers for Overcoming Adversity to Produce Second-Largest Crop in American History
http://www.biofuelsjournal.com/articles/RFA_Applauds_American_Farmers_for_Overcoming_Adversity_to_Produce_Second_Largest_Crop_in_American_History-61614.html

BlueFire Ethanol’s “Arkenol Process” Presentation
http://blog.gmnext.com/?p=224

Obama aide wooed by ethanol lobby (Daschle talking with RFA)
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/9ea8ce7e-64e1-11dd-af61-0000779fd18c,Authorised=false.html?_i_location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ft.com%2Fcms%2Fs%2F0%2F9ea8ce7e-64e1-11dd-af61-0000779fd18c.html&_i_referer=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biofuelsjournal.com%2Farticles%2FTom_Daschle_in_Talks_With_RFA_for_Possible_Advisory_Position__FT_com_-61606.html

In corn country, McCain says no to ethanol support
http://www.gopusa.com/news/2008/august/0811_no_ethanol1.shtml

Texas Is Fed Up With Corn Ethanol (An editorial by Gov. Rick Perry)
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121850115460131741.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

Prius gets ethanol makeover
http://www.thegreencarwebsite.co.uk/blog/index.php/2008/08/11/prius-gets-ethanol-makeover/

Overcoming E20's Obstacles
http://www.ethanolproducer.com/article.jsp?article_id=4601

International News

The European Biofuels Challenge: Developments in European Union Policy and Industry Drivers, A Report
http://www.reportbuyer.com/energy_utilities/alternative_energy/biofuels/european_biofuels_challenge.html

Brazil Multigrain to invest $350 mln in ethanol
http://www.reuters.com/article/marketsNews/idUSN0843116220080808

Sugar, Ethanol Plant worth 300m Br for Amhara (Ethiopia)
http://addisfortune.com/Sugar,%20Ethanol%20Plant%20worth%20300m%20Br%20for%20Amhara.htm