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Wisconsin Biodiesel NEWS
General Meeting Posted Aug 11 : View Newsletter Aug 4th : View

Last Updated July 05, 2008

Keep up to date with

The Wisconsin Biodiesel Report

The latest news on WBA activities and events

and

Wisconsin Biodiesel News

The latest news on all things biodiesel for Wisconsin

The Wisconsin Biodiesel Association (WBA) was founded in December of 2006. Its progenitor – the “Biodiesel Roundtable” – was created by the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) and a small contingent of Wisconsin biofuels educators and business entrepreneurs. Its mission from the beginning was to offer a forum for those interested in increasing the availability, demand, capacity, and viability of Wisconsin produced biodiesel as an expansion of Wisconsin's bioindustry.

LEARN MORE about the Mission and Vision of your Wisconsin Biodiesel Association.

Newsletter

July 20th : View

NBB Brocure

July 5th : View

WFU Workshop

June 2nd : View

NYT "OIL Nonbuble"s

Opinion : View

NYT "Deal on Farm Bill"

Washington : View

Board nomination forms

Download : Nomination Form

Annual meeting May 8th, See the press release

Download : .pdf or .doc

Wisconsin RFS Topic at Eau Claire Meeting Jan 28

Guest Speaker: Senator Kreitlow
WBA Meeting open to the public

Renewable Fuel Standard advances in Legislature

A proposed Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) is gaining widespread bipartisan support in both Houses of the Wisconsin State Legislature. AB682 and SB380 each set ambitious goals for making biofuels available to Wisconsin consumers.

Senator Pat Kreitlow is one of the main sponsors of the RFS. He will be the featured guest speaker at a meeting of the WBA convened in Eau Claire on Monday, January 28. Click here for meeting details, and join us in Eau Claire as we learn from the Senator the progress and the details of this most important legislative effort.

Meanwhile, look to the Wisconsin Biodiesel Report for continuing updates on the progress of this initative, and contact your local State Representatives to express your support for a Renewable Fuel Standard that includes provisions promoting renewable biodiesel as "Home Grown Fuel for a Better Wisconsin."

From Wisconsin Biodiesel Report

NEW YEAR

Oil & Biodiesel Feedstock Prices

Open Year at Record Highs

Jeff Pieterick Jeff Pieterick, President, WBA

Originally Published in the

Wisconsin Biodiesel Assocation Newsletter

January 07, 2008

Click here to signup to receive the

Wisconsin Biodiesel Association Newsletter

Happy New Year ?

Hoo, boy! 2008 began with crude oil breaching the $100 mark. This was immediately followed by record prices in the edible oils markets here and overseas.

Futures prices on soy, palm, and other edible oils now closely track crude oil prices in recognition that these commodities are also used in the production of biodiesel. If biodiesel production is in fact driving this upward surge, it cannot be sustained at levels that preclude the industry from accessing them due to prohibitive cost. Then again, it's been shown that commodity speculators can often remain irrational much longer than commodity buyers can sustain. Biodiesel producers throughout the country thus continue to limit expansion projects or suspend operations altogether as they wait out the markets.

The resulting reduction in actual consumption of these oils - along with the increased crop yields in soybean production and an increase of acreage planted for soybean and other oil crops - will create pressure for downward adjustments in the markets. Meanwhile, it is important for the future of our domestic renewable fuels industry to research, develop, and produce alternative feedstocks for biodiesel. Camelina, canola, and jatropha are only the beginning of possibilities to be explored.

The "Holy Grail" for biodiesel, however, may be found in the commercial viability of algae as a feedstock for biodiesel.

Past OP/ED articles from the WBA Newsletter

December 20, 2007

"Best of Times; Worst of Times" for the Biodiesel Industry

December 03, 2007

Renewable ~~Fuel~~ Gasoline Standard Needs To Top Off the Tank

November 26, 2007:

"On, Wisconsin!" Leadership Promotes Wisconsin Biodiesel

November 13, 2007

For Biodiesel Industry, "Quality Remains Job Number One!"

November 05, 2007:

"It's Starting to Look Like A Love Affair with Diesel!"

As reported in Wisconsin Biodiesel News

Biodiesel Stands up to Sub-Zero Temperatures

Cold Climate Users Report Biodiesel Success in Winter Months

from The National Biodiesel Board (press release):

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo.– When snow falls at a rate of several inches per hour and all signs point to perfect weekend ski conditions, Jim Mersereau knows he has a lot riding on successful operation of his snow grooming equipment. Because thousands of skiers depend on him, he must be confident that his biodiesel-powered Bombardier groomers will operate on the coldest, darkest New Hampshire nights.

“We know that even with heavy snow falling and temperatures hovering around 20 below, we can count on our biodiesel-powered vehicles to start up and perform with no problems at all,” said Mersereau, Operations Director for New Hampshire’s Cranmore Mountain Resort. “We have been very pleased with biodiesel’s performance and have had absolutely no cold weather problems.”

Read more>>

As reported in Wisconsin Biodiesel News

Mercedes Shows Off Diesel Hybrid Concept at LA Show

A Hybrid Concept With 40 Miles per Gallon AND V8-Like Power

from AutoblogGreen:
Nov 14th 2007 7:29PM by Sebastian Blanco

The Mercedes S400 Bluetec diesel hybrid concept making its North American debut at the LA Auto Show this week isn't the company's first hybrid idea, but it is one of the best-looking, and the combination of diesel and electric power gets this luxury machine up to 40 mpg. Considering the size and power of the S400, that's a great number. Tell me again why automakers are so afraid of the 35 mpg CAFE standards when cars like this are (at least in concept form) possible.

Mercedes promises the V6 BLUETEC diesel engine under the S400's hood can deliver "the performance of a V8 with the fuel economy of a four-cylinder." If you're intrigued by the look and the performance of this car, hang on to your cash, as it won't be available until "after 2010."

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As reported in Wisconsin Biodiesel News

Algae-to-Biodiesel Plant Planned for Midwest

press release from Green Star Products, Inc.:

SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--November 13, 2007 Green Star Products, Inc. (OTC:GSPI) today announced that it has signed a contract to build a 100-acre Commercial Algae Facility in the Midwest.

Biotech Research, Inc. (BTR), who is a Consortium partner with GSPI, has signed the contract with GSPI to start initial preparation and material acquisition for field construction to begin in March 2008.

The 100-acre Algae Facility will be constructed adjacent to an existing biodiesel plant and will use the CO2 emitted from the biodiesel plant's boilers to feed a portion of the algae facility needs (CO2 mitigation), which will reduce Global Warming emissions.

The algae oil produced from the facility will be turned into biodiesel through the existing biodiesel plant facilities.

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