We’ve previously discussed that growing canola in Eastern Oregon is potentially a viable source of seed oil for biodiesel production. But apparently it’s not a slam dunk as far as the Legislative E-board (the body that hands out funds between legislative sessions) is concerned (“A dust-up crops up over biofuel study”). There are concerns that…

In its October 2006 issue, Consumer Reports magazine looks at E85 Ethanol and the FFVs (Flexible Fuel Vehicles) that can use it. Unfortunately the full online version of the article is only available to subscribers. However, you can view a preview. The general tone of the article is skeptical. Here are some of the key…

Recently we discussed the need to keep biodiesel production close to where the crops are grown to make the ecnomoics work. This month’s Oregon Business Magazine has brief article (“Putting the biodiesel plant in the farmer’s hands…literally“) noting a potential technology to do the refining at a micro scale.

I’ve been having an e-mail dialog with a reader about the wide-spread adoption of Ethanol (from sugar cane) in Brazil (“As Brazil Fills Up on Ethanol, It Weans Off Energy Imports”), and their ability to reduce dependence on petroleum. The national will and industry to pull this off are impressive. The question I have, on…