Wisconsin Bio Industry Alliance

Growth Energy, a national coalition advocating for increased biofuel usage, of which the WBIA is a member, has produced a new video that discusses the importance of biofuels for our country. Watch the video below:

More evidence that ethanol isn’t responsible for the recent increase in food prices: a new study by T. Randall Fortenbery and Hwanil Park of the University of Wisconsin-Madison shows that ethanol production is not the driving factor behind increasing the price of corn. Increased food, alcohol and industrial demand for corn have had a greater impact than biofuels have. The report concludes that, “attempting to explain current price levels simply as a function of ethanol production is a bit naive and inaccurate.

A new report from the Argonne National Laboratory shows that over the past five years ethanol production in the United States has soared, while the already green fuel has gotten significantly friendlier to the environment. Between 2001 and 2006, American ethanol production increased 276%. At the same time, total energy use fell 21.8% and water usage fell 26.6%. Furthermore, ethanol producers are finding ways to be more ecologically sensitive with their production; 25% of ethanol producers are capturing their carbon dioxide for commercial uses like dry ice and beverage carbonation. The improving environmental record of biofuel producers stands in stark contrast to the record of petroleum industry.

A separate report from the Renewable Fuels Association quantified the total environmental impact of ethanol. It found that replacement of petroleum-based fuels with biofuels cut greenhouse gas emissions by 10 million tons in 2007 – a reduction approximately equivalent to taking the entire Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha metro area off the road.

May 2008 article in Ethanol Producer Magazine

Global Renewable LLC, a founding member of the Wisconsin Bio Industry Alliance (WBIA), on Thursday announced that it received the final permits necessary to begin construction on an ethanol plant in Sharon, WI.

The Sharon plant, which when completed will produce around 105 million gallons of ethanol per year, is expected to create 55 new jobs and generate millions of dollars per year in economic impact for the region.

“The strong support of the village of Sharon and the State of Wisconsin have been critical in moving the Sharon ethanol project forward,” said Jeffrey Knight, Director of Global Renewable. “Wisconsin has created a first-rate climate for the growth of its renewable energy industry.”