Wisconsin Bio Industry Alliance » Wisconsin Ethanol

Ag. Secretary Tom Vilsack at Wisconsin State Fair on biofuels

Jason — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 16:29:51 +0000

WBIA staffer Cara McCarthy on ethanol

Jason — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 16:06:12 +0000

Dueling Fuels: Minnesota and Wisconsin to Face Off in Friendly E85 Rivalry

Jason — Tue, 31 May 2011 21:04:21 +0000

Two gas stations on opposite sides of the St. Croix River will compete to sell the most E85 fuel on June 2. The Freedom Valu Center in Maplewood, Minnesota and River Hills BP in Somerset, Wisconsin will sell their E85 fuel at a $.85 cent discount between 4-6 p.m. Thursday as a way to promote the use of cleaner fuels.

The ethanol-based fuel can save drivers money as well as improve the quality of air we breathe. The beginning of summer is also the kickoff for ozone season, the main ingredient of smog. Using the ethanol based fuel E85 can combat the increase of smog during summer months and decrease the risk of adverse health effects including asthma.

The promotions are supported by the Minnesota Corn Growers Association, Wisconsin Corn Growers Association, Bob & Steve’s BP Amoco Shops, Erickson Oil, American Lung Association of the Upper Midwest and MN & WI Clean Air Choice Teams.

Find Alternative Fuel On the Go

Megan — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 15:03:24 +0000

Finding fuel for your alternative fuel vehicle while on the go just got much simpler. The U.S. Department of Energy has created a new mobile app with easy-to-use Google technology that allows users to find the five closest locations for filling up with alternative fuels such as biodiesel, electricity, E85 (ethanol), hydrogen, natural gas and propane. The app provides users with driving directions, business hours and contact information.

Until more alternative fuel stations are built, allowing these important industries to flourish, this app will serve as a great resource for consumers who are dedicated to using these fuels to ensure our nation’s energy security and economic growth.

Click here for more information and to download the app.

Biofuels advancement taking place right here

admin — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 20:11:24 +0000

Wisconsin continues to lead the way in bio industry advancement.

A University of Wisconsin-Madison research group at the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center developed a strain of bacteria which could lead to more cost-effective cellulosic biofuels. The team’s findings were published online by the Journal of Applied and Environmental Microbiology on June 11.

The breakthrough has made it possible to perform genetic analysis on the bacteria, which has long been known to convert biomass to sugars. The team developed a way to mutate any gene with the bacteria, which should bring greater success to the difficult process of breaking down plant cell walls to extract sugar molecules for producing biofuels.

Also advancing the bio industry is Milwaukee-based Lallemand Ethanol Technology, which just introduced Thermosacc® GOLD, a new fresh-cake yeast better able to withstand fermentation. Thermosacc GOLD was designed to use sugars more efficiently and increase yield.

The WBIA is proud to see Wisconsin leading the way in the biofuels industry, and we hope this is just the beginning of Wisconsin’s contribution to the global movement toward bio power.

WI Wins Border Battle

Megan — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 19:00:53 +0000

Wisconsin and Minnesota Clean Air Choice teams battled it out this week to see who could pump more E85 in two hours at two locations on the WI and MN border. With Alice in Dairyland’s help pumping E85, Wisconsin won the battle! In total, over 1,000 gallons of E85 were pumped, preventing 4 tons of emissions from entering the air. This friendly competition made a significant impact on ensuring the we all have clean air to breathe – way to go everyone!

Ethanol Advertising Launch Event on Monday

Jason — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 19:22:47 +0000

Growth Energy, with the assistance of the WBIA, is launching a national advertising campaign that begins on Monday, April 12. We hope you can join us Madison at a debut event for the commercials and to discuss the importance of biofuels to Wisconsin and the country.

Monday, April 12
11:00am
Wisconsin State Capitol
Room 400SE

RSVP to Jason Rae at rae@nationconsulting.com if you can attend! Hope to see you there!

Didion Works to Increase Energy Efficiency

Megan — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 21:25:17 +0000

WBIA Member Didion Ethanol has begun work to increase the plant’s energy efficiency using $5.5 million from a recent DOE grant. The project, which will cost a total of $11 million, will decrease energy use while allowing the plant to produce more ethanol. We are proud to see one of our members taking such a big step towards energy efficiency and the improvement of the ethanol industry. The project will also created an estimated 10 permanent positions, plus 75 temporary construction jobs.

Read more about the project in this article in Ethanol Producer Magazine.

Domestic Biofuels Bill Protects Small Engine Manufacturers and Users

Megan — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 17:23:16 +0000

Assembly Bill 408, the Domestic Biofuels Bill, is a step toward making Wisconsin a leader in the renewable fuels industry. The bill will protect and create jobs and help Wisconsin become a clean, more environmentally friendly state.

Some small engine manufacturers, however, have expressed concerns about the bill. As a strong supporter of small engine manufacturers and users, the WBIA has worked to highlight how the proposed bill will actually protect jobs and benefit the small engine industry.

Here are a few ways in which the bill will protect small engine manufacturers:

1. The bill guarantees the availability of ethanol-free gasoline.

2. The bill ensures small engine users will be able to buy gasoline with ethanol blends recommended by the manufacturer.

3. The bill protects small engine owners, should ethanol become to expensive or scarce.

For more details, including text from the bill, download our fact sheet below.

Small Engine fact sheet [PDF]

Bio Industry Basics #2: Ethanol Co-product Can Help Feed the World

Josh — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 20:02:06 +0000

Researchers at South Dakota State University have begun turning dried distillers grains, a co-product of ethanol production, into a protein- and fiber-rich flour. Here are a few facts:

The researchers have successfully replaced up to 20 percent of flour in bread products with distillers grain flour, significantly increasing the protein and fiber content of the products.
The distillers grain flour can provide extra protein for people in developing countries where meat is scarce.
That means ethanol plants are able to provide food AND fuel for people around the world.

“Bio Industry Basics” is a series of weekly facts from the Wisconsin Bio Industry Alliance highlighting the positive benefits of bio fuel, bio power, and bio products production and use in Wisconsin.

Bio Industry Basics 2 Radio Actuality