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On Thursday, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack will host the first ever USDA virtual office hours on Twitter. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack will sit down to answer the public’s questions on the department’s renewable energy programs, and how USDA is helping build a secure energy future for America. He will be joined by Sarah Bittleman, USDA senior advisor on energy policy....More

General Wesley Clark spoke at Syngenta regional headquarters in Minnetonka, Minn., on March 21 in support of the biofuels industry and what biofuels can mean for the future of America’s energy independence. Clark, a retired four-star general, serves as co-chairman of Growth Energy and CEO of Wesley K. Clark & Associates, a strategic consulting firm. Clark retired after a 38-year career in the U.S. Army. He graduated first in his class at West Point and obtained degrees in philosophy, politics and economics at Oxford University (B.A. and M.A.) as a Rhodes Scholar....More

After a slow start, the biodiesel industry ended 2011 with what’s expected to be record high production. The year-end total for biomass-based biodiesel is expected to reach the one-billion-gallon mark. And biodiesel makes up about 95% of the biomass-based diesel category....More

The past year was significant for the ethanol industry. EPA approved E15 (15% ethanol blended gasoline) for model year 2001 and newer vehicles. And the Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax Credit (VEETC) of $0.45/gal. expired. Ethanol production is expected to increase with E15 entering the market. The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) has reported that it is working to finalize federal requirements to certify E15 blends. A couple of states are ready to go with E15 as soon as the federal requirements are completed....More

The biomass industry, and consequently the market for handling equipment, is growing, but just how much will depend a lot on government policy. While federal legislators recently retained funding for energy title programs in the 2012 appropriations “minibus,” there could be cuts to the funding allocated for energy programs in the next farm bill....More