Prices of Various Energy Sources

As we continue to develop biomass as a renewable source of energy, it is important to keep the cost of energy in mind, because this has a very strong influence on the choices governments and […]

EPA Delays Ethanol Ruling

In a move that wasn’t really a surprise, today the EPA announced that they are not yet ready to approve ethanol blends above E10 for automobiles: EPA Notifies Industry Group on Status of Ethanol Waiver […]

Show Me

I got a kick out of this story from the newest issue of Subsidy Watch: New research from Missouri refutes allegations that ethanol mandates save money A report from a Missouri-based research organization debunks the […]

PEIX Drops Below $2

Wow! I just checked a few stocks that I tend to watch, and Pacific Ethanol (PEIX) has now fallen to $1.85 a share. It is now down more than 95% off its high, and down […]

Updated Corn Ethanol Economics

Executive Summary: The current cost to produce a gallon of ethanol is approximately $3/gal. The current price of ethanol is $2.86/gal, which explains why ethanol producers are shutting down. If corn and natural gas prices […]

Corn Ethanol Economics

Someone e-mailed a few days ago and asked some questions about the present economics of corn ethanol. I did a few calculations, which I think are interesting enough to share. (Note that because this is […]

E85 Road Test

A couple of months back, I posted Gary Dikkers’ analysis comparing the fuel efficiency of Minnesota and Wisconsin. Gary’s conclusion was: Both states have almost identical topography, climate, demographics, and about the same mix of […]

E85 Pricing Reports

Updated: 9/29/07 When I read the following quote, I immediately thought of the recent Business Week article claiming that availability – which they claimed is being hampered by oil companies – is the primary reason […]

Bill Gates’ Ethanol Losses

About the same time I was warning last year of an ethanol bubble, Bill Gates was sinking money into Pacific Ethanol (PEIX). In the same essay in which I warned of the bubble, I took […]

Ethanol Demand Boosting Corn Prices

A new story today from Yahoo News: Ethanol demand boosting corn prices Some excerpts: INDIANAPOLIS – The ethanol industry’s growing appetite for corn has pushed prices for the grain to their highest levels in a […]