The Urban Air Initiative (UAI), the Energy Future Coalition and the states of Kansas and Nebraska have petitioned the US Environmental Protection Agency to correct what they call the agency’s flawed models that limit the use of higher blends of ethanol. MORE

a leading producer, marketer and supplier of ethanol, announced its first BNSF unit-train shipment of ethanol produced at its two ethanol facilities in Aurora, Nebraska. In Aurora, Aventine operates the Aurora West 110-million-gallon Delta T facility and the Nebraska Energy LLC Vogelbusch 45-million-gallon dry mill plant. Aventine Renewable Energy Inc., MORE

The top three states—Iowa, Nebraska, and Illinois—contain more than half of the nation’s total ethanol production capacity. Fuel ethanol production capacity in the United States reached 15.5 billion gallons per year, or 1.01 MORE

TransCanada Corporation has informed the US Department of State (DOS) that it plans to file a Presidential Permit application (cross-border permit) in the near future for the Keystone XL Project from the US/Canada border in Montana to Steele City, Nebraska. MORE

The Urban Air Initiative-led effort included the Clean Fuels Development Coalition, Nebraska Ethanol Board, Nebraska Ethanol Industry Coalition, Glacial Lakes Energy, Siouxland Ethanol, Prairie Horizons Agri-Energy, Little Sioux Corn Processors, South Dakota Farmers Union, and Nebraska Farmers Union. MORE

The 36 other states with speed limits of 70 mph or higher, are Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and Wyoming. MORE

The research was funded in part by the Nebraska Corn Board and through the Hatch Act (University of Nebraska Agricultural Research Division). Additional support for the project was provided by the State of Nebraska Transportation Services Bureau and The Shop, Inc. MORE

The research team includes scientists from Brookhaven National Laboratory, the University of Florida and the University of Nebraska. MORE

The facility is located at Nebraska Public Power District’s Gerald Gentleman Station Unit 2, in Sutherland, Nebraska. The US Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Fossil Energy has selected seven projects to receive approximately $44 million in federal funding for cost-shared research and development through the funding opportunity announcement, Design and Testing of Advanced Carbon Capture Technologies. MORE

Using corn residues to produce ethanol and other types of biofuel can generate more greenhouse gases than even fossil fuel sources, according to a new study from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. MORE

The states of Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, North Dakota, and South Dakota filed an amicus brief in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals opposing enforcement of California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS). Billion in ethanol sales from Nebraska alone, and untold billions across the Midwest. We will continue to fight California’s unconstitutional attempt to limit fuel markets by discriminating against Nebraska corn and ethanol producers. MORE

The US Department of State is currently reviewing TransCanada’s application for a Presidential Permit to proceed with the 1,179-mile (1,897-km) Keystone XL pipeline from Hardisty, Alberta to Steele City, Nebraska and is expected to make a decision in the first quarter of 2013. TransCanada also continues to work with the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality to finalize a route. MORE

The pipeline would cross the US border near Morgan, Montana and continue through Montana, South Dakota and Nebraska, where it would connect to existing pipeline facilities near Steele City, Nebraska for onward delivery to Cushing, Oklahoma and the Gulf Coast Area. MORE

The Keystone pipeline is approximately 1,316 miles in length and transports crude oil from the US-Canadian Border in North Dakota to Patoka, Illinois and includes an extension running from Jefferson County, Nebraska to Cushing, Oklahoma. MORE

The pipeline will cross the US border near Morgan, Montana and continue through Montana, South Dakota and Nebraska, where it will connect to existing pipeline facilities near Steele City, Nebraska for onward delivery to Cushing, Oklahoma and the Gulf Coast Area. Additional state-level approvals are still required in Nebraska, where the pipeline would cross, and from other federal agencies such as the Army Corps of Engineers. MORE

The Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality (NDEQ) has released a map of the areas that it considers to be Nebraska Sandhills, based on an analysis of a variety of existing data. The Nebraska Sandhills (in yellow). MORE

The Powder River Basin encompasses more than 43,000 square miles and is located primarily in northeast Wyoming and southeast Montana, along with small areas of South Dakota and Nebraska. MORE

has installed a $2.4-million Valicor corn-oil separation system (COSS) at its Nebraska Energy LLC plant in Aurora, Nebraska. High production levels and excess inventories nationally have led to tight margins, particularly in Nebraska. The grind reduction affects the two plants in Aurora, Nebraska, including a 30% reduction at the NELLC facility and a 50% reduction at the Aurora West facility. Aventine Renewable Energy Inc. MORE

Research collaborators include Mike Pollard, John Ohlrogge, Jinjie Liu, Adam Rice, Kathleen McGlew and Vincent Shaw with the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center at Michigan State University; and Hyunwoo Park and Tom Clemente at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. MORE

The US State Department today said that, “ particularly given the concentration of concerns regarding the environmental sensitivities of the current proposed route through the Sand Hills area of Nebraska ”, it needs to undertake an in-depth assessment of potential alternative routes in Nebraska. The Obama Administration will delay a decision on approving the Keystone XL pipeline from Canada until sometime in 2013—i.e., after the US elections in November 2012. MORE

During September, the State Department will also host public meetings in the capitals of each of the six states through which the proposed pipeline would pass—Montana, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas—with an additional meeting in the Sand Hills region in Nebraska and along the Gulf Coast near Port Arthur, Texas. MORE

The others are Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Nebraska, North Carolina, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. E15 blended gasoline is now available in four of North Dakota’s larger cities. North Dakota is the ninth state to offer the fuel blend containing 15% ethanol and 85% gasoline. E15 is available at six Petro Serve USA locations in Bismarck, Mandan, West Fargo and Fargo. MORE

The US Department of State (DOS) has released its Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) in response to TransCanada’s May 2012 application for the Keystone XL pipeline that would run from Canada’s oils sands in Alberta to Nebraska. MORE

The Metropolitan Omaha Education Consortium and Student Transportation, Inc., (STI) STI) are collaborating to deploy more than 400 Blue Bird Propane-Powered Vision school buses. The contract is the largest transportation agreement in STI’s history and is also the biggest single order to date of propane buses for Blue Bird. MORE

Nebraska Nanoscale Facility, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, PI: David Sellmyer. To advance research in nanoscale science, engineering and technology, the National Science Foundation (NSF) will provide a total of $81 million over five years to support 16 sites and a coordinating office as part of a new National Nanotechnology Coordinated Infrastructure (NNCI). MORE

Japan-based ITOCHU Corporation has invested in a 50-million-gallon/year, next-generation (inedible feed stock base) biodiesel fuel (BDF) project, which Flint Hills Resources LLC (FHR), a leading US refining, biofuel and chemicals company, and Benefuel Inc, developer of a solid-state biodiesel catalyst and process ( earlier post ), are jointly developing in Beatrice, Nebraska. MORE

TransCanada Corporation announced it supports proposed legislation within the State of Nebraska to move the proposed route of the Keystone XL pipeline to avoid the environmentally sensitive Sandhills region. I am pleased to tell you that the positive conversations we have had with Nebraska leaders have resulted in legislation that respects the concerns of Nebraskans and supports the development of the Keystone XL pipeline. MORE

Clean Energy announced that fueling has begun at a new public station in North Platte, Nebraska, which will service vehicles from KALM Transportation, UPS and Schmidt Liquid Transportation. The station, partially funded with a grant from the Nebraska Environmental Trust Fund and in collaboration with STIRK CNG, a regional compressed natural gas (CNG) provider, will offer both LNG and CNG to fleets in the Midwest. Clean Energy Fuels Corp. MORE

MORE

The work was conducted by researchers from the University of Florida in Gainesville, Washington State University in Pullman, the USDA-ARS in Lincoln, Nebraska, and the University of Missouri, Columbia. Sorghum is a promising feedstock for environmentally friendly fuels and chemicals that offer alternatives to petroleum-based products. Sorghum can potentially yield more energy per area of land than other crops while requiring much less input in terms of fertilizer or chemicals. MORE

Nebraska Gov. The governor sent a letter to President Obama and Secretary of State Clinton, notifying them of the accepted Nebraska route. The Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality’s evaluation of the 194.5-mile proposed pipeline reroute determined that: The proposed reroute avoids the Sand Hills but would cross the High Plains Aquifer, including the Ogallala Group. Construction and operation of the pipeline would have minimal environmental impacts in Nebraska. MORE

For the Bakken crude portion of this Scenario, one new rail terminal would be necessary in both Epping, North Dakota, and Stroud, Nebraska. The 2011 Final EIS route traversed a substantial portion of the Sand Hills Region of Nebraska, as identified by the NDEQ. MORE

RES began commercial production of rare earth oxides at its Nebraska-based facility earlier this year with a standard purity of 99.9%. Battelle is teaming with Rare Earth Salts ( RES ) on a project, “Recovery of High Purity Rare Earth Elements (REEs) from Coal Ash via a Novel Separations Process,” to produce valuable rare earth oxides from coal fly ash, converting them to the high purities necessary for a saleable product. MORE

Nebraska. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that 21 states will receive $100 million in grants through the Biofuel Infrastructure Partnership (BIP) to add infrastructure needed to supply more renewable fuel to drivers in the US. Since announcing the program in May 2015, the US. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) received applications requesting more than $130 million, outpacing the $100 million that is available. MORE

The bill also has the original co-sponsorship of Senators Mike Johanns of Nebraska, Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, Al Franken of Minnesota, Tom Harkin of Iowa, Tim Johnson of South Dakota, and Ben Nelson of Nebraska. MORE

As a result of the review process of TransCanada’s permit application for the Keystone XL Pipeline particularly given the concentration of concerns regarding the proposed route through the Sand Hills area of Nebraska, the Department announced on 10 November that it could not make a national interest determination regarding the permit application without additional information. MORE

Molecular-dynamics simulations, performed by professor Jian Wang’s group at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, showed the 9R phase and nanograins result in high strength and work-hardening ability and revealed the formation mechanisms of the 9R phase in aluminum. MORE

Novozymes inaugurated its $200-million enzyme plant in Blair, Nebraska ( earlier post ), which will supply enzymes to some of the first advanced cellulosic biorefineries, as well as to the existing industry. In 2012-13, several advanced biofuel plants will open around the world, including Shengquan in China, Beta Renewables in Italy, GraalBio in Brazil and Fiberight in the United States. MORE

The 21 states participating in the BIP include Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. MORE

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln will lead a $13.5-million, multi-institutional research effort to improve sorghum as a sustainable source for biofuel production. Funded by the US Department of Energy, this five-year grant takes a comprehensive approach to better understand how plants and microbes interact, and to learn which sorghum germplasm grows better with less water and nitrogen. MORE

TransCanada Corporation has received additional binding commitments in support of the proposed Keystone XL pipeline system—designed to bring Canadian oil sands crude to Gulf Coast refineries—following the successful conclusion of the Keystone Houston Lateral Open Season. MORE

TransCanada Corporation has submitted a new Presidential Permit application to the US Department of State (DOS) for the Keystone XL Pipeline from the US/Canada border in Montana to Steele City, Nebraska. The application includes the already reviewed route in Montana and South Dakota; TransCanada will supplement its new application with an alternative route in Nebraska as soon as that route is selected. MORE

The State Department said that the agencies needed additional time based on the uncertainty created by the on-going litigation in the Nebraska Supreme Court which could ultimately affect the pipeline route in that state. TransCanada subsequently filed a new application, including proposed new routes through the state of Nebraska. MORE