Renewable Energy Report: August 2015 Report

The AgMRC Renewable Fuels Monthly Report is now being produced as a partnership between the Agricultural Marketing Resource Center operated by the Value Added Agriculture Program at Iowa State Extension and Outreach (ISUEO), and the Iowa Grain Quality Initiative (IGQI) (www.iowagrain.org), an ISUEO program directed specifically at grain processing and handling.

Connection of the IGQI and the monthly report will provide a long-term connection with the research and technical expertise of Iowa State Extension and Outreach, as well as provide expanded student opportunities for interaction with industry.

Lower diesel fuel prices decrease the price that can be expected for biodiesel.  These developments raise important questions for the biodiesel industry and for producers and processors of biodiesel feedstocks as well as users of soybean oil. In this article, we look at what’s behind these developments and their implications for biodiesel firms as well as soybean growers, soybean meal prices, and users of soybean meal.

California consistently leads the nation in agricultural output.  However, the drought, currently in its fourth year, is taking its toll. Due to the water shortage, an estimated 542,000 acres of land will be idled. If the drought continues, agricultural production and employment will continue to decline.  So, how did this happen and what is the prognosis for the future?

Monthly Power Sector Carbon Dioxide Emissions Reach 27-year Low in April The electric power sector emitted 128 million metric tons of carbon dioxide (MMmt CO2) in April 2015, the lowest for any month since April 1988, according to the most recent estimates in EIA's Monthly Energy Review. In any year,...