Mississippi Business Journal » Alternative energy

Senator: Is federal bioenergy program undercutting foresters?

MBJ Staff — Mon, 13 May 2013 11:30:33 +0000

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) is questioning whether a U.S. Department of Agriculture bio-based marketing program amounts to a bias against traditional forest products and whether such policies are fair. Cochran broached the topic at a Senate Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee hearing to review the FY2014 budget request for the USDA. The USDA BioPreferred [...]

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Alternative fuels company ending all R&D, selling land

Associated Press — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 12:42:42 +0000

NATCHEZ — Rentech Inc. says it plans to mothball its alternative-energy product demonstration facility in Commerce City, Colo., and end all related research and development activities, which will mean cutting 65 employee and contractor positions by mid-year. CEO D. Hunt Ramsbottom says the company intends to focus instead on opportunities for more immediate profitability. Rentech [...]

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Report: Investment of $227M has netted less than 500 jobs

Associated Press — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 18:15:51 +0000

ACROSS MISSISSIPPI — Mississippi has disbursed nearly $227 million in aid to six alternative energy companies since 2010, but so far has fewer than 500 jobs to show for it. Research by The Associated Press finds the state has put in most of its total commitment, mainly in loans, to help some companies get off [...]

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Alternative fuel refinery kicks into production

Associated Press — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 13:41:31 +0000

COLUMBUS — Alternative fuel firm KiOR says it started production in October in Columbus, and plans to make its first commercial shipments before November’s end. CEO Fred Cannon told analysts on a conference call the technology is working “and producing a high-quality oil. I am extremely pleased with the performance of our technology at Columbus.” [...]

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Mississippi lacks state tax credits, net metering for alternative energy

Becky Gillette — Mon, 29 Oct 2012 05:01:55 +0000

Currently it is more profitable for businesses to go “green” by purchasing energy-efficient and alternative energy devices than it is for residents, says Shelley Rhoden, president of Alternative Energy Solutions. “The reason for that is because there are MACR (Modified Accelerated Cost Recovery) tax benefits for businesses,” Rhoden said. “This year businesses have a 50 [...]

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Contract awarded Wanzek to build BlueFire’s first-of-its-kind ethanol plant

Wally Northway — Sun, 14 Nov 2010 06:00:33 +0000

A year after announcing that it would build an cellulosic ethanol production facility in Mississippi, BlueFire Renewables Inc. (formerly BlueFire Ethanol Fuels Inc.) has let the contract on the project that carries a price tag of nearly $300 million. Now, California-based BlueFire, which has been working on the Mississippi project since 2007, awaits the federal [...]

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Reality check

Clay Chandler — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 06:01:49 +0000

Advance Mississippi touts state as one of top options in the nation for biomass energy, but Strategic Biomass Initiative director says its could be years before technology is available Mississippi has 19 million acres of forests, a number that constitutes an 18 percent increase from 30 years ago. The timber and undergrowth it produces are [...]

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