News Briefs

Cindy Zimmerman

I have been letting Chuck do the talking this week covering Clean Cities and Ethanol Day. Now it’s time to catch up on some Domestic Fuel news:

Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) announced a new biofuels policy in the Senate, while House Ag Democrats unveiled a comprenesive biodiesel energy package.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s latest price forecast for corn predicts that ethanol will contribute to higher prices this year. USDA officials expect corn prices to average $2.45 per bushel in the coming marketing year, up more than 22 percent from last year. Lots of stories out there about it, here’s a link to the Des Moines Register piece.

Missouri Corn Growers have their ethanol bill. Governor Matt Blunt is expected to sign a statewide ethanol standard that mandates gasoline sold in Missouri contain 10 percent ethanol. The bill passed overwhelmingly in both houses.

Biodiesel, Ethanol, Government

Best Clean Cities Congress Ever

Chuck Zimmerman

Annalloyd ThomasonTo get a perspective on how well the Clean Cities Congress went this year I interviewed AFVI Executive Director, Annalloyd Thomason again before leaving.

Annalloyd says it was the best Congress ever with over 17 hundred people participating. She had only positive comments and I would say this positions next year’s event in Los Angeles very well.

You can hear my interview with her here: Listen To MP3 Annalloyd Thomason Summary Interview (7 min MP3)

Domestic Fuel coverage of the Clean Cities Congress is made possible by the following sponsors:
Alternative Fuel Vehicle Institute Southern California Gas Company

Audio, Clean Cities Congress

Farmer, Racer, Ethanol Supporter

Chuck Zimmerman

Mark ThomasBeing a farmer today has its challenges. Being a farmer and a funny car driver simply magnifies those challenges. Mark Thomas is up to the challenge though. He is also one of the biggest proponents of ethanol you’re going to find anywhere.

Mark is a champion too, having one 5 national IHRA titles. He was at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for Ethanol Day. I had to wait in line to interview him as the kids and adults too stopped by for an autograph.

In my interview Mark talks about what he does for a living and how important he thinks public education about ethanol is to our country. You can to my interview with Mark here: Listen To MP3 Mark Thomas Interview (5 min MP3)

Audio, EPIC, Ethanol, Racing

NG Diesel Trip Is Blogged

Chuck Zimmerman

GTL TeamI hope you like our event blogging. I’ve been receiving some very nice comments on it, thank you. Here’s a story about an event that’s being blogged in Africa that you might be interested to check out. Keep your eyes on Domestic Fuel too as I have a couple of events coming up that will be covered extensively.

So, check out the Sasol Chevron GTL Challenge diary. They have photos, a daily summary and video. I would have allowed public commenting but this is extremely well done. A lot of companies are seeing the value in this kind of direct to consumer media campaign. I’m jealous that they have a team. Maybe I can work up to an assistant in the near future.

The Sasol Chevron GTL Challenge will see a team of twelve men and women embarking on a symbolic journey from Sasolburg, South Africa to Qatar, to signal the inauguration of the Oryx GTL plant in Qatar on 6th June. Read More

International, Promotion

Ethanol Flood

Cindy Zimmerman

The World Bank is being “flooded” with requests to fund ethanol projects worldwide, according to a report from Reuters. The article says that requests are coming from countries such as “Mali, Guatemala, Honduras, the Philippines, Colombia, Saint Kitts & Nevis, Mozambique, Tanzania, Egypt and Turkey,” and that “inquiries have increased since President Bush last week called on the U.S. Congress to reconsider tariffs on imports of ethanol, as crude oil prices traded near the mid-$70s per barrel.”

Ethanol

Energy Secretary Press Conference

Chuck Zimmerman

Secretary of Energy Press ConferenceSecretary of Energy Samuel Bodman held a press conference here at Ethanol Day at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

In his prepared remarks he paid tribute to Paul Dana and the work he did to promote ethanol and bring the industry and the IRL together as a tremendous promotional mechanism for this alternative energy resource. You can listen to the Secretary’s remarks here: Listen To MP3 Secretary Bodman Remarks (3 min MP3)

In case you’d like to watch the Secretary I got a video clip of most of his statement which you can watch here: Watch WMV File Secretary Bodman Remarks (3 min WMV)

Audio, EPIC, Ethanol, Government, Racing, Video

Ethanol Lesson For Energy Secretary

Chuck Zimmerman

Jeff Simmons & Sec. BodmanSecretary of Energy Bodman (r), got to learn more about ethanol and the Rahal-Letterman Ethanol Car with driver Jeff Simmons prior to getting his turn in a car on the track. He spent quite a few minutes with Jeff at the car, pointing to various components and asking lots of questions.

This was his first visit to the Speedway. He said today that he believes that ethanol is our near-term solution to importing too much oil.

EPIC, Ethanol, Government

Secretary Gets Energized

Chuck Zimmerman

Secretary of EnergyOur Energy Secretary found out firsthand what it feels like to crank up the RPM’s in an Indy Car. He took a couple laps with driver Davey Hamilton in a 2-seater.

Afterward as he got out of his gear he remarked about how just 3 laps took a toll on him. He could really feel the stress of the turns and they were only going up to about 180 mph. The fastest lap of the day looks like it was done by Sam Hornish Jr. who turned in a lap of 226.789.

With his “Ethanol Fast Lap” of the day Hornish receives a check for $2,500 which is sponsored by the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council.

The Indy Cars are running on 10 percent blend of ethanol this season before converting to 100 percent next year. With speeds like the ones we are seeing here I think they’ve proven how much of a high performance fuel it is.

EPIC, Ethanol, Government, Promotion

Interview With Energy Secretary

Chuck Zimmerman

Ethanol CarWell I’m here at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on “Ethanol Day.” The day started out wet but dried up just before the Secretary of Energy, Samuel Bodman arrived. He was able to see the Ethanol Car take a couple laps.

I got to interview Secretary Bodman on his way to the track. He is very impressed with what Ethanol Carhe’s seen here today and says that his visit here means a great deal to him personally. As for his department, he says they’re seeking more and more ethanol to be used all through our country. The Secretary is from Illinois and this is his first visit to the track. He also made the point that ethanol helps make sure that the money spent by consumers on gas, stays here in the country. The Secretary is pictured trackside (r) with Tom Branhan, CEO of Glacial Lakes Energy and President of the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council.

You can listen to my interview with Secretary of Energy, Bodman here: Listen To MP3 Secretary Bodman Interview (3 min MP3)

Audio, EPIC, Ethanol, Government, Promotion