Growth Energy was at the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) show in Las Vegas last week promoting the benefits of mid-level ethanol blends and blender pumps to retailers. I spent a few minutes with Phil Lampert, the Vice President of Market Development with Growth Energy. There were between 25,000-30,000 participants ranging from retailers, equipment manufacturers, jobbers and distributors, very …
Patrick Hessini Joins Avant Energy as VP
Patrick Hessini has joined the Minneapolis-based Avant Energy team as Vice President. Hessini’s main role will be to lead Avant’s consulting business and help to develop additional innovative energy projects and programs. According to Avant Energy president Derick Dahlen, “Patrick enhances our ability to help municipal and cooperative utilities, educational institutions and corporations achieve their energy management goals.” Hessini joins …
WSI & Enva Partner on WindCast IQ
Weather Services International (WSI), in conjunction with Genscape’s Enva, have launched WindCast IQ, the first wind generation forecasting service designed for energy traders. Wind Energy has seen a big boost with the move to alternative energy and has become the fastest growing source of power generation in North America. However, along with growth comes growing pains, and the increase in …
Novozymes Responds to Science, Indirect Land Use Debate
The Science magazine article that was published last week and co-authored by Tim Searchinger, a lawyer, has added another level of controversy to the indirect land use change (ILUC) debate. The article suggested the land use effects of fuel produced from various forms of biomass were miscalculated, in part, because they cause deforestation around the world as land is cleared …
President Clinton Discusses Economy, Energy at NACS
President Clinton was the keynote speaker during the closing session at the 2009 National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) conference. His focus during his speech was the American economy, with a few words on the state of health care, education and energy in the mix. But the big question was: is the recession over? His answer: “Yes. No. Maybe.” If …
Book Review – Turning Oil Into Salt
What do salt and oil have in common? In its time, the world was overdependent on the strategic commodity (oil today and salt more than 100 years ago). Our country (nor the world) is “salt dependent” but the world is oil dependent, but not in the way that most people define oil dependence. “That is what energy independence means: that …
FDC Enterprises Awarded DOE Feedstock Delivery Grant
FDC Enterprises, based on Columbus, Ohio, announced today that it has won a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) grant to develop supply systems to handle and deliver feedstocks for cellulosic biofuels production. The $21 million grant is being shared by five winners. The government is attempting to help speed up cellulosic biofuels production, or the production of fuel that uses …
Energy Reform? Then Don’t Follow California.
Many states look to California to set the stage for environmental and energy reform. They passed the first greenhouse gas emissions legislation. They passed the Low Carbon Fuel Standard. But not so fast. They are bankrupt. They still have some of the worst air pollution in the country. They still have “brownouts” when it rains. Let me give you an …
Wind Consortium Led by Illinois Institute of Technology
Wind energy has received another gust with the announcement from U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu that three universities have been given investments for wind energy research. An Illinois Institute of Technology (IITT) led consortium has been selected for up to $8 million to support the research and development programs that include private industry, state and local governments, and other universities …
Coskata Unveils Semi- Commerical Cellulosic Plant
Coskata Inc., has finally unveiled it’s “semi-commercial flex ethanol facility” to the world today with the New York Times taking the lead. In the article author Matthew Wald writes, “The facility, built by a company called Coskata, is not quite proof that a new era is at hand for American transportation fuels. But with the company claiming it will be …