ACE Conference 2026

Battle Over RFS Heats Up With Drought

Cindy Zimmerman

With 78 percent of the corn crop suffering from drought, livestock and poultry groups are renewing calls for changing the ethanol requirements in the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS2).

During a press conference today sponsored by livestock and poultry interests, Cong. Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) said he has introduced two bills – one to eliminate the RFS and one to reform it. “Additionally, I strongly believe that given the drought conditions gripping our nation, the administrator of the EPA should reduce the RFS mandate for this year and do it now,” he said.

Listen to Goodlatte’s comments here: Cong. Goodlatte on RFS

Supporters of the RFS point to ethanol stocks and the Renewable Identification Numbers (RINs) system built into the law for just such a natural disaster. “Strong supplies of ethanol in storage, an oversupply of 2.5 billion Renewable Identification Numbers (RINs), and a smaller gasoline market that reduces the actual 2012 RFS requirement to just approximately 13.04 billion gallons are all indicators that the RFS will work in 2012 and 2013,” said Matt Hartwig with the Renewable Fuels Association. “To be certain, conditions facing American farmers are challenging. However, the market will act to ration corn demand and the RIN mechanism of the RFS will provide a cushion for refiners and other obligated parties to comply with RFS requirements.”

“When it comes to the Renewable Fuel Standard for ethanol and other biofuels, now is not the time for changes. It’s working. The RFS is revitalizing rural America, reducing our dependence on foreign fuel and reducing the cost of gasoline. Making changes to the RFS now would only ensure that consumers suffer due to significantly higher fuel prices,” said National Corn Growers Association president Garry Niemeyer. “Given the challenges of the drought and suffering of all farmers, now more than ever, U.S. agriculture needs to pull together. NCGA will continue to help lead the way in trying to unite, rather than divide, American agriculture.”

Audio, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Government, NCGA, RFA

RFA Continues Sturgis Sponsorship

Joanna Schroeder

The 72nd Annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in Sturgis, SD is August 6-12 and the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) is continuing its partnership with the Legendary Buffalo Chip. This is an opportunity for the organization to promote the use of ethanol to motorcyclists around the country. Often ethanol is mischaracterized as a problem for motorcycle engines.

During the event, RFA staff and volunteers wearing “Ethanol: Fueled with Pride” t-shirts will hand out educational and promotional materials. A promotional trailer will be located inside the Legendary Buffalo Chip amphitheater where nearly 100,000 people attend concerts each night.

For the first time this year attendees will have the opportunity to fuel their bikes for free during two events. The “Free Fuel Happy Hours” are sponsored by RFA, Kansas Corn Commission and the South Dakota Corn Growers. Motorcyclists will be able to fill their tank, free of charge, if they have a Buffalo Chip wrist band. The Free Fuel Happy Hours will be on Wednesday, August 8th and Thursday, August 9th next to The Crossroads at the Buffalo Chip from 4 pm – 6 pm CDT.

“The Chip is excited to once again partner with RFA to highlight the benefits of using ethanol fuel,” said Rod Woodruff, Owner of the Legendary Buffalo Chip. “The Buffalo Chip leads by example; every drop of unleaded fuel we use here contains ethanol. With events like the ‘Free Fuel Happy Hour’ and Fueled with Pride give-away items, thousands of attendees who travel cross country to be at Sturgis will leave knowing that ethanol is a safe option for their motorcycles and they have a choice in the fuel they put in their engines.”

There will be more events to attend as part of the promotion. To learn more visit ChooseEthanol.com.

biofuels, Ethanol, RFA

Ag Secretary Says RFS Okay with Ethanol Stocks

Cindy Zimmerman

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack held a sobering press briefing Wednesday after meeting with President Obama about the impact of the nation’s drought on agricultural production.

Vilsack says the drought is “most serious situation we’ve had in 25 years” with 61% of the land mass of the United States is currently characterized as being impacted. About one third of the counties in the United States are now designated as secretarial disaster areas and that is expected to grow higher. “This obviously will have an impact on the yields,” he said.

When asked if the drought impact on corn should prompt action by the Environmental Protection Agency to roll back the use of corn for ethanol under the Renewable Fuel Standard, Vilsack said, “There is no need to go to the EPA at this time based on the quantity of ethanol that is in storage.”

The latest Energy Information Administration data from last week showed another drop in ethanol production from the previous week bringing the average weekly rate down to 841,000 barrels per day for an annualized rate of 12.89 billion gallons. Stocks of ethanol now stand at 19.6 million barrels or about 824 million gallons.

corn, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Government, USDA

Using Bacteria for Good

Joanna Schroeder

Researchers at Michigan State University (MSU) are using the power of microbes from agricultural waste to create ethanol and hydrogen for fuel cells. The technology was developed by MSU microbiologist Gemma Reguera, who created bioelectrochemical systems known as microbial electrolysis cells or MECs. The process uses bacteria to break down and ferment ag waste into ethanol. The process produces 20 times more energy than existing methods.

According to communication from MSU, the process is unique because it uses a second bacterium. When added to the mix, it removes all waste fermentation byproducts or nonethanol materials, while generating electricity. The results of the research were recently published by Reguera along with co-author and graduate student Allison Spears, in Environmental Science and Technology. 

The research is important because in lab tests have significantly improved energy recovery from corn stover, a budding feedstock for biofuel production, that today hovers around 3.5 percent. However, Reguera’s process averages 35-40 percent energy recovery after factoring in the energy required during the pretreatment phase. What might be even more promising about the platform is that the significant energy recovery is just from the fermentation process.

“This is because the fermentative bacterium was carefully selected to degrade and ferment agricultural wastes into ethanol efficiently and to produce byproducts that could be metabolized by the electricity-producing bacterium,” explained Reguera. Read More

biofuels, Electricity, Ethanol, Hydrogen

Offshore Wind Energy in Europe Doubles

Joanna Schroeder

Yesterday I wrote about the progress of an offshore wind project in the UK, the Blyth Offshore Wind Demonstration project. Today The European Wind Energy Association (EWEA) has said that 2012 could be the best year ever for offshore wind energy in Europe. Just this year 532.2 megawatts (MW) or 132 offshore wind turbines have been connected to the grid in since January. This is a 50 percent increase compared to the first six months in 2011 when only 348.1 MW were installed.

Christian Kjaer, CEO of EWEA noted that this feat was achieved despite global economic and financial turmoil. “Offshore wind power creates jobs in Europe, reduces our fuel import costs, and avoids the global and local health and environmental costs of extracting, transporting and burning fossil fuels. Offshore wind power is increasingly attracting investors, including pension funds and other institutional and corporate investors, but it would be good to see more activity in southern Europe where jobs, investments and growth are desperately needed.”

In addition to what is currently operational, there are another 160 turbines, representing 647.4 MW of energy built and waiting to be connected to the grid. Factors affecting the speed of connection include weather conditions at sea and grid connection delays. Moving forward there are 13 offshore wind farms under construction and when completed will add another 3,762 MW of capacity.

To date, there is a total of 4,336 MW offshore wind capacity up from 3,294 MW in June 2011. This is enough electricity to energize 4 million average sized homes.

Electricity, Energy, Wind

Most are Worried about Crops

Melissa Sandfort

Our latest ZimmPoll asked the question, “How worried are you about the weather impact on crops this summer?”

Our poll results: Seventy-four percent said very worried; twenty-one percent said moderately concerned; four percent said they’re confident the crops will overcome and two percent said “what weather?”.

Our new ZimmPoll is now live and asks the question, “Should nutrition programs be split out of the Farm Bill?” With all the controversy surrounding cuts in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), better known as food stamps, there has also been talk that the bill could be split. What do you think – should nutrition be separate from agriculture?

ZimmPoll is sponsored by Rhea+Kaiser, a full-service advertising/public relations agency.

ZimmPoll

Oil Industry Attacks on E15 Inappropriate

Joanna Schroeder

The ethanol industry is calling recent attacks by the oil industry regarding the use of E15 inappropriate and unreasonable. The latest in an ongoing battle between Big Oil and Little Ethanol occurred when the American Petroleum Institute (API) issued a “warning” to drivers in Kansas to not use E15 being sold at a Zarco 66 station in Lawrence, Kansas. In its first full day of sales, the Zarco 66 station reported E15 sales were 16% of its total unleaded gasoline sales.

Earlier this year, API released a study claiming that the use of E15 in non flex-fuel vehicles was harmful. Ironically, the study also discovered that the use of “straight” gasoline was also harmful to the same vehicles. The study brought the U.S. Department of Energy into the fray when the organization issued a rebuke and reiterated that E15 is the most studied fuel to date with more than 6 million miles of testing with E15 proving no problems in cars or light duty trucks manufactured in 2001 or later.

“If you take the argument of API and other biofuel critics to its logical conclusion, based on the study they cite, they should be warning Americans against using so-‘called ‘clear gasoline’ as well given that vehicles failed in their limited testing on that fuel also,” said Renewable Fuels Association President and CEO Bob Dinneen.

He continued, “Of course, that would be unrealistic to expect from the nation’s refiners. Equally unrealistic is the smear campaign and fear mongering that is going on surrounding the introduction of E15 into the market. The fact remains that E15 has been the most thoroughly tested fuel in American history and ethanol has been a safe and effective fuel component in wide use for more than three decades. It’s time to move past the nonsense and constructively work to bring Americans the choice at the pump they want and deserve. Such a choice is beginning in Lawrence with E15.”

blends, Ethanol, Oil, RFA

Can Ethanol Meet RFS Demand with Lower Corn Crop?

Cindy Zimmerman

Renewable Fuels AssociationUSDA already cut the corn crop forecast by 12% but as conditions continue to worsen, concerns are being raised about whether the ethanol industry will be able to meet demand under the Renewable Fuels Standard with a drastically reduced crop.

Renewable Fuels Association VP of Research and Analysis Geoff Cooper tackled that question in a white paper posted on the E-xchange Blog. “Even if ethanol production remains at current low levels for the remainder of the year, obligated parties should have no problem meeting their 2012 RFS blending obligations,” according to Cooper, based on the flexibility built into the RFS program “specifically to address unique market conditions and unusual events.”

While ethanol production is dropping and some plants are idling due to tight margins, the good news is there is over 800 million gallons of ethanol currently in storage to help meet the RFS. “Given current gasoline demand, a healthy 20-day supply of ethanol stocks would be 745 mg, meaning current stocks of 820 mg are still slightly on the heavy side,” Cooper said. In addition, excess RINs can be used by obligated parties for compliance in lieu of physical gallons.

The latest Energy Information Administration data puts annualized ethanol production this year at 13.26 billion gallons. The 2012 RFS requirement is for 13.2 billion gallons of “renewable fuel,” which includes, but is not limited to, grain ethanol.

corn, Ethanol, Ethanol News, RFA

Offshore Wind Project Sails Ahead

Joanna Schroeder

The Blyth Offshore Wind Demonstration Site off the UK coast is sailing ahead. SeaRoc, a marine engineering company, has been contracted to install the foundation, equipment platform and meteorological mast for the wind energy project. SeaRoc is taking over for the previous contractor and construction is scheduled to begin within the next two months.

Andrew Mill, CEO of Narec, the company that owns the Blyth Offshore Wind Demonstration Project, said that this is the largest project of its type in the UK. He also commented that SeaRoc’s services were selected because of their proven track record and innovative approach.

The mast will be installed 3 nautical miles off the coast of Blyth consisting of a 635t tripod foundation, 100t platform and 25t meteorological mast to provide site wind speed measurements alongside the already installed ZephIR 300 wind lidar. In addition, the platform will collect environmental data and will be equipped with a various monitoring sensors.

“The Offshore Demonstration Facility is key to the future of Offshore Wind, both in the UK and globally – SeaRoc are very aware of this and believe there is enormous value for the offshore renewable sector in the development of the Narec site,” said Toby Mead, Operations Director at SeaRoc, who said his company is very well placed to deliver the project. “We view this project as an ideal opportunity to develop a strong working relationship with Narec.”

Electricity, Energy, Wind

Operation Free Campaign Supports Navy Biofuels

Cindy Zimmerman

A new campaign by a nationwide coalition of military veterans is targeting members of Congress who are opposed to increasing the use of biofuels in the military.

The Operation Free campaign has released a new television advertisement entitled “Trust,” featuring Marine Corps veteran Chris Marzoni who served in Iraq as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom. In the spot, Marzoni says advanced biofuels promise to provide our military a source of fuel besides petroleum, which ties us to a volatile world market and hinders mission readiness.

The first version of the ad to run targets Senator Rob Portman (R-OH), who recklessly voted to halt the Navy’s biofuels programs despite their promise to reduce the military’s dependence on petroleum-based fuels. In the ad, Marzoni asks why Senator Portman doesn’t trust our military leaders when it comes to keeping America safe. The ad is part of a significant buy which will also run in Arizona, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.

Watch the ad with Marzoni here:

advanced biofuels, aviation biofuels, Government, Video