Senators Introduce Domestic Fuels Act of 2012

Cindy Zimmerman

Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), John Hoeven (R-ND), Roy Blunt (R-MO), and Mike Crapo (R-ID) this week introduced bipartisan legislation that would “help produce more energy, increase competition, promote alternative fuels, provide more consumer choice and lower the cost of fuels at the pump.”

amy klobucharSen. Klobuchar says the Domestic Fuels Act of 2012 would make it easier to market all fuels and give consumers more choice at the pump. “This would cut through red tape and help provide the clear standards needed to increase competition and bring homegrown energy to consumers,” said Klobuchar. “Now is the time to increase domestic production of energy, focus on the homegrown energy solutions that will reduce our dependence on foreign oil, and give consumers choice at the pump.”

The bill would streamline the regulatory process so that all fuels, both traditional and renewable, can be stored and dispensed with common equipment. It also requires the EPA to develop streamlined criteria so that underground tanks can be used to dispense gasoline, diesel, ethanol or some combination of fuels, rather than requiring the use of separate tanks.

Also included in the legislation is liability protection for retailers that meet the streamlined EPA standards, so that they can sell multiple types of fuel with less red tape, providing consumers with more choice and lower fuel prices, and it establishes a new pathway for retailers to ensure that their equipment is safe and legally recognized as compatible to sell new fuels, thereby reducing the cost of entry for many retailers.

The measure is supported by a number of diverse industries and associations, including the Renewable Fuels Association, Growth Energy, American Petroleum Institute, Tesoro Corp., American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers, Petroleum Marketers Association of America, Exxon-Mobile, Association of Convenience Stores, Society of Independent Gasoline Marketers of America, National Association of Truck Stop Operators and Outdoor Power Equipment Institute.

Ethanol, Ethanol News, Government, Growth Energy, Retailers, RFA

Senate Rejects Obama Push to End Oil Subsidies

Cindy Zimmerman

Despite a last minute plea by President Obama, the Senate today rejected a plan to end oil company subsidies.

“Right now, the biggest oil companies are raking in record profits –- profits that go up every time folks pull up into a gas station,” said Obama in a Rose Garden speech this morning. “But on top of these record profits, oil companies are also getting billions a year — billions a year in taxpayer subsidies -– a subsidy that they’ve enjoyed year after year for the last century.”

The president stressed the need for increased domestic oil and gas production, but also for alternative energy. “It also means that we’re going to keep developing more advanced homegrown biofuels, the kinds that are already powering truck fleets across America,” he said. “We’re going to keep investing in clean energy like the wind power and solar power that’s already lighting thousands of homes and creating thousands of jobs.”

Truman Project Fellow and Operation Free Veteran Terron Sims was present at the Rose Garden address (top center in photo) and said he was proud to stand with the President and offer support for the administration’s energy initiatives to reduce dependence on foreign sources of oil. “I’m glad that my Commander in Chief is doing what it takes to make sure we have true energy independence by taking steps to reduce our oil use and increase clean, renewable sources of American energy,” Sims said. “I hope Congress will work with the President on these goals for the sake of America’s security.”

Sims is a former US Army Captain and Iraq War veteran. Operation Free, a campaign of the Truman National Security Project, is a national coalition of US military veterans working to send the message that America’s security relies on ending our addiction to oil and establishing clean, renewable sources of energy.

The attempt to curtail oil company tax breaks was defeated in a Senate filibuster this morning to prevent the legislation from advancing. Republicans against the measure were joined in opposition by Democrats from oil-rich states.

biofuels, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Government, Solar, Wind

GROWMARK Tracking Biofuels Legislative Issues

Cindy Zimmerman

Legislative issues related to biofuels on both the Illinois state level and the national level are priorities for the GROWMARK agricultural cooperative system this year, according to government affairs director Chuck Spencer.

On the state level, Spencer says Illinois will be looking at updating sales tax incentives this year with the pending introduction of 15% ethanol blends in the consumer marketplace. “The state of Illinois has been very good at recognizing the benefits and values of biofuels, not only for the economic opportunities but also for consumers,” he said. “Right now we have a tax credit focused on E10 and as we know E15 is making it through the approval process on the national level so we’re looking at how we can adjust our state programs to match up with the increased levels of renewable fuels, 15% or even higher for ethanol in the gasoline supply.”

On the national level, maintaining the Renewable Fuel Standard is important for GROWMARK and its grower members. “We are one of the larger renewable fuel distributors in the nation,” Spencer said. “We can foresee the productivity of supply on the ethanol side continuing to provide a benefit in keeping fuel costs down for consumers and we’re getting ready to plant one of the largest crops we’ve seen in quite a while so agriculture is ready to meet the demand and we’re hopeful that the rest of the country understands how important that is.”

Since GROWMARK is part owner in a Missouri-based biodiesel plant, Spencer says renewal of the biodiesel tax incentive is also important to them.

Listen to my interview with Chuck Spencer here: GROWMARK's Chuck Spencer

Audio, Biodiesel, biofuels, corn, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Farming, Government, GROWMARK

Novozymes CEO Named BIO 2012 George Washington Carver Award Winner

Cindy Zimmerman

The Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) has named Novozymes President and CEO Steen Riisgaard as the recipient of its 2012 George Washington Carver Award for innovation in industrial biotechnology.

A panel selected Riisgaard as this year’s winner “to recognize his significant contributions to the industrial biotechnology field.”

Under Riisgaard’s leadership, Novozymes is creating tomorrow’s industrial biotechnology solutions and improving the use of our planet’s resources, while reducing reliance on fossil fuels. Riisgaard will receive the award and also deliver a short address during a May 1, 2012 plenary lunch session at the BIO World Congress on Industrial Biotechnology & Bioprocessing. The conference is being held at the Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center in Orlando April 29-May 2.
Washington Carver Award Recipient

“I am honored to receive the 2012 George Washington Carver Award,” Riisgaard said. “At Novozymes, we see biotechnology as a way to reshape the world’s economy and create balance between better business, a cleaner environment and better lives. This award is a mandate to continue innovating with our customers, moving towards a world where everyday products are made with organic materials instead of oil.”

The award honors the original vision of George Washington Carver, an originator of the “chemurgy” movement who, more than a century ago, achieved world renown by combining agriculture and science to produce everyday biobased products, changing the nature of farm economics and sustainability. Industrial biotechnology is the modern-day equivalent, combining biotech innovations with renewable biomass to create solutions that can revitalize manufacturing and energy.

BIO, bioenergy, biofuels, Biotech, Ethanol, Ethanol News

2012 International Fuel Ethanol Workshop & Expo

fuel ethanol workshopThe ethanol industry’s largest and longest-running conference, the 2012 International Fuel Ethanol Workshop (FEW) & Expo, has released its agenda for this year’s annual event set for June 4-7, 2012 in Minneapolis, Minn.

The 2012 FEW is expected to draw more than 2,000 attendees and will include national and international ethanol producers, investors, industry suppliers and policymakers. More than 140 speakers and four content-packed tracks highlight the show including:

Track 1: Production & Operations
Track 2: Leadership & Financial Management
Track 3: Co-eproducts & Product Diversification
Track 4: Cellulosic & Advanced Ethanol

See the full agenda including a list of current speakers.

“The 28th annual FEW is shaping up to be an exciting event,” said Tom Bryan, Vice President of BBI International. “With Bob Dinneen, President & CEO of the Renewable Fuels Association as one of our keynote speakers, in addition to our more than 140 session speakers, we believe this conference will provide attendees with exciting, current and relevant industry content.”

“Many have expressed concern about the end of VEETC and wondering what affects it will have,” said Nick Jensen, Program Manager for BBI International. “The first general session of the FEW will host five highly respected ethanol board members talking about living in the post VEETC world. Anyone serious about being a part of the ethanol industry moving forward will want to hear what they have to say.”

conferences, Ethanol, Ethanol News, FEW

20 Northeast Dealers Adopt Bioheat

Joanna Schroeder

Last week during the New England Bioheat Symposium 20 oilheat dealers made the switch to Bioheat, heating oil common to the Northeastern part of the U.S. that is a blend of oilheat and at a minimun 2 percent biodiesel. The workshop was held at the Boston Red Sox’s home Fenway Park. Competition was a fitting theme as the oilheat industry has struggled to stay competitive.

“Many oilheat dealers today are waking up to the fact that the time for progressive change is upon them,” said Paul Nazzaro, petroleum liaison to the National Biodiesel Board. “Bioheat is the first real opportunity for a game-changing shift in more than a century. It is a more desirable product to consumers, offering enhanced energy security, benefits to health and the environment, and American jobs.”

One of the attending companies was D.F. Richard Energy, whose company has it origins in delivering kerosene to neighbors 80 years ago during the Great Depression. The company embraced Bioheat with the sentiment that it is never too late to embrace change.

“As a company, we are willing to try to take oilheat to a different level, where there are many positives to our product. Bioheat makes that possible,” said Rick Card, CEO of D.F. Richard. “Our employees feel proud that their company is delivering the evolution of heating oil.”

Bioheat is cost-competitive with oilheat, and does not require modifications to the oilheat system. Prior to the Symposium, there were about 235 oilheat dealers registered as Bioheat dealers.

Biodiesel

W. Scott Thurlow Joins CRFA

Joanna Schroeder

W. Scott Thurlow has joined the Canadian Renewable Fuels Association (CRFA) as the new president effective April 2, 2012. Thurlow, a lawyer, has past experience in government relations, legislation and regulation. Most recently, he was a Vice President with Temple Scott Associates where he provided strategic government relations advice to both corporations and nongovernmental organizations.

Tim Haig, Chair of the CRFA Board of Directors said of Thurlow’s appointment, “Scott brings an exceptional blend of strategic and resourceful skills to the CRFA. I am impressed with his emphasis on communication, leadership and his vision for the future development of the industry.”

Thurlow also has extensive experience with local and federal policy. In a past position, he served as Director of Parliamentary Affairs for the former Minister of Natural Resources.

“I embrace the opportunity to work with the CRFA membership, the board of directors, and the talented professional staff,” said Thurlow. “Renewable fuels are already a significant part of Canada’s energy mix, and I look forward to collaborating with the CRFA’s membership to help them work with all levels of government to promote the use of renewable fuels.”

biofuels, Company Announcement

Quick Brief Delves Into Bio-Industry Sustainability

Joanna Schroeder

How do we make the biofuels and bioproduct industry sustainable? This question is answered in the lastest “quick brief” published by Advanced Biofuels USA. According to the paper, the key is the development of low cost, decentralized biomass to biofuel production systems that can economically increase the travel distance of biomass. It is also important to make biomass available year round. Subsequently the industry could become a seamless system ready to meet market supply and demand and bioenergy producers would no longer have to rely on single crops grown close to home.

The quick brief was authored by Robert Kozak and in the paper he describes the sustainable system as able to “efficiently convert harvested field crops, slash timber, and agricultural residues at their point of production into biofuel and bioproduct precursors [oils or sugars] with sufficient value so they may be economically transported in excess of 500 miles.”

Upon completion of the journey, the paper continues, the biomass arrives at a large-scale biorefinery designed to produce bioproducts from multiple sources of biomass. In many cases, the biorefinery would be co-located with existing petroleum refineries.

Joanne Ivancic, Executive Director of Advanced Biofuels USA noted, “This paper makes clear the importance of committing to decentralized/centralized research in the 2012 Farm Bill. Turning these innovative ideas into realities will allow agricultural communities to remain viable and will bring badly needed jobs to depressed industrial areas. A commitment to this exciting future makes it clear that the Farm Bill benefits all Americans; not only farmers and farming communities.”

advanced biofuels, biofuels, biomass, biomaterials

Record Attendance at Ethanol Safety Seminar

Cindy Zimmerman

Nearly 160 emergency personnel, first responders, hazmat teams, safety managers, and local emergency planning committee members attended an ethanol safety seminar in Forsyth, Georgia this week.

The free seminar was co-hosted by the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA), Norfolk Southern Corp., and Motiva Enterprises to provide in-depth information on proper training techniques for responding to ethanol-related emergencies. Several more are planned in various locations during 2012.

The goal of these safety seminars is to provide full ethanol emergency response training experience that can be put to use immediately in the field as well as passed along to other first response teams. A majority of this training is based on the Complete Training Guide to Ethanol Emergency Response, a training package created by the Ethanol Emergency Response Coalition (EERC) that has been distributed throughout the United States and to several countries worldwide. The seminars include an introduction to ethanol and ethanol blended fuels, chemical and physical characteristics of ethanol and hydrocarbon fuels, transportation of ethanol blended fuels, storage and dispensing locations, firefighting foam principles and ethanol, ethanol blended fuel emergencies, and incidents at tank farm and bulk storage locations.

“Almost 14 billion gallons of ethanol are produced at 209 biofineries spread across 29 states,” said Kristy Moore, RFA VP of Technical Services. “As the product is increasing in use and transportation throughout the states, first responders need to be familiar with the fuel and how to effectively respond to an ethanol related incident. This program details the response information that is essential to these emergency situations.”

The RFA and Norfolk Southern Corp. will be hosting Ethanol Safety Seminars throughout 2012 in the following locations: Chattanooga, TN on April 18th, also co-sponsored with Tate & Lyle; Spartanburg, SC on May 7th; Raleigh, NC on July 11th; Decatur, IL on August 22nd, also co-sponsored with CN Railway and Archer Daniels Midland (ADM); and Pittsburgh, PA in late summer. RFA has additionally partnered with Canadian National (CN) Railway for several Ethanol Safety seminars in 2012.

Ethanol, Ethanol News, RFA, safety

Virent and Virdia Make Jet Fuel From Trees

Cindy Zimmerman

Under a joint energy project, Virent and Virdia (formerly HCL CleanTech) this week announced the successful conversion of cellulosic pine tree sugars to drop-in hydrocarbon fuels.

The development is part of the BIRD Energy project, a joint program started in January 2011 and funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, the Israeli Ministry of National Infrastructure and the BIRD Foundation.

According to the companies, Virent used Virdia’s biomass-derived sugars to produce gasoline and jet fuel, the latter being sent to the U.S Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) for analysis where it passed rigorous testing. “This fuel passed the most stringent specification tests we could throw at it (such as thermal stability) under some conditions where conventional jet fuels would fail,” said Tim Edwards of the Fuels Branch of the AFRL said, adding that the fuel is “worth further evaluation.”

Virdia’s CASE™ (Cold Acid Solvent Extraction) process uses low temperature, low pressure hydrolysis coupled with its closed loops of acid recovery and solvent extraction to produce high purity fractions of sugars and lignin. Virent’s BioForming platform utilizes a combination of catalytic processes to convert water-soluble oxygenated hydrocarbons derived from biomass to non-oxygenated hydrocarbons that can be used as drop-in compounds in gasoline, jet fuel and diesel fuel. Virent’s BioForming platform catalysts and reactor systems are similar to those found in today’s petroleum oil refineries and petrochemical complexes.

advanced biofuels, aviation biofuels, biojet fuel, biomass