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Biodiesel Board Announces Officers

Cindy Zimmerman

National Biodiesel Board members this week elected seven returning governing board members and one new member to serve on the leadership committee as part of the organization’s membership meeting in Washington D.C.

Officers elected to lead the board are:
Gary Haer, chairman, Renewable Energy Group, Inc. (Producer)
Ed Ulch, vice chair, Iowa Soybean Board (Farmer)
Ron Marr, secretary, Minnesota Soybean Processors, (Producer)
Jim Conway, treasurer, Griffin Industries (Producer)

Biodiesel board members also voted to fill eight board member spots, which include the officer team and:
Ed Hegland, Minnesota Soybean Research and Promotion Council (Farmer)
Kris Kappenman, Archer Daniels Midland (Producer)
Bob Metz, South Dakota Soybean Research & Promotion council (Farmer)
Robert Stobaugh, Arkansas Soybean Promotion Board (Farmer)

Biodiesel, NBB, Soybeans

USDA Announces Biomass to Energy Project Funding

Cindy Zimmerman

USDAUSDA has announced funding for a series of projects to convert biomass to energy through USDA’s Rural Energy for America program (REAP). The announcement this week concludes 2011 biomass project funding assistance for a total of 52 projects with just over $31 million in grant and loan note guarantees through program.

Among the companies receiving funding is NC-CHP Owner I, LLC of Asheville, N.C., which received a $5 million loan for the installation of a combined heat and power system in Montgomery County. The system will generate steam by using a boiler system powered by wood chips and will also generate 5.25 million kWh of electricity per year. Also in Montgomery County, applicant EWP, LLC will receive a $146,000 grant to install equipment at an existing hydroelectric plant so it can be reopened. The project has the potential to generate an estimated 2.8 million kWh per year.

Other projects to be funded include:

Alaska Alaskan Brewing – $448,366 grant for biofuel from waste grain
Iowa Iowa Firewood Products – $24,232 grant for firewood kiln
Mass. CommonWealth Resource – $49,875 grant for biofuel from waste
S.D. Legend Seeds – $17,035 grant for boiler installation
Tenn. Mountain Wood Products – $500,000 grant for Wood Pellet Processing
Utah Washakie Renewable Energy – $496,750 grant for biofuels pretreatment/ products plant

biomass, Energy, USDA

AE Biofuels Changes Name to Aemetis

Cindy Zimmerman

AE Biofuels has a new name to better reflect the company’s business strategy.

The industrial biotechnology company which produces renewable chemicals and advanced fuels using patented microbes and processes became Aemetis, Inc. as of November 15.

In June 2011, AE Biofuels acquired Zymetis, Inc., a Maryland industrial biotechnology company. The name Aemetis was derived from “AE” which means “The One” in Scottish, and “Metis” which means “Prudent Wisdom” in Greek. “Aemetis” means “The One Prudent Wisdom,” referring to the prudence and wisdom of replacing petroleum with renewable sources of chemicals and fuels.

The Aemetis Biorefinery technology platform is based on a unique patented aerobic marine organism (the “Z-microbe”) and propagation process that enables Aemetis to produce a variety of specialty biochemical and renewable fuels products for large markets using renewable feedstocks. Aemetis holds 4 granted patents and 14 pending patents on its microbial and enzymatic technology and production processes. Aemetis currently operates a 55 million gallon per year ethanol plant in Keyes, California and a 50 million gallon capacity biofuels plant in India.

advanced biofuels, Ethanol, Ethanol News

POET CEO Update on Cellulosic Ethanol

Cindy Zimmerman

Ethanol industry leader POET is making “tremendous strides” in the development of ethanol from biomass for commercial use, according to company CEO Jeff Broin.

Broin talked with farm broadcasters at last week’s National Association of Farm Broadcasting meeting last week in Kansas City to provide an update on Project LIBERTY, a cellulosic ethanol plant project in Emmetsburg, Iowa. “When we got into this research ten years ago, it was a long shot,” Broin said in an interview with Jody Heemstra of KWAT Radio in Watertown, SD. “Today, we’re actually less than $3 on production costs so we’re competitive with gasoline and we’re very excited about that.”

Broin says they have cut enzyme costs by about a third and are planning to use the lignin from a grain ethanol plant next door to power both plants. “We’ll have a 25 million gallon cellulosic plant next to a 50 million gallon grain plant and there will be virtually no fossil fuel used to power those facilities,” Broin says.

Listen to all of Heemstra’s interview with Broin here: Jeff Broin, POET CEO

Audio, Cellulosic, Ethanol, Ethanol News, POET

Bachmann Urged to Clarify Stand on RFS

Cindy Zimmerman

With presidential candidate Michele Bachmann in Iowa this week, the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IRFA) has urged her to clarify where she stands on the federal renewable fuels standard (RFS).

Iowa RFAIn a letter to Rep. Bachmann, IRFA President Walt Wendland wrote: “As a neighboring Minnesotan who was born in Iowa, you know the large, positive impact renewable fuels have had on rural economies, farm income, and US energy security. That is why IRFA has been disappointed to be unable to get an answer to a question central to the future of renewable fuels and rural economic growth. IRFA would simply like to know: as president, would you support and protect the federal renewable fuels standard?”

Bachmann has been asked her position on the RFS at least four times in the past few weeks, but she continues to dodge the issue. Bachmann has been asked about the RFS by an ethanol supporter, an ethanol plant CEO, the IRFA executive director and even Iowa Governor Terry Branstad. Those encounters can be viewed at www.youtube.com/user/iowafuel.

Ethanol, Ethanol News

Looking At Trends In Alternative Energy

Chuck Zimmerman

During the National Agri-Marketing Association’s Trends in Agriculture Conference, held last week in Kansas City, we had a session that focused on “Trends In Energy/Alternative Fuels” which featured Nathan Schock, POET & Matt Roberts, PhD. Pictured is Matt who is an Associate Professor of Ag Economics at Ohio State University.

Matt does a lot of work in biofuels. One of his take aways from the session is that even though we’re going to see a lot of ethanol policy changes in the market soon with the end of the VEETC/Tariff, “There’s not going to actually be that large of an impact right now when that goes away.” He says long term there may be some impact. The RFS is a different animal though. He believes it needs to be re-opened on the cellulosic side but seems to be working on the corn ethanol side. Changes, however, could have a real impact on the corn side.

He says that when you look at the big picture of ethanol and the biofuels industry there aren’t simple answers. He encourages the industry to take a step back and “think about the fundamental reasons that are out there and what’s driving it and start with the questions.” He says everyone seems to start with an answer looking for a problem to solve with it instead of asking a question first and then seeking the answer to that question.

You can find Matt online at MatthewCRoberts.com.

You can listen to my interview with Matt here: Interview with Roberts

2011 NAMA Trends in Agriculture Photo Album

Audio, Ethanol

SIGMA Joins Coaltion for E85

Cindy Zimmerman

The Society of Independent Gasoline Marketers of America (SIGMA) has officially joined the Coalition for E85 in the effort to have 85 percent ethanol designated as an alternative fuel under the tax code.

The recently-launched coalition is made up primarily of fuel retailers who are concerned about the future of E85 once the Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax Credit (VEETC) expires without renewal at the end of the year. “E85 as an alternative fuel is defined everywhere in the U.S. code, except for the Internal Revenue code,” explains tax code specialist Jeff Trinca, who is working with the coalition. That was because of the VEETC, to avoid “double dipping” in tax credits. “Now VEETC’s going away and what we’re basically saying is we would like E85 to be included in the definition of alternative fuels with propane, natural gas and others so there’s a level playing field,” Trinca says, noting that the coalition is only looking for a five year bridge to get the infrastructure in to be competitive with gasoline.

Trinca says they are working on getting a bill introduced in Congress to address the issue before the end of the year.

Trinca and coalition representative Phil Lampert, both pictured here, were at the National Association of Farm Broadcasting annual meeting last week explaining the issue to the nation’s farm broadcasters. Listen to my interview with Trinca here: Jeff Trinca, Coalition for E85

Audio, E85, Ethanol, Ethanol News

OriginOil Announces Algae Appliance

Joanna Schroeder

During the 4th Algae World Asia conference in Beijing, China, OriginOil announced it’s newest algae extraction technology – Algae Appliance. This entry-level commercial algae harvesting system was designed to help producers process algae at a low cost and without chemicals.

Algae Appliance is set for release in the first half of 2012 and is a continuous flow ‘wet harvest’ system that has the potential to remove up to 90 percent of water volume. Field testing will begin shortly and the companies are looking for additional project partners.

MBD Energy’s Technical Director Larry Sirmans, and an OriginOil Australian partner, said of the technology, “This Algae Appliance should be very beneficial to producers and researchers who are developing the most efficient processes for growing algae at commercial scale.”

Bill Charneski, OriginOil senior director of product engineering added, “We are continuing to scale up our technology at MBD’s pilot site in Australia. Now, everything we have learned is going into a standardized entry-level system to help the worldwide algae industry meet the high demand for sustainable, low-cost algae production.”

The company anticipates that this technology, and ultimately algae production, will help to meet the renewable aviation fuels demand of the commercial airline industry and of the various branches of the U.S. military.

advanced biofuels, algae, biofuels

Solar Adoption Highest Among Middle Class

Joanna Schroeder

A new study from PV Solar Report and SunRun reports that families in median zip codes make up the majority of California home owners who have installed solar energy. Nearly two-thirds of solar installations in ’09, ’10 and ’11 were completed in homes where the household median income is than $85,000 per year. In addition, the state is seeing a rise in solar projects in lower income zip codes as solar prices continue to drop.

The findings are in line with PV Solar’s Report of the Top 10 Solar Cities that was published in October. Two cities to make the list – Bakersfield, CA and Fresno, CA have average household incomes between $40,000 to $50,000. Only 2-3 percent of solar projects in Cali are in the state’s highest income zip codes.

“In 2007 we invented a way for homeowners to go solar without the high upfront costs so income would not prevent a switch to cleaner and less expensive energy,” said SunRun President and Co-founder Lynn Jurich. “The data from PV Solar Report shows this model is working, and that it’s not just the wealthy driving and benefiting from solar adoption. We are working to educate consumers that solar is finally affordable.”

SunRun owns, maintains and insures and installs solar panels on rooftops. Homeowners pay a fixed, low monthly cost for 20 years. This type of solar project accounted for 59 percent of residential projects in Q3 of 2010.

Solar is not reserved for the wealthy and the trends cited in the report support this according to Stephen Torres who is the founder and managing director of PV Solar Report. “Solar prices are coming down, it’s great for job growth from installing, financing, and servicing solar in local communities, and models like SunRun are helping drive growth because they eliminate large upfront investments,” he concluded.

You can download the report here.

Electricity, Energy, Solar

San Diego Utility Considers Increasing Solar Costs

Joanna Schroeder

San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) has proposed a General Rate Case (GRC) “network use charge” that would impose new costs on more than 14,000 solar power producers in the utility territory who are exporting solar energy to the grid. In response, the San Diego Solar Coalition has filed for intervenor status with the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) that allows local solar firms to dispute the GRC.

The Coalition believes that these proposed new charges are an “attack on solar” and has “vowed” to protect its customers. Solar companies in the territory have combined invested more than $500M in solar electric systems and solar is the fastest growing sector in the city.

“SDG&E’s proposal wipes out 20 years of progressive energy policy in California for the benefit of the utility,” said Daniel Sullivan, a member of the San Diego Solar Coalition. He also said that the GRC proposal, if passed, will kill jobs in a dim economy.

What is interesting is the GRC proposal came following a commitment by California Governor Jerry Brown to generate 12,000 megawatts of clean energy such as solar by 2020. Brown appears to be in line with the American’s desire for more solar. According to a poll conducted in October 2011 by Kelton Research, 89 percent of Americans think it is important for the U.S. to develop and use solar energy.

“Solar power enjoys widespread, bi-partisan support both in the Capitol and among the public. One company should not be able allow to ignore the will of the people,” concluded Sullivan. 

Electricity, Energy, Solar