President Mentions Advanced Biofuels in Jobs Speech

Cindy Zimmerman

President Obama reaffirmed the importance of domestically produced fuels in his address to Congress on jobs Thursday night.

“If we provide the right incentives, the right support — and if we make sure our trading partners play by the rules — we can be the ones to build everything from fuel-efficient cars to advanced biofuels to semiconductors that we sell all around the world,” the president said. “That’s how America can be number one again.”

The National Biodiesel Board (NBB) was pleased to hear the president utter the words “advanced biofuels” in connection with jobs. “As the only commercial scale Advanced biofuel that’s produced nationwide today, biodiesel is proof that strong domestic energy policy and incentives can create good paying American Jobs,” said NBB VP of Federal Affairs Anne Steckel. “Even in this economy, our industry is experiencing a boom. We’re on pace to produce more biodiesel than ever before. We strongly encourage Congress to follow through with a green jobs package that includes the biodiesel tax incentive that gets people back to work.”

Obama outlined his $450 billion jobs plan including tax cuts, tax credits, infrastructure investments and other measures in his speech Thursday night to Congress, urging lawmakers to pass it immediately to put Americans back to work.

Biodiesel, Government, NBB

Canadian Firm Developing Industry Oilseed Crops

Cindy Zimmerman

Vancouver-based Linnaeus Plant Sciences has been awarded $1.2 million in support from Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC) to further advance production of green alternatives to petroleum oils.

SDTC support will help Linnaeus advance production of camelina and safflower-based oils as renewable feedstock that can substitute for petroleum in a variety of high-value, non-fuel applications including polymers, lubricants, surfactants and other valuable industrial materials.

“Through our support for cutting-edge clean energy technology we are creating high-quality jobs and protecting our environment,” said Minister of Natural Resources Joe Oliver. “This project demonstrates our leadership in driving technology innovation to help create a vibrant clean energy industry in Canada.”

“We’re interested in a greener, more sustainable future for farmers and for all Canadians,” said Linnaeus’ President and CEO, Jack Grushcow. “This is significant support from SDTC. It will help us position these crops as viable substitutes for petroleum in a range of important products. Work being done in the laboratory and on the farm will help shape a more carbon-neutral planet for future generations. We are committed to ensuring that these crops deliver products that command sufficient value to allow the entire value chain to operate at a fair profit.”

“Technologies that will help Canada become less dependent on fossil fuels while creating value for farmers will be key in the country’s transition to a green economy,” said SDTC President and CEO Vicky Sharpe. “We are pleased to be adding this promising project to our portfolio.”

Linnaeus Plant Sciences has developed an integrated process to produce a variety of value-added, renewable, industrial feedstocks from camelina and safflower, for use in various industrial applications.

biofuels, feedstocks

RFA Reminds President of Ethanol Jobs

Cindy Zimmerman

As President Obama prepares to address the nation with a proposed $400 billion jobs plan, the Renewable Fuels Association is reminding him that American ethanol fuels 400,000 jobs right now and could do even more with more support.

In an open letter to the president running today in Politico, RFA president Bob Dinneen says the “American ethanol industry is a job-creating engine fueled by innovation.”

“With a commitment in tonight’s speech to support the goals of the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS), encourage the use of E15 and other ethanol fuels, and invest in modernizing our fuel infrastructure, you could embolden current ethanol production and ignite investment in next generation advanced and cellulosic ethanol and other biofuels which would require the construction of new biorefineries, often located outside the traditional Corn Belt. In addition, you would spark further economic growth in rural communities in the Heartland where economic development is most difficult,” Dinneen writes to President Obama.

See the full ad here.

Ethanol, Ethanol News, RFA

Grading Grasses for Ethanol Potential

Cindy Zimmerman

U.S. Department of Agriculture researchers have developed an inexpensive way to grade the ethanol potential of perennial grasses at a biorefinery’s loading dock.

Geneticist Ken Vogel (pictured) was one of a team of USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists who developed the grading process that costs only about $5 a sample rather than the $300 to $2,000 per sample that conventional analytical methods cost.

The process uses near-infrared sensing (NIRS) to measure 20 components in switchgrass biomass that determine its potential value to biorefiners. These components include cell wall sugars, soluble sugars and lignin. With this information, 13 traits can be determined, including the efficiency of the conversion from sugars to ethanol. This is the first time NIRS has been used to predict maximum and actual ethanol yields of grasses from a basic conversion process.

ARS is now working with the Near Infrared Spectroscopy Consortium (NIRSC) to commercialize the process for use at biorefineries.

Read more from ARS here.

Cellulosic, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Research, USDA

When Will Cellulosic Ethanol Match Corn?

Chuck Zimmerman

Our latest ZimmPoll asked the question, “How many years before cellulosic ethanol matches corn ethanol production?” So what did you say? 42% said More than ten years; 23% said Five to ten years; 18% said Five years; 14% said Never and 3% said Next year. We’ve seen huge strides in the efficiency of corn ethanol production and research on the use of new feedstocks but we’re not quite there for mass quantity cellulosic production. Will we be? What do you think? Feel free to add your comments here.

Our new ZimmPoll is now live. We’re asking the question, “Which is more important to rural America: GPS Service or Broadband Internet?” We thought it would be interesting you get your thoughts on this in light of the Lightsquared rural broadband service that seems to pose some serious problems for GPS service. Your input and thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

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

ZimmPoll

Blue Angels Perform With Biofuels

Joanna Schroeder

The Blue Angels, the U.S. Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron, performed over the Labor Day weekend using a biofuel blend at the Naval Air Station (NAS) Patuxent River Air Expo. All six F/A-18 legacy Hornets were powered with a 50-50 blend of conventional JP-5 jet fuel and a camelina-based biofuel.

“Changing the kinds of fuels we use and the way we use them is critical to assuring the Navy and Marine Corps remain the most formidable expeditionary fighting force the world has ever known,” said Secretary of the Navy, Ray Mabus in a press statement leading up to the air show. “The Department of the Navy will be taking another visible step toward testing biofuel in our aircraft when all six of the Blue Angels perform using the same 50/50 blend of drop-in biofuel we’ve used in so many of our other aircraft.”

The event marked the first time an entire unit has flown on a biofuel mix.

Capt. Greg McWherter, Blue Angels commanding officer/flight leader said of the show, “As public representatives of the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps, the Blue Angels take pride in leading the country’s efforts to reduce fossil fuel consumption and increase our energy security.

McWherter, who says there is no discernible differences from the cockpit, stressed that the goal of the program was to demonstrate that there is no difference in performance between the biofuel blend and standard-petroleum-based JP-5.

In another semi-related story, the USDA is looking for Eastern Washington farmers to grow camelina as part of the Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP). The program is designed to incent growers to grow emerging crops for biofuels.

advanced biofuels, Biodiesel, biojet fuel, Video

Students Launch Facebook Campaign to Raise Cash for Biodiesel Program

Joanna Schroeder

Rockwood Summit High School located in Fenton, Missouri is on the hunt for dollars to help expand their biodiesel project. But they are not selling candy bars or giving car washes on a Saturday afternoon. They have taken to Facebook to promote their fundraising campaign.

The fundraising campaign is not limited to Rockwood Summit High School. Famous Footwear and Converse have come onboard to offer up to $100,000 to any school that receives at least 75,000 votes in their contest. Of that money, $75,000 will go to the school for their project a $25,000 academic scholarship will go to the student who submitted the essay on behalf of the winning school.

The students at Rockwood Summit hope to build an educational renewable fuel facility if they win. Today, the school’s 80 gallon processor is stored in only 15 square feet of space. The monies will be used to expand the space with extra to grow. Next projects? Researching turning algae into biodiesel.

The students also want to take their biodiesel projects to the street and educate the local community about the environmental and economic benefits of the renewable fuel. They also hope to teach younger students the science behind biodiesel production.

So how do you help them win? Visit the Famous Footwear Facebook page here, and click on the Step It Up For Your School tab. From there, you need to “like” the page then click “Cast Your Vote,” and from there search for “Summit.” To take it on home you just need to Vote for them. Now tomorrow, repeat, and keep repeating until they win.

Biodiesel, biofuels

ACE Announces Winner of Merle Anderson Award

Joanna Schroeder

The winner of this year’s Merle Anderson Award goes to USDA Under Secretary for Rural Development Dallas Tonsager for his support of the ethanol industry. The honor was given by the American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) following their ethanol conference. Tonsager, who said he was pleased to win the award, was honored for his lifetime commitment to the promotion of both agriculture and the renewable fuels industry and more specifically, his work on implementing the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP).

The REAP program is currently helping retailers in rural communities install E85 pumps and blender pumps which offer consumers various blends of ethanol that oftentimes include E20, E30 or E40.

“I am excited to receive this honor that recognizes the work that USDA is doing to help our nation develop home-grown energy that creates jobs, helps to break our dependence on foreign oil, and moves our nation towards a clean energy economy,” said Tonsager.

Merle Anderson was the founder and first president of ACE and currently serves as Chairman Emeritus of the ACE board of directors. Brian Jennings, ACE executive VP added, “His work in developing blender pump infrastructure has been tireless and Dallas has always been a champion for the ethanol industry. It means a lot for rural America to have Dallas working in Washington on behalf of agriculture and the ethanol industry,” Jennings said.

biofuels, Company Announcement, Ethanol

Solectra Renewables Awarded $2.1M DOE Contract

Joanna Schroeder

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has awarded a $2.1 million contract to Solectria Renewables as part of its SunShot Initiative, to develop integrated smart-grid ready photovoltaic (PV) inverters with utility communications. The project will be completed in partnership with Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), Detroit Edison, National Grid, and Xcel Energy. The DOE program is aimed at bringing cost-competitive solar technologies to market faster.

The purpose of a PV inverter or a solar inverter is to convert the variable DC output of the solar modules into a utility frequency AC current that can be fed into the electrical grid. A PV inverter has special functions adapted for use with PV arrays. The key objectives of the Solectria Renewables Program are to leverage ongoing investments in smart grid and related standards as well as to expand PV inverter capabilities. The company says that together these two things will help grid operators better utilize grid assets.

“We are honored to have been selected by the Department of Energy to receive this award, which is a reaffirmation of our leadership in the inverter space,” said Michael Zuercher-Martinson, CTO of Solectria Renewables. “Enabling utilities to control our SMARTGRID inverters (SGI) is the next big step towards a smarter grid that can accommodate a very high PV penetration density in a safe, secure, efficient and reliable manner.”

Detroit Edison, National Grid and Xcel Energy will supply test sites ranging from 605kW to 30MW. Each of the sites will test different aspects of the technologies being developed by EPRI and Solectria Renewables.

Electricity, Energy, Smart Grid, Solar

NASCAR Popular at Farm Progress Show

Cindy Zimmerman

farm progress show 2011There were quite a few race cars mixed in with the tractors and combines this year at the 2011 Farm Progress Show in Decatur, Illinois.

In addition Richard Childress and the American Ethanol NASCAR Sprint Series car at the Growth Energy exhibit, over at the Illinois Corn Growers exhibit, the Illinois Family Farmers NASCAR Nationwide Series driver Kenny Wallace was signing autographs and doing interviews.

Wallace said he was “blown away” by the Farm Progress Show. “This is like our Daytona 500! I’ve never seen anything like it,” he said in an interview with Domestic Fuel’s Chuck Zimmerman. The Farm Progress Show is the biggest outdoor agricultural equipment show in the country, which rotates between permanent sites in Illinois and Iowa and boasts over 500 exhibitors.

Listen to Kenny Wallace interview from Farm Progress Show here. NASCAR driver Kenny Wallace

The next big races for Wallace and all of NASCAR are coming up Chicagoland on September 16-18. Speedway president Scott Paddock, who was also visiting Farm Progress Show last week, says that triple header NASCAR weekend is a the first race in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup – the first of ten ‘playoff’ style NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races in pursuit of the 2011 championship. “NASCAR was looking for a major media market and a big platform to kick off their playoffs and they chose Chicagoland and we’re honored to have that designation,” he said, noting that the corn growers will have a very visible presence at the races.

Paddock says the partnership between NASCAR, ethanol and the corn growers was a good move. “I think it’s a compliment to the (15%) ethanol fuel blend that NASCAR believes in it enough to want to put it in their race cars.”

Listen to interview with Scott Paddock here. Chicagoland Raceway president Scott Paddock

The Fast Five 225 truck series will kick off the weekend on Friday, September 16. The Dollar General 300 Nationwide series, Kenny’s race, will be Saturday, Sept. 17 and the three day weekend will conclude on Sunday, Sept. 18 with the GEICO 400 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.

2011 Farm Progress Show Photo Album

Audio, corn, Ethanol, Farm Progress Show, Growth Energy, NASCAR