POET Biorefining – Cloverdale Plans Grand Opening

Joanna Schroeder

POET Biorefining- Cloverdale, located near Cloverdale, Indiana is hosting a Grand Opening on March 15th. This is POET’s 27th ethanol plant and they purchased the 90 million gallon-per-year ethanol plant in 2010 and over the past several months have invested nearly $30 million dollars in upgrades that include BPX, a patented fermentation process that uses enzymes instead of heat, reducing energy costs. The plant also has a water recovery system and new pollution control equipment. Once the plant is online, it will employ 40 people and bring the state’s total ethanol production over their goal of 1 billion gallons.

The Grand Opening begins at 9:30 am with public tours followed by a speaking program at 11:30 am to noon that includes POET CEO Jeff Broin and Lt. Gov. Becky Skillman along with Growth Energy CEO Tom Buis. At noon, lunch will be provided followed by additional public tours at 12:30 p.m. The event concludes at 2:30 pm. Media and the public are welcome to attend.

There is NO parking at the plant. Public parking is available at Martin Aggregates at 6252 US Hwy 231 South, Cloverdale, Ind. Buses will run continuously to and from the plant throughout the day.

Company Announcement, corn, Ethanol, POET

Jobe, Dinneen to Speak at Biomass Conference

Joanna Schroeder

The International Biomass Conference is set to take place in St. Louis on May 2-5, 2011 an it looks like a powerhouse agenda is coming together. During the kick-off session, the biofuel industry will unite on the roundtable: Our Industry in a Changed Political Landscape.

Both Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) President & CEO Bob Dinneen, whose organization just concluded their 16th Annual National Ethanol Conference, and National Biodiesel Board CEO Joe Jobe, who recently concluded his industry’s national conference ADVANCE, will participate. During their respective conferences, each industry discussed how to better work together as a biofuel industry on policy issue in DC and earlier this month, RFA joined with several advanced ethanol companies to form the Advanced Ethanol Council.

Others joining Dinneen and Jobe on the roundtable:

  • * Moderator: Tom Bryan, Vice President, BBI International
  • * Mary Rosenthal, Executive Director, Algal Biomass Organization
  • * Charlie Niebling, Chairman, Board of Directors, Biomass Thermal Energy Council
  • * Robert Cleaves, President and Chief Executive Officer, Biomass Power Association
  • * Norma McDonald, Vice Chair, External Affairs, American Biogas Council
  • * Bob Dineen, President and Chief Executive Officer, Renewable Fuels Association
  • * Joe Jobe, Chief Executive Officer, National Biodiesel Board
  • * Michael McAdams, President, Advanced Biofuels Association

In a new feature, conference attendees can already submit questions for the panel online. Registration is currently open. To see a full proposed agenda including a list of all the other confirmed speakers as well as to see a list of the current vendors and register online, click here.

advanced biofuels, conferences

Mid East Unrest and $100 Oil

Joanna Schroeder

As U.S. crude oil touches a $100 a barrel for the second time since October 2008, consumers are seeing gasoline prices rising at the pump and oil economists are talking about the real possibility of $4.00 and $5.00 gallons of gas. Four dollar gas is close – when I bought gas yesterday it was $3.79 a gallon.

In a press conference held by ethanol industry organization Growth Energy yesterday afternoon, former politician and Growth Energy President and COO, Jim Nussle commented that with the continued Libyan fighting, an unbalanced budget and rising gas prices, he didn’t know how many more warning signs it was going to take for his former DC colleagues to realize we’re in trouble.

“America is currently in an energy crisis. That crisis didn’t just begin yesterday when we topped over a $100 a barrel of oil again,” said Nussle. “It’s been going on for years. Since we started and since we maintain our growing dependence on foreign oil.”

Growth Energy CEO, Tom Buis noted that ethanol is the only current solution to our problems. He said is not a “someday fuel,” it’s already had a major, positive impact for America. He addressed why some current Republications like Sullivan and Flake feel now is the time to block the roll-out of E15 and keep ethanol from market access is a mistake on two levels. First, the anti-ethanol provisions don’t save much money in the budget and our dependence on oil actually costs the country much more money. Second, ethanol saves consumers money at the pump. And maybe most important, ethanol is American made.

Buis added, ““During a fragile economic recovery, when many Americans are living paycheck to paycheck, we cannot continue a policy that keeps us addicted to foreign oil – especially as political upheaval in the Mid East and North Africa pushes gas prices closer and closer to $5 a gallon. If we truly want to reduce our dependence on foreign oil and strengthen this country’s economy and national security, we must invest in the alternative fuels we have the capacity to produce here in the United States,” added Buis.

You can listen to the entire press conference (taped from the a coffee shop in Sacramento where I was attending an event) where Tom Buis and Jim Nussle where joined by Gen. Wesley K. Clark (Ret.) here: PlayMid East Unrest & $100 Oil

Ethanol, Growth Energy, International, Oil

Calif. Senate Calls for 1/3 of Energy from Renewables

John Davis

In a move that is already generating plenty of controversy (and I’m sure plenty of comments on this blog), the California State Senate has voted to require utilities in the state to get one-third of their energy from wind, solar and other renewables by the year 2020.

The Los Angeles Times reports the measure moves up the requirement from 20 percent and is bringing about backers and opponents:

“Right now we can begin to create the jobs that this state so desperately needs,” said state Sen. Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto), the bill’s author.

The measure passed 26 to 11. The vote split largely along party lines but with a few crossovers.

Opponents said it would drive up electricity bills for homeowners and manufacturers. The additional costs would convince California companies, which already pay some of the highest energy costs in the nation, to move their jobs out of state, said Sen. Bob Huff (R-Diamond Bar).

“This is yet another nail in the coffin for our manufacturing sector in California,'” Huff said.

There is no consensus on the measure’s true cost.

Simitian predicted a “modest short-term increase” in electricity bills, noting that his own utility in Sacramento offered to provide half his power from renewables for just $3 a month extra.

In a report two years ago, the California Public Utilities Commission said energy costs would probably go up 7.1% if a third of electricity came from renewable sources. A spokeswoman for the agency said Thursday that some renewable energy prices have since declined, so the increase would probably not be so high.

In addition, the state’s Public Utilities Commission says it might take $115 billion to put in the facilities to generate that much renewable energy. On the upside, it could create 100,000 to 200,000 new jobs. No word on whether Gov. Jerry Brown, who campaigned on the 33 percent target, will support the measure should it pass the state Assembly, as it is expected to do.

Government, Solar, Wind

DOE National Labs Debut Hydrogen-Powered Buses

John Davis

Officials at Lawrence Livermore and Sandia California national laboratories have debuted a pair of hydrogen-powered shuttle buses.

This article from Patch.com says the Ford E-450, nine-passenger vans will be tested as they shuttle people around the two campuses:

The demonstration will test how well the hydrogen-powered vans and their fueling stations stand up to the normal wear and tear.

They will replace conventional diesel fuel-burning taxis resulting in roughly a 50 percent reduction in emissions of carbon dioxide, a gas closely linked with global warning, said Leonard Klebanoff, Ph.D., a principle member of the Sandia California lab in an interview.

The arrival of the shuttles provided an opportunity for LLNL and Sandia lab officials to educate the public about the safety and environmental advantages of hydrogen as a fuel, he noted. Public outreach will involve Las Positas College and area high schools and elementary schools.

“This is a celebration of our hydrogen technology programs,” Klebanoff said.

The alternative fuel technologies powering the vans did not originate at LLNL and Sandia, however. Ford Motor Company in Detroit modified its internal combustion engine and added a special hydrogen tank pressurized to 5000 psi for gas storage at room temperature.

Air Products and Chemicals, Inc., is providing hydrogen gas fuel. It also built and installed hydrogen fueling stations at the LLNL and Sandia campuses.

The vans will be able to run 150 miles between refuelings. Of course, the only emission from the burning of hydrogen is water.

Government, Hydrogen

UPS Uses Natural Gas to Make Brown Trucks Green

John Davis

In an effort to make its brown trucks run green, shipping giant UPS has added 48 heavy tractor trucks that use Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG).

This company press release says the new semis will be used in the western United States starting later this year and will produce 25 percent fewer greenhouse gas emissions:

“This is an important step not only from an environmental standpoint but from the viewpoint of U.S. energy security,” said Mike Britt, UPS’s director of vehicle engineering. “Liquefied natural gas is a cheaper, cleaner-burning fuel that is better for the environment and more sustainable than conventional diesel. And it’s also a fuel that’s in abundant supply inside the United States; it doesn’t have to be imported.”

According to Britt, there are multiple technologies and alternative fuels being explored or deployed today to provide propulsion for small- and mid-sized trucks. “But at the moment, LNG is the only suitable alternative to diesel for the really heavy, long-haul tractor trailers you see on the highway,” he added. “As a fuel, LNG is very dense, providing a large amount of energy for the amount of space it occupies. This makes LNG an excellent potential fuel for large trucks that need to travel a long distance before refueling.”

Manufactured by Kenworth, the LNG tractors are powered by Westport HD Systems and initially will pull trailers on a transit lane linking Ontario, Calif., and Las Vegas, Nev., along with UPS’s 11 existing LNG tractors. UPS is the only private delivery company using this technology in its fleet and now has more than 1,100 natural gas-powered vehicles in service.

The release goes on to say that UPS operates 1,914 alternatively fueled vehicles, including those running on Compressed Natural Gas, propane, and electric, as well as hybrid electric vehicles, with this green fleet covering more than 185 million miles over the past decade.

Liquefied natural gas (LNG)

Clinton Strikes Nerve with Ethanol Comment

Cindy Zimmerman

Former President Bill Clinton struck a raw nerve with ethanol supporters with his comments at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s annual Outlook Forum today.

“We have to become energy independent but we don’t want to do it at the expense of food riots,” Clinton said, calling for a periodic reassessment of the industry “with 3-5 year time horizons based on the best evidence we have to maximize the availability of good food at affordable prices.”

That did not sit well with the ethanol industry or corn growers. “The driver behind rising food prices has been and remains oil,” said Matt Hartwig with the Renewable Fuels Association. “President Clinton is right that ethanol is a key to American energy security and we would welcome his support in advocating for the continued advancement and evolution of this industry to include a wide variety of feedstocks and technologies.”

Growth Energy CEO Tom Buis called Clinton’s concerns “well-intentioned” but noted, “There are over a billion acres of previously-tilled farmland in poor nations that can be brought back into production as ethanol makes farming this land cost-effective. Ethanol does not create food shortages, but instead gives these nations a way to get their own sovereign farming economies back on their feet so they can feed themselves.”

National Corn Growers Association President Bart Schott noted in reaction to Clinton’s comments, “New reports show that the rising cost of oil, not ethanol production, is a major cause of increased food prices. With the continuing unrest in the Middle East and Northern Africa, it is imperative that we continue to support a home-grown fuel industry that helps keep our country safe and creates jobs. The American farmer is very aware of the world’s rising demand for corn, and we will continue to meet those needs.”

corn, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Growth Energy, NCGA, RFA, USDA

GM Test Drive at Ethanol Conference

Cindy Zimmerman

2011 ethanol conferenceGM featured test drives in new Flex Fuel 2011 Buick Regal Turbos and GMC Terrains at the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) 2011 National Ethanol Conference and dozens of attendees took advantage of the opportunity. Pictured is RFA board member Ray Defenbaugh of Big River Resources West Burlington preparing to take a spin in a Regal Turbo.

I took a drive with Mark Maher, GM Executive Director for Powertrain and Vehicle Integration, to learn more about the company’s commitment to FFVs and what’s so new about the Buick Regal Turbo. “It’s got a 2.4 liter turbo-charged, E85 flex fuel vehicle engine and it’s also direct injected,” said Maher. “That helps with efficiency and it allows us to have a slightly higher compression ratio to improve efficiency. So, it’s a great match with high concentration ethanol fuels like E85 that are high octane.” Maher says 40 percent of GM vehicles were FFV, 45 percent this year, and they are hoping for 50 percent next year.

Maher had some great comments during his presentation to the NEC about E85 energy efficiency in FFVs and about the importance of not taking E85 for granted. “We need to make sure that ethanol gets credit for the CO2 reduction potential that it brings,” he explains.

Listen to or download my interview with Mark Maher here: PlayMark Maher Interview

2011 National Ethanol Conference Photo Album

Audio, E85, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Flex Fuel Vehicles, National Ethanol Conference, RFA

Offshore Wind Energy Cost Competitive by 2020

John Davis

Deepwater wind energy turbines off the coast of Maine could be producing electricity that is cost competitive with conventional generation techniques within the next 10 years.

The Portland (ME) Press Herald reports that a study from the University of Maine shows that floating giant wind turbines 10 miles off the coast could be producing electricity for just 8-10 cents a kilowatt hour, on par with current costs:

Building floating platforms on land and towing them to their deepwater locations will be much cheaper than erecting turbine towers on the sea floor, researchers say. Seabed turbines are common in Europe and are the preferred design for proposed wind farms in shallow waters off the East Coast of the United States.

These projections are part of an exhaustive study of the feasibility of offshore wind in Maine that’s aimed at energy developers around the world. The $1 million study, paid for by the federal Department of Energy, is meant to answer many questions that developers will have about whether it makes sense to invest in the Gulf of Maine…

This demonstration, with a total capacity of 25 megawatts, will be too small and experimental to produce market rate power, according to Habib Dagher, the UMaine professor overseeing the effort. But it will offer a chance for a developer to explore the potential of a commercial-scale project off the Maine coast around 2020.

Dagher and his associates are in touch with roughly four dozen companies around the world involved in offshore wind. The study, Dagher said, will save a prospective bidder years of research and millions of dollars. He is hopeful that the study’s detailed data will entice at least a couple of qualified developers to consider Maine over other locations where the potential for deepwater wind energy is being considered. “This will give Maine a major leg up,” he said.

Maine will test a 25-megawatt pilot floating offshore wind project off Monhegan Island with hopes of producing commercial-scale wind energy amounts by 2020.

Wind

National Ethanol Conference Wrap Up

Cindy Zimmerman

Ethanol Report Podcast
The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) celebrated 30 years of advocating for ethanol this week during the 16th annual National Ethanol Conference in Phoenix.

NEC 2011 Bob DinneenThis edition of “The Ethanol Report” podcast features an interview with RFA president and CEO Bob Dinneen on the conference, the state of the ethanol industry, the new Advanced Ethanol Council and recent developments in Congress regarding funding for ethanol expansion, as well as thoughts about higher oil prices.

The 2011 National Ethanol Conference Photo Album is up to date with all the conference photos and more posts will be added in the days to come. It was a great conference and we would just like to say “Happy Anniversary RFA!”

Listen to or download the Ethanol Report on the 2011 NEC here: PlayEthanol Report on National Ethanol Conference

Audio, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Ethanol Report, National Ethanol Conference, RFA