NASCAR Champ to Keynote Renewable Fuels Summit

Joanna Schroeder

NASCAR legend and champion Rusty Wallace will be a keynote speaker during the upcoming 5th Annual Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit on January 25, 2011. During his presentation, he will discuss NASCAR’s move to E15. The Summit is hosted by the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IRFA).

“When the 2011 season begins, NASCAR’s three major national touring series will run on E15, a blend of 15 percent ethanol and 85 percent gasoline. This is the same blend that the EPA approved for use in conventional vehicles and light duty trucks manufactured after 2007 back in October 2010. NASCAR officials are already saying that the switch has resulted in an increased horsepower a benefit due to ethanol’s higher octane rating.

“NASCAR is an illustrious model for the future of higher ethanol blends,” Norton said. “The confidence that NASCAR is putting into our American-made fuel sends a strong message to motorists and race fans that E15 is a reliable, high-performance fuel.”

The Summit and trade show, being held from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Polk County Convention Complex in Des Moines, is free and open to the public. Pre-registration is required. Participants can register online at www.IowaRFA.org by January 21st, where they’ll also find additional links and information relating to the Summit, or by calling Lucy Norton at 515-252-6249.

blends, conferences, Ethanol

INEOS Secures $75M USDA Loan Guarantee

Joanna Schroeder

INEOS BioEnergy Center has received a conditional commitment for a $75 million loan guarantee as part of the USDA’s 9003 Biorefinery Assistance Program. The project is a partnership between INEOS Bio and New Planet Energy. The funds will be used for the construction of their plant to be located near Vero Beach, Florida. Once completed, the biorefinery will produce 8 million gallons of advanced biofuel per year along with 6 megawatts of renewable power from biomass including yard, vegetative, wood wastes, and municipal solid waste. Construction at the site for the BioEnergy Center is already underway and is expected to be completed and in production by 2012.

“We are encouraged by the continued confidence and commitment the U.S. Government has shown in assisting with the commercial development of this new bioenergy technology,” said Peter Williams, CEO of INEOS Bio and Chairman of INEOS New Planet BioEnergy. “These programs are providing the funds needed to enable the U.S. to achieve a leading position in the bioenergy sector through projects such as ours. As well as directly assisting construction of the INEOS New Planet BioEnergy commercial plant, the loan guarantee also represents an important step along the road to replication of this exciting new technology through INEOS Bio’s licensing program.”

According to INEOS, the key to their technology lies in their patented anaerobic fermentation step. During this process, naturally occurring bacteria convert gases derived from the biomass into ethanol. Their technology is also able to use multiple feedstocks including construction waste, municipal solid waste, forestry waste, and agricultural waste, while most other similar technologies are feedstock specific.

Cellulosic, Ethanol, Waste-to-Energy

Join ACE for a DC Fly-in

Joanna Schroeder

The American Coalition for Ethanol announced today the dates for its upcoming Washington DC fly-in. In its third year, the 2011 “Biofuels Beltway March” will be held Tuesday, March 29 and Wednesday, March 30. The timing is such to correspond with the 112th Congress that will be in full swing by that time. In fact, the new Congress is being sworn in today and so ACE is calling on its grassroots members throughout the country as well as ethanol supporters to join them for their event.

One ethanol supporters have committed to participating in the event, they will break into teams for visits to Capitol Hill offices, meeting with Members of Congress or their staff about ethanol tax incentives and market access. Other topics will include the E15 waiver, flex-fuel vehicles and blender pumps. Last year, 30 people participated and Jennings hopes to more than double that number for this year.

“Face-to-face meetings between constituents and lawmakers are the single best way to make sure our message is heard, and with the record number of freshman Members of Congress, it is critical that we get their attention early and present them with the facts about ethanol and its proven benefits.  I am looking forward to a very successful event,” Jennings added.

To learn more about the event or to register, visit the “Get Involved” tab at Ethanol.org. Questions may be directed to Shannon Gustafson at 605-334-3381 or sgustafson@ethanol.org. You can also view photos from their fly-ins last year here.

ACE, Ethanol

Wx To Have Most Influence On Ag According To ZimmPoll

Chuck Zimmerman

Our latest ZimmPoll asked the question, “What do you think will have the biggest influence on ag in 2011?” Here are the results. Most respondents (40%) think weather patterns will have the biggest influence. Other responses include: general U.S. economy (24%); new Republican leadership in House (13%); farm bill (10%); other (10%) and company consolidation (3%). So if you selected other as an answer or have another choice to answer this please submit it in comments.

The new poll is now live and should be of special interest to Domestic Fuel readers. The question is, “What do you think will happen with biofuels policy this year?” The lame duck session of Congress passed a one year extension of the ethanol and biodiesel tax credits. How do you think this will fare with a new Congress? We look forward to your responses.

Remember, you can submit your questions for us to pose and add your feedback anytime by using the comment feature.

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

ZimmPoll

Changes in Law Make Biodiesel Conf. Must Attend Event

John Davis

The recent renewal of the federal $1-a-gallon biodiesel tax incentive, along with the newly enacted Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS2) that will require 800 million gallons of biodiesel to be used in 2011, make it more important than ever to attend this year’s Biodiesel Conference & Expo, Feb. 6-9, in Phoenix, Arizona.

National Biodiesel Board officials say they’ll have a wide variety of government experts and EPA officials on hand at this year’s conference to explain the changes and what they mean for biodiesel producers and users. NBB CEO Joe Jobe says:

The uncertainty surrounding the biodiesel tax credit and the implementation of the Renewable Fuels Standard-2 made 2010 tough on all of us, to be sure. But we have high hopes that this conference will be the springboard to greater opportunities. In fact, 2011 has the potential to be a banner year for biodiesel production. The RFS2, now that it is fully implemented, will be the driving force behind biodiesel demand in 2011 and beyond. NBB recognizes that this relatively new legislation is still unclear to many in the industry. That’s why we are offering a comprehensive workshop, free with your full registration, which will dive into the “nuts and bolts” of the RFS2, featuring some of the top experts on the issue. This is truly a “can’t miss” event if you plan to be part of the biodiesel industry moving forward.

Don’t forget, the deadline for lodging at the conference is Jan. 10, 2011. More details are available at the conference website.

Biodiesel, Biodiesel Conference, NBB

Environmental Watch List of 2011

Joanna Schroeder

Environmental Watch List of 2011. The 10 environmental hot topics range from issues like oil spills and offshore drilling to breakthroughs in wind and solar energy and the military’s increased use of renewable energy. The full report evaluates 10 judicial, legislative and other actions that the top-ranked law school considers to significantly affects humans and the natural world.

“We can continue our short-sighted addiction to fossil fuels or we can adopt innovative, healthier, more sustainable practices,” said VLS Dean Jeff Shields. “The Environmental Watch List will help improve public understanding of how to use the law to take action on the critical issues of our time.”

The 2011 Watch List:
1. Congressional failure to enact climate change legislation – will states take over where federal failed in 2011?
2. The nation’s worst oil spill – Deepwater Horizon Disaster
3. First U.S. greenhouse gas rules – Will the EPA’s efforts to restrict global warming pollutants survive judicial and political challenges?
4. Climate change in the courts – Supreme Court case that would allow public nuisance lawsuits against major air polluters.
5. California’s climate law dodges a bullet – Voters kill Prop 23 in November elections
6. EPA clamps down on mountaintop removal coal mining – Looks at the EPA’s crackdown on the coal industry’s practice of tearing off mountain peaks
7. Wind and solar projects make breakthroughs – Including offshore wind and solar projects on public lands
8. Supreme Court reviews genetically modified crops – Looks at the Supreme Court’s first ruling on so-called Frankenfoods
9. EPA’s water transfer exemption remains in force – Conflict over transferring polluted water from one water body to another.
10. U.S. military going green – Looks at how the military is reducing its dependence on fossil fuels

You can learn more about each issue and delve into the debate on their dedicated Environmental Watch List 2011 website.

biofuels, Environment, global warming, Solar, water, Wind

Ethanol Groups Propose Alternative E15 Labels

Joanna Schroeder

Last year, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed an E15 label to support their ruling that cars manufactured after 2007 had the option of fueling with the 15 percent ethanol, 85 percent gasoline blend. The ethanol industry was not too happy with the result and the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) said yesterday in a letter to the EPA their version of the label “will do little, if anything, to promote the successful introduction of a new fuel to the marketplace.”

The letter continued, “The label shortcomings include leading, unscientific statements, confusing technical information and unwarranted warnings. The label as written will seriously impair long-term progress towards achieving the country’s stated goals for renewable fuels. It unnecessarily will promote skepticism and concern over any future broader approval for E15 and create the false perception that E15 is an inferior fuel.”

One area of the label that offended the ethanol industry was the use of words such as “Warning,” “Danger,” or “Caution,” and the RFA states these words are reserved to alert consumers to possible physical danger but are not warranted with E15. The association also supports the ability for gasoline marketers to have some flexibility in determining the size, color and shape of label to best fit their marketing programs. In addition, they would like to see one label for E15, not two and believe that no label should be required for E10.

In light of these concerns, the RFA has proposed an alternative label (black label) that they believe will more accurately provide consumers with the information they need without additional alarm. The label contains the four elements the EPA is requiring for the final label: 1) an information component; 2) a legal approval component; 3) a technical warning; and 4) a legal warning.

You can view the RFA’s complete comments about the proposed E15 label here.

*UPDATED POST*

Growth Energy, the organization that officially filed the E15 waiver back in 2009 also submitted an alternative E15 label for consideration today (blue label). In their letter to the EPA, the organization said, “Growth Energy supports label content and design that provides information to consumers necessary for an informed fuel choice. Growth Energy believes the label should be simple and informative and should state at the top “E-15 (contains up to 15% ethanol).” Further, the label should provide that E-15 is “approved for use only in 2007 and newer cars, light–duty trucks, and Flex Fuel Vehicles.” Finally, the label should provide “Federal law prohibits use in other vehicles, non-road engines and equipment.”

blends, Ethanol, Growth Energy, RFA

BIRD Energy Grant Awarded to Virent, HCL CleanTech

Joanna Schroeder

A $900,000 BIRD Energy grant has been awarded to Madison, Wisconsin-based Virent Energy Systems, Inc. and Isreal-based HCL CleanTech from the BIRD Foundation along with the U.S. Department of Energy and the Isreali Ministry of National Infrastructures. BIRD Energy is a program for the U.S. and Isreal to jointly develop renewable energy.

Virent and HCL have partnered on a $2.1 million project that combines HCL’s proprietary lignocellulosic conversion technologies that produce cost competitive non-food sugars with Virent’s BioForming technology that converts plant sugars into hydrocarbon molecules similar to those now refined from petroleum. These sugars can then be used as chemicals or as “drop-in” fuels for cars, trucks, trains, and aviation that can be transported using existing pipelines.

“Economically converting plentiful cellulosic biomass into renewable, fungible hydrocarbon fuels and products will enable broad market acceptance and is the most realistic alternative to displace petroleum and create a clean energy transportation sector in the coming years,” said Lee Edwards, Virent CEO. “Virent has proven it can transform cellulosic, non-food sugars into environmentally superior hydrocarbon fuels with the same energy content and performance as petroleum fuels. “Utilizing HCL CleanTech’s cost-effective biomass hydrolysis technology to provide inexpensive cellulosic sugar feedstocks may be a key component of a complete and sustainable biofuels solution.”

The sugars will be processed at HCL CleanTech’s demonstration plant operating at Southern Research Institute in Durham, North Carolina and will then be sent to Virent’s facility in Madison, Wisconsin for conversion into biofuels and biochemicals.

“We expect to have the sugars ready for Virent before the New Year [2012] and are confident the integration with Virent and the leading biopolymer producer will create new opportunities in the bio-fuels and bio-products space,” said Eran Baniel CEO of HCL CleanTech.

As part of the BIRD project, HCL CleanTech will also provide pine sugars to a leading biopolymer producer for evaluating fermentation into hydrocolloids that historically are produced from cane or corn sugars for use in a broad range of personal care, food and beverage applications.

Bob Jansen, head of HCL CleanTech Engineering noted that the company built the demo unit at a size that will allow them to scale up directly to a small commercial facility. If all goes as planned, it will be integrated into a paper mill by the end of 2012.

biofuels, Cellulosic, Ethanol, International

IRFA Elects 2011 Officers

Joanna Schroeder

The Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IRFA) has elected its 2011 Board of Director Officers and Executive Committee. New officers were elected during the organization’s annual meeting and will service a one-year term during the 2011 calendar year. The IRFA was formed in 2002 to represent Iowa’s ethanol and biodiesel producers.

“Congratulations to the newly elected officers,” said IRFA Executive Director Monte Shaw. “There are several opportunities for growth in 2011 but there are also serious challenges. The renewable fuels industry appreciates these individuals for stepping up to lead during this crucial time.”

2011 IRFA Board of Directors Officers
President, Walt Wendland, Golden Grain Energy, Mason City, Iowa
Vice President, Brad Albin, REG, Ames, Iowa
Treasurer, Rick Schwarck, Absolute Energy, St. Ansgar, Iowa
Secretary, Steve Bleyl Green Plains Renewable Energy, Shenandoah/Superior, Iowa
Executive Director, Monte Shaw

IRFA Officers on the Executive Committee for 2011
Past President, Bill Couser, Lincolnway Energy, Nevada, Iowa
At-Large, Bruce Rastetter, Hawkeye Renewables, Ames, Iowa
At-Large, Tom Brooks, Western Dubuque Biodiesel, Farley, Iowa
At-Large, Brian Cahill, Southwest IA Renewable Energy, Council Bluffs, Iowa

Biodiesel, Company Announcement, Ethanol

Ethanol Report on the Year Ahead

Cindy Zimmerman

Ethanol Report PodcastNow that 2010 is just a memory and Congressional leaders are returning to Washington this week to open the first session of the 112th Congress, what does the future hold for ethanol?

bob dinneen In this edition of “The Ethanol Report,” Renewable Fuels Association president and CEO Bob Dinneen gets out his crystal ball and talks about the year ahead for the ethanol industry.

Dinneen discusses the future for ethanol policy in the new Congress, what the EPA needs to do yet as far as getting E15 on the road, the next step in the challenge to California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard, and plans for the 16th annual National Ethanol Conference, February 20-22 in Phoenix.

Listen to the Ethanol Report here: Ethanol Report on 2011

Audio, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Ethanol Report, RFA