Opponants File Lawsuit Over Ethanol Decision

Cindy Zimmerman

A coalition of food and livestock organizations has filed suit in federal court to overturn the Environmental Protection Agency’s recent decision to allow gasoline containing 15 percent ethanol (“E15”) to be sold for cars manufactured in the 2007 model year or later.

Farm and food petitioners in the suit, which was filed with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, include the Grocery Manufacturers Association, the American Meat Institute, the National Council of Chain Restaurants, the National Meat Association, the National Turkey Federation, the National Chicken Council, the National Pork Producers Council, the Snack Food Association and the American Frozen Food Institute.

The Coalition objects to the EPA’s decision on the grounds that granting a “partial waiver” of the Clean Air Act allowing E15 to be used only in cars built after model year 2006 is not within the agency’s legal authority. The petitioners argue that under the Clean Air Act the EPA administrator may only grant a waiver for a new fuel additive if it “will not cause or contribute to a failure of any emission control device or system.”

The Coalition said: “In approving E15, which is compatible only with certain, later-model automobile and other types of engines, the EPA has clearly exceeded its authority under the Clean Air Act. The EPA has unlawfully interpreted the statute to achieve a particular outcome. The agency has a legal obligation to adhere to the letter and spirit of the Clean Air Act and, in this case, has failed to do so. We are confident that the Court will agree and require the EPA to reverse course.”

EPA granted a only a partial waiver for the ethanol industry to allow up to 15 percent ethanol in gasoline for 2007 model year vehicles or newer. A decision on the use of E15 in model year 2001 to 2006 vehicles will be made after EPA receives the results of additional DOE testing, which is expected to be completed some time this month.

Ethanol, Ethanol News, Government

Chicken Fat Biodiesel Plant in Danger of Closing

John Davis

A new Louisiana refinery that turns chicken fat and other greases into biodiesel is in danger of closing if Congress doesn’t hurry up and renew the $1-a-gallon federal biodiesel tax incentive.

This article from the Wall Street Journal says the Tyson Foods Inc. and Syntroleum Corp. venture is just getting ready to announce the successful opening of the Geismar, La. plant … but could soon be derailed without the tax break:

Tyson and Syntroleum say they’ve begun in recent weeks to make diesel and jet fuel from chicken fat, beef tallow and a range of greases and oils at a plant they’ve built in Geismar, La., south of Baton Rouge. The raw materials are leftovers from Tyson’s meat-processing plants and other food-processing factories and restaurants.

The Louisiana refinery has the capacity to produce 75 million gallons of fat-based fuel annually—making it tiny by oil-industry standards but among the bigger alternative-fuel plants in the U.S…

The companies contend that the fuel won’t be economically viable unless Congress restores a $1-a-gallon federal tax credit that used to go to companies that mixed alternative fuels into petroleum-based diesel. That break expired at the end of last year, when the $170 million Louisiana plant was under construction.

Had Syntroleum known Congress would let the break lapse, the company probably wouldn’t have built the plant, said Jeff Bigger, a company senior vice president.

The biodiesel tax incentive is one of several tax breaks many people are hoping will be renewed either during the lame duck Congressional session or when Congress reconvenes after the first of the year.

Biodiesel

Algae Biofuel Maker Makes Hydrogen at High Level

John Davis

Algae Biofuel Maker OriginOil, Inc. has found a way to produce hydrogen from the power of the sun at a level comparable to solar photovoltaics.

This company press release says the breakthrough could prove to be a highly scalable and renewable source of hydrogen that can come from algae production:

To achieve this breakthrough, OriginOil researchers built a pared-down version of the company’s Hydrogen Harvester™ and tested many process variables and materials. They achieved hydrogen energy corresponding to a solar energy conversion efficiency of about 12 percent continuously for several hours on a partially clouded day. The sole energy input was the Sun. By comparison, commercial solar cells achieve conversion efficiencies between six and 20 percent.

Brian Goodall, OriginOil’s CTO, said: “Our experiments clearly demonstrate that this technology can generate renewable hydrogen at rates that matter to the global economy. These early rates compare well with those of the more mature solar cell industry, with the added benefit that the fuel, hydrogen, is readily storable. This is the first renewable source for today’s $39 billion hydrogen market.”

OriginOil officials admit the in-the-field efficiency might be less than the 12 percent achieved in the research system. However, since algae stores up energy during the day, it will continue to generate hydrogen throughout the night. Also, algae production facilities using a Hydrogen Harvester could be self-sufficient for refining.

algae, Hydrogen

Arizona Petroleum Raises $2,000 for Alzheimers

According to the Tucson Regional Clean Cities Coalition Arizona Petroleum reached their goal of raising $2,000 for the Alzheimer’s Desert Southwest Chapter Memory Walk. During the month of October, Arizona Petroleum, Tucson’s largest supplier of E85 and Biodiesel in Southern Arizona, gave .5 cents of every gallon of E85 and Biodiesel sold, both bulk and retail, to the Alzheimer’s Memory Walk.

“On Saturday, November 6, 2010 I was proud to be at the Alzheimer’s Memory Walk event while Jerry Kachenko, of Arizona Petroleum, stood on the stage at the Reid Park Bandshell and presented the Desert Southwest Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association with a check for $2,000,” noted Colleen Crowninshield, Manager, Clean Cities/Solar Partnership Programs. “We should all be very proud that we are giving back to our community by using biofuels, and I want to extend a warm thank you to Arizona Petroleum, for giving their time and dollars to this very worthwhile event.”

Other retailers who participated in the event in Arizona were:
Coolidge Chevron, 295 S. Arizona Blvd., Coolidge
C & T Alvernon & Pima, Tucson
Fastlane Chevron Ajo & I-10, Tucson
Gas City Houghton & Alvernon, Tucson
Gas City Fry Blvd., Sierra Vista
Gas City Buffalo Soldier Tr., Sierra Vista
Loma Catalina Ruthraff and La Cholla, Tucson
Loma Catalina Dove Mtn., Tucson
Pioneer Fuel 22nd & Kolb, Tucson
Quik Mart Irvington & Houghton, Tucson
Quick Pik #3 Pantano & Golf Links, Tucson
R & D Conoco Magee & Thornydale, Tucson
Super Stop Sahuarita

The Alzheimer’s Association Memory Walk® is the nation’s largest event to raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer care, support and research. This event calls on volunteers of all ages to become champions in the fight against Alzheimer’s.

Biodiesel, E85, Ethanol, Ethanol News, News

Grant to Help Turn Dirty Plastic and Rubber into Fuel

John Davis

An Ohio company has won a state grant that will help it turn dirty plastic and rubber into transportation fuel.

Akron-based Polyflow LLC, has announced it has received a $50,000 grant in development funding from the Edison Technology Assistance Grants (E-TAG) program funded by the Ohio Department of Development. Polyflow will get some help from EWI, a leading engineering and technology organization dedicated to materials joining and allied technologies:

The E-TAG program is a strategic technology acceleration program whereby for-profit Ohio companies, working in collaboration with one or more Edison Centers or Incubators, can receive small and targeted grants that will help the company overcome some hurdles that stands between them and commercial success of a technology-based product or production process. The E-TAG award will allow Polyflow a greater speed to market by validating the Polyflow product for meeting fuel specifications and helping Polyflow target specific markets.

“The assistance of the E-TAG award will allow Polyflow to assess and fine tune our material for the most viable and opportune markets,” said Polyflow Feedstock Development Manager Terry Parmelee, Jr. “We thank the Edison Welding Institute for the resources and insights that will help ensure that Polyflow commercializes swiftly and effectively.”

Polyflow officials say the timing of the grant is perfect. It will compliment Polyflow’s work so far to establish the right commercial channel and buyer the company commercializes in the near future.

Government, Miscellaneous

Book Review – The Story of Stuff

Joanna Schroeder

Many years ago on a high school field trip, we were taken to the local landfill. It was nearly full and the city needed to do something – find somewhere to take its trash. Out of this field trip came my first environmental inspiration. I researched recycling and determined that at that time, the only way to get people to participate would be to give them bins that would be picked up at the curb. I pitched it to my class, they joined in the effort…we went door to door …and the during the next election, the resolution passed.

I felt pretty good for years to come but that enthusiasm has waned as I’ve learned that recycling programs are barely effective and we still generate too much stuff. “The Story of Stuff” came of out the internet movie sensation by the same name. Author Annie Leonard has been traveling around the world for more than 20 years learning about the world’s obsession with “Stuff.”. Not only do we have too much, but its too toxic. According to Leonard, we’re also using our natural resources far faster than the Earth can replenish them.

Leonard explains that the expanding economic system is about to hit a wall. It is running up against the limits of our planet’s capacity to sustain life. Economists predict that with the rate of growing populations, especially those in countries like China and India, coupled with the amount of CO2 emissions created from the production and transportation of our Stuff, we’re in trouble.

“Put it simply, if we do not redirect our extraction and production systems and change the way we distribute, consume, and dispose of our Stuff – what I sometimes call the take-make-waste-mold-the economy as it is will kill the planet,” writes Leonard.

While I don’t agree with her wholeheartedly, I do agree that she is on to something. I can’t tell you how many times in the past few years I’ve purchased something I usually don’t even need and it has a crazy amount of wasteful packaging. I am now even more aware as Leonard takes you through the entire process of Stuff from extraction, production, distribution, consumption, and disposal.Read More

book reviews, Environment, Waste-to-Energy

Company: 3D Technology Will Revolutionize Solar Power

John Davis

The man in charge of a California solar company believes his company’s unique three-dimensional technology could revolutionize the way solar arrays capture power.

Jim Nelson, the CEO of Solar3D, says his company’s conceptual three-dimensional solar cell is a departure from the traditional technology for solar cells, which normally use a two-dimensional design that reflect a lot of the light back out into the atmosphere.

“Our design borrows lot of technology from the fiber optic business, where there’s a lot of wave-guide management of light. We manage the light so that we capture essentially 100 percent of it in our solar cell.”

That gives them more space to absorb the light, giving them a much higher efficiency, no matter what material they use for making the cell. In fact, he says the technology could double the efficiency of most solar cells.

In addition to boosting efficiency, Nelson says the 3-D technology will also make solar power more competitively priced, putting it on par with most conventional sources of power. He points out that right now solar power is dependent on government subsidies … too dependent for his tastes.

“We don’t believe [subsidies] are a permanent solution [for solar power]. We believe in a permanent solution for solar energy we have to approach grid parity; solar energy has to be as inexpensive or less per kilowatt hour than anything that is cheap… natural gas, for example. My objective is revolutionize the way people think about electrical energy, [regardless of the source].”

While Solar3D doesn’t use any government subsidies right now, Nelson doesn’t rule them out in the future. But he does believe any public money should really come from investors, not from taxes. That’s part of the reason why he recently took the company public (see Joanna’s post from October 25, 2010).

Listen to more of my conversation with Nelson here: Jim Nelson, Solar3D

Audio, Solar

Food Prices on the Rise – Biofuels Not to Blame

Joanna Schroeder

Is the food versus fuel debate finally subsiding? It has been hanging around since 2008 when the Grocery Manufactures of America launched a coordinated attack on the ethanol industry blaming them for the rising cost of food. It turned out that the greatest offender was actually rising oil prices which topped out over $150 per barrel.

This week, the Wall Street Journal published an article about rising food prices. Many of you may know that they rarely miss an opportunity to blame the ills of the world on biofuels. However, in “Food Sellers Grit Teeth, Raise Prices,” the authors mention several reasons why food prices are on the rise, one being a greater demand for meat in emerging countries such as China and India. This demand has raised grain prices, which have also been adversely affected due to the drought in Russia. Speculators also have a hand in the volatility of commodities.

For more than two years, the ethanol and agriculture industries have been fighting back. In addition, dozens of research studies have been released from organizations around the world with the conclusion that biofuels had “little to no effect” on rising food prices in 2008. The most recent report from the World Bank also came to this conclusion.

However, in the midst of this most recent food hike, Growth Energy is saying that although the debate has weakened, they “have to keep telling people the truth.” They believe that, “The article further proves that food price increases are impacted by a number of factors. Not surprisingly, however, nowhere in the story do the authors mention any impact by biofuels.”

Growth Energy concludes, “We have said it before and we will say it again, food vs. fuel has always been and will always be nothing more than a myth.”

corn, Ethanol, food and fuel, Growth Energy, Opinion

Two Big Wins for Amyris

Joanna Schroeder

Amyris is having a busy week. Yesterday, they announced a partnership with Tate and Lyle Ingredients Americas, Inc (a subsidiary of Tate and Lyle) for them to produce farnesene. Amryis will take the farnesene and produce farnesane, the company’s unique diesel molecule that forms the basis of its renewable diesel. The product will be manufactured in Tate and Lyle’s facility in Decatur, Illinois.

Then today, the company announced even bigger news – the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has increased its official registration of their renewable diesel fuel, raising the registered blend level with ultra low sulfur diesel from 20 to 35 percent. To date, this is the highest blend level awarded by the EPA for commercial sale diesel fuel. The company was able to improve its registration by submitting additional fuel property data, third-party testing, engine testing conducted by major diesel engine OEMs, and highway validation tests.

Amryis was able to conduct a portion of the testing through an Integrated Bio-Refinery Program grant they received this past April from the Department of Energy.

“Obtaining the highest EPA awarded blend level registration validates the high performance properties of our renewable hydrocarbon diesel,” said Amyris CEO John Melo. “We are producing a true No Compromise fuel – a renewable diesel that eliminates the critical challenges plaguing biofuels while still enabling dramatic reductions in greenhouse gas and tail pipe emissions for vehicles, from passenger cars through heavy-duty trucks.”

Biodiesel, biofuels

CEC Awards $9.6M in Energy Grants

Joanna Schroeder

Good news today for several California biofuel producers. The California Energy Commission (CEC) has approved eight grants worth more than $9.6 million along with $11,969,855 in private funds. Each winning project demonstrated its ability to reduce petroleum use, reduce pollution and provide jobs. The categories of industry that were eligible for funding included biofuels, manufacturers of electric vehicles and batteries, and the addition of vehicle charging stations.

The money for the projects came from the CEC’s Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicle Transportation program. All winners had to match the grants with private funds.

“Three years ago California crafted innovative legislation that is paying dividends in ground-breaking advances in transportation,” said Energy Commissioner Anthony Eggert. “Partnerships between government and the private sector are encouraging new industries that can rebuild California’s manufacturing base. The projects the Commission approved will improve California’s economy and its environment by fostering green, clean advancements in transportation.”

  • • Biofuel production – $1,989,101 to Great Valley Energy LLC to test the feasibility creating biofuel from a crop new to the Central Valley – sweet sorghum.
  • • Biofuel production -$1,900,000 to the City of San Jose to build and demonstrate a new system that turns trash into natural gas that can be used as a transportation fuel.
  • • Biodiesel production – $1,000,000 to East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) to make an estimated 300,000 gallons of biodiesel each year at its existing wastewater treatment plant in Oakland.
  • • Biodiesel distribution – $69,233 to the Western States Oil Company to convert an existing, 8,000-gallon retail tank used for premium gasoline into one that can dispense wholesale biodiesel.
  • • Electric vehicle manufacturing: $1,000,000 to TransPower, a clean-energy company headquartered in Escondido, to study the feasibility of manufacturing large electric-drive trucks in or near San Pedro by 2013.
  • • Electric vehicle components: $505,381 to San Francisco-based Mission Motor Co. to help it bring its prototype electric vehicle components to commercial production.
  • • Electric vehicle components: $2,962,743 to Leyden Energy Inc., to help it create a production line capable of assembling its lithium-ion cells into 10 battery packs per month for its partner in the project, electric vehicle manufacturer Green Vehicles of Salinas.
Biodiesel, biofuels, Electric Vehicles, Natural Gas, Waste-to-Energy