NEC Announces Student Scholarship Program

Joanna Schroeder

The Renewable Fuels Association is giving six college students the chance to attend the 2011 National Ethanol Conference: Building Bridges to a More Sustainable Future, for free. The ethanol conference (NEC) will be held in Phoenix, Arizona February 20-22, 2011 and is one of the longest running ethanol conferences in the country. The NEC is known for delivering accurate, timely information on marketing, legislative and regulatory issues facing the ethanol industry, which makes it a perfect arena for college students interested in renewable fuels to network with ethanol industry leaders, policymakers and experts.

“America’s energy security will one day rest in the hands of our country’s youth,” said Mike Jerke, RFF Chairman and General Manager of Chippewa Valley Ethanol Company. “We encourage students to attend the National Ethanol Conference to network with industry leaders and learn how important alternative fuels like ethanol are to our independence on foreign oil and our economy.”

The scholarships will cover the cost of the NEC registration fee – a $775 value – enabling winning students the opportunity to attend the event at no cost. Recipients will be responsible for all other costs associated with travel to/from the conference, including airfare, hotel and non-conference meals. Additional financial assistance to offset travel expenses may be available at the discretion of the RFF/RFA.

To be considered for the scholarship, applicants must explain in detail how this scholarship will assist them in achieving their academic and/or career goals – all in 500 words or less. In addition, students must provide two letters of recommendation, a current resume and an official school transcript. This scholarship opportunity is open only to those students attending a U.S. institution of higher learning and enrolled in an approved ethanol-related program. All applications must be submitted by November 30, 2010. Click here to download the application and to learn more about next year’s NEC conference.

conferences, Ethanol, Ethanol News, National Ethanol Conference, RFA

Mansfield Oil Adds DENCO II to Ethanol Portfolio

Joanna Schroeder

C&N Companies continues to add to its growing ethanol marketing portfolio and has announced the addition of DENCO II. C&N Companies is Mansfield Oil Company’s ethanol division. The DENCO plant, located in Morris, Minneapolis, was recently purchased, and when it is brought back online, it will employ up to 30 people and produce 25 million gallons of ethanol per year. Energetix, LLC has partnered with the investment group to oversee the business and facility operations at DENCO II.

“We are very excited to have an opportunity to partner with the investors in Morris and look forward to implementing management, energy efficiency, technology and operational improvements that will bring the plant long term success. C&N Companies is a key strategic partner that will allow us to accomplish our goals at DENCO II,” said Energetix Managing Partner Jason Jerke.

Jerke continued, “C&N is a perfect fit for the risk management strategy that we have implemented at DENCO II. They bring the experience, market knowledge and transparency to ethanol marketing that allow us to manage our corn, DDGS and ethanol positions daily.”

Mick Miller, Energetix President and former DENCO Manager, will serve as the General Manager for DENCO II. “I am very happy to be back in the Morris area to assist the DENCO II team in bringing long term success to the new owners. DENCO II is looking forward to the opportunity to work with C&N on bringing unique marketing strategies to the new business.”

C&N Companies’ biofuels production and marketing includes production from 11 plants throughout the U.S.

Ethanol, Ethanol News

Sharp Expands U.S. Solar Business

Joanna Schroeder

Sharp Electronic Corporation is growing it’s presence in the U.S. solar market. Last week, the company announced that it has acquired San Francisco-based Recurrent Energy. Recurrent Energy develops and markets solar-based power generation projects and has a multitude of projects underway with utilities in both the U.S. and around the world. The acquisition was a strategic move by the company to expand its solar business from just production of solar panels to that of a power company’s partner in renewable energy projects.

In a company statement, Sharp said of the deal, “It is essential for Sharp to function as a developer in the photovoltaic field, in order to further expand its business in this area.”

In addition, it was just announced that Sharp has won a contract to provide 45 MW for the largest solar photovoltaic project ever to be built in not only California, but the world – known as Avenal. The project consists of three sub-projects, Avenal Park, Sun City and Sand Drag, that will all be built in Kings County, Cali.

“This project is one of the largest solar power installations in the world, and one of the largest Sharp has supplied to date. It also marks a significant step forward for California’s renewable energy efforts and we are proud that our cutting edge thin-film modules will help deliver clean power to the residents of California,” said Eric Hafter, senior vice president for the Sharp Solar Energy Solutions Group. “Together with Eurus Energy America and NRG Solar, we are turning land that once used photosynthesis to convert the sun’s rays to produce food for our communities into a farm that uses photovoltaics to convert the sun’s rays into clean energy for the same communities.”

According to a company press release, the Sharp thin-film solar panels utilized for the project feature Sharp’s tandem-junction design that captures a wider part of the solar spectrum and will be manufactured in the Sharp plant in Sakai City, Osaka Prefecture, Japan. Thin-film solar cells used in the panels have a structure in which thin layers of silicon are deposited onto a glass substrate, enabling a dramatic reduction in the amount of silicon used. The production processes are simpler, thereby lowering production costs.

The Avenal solar project will begin construction immediately and should be in full operation sometime in 2011.

Company Announcement, Electricity, Solar

Renewable Energy Market Conference Close at Hand

Joanna Schroeder

In it’s 15 year, the Renewable Energy Market Conference is set to kick off in Portland, Oregon on October 19, 2010. But it’s not too late to register and join hundreds of marketers, policymakers, purchasers, utility representatives, and more in learning about where the renewable energy market is heading. Speakers will also discuss ideas and strategies to improve your business, obtain new customers and help promote clean energy.

Here are some highlights of the conference:

1. Take a Seat at the Power Table. The opening session includes a roundtable discussion with industry leaders: Portland General Electric President/CEO Jim Piro; Pacific Power President Pat Reiten; Commissioner John Savage of the Oregon Public Utilities Commission; Whole Foods Market’s Global Leader for Energy Kathy Loftus; and NextEra Energy Senior Director Rick Anderson. PLUS: Keynote Speaker Steve Chalk, Chief Operating Officer for U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE).

2. Learn the Basics of Buying Green Power. Best practices for buying green power for your home or business.

3. Master the Fundamentals of Markets and Trading. An overview of REC markets, players and their motivations, trading, contracts, and back office support systems that make these markets work.

4. Measure Your GHG Footprint and Find Profitable Solutions. Learn the latest on federal policies for carbon disclosure, accounting practices and the added value of renewable energy.

Don’t miss out on the chance to see over 80 speakers in 30+ sessions over the course of three days while learning everything you need to know about the future of renewable energy and the drive to clean energy will help your business thrive. Click here to register.

conferences, Electricity, Solar, Utilities, Wind

Show Me Ethanol Joins Growth Energy

Cindy Zimmerman

Show Me Ethanol, LLC has become the newest plant member of Growth Energy. With the addition of Show me Ethanol, Growth Energy’s total plant membership rises to 65. Growth Energy also has 43 Associate Members and more than 29,000 individual Growth Force Members.

title=“We feel that membership in Growth Energy is important to the future growth and stability of the ethanol industry as a whole,” said Show Me Ethanol General Manager, Richard Hanson. “We believe that it takes a combined and aggressive effort to teach the population the benefits and value of ethanol.”

Show Me Ethanol, LLC began production in 2008, and is a 55 million gallon a year ethanol plant located near Carrolton, Mo. The plant employees 37 workers and also produces 180,000 tons of dried distillers grain annually.

Ethanol, Growth Energy

Mizzou to Host Forum on Biofuels, Food

John Davis

Trying to figure out how to produce enough food and fuel to run America … sustainably … and how these issues are portrayed in the media will be the subject of “Food, Fuel & Society,” a free, interactive forum on Tuesday, October 12 from 8 am – 6 pm, hosted by the University of Missouri’s Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute.

The event will be hosted by Ira Flatow, host of NPR’s Science Friday:

Look for discussions on: food, biofuels, sustainability, farming today, immigration, labor- how all of these topics affect the changing landscape of agribusiness, and how they get covered in the media and elsewhere.

For more information and registration, click here.

biofuels

USDA: US Ethanol Production More Efficient than Ever

John Davis

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) says ethanol production is more efficient than ever.

In an interview with USDA radio, Harry Baumes, Director of USDA’s Office of Energy Policy and New Uses says a new study shows that we’re getting more energy out of corn than what it takes to raise the feedstock and make the green fuel. One reason is a decreased amount of nitrogen being used to grow the corn.

“We’ve also become more efficient at converting corn into ethanol. Back in the early [1980s], you got about 2.2 gallons of ethanol per bushel of corn. Now, you get closer to 2.8 gallons of ethanol per bushel of corn.”

That means for every one unit of energy used to produce corn and ethanol from it, you get about 2.3 units of energy out. And he expects that to get even better.

But some worry that food prices could spike, especially if the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) allows the ethanol blend limits for most vehicles to be raised to 15 percent, E15. Economist William Lapp of Advanced Economic Solutions and a former chief economist of ConAgra (you know, the guys who were pushing this food vs. fuel debate for their own purposes) tells USDA radio that a situation in 2007 and 2008 could show what would happen if more corn is used for ethanol.

“We had a dramatic surge in the price of corn, part of it was led by increases in ethanol demand, and we saw corn prices more than double during that time.”

Lapp contends that led to higher food prices for livestock, and, in turn, higher prices at the grocery store. But Baumes says that higher prices on the farm end don’t translate in proportional increases at the super market.

“In the U.S., if the price of all goods at the farm gate DOUBLED, we would only see a 20 percent increase in the price of goods at the grocery store.”

Baumes points out that if some of that corn is used for transportation fuels, consumers will see more money in their pockets in the form of more stable energy prices. In addition, he points out that the corn used in ethanol has dual uses in the form of the dried distillers grains that can be fed to livestock after the ethanol has been drawn out. Plus, there are other feedstocks that can be used for ethanol production.

corn, Distillers Grains, Ethanol, Ethanol News, News

Lagest Solar Photovoltaic Project in Cali Underway

Joanna Schroeder

The largest solar photovoltaic (PV) generating facility in California is underway with the solidification of a partnership between Eurus Energy America and NRG Solar, a subsidiary of NRG Energy, Inc. (NRG). When completed, Avenal Park, Sun City and Sand Drag, three Avenal zero-emission solar projects located in Kings County, CA, will generate a total of 45 megawatts (MW). This is enough energy to supply the needs of 36,000 homes. The projects were developed by Eurus and are jointly owned by Eruis and NRG and will be built with thin film solar panels manufactured by Sharp Electronics.

Maybe most significant about the project is that Sun City (20 MW) and Sand Drag (19 MW) have received full notice to proceed, permitting has been an area of great frustration among solar companies planning projects in California. Ryan Company Inc. is the engineering, contracting and procurement firm for the project and will begin construction immediately. The two projects are estimated to be in full operation in 2011. In addition, the California Public Utilities Commission has approved the 20-year Avenal power purchase agreements with Pacific Gas & Electric.

“The Avenal projects are just the first of many utility-scale PV solar projects that we expect to be developing, building and owning in the State of California. We are very pleased to be adding these solar power projects to our portfolio of wind projects helping California reach its nation-leading goals to increase the utilization of emission-free power generation,” said Mark E. Anderson, President and CEO of Eurus Energy America.

Recently, Californians shot down a proposal to expand their renewable portfolio standards from 20 percent to 33 percent by 2020 but in one if his last major moves as Governor, Schwarzenegger overruled the state’s decision and signed the legislation into law. NRG Solar and Eurus note that this project will help the state meet its aggressive renewable energy goals.

“We believe Avenal represents not only a bold new chapter in developing clean, zero-emission solar power in California, but also is a key piece in helping the state meet its ambitious renewable portfolio standard by the end of the decade,” said Tom Doyle, President of NRG Solar. “California continues to lead our nation in mandating the increasing use of renewable power, and, as the owners of the largest PV site there today, we look forward to continuing our partnership with California and our leadership as a developer of this bountiful, sustainable power source.”

Electricity, Solar

Electric Cars More Impactful Than RES

Joanna Schroeder

Which is better for our country in terms of oil dependence? Enacting a Renewable Energy Standard (RES) or moving forward with developing and deploying electric vehicles and electric vehicle infrastructure? According to a new report released by Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, electric cars hold greater promise for reducing emissions and lowering U.S. oil imports than a national RES.

This is just one conclusion of several made in the new study, “Energy Market Consequences of an Emerging U.S. Carbon Management Policy,” that will be released during the Baker Institute Energy Forum taking place today and tomorrow. The study folds together several academic working papers on a variety of topics, such as carbon pricing, the wind industry, global U.S. carbon and energy strategies, and renewable energy R&D.

“As the country moves forward to deliberate on energy and climate policy,” the executive summary states, “consideration must be given to what policies would best accomplish the stated goals for U.S. policy — a reduction in the need for imported oil and in greenhouse gas emissions.” The papers released at the conference seek to “clarify and debunk common myths that currently plague the U.S. energy- and climate-policy debate.”

For example, the study discovered that “the single most effective way to reduce U.S. oil demand and foreign imports would be an aggressive campaign to launch electric vehicles into the automotive fleet.” It goes on to outline that if policy were enacted that would mandate 30 percent of all vehicles must be electric by 2050, it would reduce U.S. oil use by 2.5 million barrels a day beyond the 3 million barrels-per-day savings already anticipated from the stricter fuel efficiency standards. In addition, emissions would be cut by 7 percent, 3 percent more than would would be eliminated under an RES.

In addition to the conclusions surrounding electric vehicles, the study also forecasts that natural gas will play an important role in the  future of the country’s energy mix.

conferences, Electric Vehicles, Electricity, Natural Gas, Research

Sustainable Oils Leads in Camelina Biojet Fuel

Joanna Schroeder

Bozeman, Montana-based Sustainable Oils is working toward an important goal. They are working to produce advanced biofuels using sustainable methods and feedstocks. One of their prime energy crops is camelina, which has a naturally high oil content and relatively low input costs (the crop needs little water or fertilizer and is suited well to grow on marginal land). It is also an excellent rotation crop with wheat.

Sustainable Oils‘ focus is on the aviation market and they have partnered with Boeing Company as well as UOP, a Honeywell Company, to bring renewable aviation fuels to market. But the big question is can the renewable aviation fuels withstand the extreme pressures of both commercial planes as well as military jets?

To find out, the U.S. Navy and Air Force both selected Sustainable Oils, as did Japan Airlines, as a fuel partner for several tests and so far the results have been promising. Sustainable Oils President Scott Johnson told DF, “We’ve seen strong demand for camelina biojet and expect that demand to continue to grow in the coming years. The success of the 2009 Japan Airlines test flight, as well as with the 2009 Navy and Air Force test flights, demonstrate that our fuels meet the quality and performance requirements that these aircrafts demand. We’re going to continue to work closely with the U.S. military and commercial airlines to provide the next generation of domestically produced, renewable aviation biofuels that help reduce emissions and enhance energy security.”

Despite the promise that biojet fuels hold, there are grave concerns among the biofuels industry as to its future. The biodiesel tax credit expired at the end of 2009 and has not yet been extended. In addition, the DOE loan guarantee program, that was in part designed to ensure that advanced biofuels companies could have access to much need monies, has stalled with funds not dispersed to companies that have already been awarded the loans. These two issues have created a hesitancy among private investors to infuse much needed dollars into the industry to be used to go from pilot-scale projects to commercial scale production.

I asked Johnson how the lack of the biodiesel tax credit was affecting both his company and the industry. He replied, “Let’s be clear. The petroleum industry not only has a 100 year head start on the renewable fuels industry, but it also has received, and continues to receive billions of dollars in subsidies, incentives and other financial benefits.”Read More

Biodiesel, bioenergy, biofuels, Cellulosic, Ethanol, News, Opinion