Ask POET Video Series Debuts

Joanna Schroeder

Consumers. We all have questions about ethanol and oftentimes don’t know where to go to find the answers. Now, you have a new resource for information – the monthly video series “Ask POET,” hosted by Nathan Schock. The idea is that for each episode, Nathan will take a question from the public and then identify and interview the most appropriate person within POET to provide the answer.

I had the opportunity to ask POET a question and it became the kick off for the first episode. I asked, “When do you think consumers will be able to go to the gas station and fill up their cars with cellulosic ethanol?” A point of reference, POET is the farthest along in the U.S. on commercially producing cellulosic ethanol from corn stover with their project coined Project Liberty. My question was answered in great detail and with great insight from POET CEO Jeff Broin.

In the next episode, Broin responds to a question from Jim Lane, Editor of Biofuels Digest who asked what the industry can do after E15 to prevent another “blend wall.” Lane also asked Broin to explore how America can change its fleet over to flex fuel vehicles so that higher blends of ethanol can be more widespread and available.

“As the nation’s largest ethanol producer, we need to take an active and visible role in helping the public understand the many issues surrounding ethanol,” Schock, POET’s Director of Public Relations, said. “Although the ethanol industry is still relatively young, POET has been around for more than two decades and is in a great position to answer the many questions that come up regarding the renewable fuel that is being used in most cars today. ‘Ask POET’ will help do that.”

For upcoming episodes, no question is off limits. You can subscribe to POET’s RSS feed and get updates about the program here.

Ethanol, Ethanol News, Video

Alliance AutoGas Launches Propane Conversion Program

Joanna Schroeder

Alliance AutoGas, with the support of the Propane Education & Research Council (PERC), have received $8.6 million in funding from the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act of 2009 to fund a Southeast Propane Autogas Development Program. The program will help to build at least 17 propane refueling stations as well as convert 1,200 vehicles to propane in nine southeast states. According to PERC, propane, when used to power on-road vehicles, is known worldwide as autogas. Nearly 90 percent of propane supplies are produced in the U.S. and 7 percent is imported from Canada.

“We are encouraged that this grant provides an opportunity to showcase the viability of autogas and its benefits,” said Stuart Weidie, president of Alliance AutoGas. “Autogas is recognized as the number one alternative fuel worldwide. It’s almost entirely domestically produced and is available right here, right now.”

Project management for the program will be shared by Virginia Clean Cities and James Madison University. Alliance AutoGas’ founding partners, Blossman Gas and American Alternative Fuel, along with certified conversion partners, will perform the vehicle conversions and provide the infrastructure for both private and public fueling stations. Vehicles that will be targeted for conversions include taxis, limousines and vans.

It is projected that the program will displace at least 15 million gallons of gasoline over four years as well as reduce harmful tailpipe emissions. A website that will track the conversion information along with the greenhouse gas emission reductions will launch later this year.

“The rollout of this Alliance AutoGas project will result in the wider use of propane vehicles, which will help us reach our county’s environmental and national energy security goals,” concluded Brian Feehan, vice president of PERC.

News, Propane

Book Review – No Impact Man

Joanna Schroeder

So you’re a bit frustrated with the state of the climate and pretty concerned with our fossil fuel use. So what do you do? You become the No Impact Man. Colin Beavan, a writer from New York who was struggling with how to deal with climate change, decided that he, along with his wife, two year old daughter and dog, would spend a year trying to have no negative impact on the climate. This experience, which he blogged about every day, led to the book, “No Impact Man The Adventures of a Guilty Liberal Who Attempts to Save the Planet.”

Beavan was extreme. No “throw away” products made from trees, rarely any motorized transportation including elevators (did I mention he lives in NY?), all locally grown food within 250 miles and no meat, no buying of new things (but they could purchase used items), and if that weren’t enough, no electricity for three months! So what did he learn? We should be able to keep the things that improve our lives, yet not at the expense of the environment. And yes, he says, this can be done.

As an energy writer there was one chapter that I felt was extremely compelling and that was when he and his family turned out the electricity. Yep – no electricity for three months with the exception of a solar panel he used to power his laptop. In this chapter, Beavan talks about the true cost of fossil fuel use – something that many are trying to get consumers to understand, including me.

He writes, “The fact of the matter is that fossil fuels are not less costly than renewable energy. Fossil fuels cost us and our planet much more to use. The problem is that the true costs of the use of coal and oil are not immediately apparent in the price.” Read More

book reviews, Energy, Environment, global warming

Ford’s 2011 Flexible Fuel Vehicles

Cindy Zimmerman

Ford has announced a handful of models for their 2011 flexible fuel line-up. The company, who began producing FFVs in the mid 1990’s will offer more than 12 models in the upcoming year, according to a Growth Energy press release.

“If we’re going to reduce emissions, clean the air, and increase our energy independence, we need to ensure that our entire vehicle fleet and fuel infrastructure are ready to use expanded U.S. ethanol production,” said Tom Buis, CEO of Growth Energy. “Each additional flex fuel vehicle model gives consumers the option of filling up with domestic, homegrown renewable fuel and enhances our national security, all while creating U.S. jobs and greening our environment. We commend Ford Motor Co. for their continued commitment to manufacture FFVs and we urge Congress to pass legislation that will encourage all vehicles to be flex-fuel and support the construction of blender pumps and ethanol dispensing equipment.”

Ford’s announcement was made this week at the Ford 2011 Model Year Advance Product Meeting in Minnesota in front of fleet and dealership representatives. At the meeting, Ford personnel provided an overview of their vehicle lineup for the coming model year which includes more than 12 Flex Fuel Vehicle models.

The new 2011 FFV models include:

3.0L Fusion3.0L Escape
F-150 (engine to be announced)5.4L Expedition & Expedition EL
5.4L Expedition EL Limo6.2L F-250 & F-350 Pickup and F-350 Chassis Cab
4.6L & 5.4L E-Series models4.6L Crown Victoria, Taxi & Police Interceptor
4.6L Lincoln Town Car5.4L Lincoln Navigator
5.4L Navigator L5.4L Navigator L Limo
3.0L Mercury Milan3.0L Mercury Mariner
4.6L Mercury Grand Marquis

Today, more than eight million vehicles on U.S. highways are flexible fuel vehicles, out of over 246 million vehicles on the road. Ford’s commitment to manufacture more Flex Fuel Vehicles will help ensure that we meet Congress’ goal of 36 billion gallons of biofuel production by 2022 as enacted in the 2007 Energy Independence and Security Act, Buis said.

Car Makers, E85, Flex Fuel Vehicles, Growth Energy

No Bull(s) … Army Hosting Renewable Energy Rodeo

John Davis

No bulls, not even the mechanical kind, but the U.S. Army is hosting a rodeo … the inaugural Renewable Energy Rodeo and Symposium (RERS), June 8-9, 2010, at Fort Bliss, Texas, evaluating the latest energy technologies that could reap immediate benefits for the military and the nation:

RERS, co-hosted by the U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command (RDECOM) Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC) and Fort Bliss, serves to advance energy initiatives affecting all levels of the Department of Defense, from ground vehicles to installations.

During the two-day exposition, the latest mature technologies and innovations in renewable energy concepts and alternative fuel technologies will be displayed and demonstrated. Panel discussions and guest speakers will feature some of the Nation’s top experts in a variety of energy-related fields and technologies.

“Energy security remains a top priority for our warfighters and our Nation,” explained TARDEC Director Dr. Grace M. Bochenek. “As we aggressively pursue the latest in renewable energy capabilities and alternative energy technologies, it is vitally important we tap the best-of-the-best from industry, academia and government.”

It’s only fitting that Fort Bliss is hosting the energy rodeo, since the post is the Army’s Center for Renewable Energy. Officials expect some “game-changing technologies and innovative solutions.”

More information is available here.

Government

GM, Hawaiian Gas Co. Partner in Hydrogen Project

John Davis

Auto giant General Motors (GM) has teamed up with Hawaii’s The Gas Company (TGC), the state’s major gas energy provider, to make hydrogen more available for GM’s growing fleet of hydrogen-powered vehicles.

This GM press release says TGC will send the hydrogen, along with synthetic natural gas, through its utility gas stream and separate the hydrogen at key points along the 1,000 mile utility pipeline:

“This is the type of enabler that a hydrogen transportation infrastructure needs because it addresses both the source of the hydrogen and a feasible way to deliver it for fuel cell vehicle use,” said Charles Freese, executive director of GM Global Fuel Cell Activities. “The Hawaii infrastructure could eventually support tens of thousands of fuel cell vehicles.

“Hawaii is uniquely positioned and motivated to make hydrogen-powered fuel cell transportation a reality because it depends on imported petroleum for 90 percent of its energy,” he said.

The state is committed to reducing petroleum use by 70 percent through a combination of renewable energy resources, conservation and efficiency. The use of hydrogen as a transportation fuel could be a key contributor.

“We have been delivering as much as 12 percent hydrogen made from renewable sources to our gas customers over the last two to three years and expect we can deliver even greater quantities of hydrogen as demand increases,” said Jeffrey Kissel, president and CEO of TGC. “By delivering hydrogen through our existing infrastructure as vehicle fuel wherever we have gas, The Gas Company expands its key role of supporting Hawaii’s clean energy future.”

Officials believe the price for the hydrogen could be equal to or less than gasoline.

Car Makers, Hydrogen

Using Computer Parts to Grow Algae for Biodiesel

John Davis

Usually, we talk about using high-tech computer programs to help producers get more biodiesel out of their operations. But this time, it’s the low-tech components that are the platforms for growing a feedstock for the green fuel.

Treehugger.com has this post about how students at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have put together an algae bioreactor called the Bio-Grow to cultivate large amounts of algae for biodiesel using old computer parts:

“If someone had one of these in their homes, they would cultivate algae and extract it,” says Megan Kenney, one of the members of the five-person undergraduate team. “Then they could take it into a gas company that was set up with an oil filtration facility and get credit off their gas.”

The Bio-Grow’s various components would include side panels from an Apple G4 CPU tower for the incubating tank, with PVC pipes for structural reinforcement and high density foam for insulation and stability. An old Apple iMac CRT provides the light needed for photosynthesis, while a modified Dell Latitude CPX laptop controls and adjusts the temperature and required light spectrums generated by the iMac CRT. The device also features a water pump to aerate the algae and a faucet that allows user to harvest the algae at any time.

“Algae’s best growth factors are within the red and blue spectrums of light at a ratio of four to one,” Kenney explains. “We also knew that it needed to be 62 to 82 degrees.”

The hope is that people will be able to grow algae as part of a larger system and take that algae to a central collection point. The lipids in the algae would be extracted and sent to a refinery to make biodiesel, while the by-products would go into livestock feed, fertilizer and pharmaceuticals. The Bio-Grow team believes just under 7 percent of American homes would need to have a device to grow enough algae to replace petroleum with algae biodiesel.

algae, Biodiesel

Biodiesel Producers Plead for Renewal of Tax Credit

Cindy Zimmerman

Four biodiesel producers from around the nation took their story to the media today, increasing their call for Congress to immediately and retroactively reinstate the federal biodiesel tax incentive which was allowed to expire five months ago. The producers included a small family operation in Arkansas, an energy group in Washington state, a plant that is laying off people in Georgia, and the largest biodiesel producer in the country with plants in five states.

Bernie Crowley of Delta American Fuel in Helena, Ark. says the tax credit was the reason they got into the biodiesel business in 2005. “I’ve basically spent my last five years investing our hard-won capital over 50 years of business in this industry,” Crowley said. Now that his plant is up to production level and he could add another 35-40 jobs in one of the most impoverished counties in the country, “we’ve been on pause since January 1” and could end up having to lay off people instead.

Gen-X Energy Group in Pasco, Washington is a privately-held group with investors and president Scott Johnson says they have expanded into global markets this year to stay profitable without the tax credit and they closed a plant last year because of uncertainty about the tax credit. “The Gen-X vision is to be one of the leading biofuel producers in the United States, with or without the federal biodiesel tax credit, however the time line to achieve this vision can be significantly decreased through federal support,” said Johnson.

Bobby Heiser with Nittany Biodiesel, headquartered in Pennsylvania, says they invested $30 million on a versatile biodiesel plant just outside of Atlanta, Georgia. “Since January, we held on with the expectation that Congress would deliver,” he said. “With mounting losses, we’ve continued to operate, but we can’t sell at even a break-even production level at this point.” Three weeks ago, they ran out of money and had to layoff 20 out of 35 employees, all but shutting down the plant.

REG (Renewable Energy Group) owns 180 million gallons of biodiesel production and markets another 180 million owned by others. The company has plants in Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana and Texas. However, CEO Jeff Stroburg says not having the tax credit has reduced that capacity by more than 75 percent. “So all of that capacity is practically idled right now, there’s very little demand for biodiesel in the market place as a result of the uncertainty.”

National Biodiesel Board CEO Joe Jobe says they are pleading with lawmakers to get the biodiesel tax credit reinstated before the Memorial Day recess to avoid the loss of more green jobs.

Biodiesel, NBB

San Antonio Airport Shuttles Run On Biodiesel

John Davis

""Three rental car companies at the San Antonio, Texas airport have decided to combine their efforts and run their shuttles on biodiesel.

The San Antonio Business Journal says Alamo Rent A Car, Enterprise Rent-A-Car and National Car Rental are sharing shuttles, cutting the combined fleets from 16 to seven vehicles:

All of the shuttle buses are also being fueled by 20 percent biodiesel, a cleaner-burning alternative fuel.

Enterprise Holdings owns and operates Alamo Rent A Car, Enterprise Rent-A-Car and National Car Rental. The company decided to combine the shuttle service for the three operators after the airport opened its new two-tiered roadway in March, which the airport developed to relieve traffic congestion at the airport.

“Combining our shuttle bus service supports the San Antonio International Airport in reaching its goals of reducing congestion, especially at a time when our market share is growing at the airport,” says William Gold, vice president and general manager for Alamo, Enterprise and National in San Antonio. “More importantly, customers have reacted positively to the combined shuttles, noting the significance of our environmental efforts and the use of biodiesel in our buses.”

Officials say the move will ease congestion and help clear the air.

What the iPhone, Xbox and Las Vegas Can Teach You About Corporate Computing; Opinion: Must-have consumer electronics gadgets hold lessons for enterprise IT execs.

eWeek July 6, 2007 | Lundquist, Eric Sometimes it seems like a stretch to connect the business-to-business world of corporate computing to the high-buzz-factor world of consumer electronics. At other times, like right now, it is amazing how much a corporate IT exec can learn from watching the high-tech hijinks in other spheres. go to website how to fix the red ring of death

Take the iPhone, please. There are not too many immutable laws of corporate computing, but “never buy version 1 of anything” is one law many scarred corporate tech execs have etched into stone. Buying version 1 transforms you from being a customer to an extension of a vendor’s marketing and research and development departments. This is happening now with Apple’s iPhone.

Click here to read eWEEK Labs’ review of the iPhone.

People who have no collective memory of the Lisa, Newton and Pippin are lined up and signed up for the iPhone. I like the iPhone. I think it is groundbreaking. I think that in the next version you will be able to replace the battery instead of sending the whole unit back to Apple. I think in the next version Apple and AT&T will be able to turn on a 3G network instead of the painfully slow (I’d bet on a modem over the current EDGE speeds) network you now get. I think the next version of the iPhone will let you switch carriers (choice-a new concept!) rather than be chained to one provider for two years. I think in the next version you will actually be able to use your Wi-Fi connection for Wi-Fi calls, which you can’t now.

Speaking of lines, far be it from me to remind all of you that in November 2005 I wrote that I was giving up my place in the Xbox line because I thought there were some reliability questions – particularly in terms of how the box would use a new liquid cooling technique-that remained unanswered. Well, on July 5, Microsoft provided a $1 billion answer to the Xbox reliability issue. From the MTV story about Microsoft’s big blunder: “Following months of consumer complaints about failing Xbox 360 units, Microsoft announced Thursday that the company will extend the warranty on every Xbox 360 sold since the system launched and offer full repairs for the most widely reported console malfunction, the so-called ‘red ring of death.’ The company indicated that the new policy will cost Microsoft $1.05-1.15 billion.” My only regret is that I didn’t coin the “red ring of death” description.

If you wander through the blogs you can find all sorts of attempts to keep the Xbox cool including wrapping a cool towel around the box. How about an old-fashioned ice bag, which provides at least some hangover relief? In any case, $1 billion is no big deal for Microsoft. website how to fix the red ring of death

The corporate lesson here is to beware of technologies that worked well in the lab but are going to meet some big glitches in full market deployment. You don’t want to be the first on your block to find out that the nifty technology that promised to give you, say, twice the power at half the cost just doesn’t work no matter how many dollars you spend or how many people you devote to try to get the thing working. Vendors are very, very reluctant to admit they screwed up. In software, they admit they screwed up by trying to sell you another round of software that fixes their past mistakes. Before you go deploy a new technology, it is worth building your own prototype deployment to give the new systems and new technologies a thorough working over.

Las Vegas. What does that have to do with corporate computing? I suppose you could say that all computing projects are a toss of the dice, but I was thinking more of the recent 115 degree temperatures that have broiled the Strip. Maybe global warming is not real, as many of you like to tell me each time I write about the topic. But at 115 degrees, you are going to be spending an enormous amount of money trying to keep cool. Let that 115-degree mark remind you to go figure out how to reconstruct that server room before a server meltdown melts down your company.

Check out eWEEK.com’s Infrastructure Center for the latest news, views and analysis on servers, switches and networking protocols for the enterprise and small businesses.

Lundquist, Eric

Biodiesel

Corn Conference Will Focus on Indirect Land Use

Cindy Zimmerman

cutcThe indirect land use change (ILUC) debate will take center stage at the upcoming 2010 Corn Utilization and Technology Conference (CUTC), scheduled for June 7-9 in Atlanta.

National Corn Growers Association Director of Biofuels & Business Development Jamey Cline is chairman of the plenary session “Land Use Conundrum…Corn, an Advanced Biofuel?” which will focus on the role land use criteria played in the decision that corn does not currently meet the qualifications of an advanced biofuel. The session will include both presentations and a panel discussion and will also explore how the United States will meet its greenhouse gas reduction mandates given that corn is currently the only significant source of ethanol in today’s marketplace.

Chuck Zimmerman talked with Jamey about CUTC in general and this session in particular. Listen to or download that interview in the player below:

Audio, corn, CUTC, Indirect Land Use, NCGA