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Nebraska Holds FFV Awareness Campaign

Tomorrow will kick of the National Flexible Fuel Vehicle (FFV) Awareness Campaign across the state of Nebraska. The educational campaign is a joint project of the Clean Fuels Fuondation, the Governors’ Biofuels Coalition, the Nebraska Ethanol Board, and others who support the utilization of E85 compatible vehicles.

As reported in a press release from the Clean Fuels Foundation, Todd Sneller, Administrator of the Nebraska Ethanol Board, said “We are pleased to combine our ongoing efforts here in Nebraska with the nationwide program of the FFV Awareness Campaign. High ethanol blends like E85 can open up new markets for ethanol but we need to make sure drivers know they can use these fuels and where they can purchase them.” Sneller said several national surveys indicate that as many as 90% of the owners of FFVs either are not aware their vehicles have this capability or have never used ethanol blends. “The FFV campaign is about consumer awareness and driver education. We are going to begin with the drivers of the 87,000 FFVs on the roads of Nebraska immediately. There is no better time to start this campaign than on Earth Day.”

New state road signs will indicate if a station has E85 available and information on E85 and FFVs will be available at rest stops along Nebraska highways.

Douglas A. Durante, Director of the Clean Fuels Foundation, said the campaign is critical if the US is to achieve the benefits of the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) that is current law. “The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has stated the RFS can reduce pollution, increase farm income, lower fuel costs to consumers, and provide a host of other benefits, but only if we can actually use the fuel the program requires. Once we maximize the use of low level blends in conventional vehicles we must turn to FFVs.”

The National FFV Awareness Campaign is also promoting the use of higher ethanol blends in Florida and other states.

E85, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Flex Fuel Vehicles, Government, News

AT&T Unveils CNG Vehicles

As first reported by the Milwaukee Business Journal, AT&T began their campaign of being more fuel efficient by unveiling 42 compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles. The annoucement was made at Discovery World in Milwaukee yesterday.

In March 2009, AT&T announced their plan to invest up to $565 million as part of a long-term strategy to deploy more than 15,000 alternative-fuel vehicles over the next 10 years. AT&T expects to spend an estimated $350 million to purchase about 8,000 CNG vehicles and approximately $215 million to begin replacing its passenger cars with alternative-fuel models.

“This deployment was made possible because of the work of We Energies and area communities to establish about a dozen CNG fueling stations in southeast Wisconsin, as well as strong support from state environmental leaders like Rep. Jon Richards who are encouraging the use of alternative fuel vehicles,” Scott VanderSanden, president of AT&T Wisconsin, said in the release.

AT&T’s investment represents the largest U.S. corporate commitment to CNG vehicles to date.

Natural Gas, News

House Ag Chair Expects 15 Percent Ethanol by August

Cindy Zimmerman

House Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson (D-MN) expects the Environmental Protection Agency to approve 15 percent ethanol blends for regular gasoline by August.

According to a story from Hoosier Ag Today, Peterson said in an interview that it is taking a longer time to get approval than he thinks is necessary. “Now, we’re thinking we might get a decision in August. I think we’re going to get a positive decision, everything I can tell,” he said.

Peterson said he discussed the issue with one of the major car companies last week. “They don’t see too many problems with E-15. They do have more problems when you start getting to E-20 and E-25,” he said.

The chairman does expect some pump labeling requirements if EPA approves E-15, including warnings for older vehicles and small engines, but says a favorable decision will be “very significant” for the future of biofuels.

Ethanol, Ethanol News, Government

Senate Bill Would Extend Ethanol Tax Incentives

Cindy Zimmerman

A bill has been introduced in the Senate to extend tax incentives for ethanol set to expire at the end of this year.

Senators Charles Grassley (R-IA) and Kent Conrad (D-ND) introduced the bipartisan GREEN Jobs Act of 2010 that extends through 2015 the Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax Credit (VEETC), the offsetting tariff on foreign ethanol, the Small Producers Tax Credit, and the Cellulosic Ethanol Producer Tax Credit.

Grassley said the lapse of the separate tax credit for biodiesel, which expired at the end of 2009, has cost 29,000 clean-energy jobs and put 23,000 more at risk. “We can’t risk a repeat performance with ethanol, where 112,000 jobs are at stake.” Of the ethanol tariff, Grassley said, “the United States already provides generous duty-free access to imported ethanol under the Caribbean Basin Initiative, but the CBI cap has never once been fulfilled. In fact, last year, only 25 percent of it was even used by Brazil and other countries.”

Conrad“Our country is in serious danger because of skyrocketing energy costs,” said Sen. Conrad. “This growing crisis demands urgent action. We must be committed to coming together in a bipartisan way to lessen our dependence on foreign oil, while aggressively pursuing alternative sources of energy such as biofuels. Extending these tax credits is a step in the right direction.”

Growth EnergyThe ethanol industry praised the Senate action. “Extending these measures will ensure job growth and economic development across the entire country—all while reducing our dependence on foreign oil and cleaning our skies,” Tom Buis, CEO of Growth Energy, said. “If we let the tariff and VEETC expire, it would drain both hundreds of thousands of jobs and billions of dollars right out of our economy.”

Renewable Fuels Association Logo“Tax incentives aiding the expansion of America’s ethanol industry are sound public policies by any economic, environmental or energy measure,” said Renewable Fuels Association President Bob Dinneen. “Domestic ethanol use is lowering the price of gasoline, reducing imports of foreign oil, and helping stabilize and reinvigorate rural economies all across the country.”

ACE“The American people directly benefit from ethanol through the creation of hundreds of thousands of jobs and by saving money on a clean, renewable product at the pump,” said American Coalition for Ethanol Executive Vice President Brian Jennings. “If it is a priority to save these high-skill, high-wage jobs in the U.S. and provide consumers with affordable fuel, it is imperative that these ethanol tax credits are renewed this year, and we are committed to working with Congressional leaders to see that happen.”

The Senate bill mirrors bipartisan legislation that was introduced in the House in March by Reps. Earl Pomeroy, D-N.D., and John Shimkus, R-Ill.

ACE, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Government, Growth Energy, RFA

World’s Largest Land Wind Project Planned in Romania

John Davis

While the debate goes on whether to move forward on the Cape Wind energy project in this country, the Europeans seem poised to leave those efforts in the wind-swept dust.

BusinessWeek.com reports Spain-based Iberdrola SA will build the world’s largest onshore wind-energy project in Romania, a $2-billion project that will produce 1,500 megawatts of capacity … five times bigger than Europe’s largest wind complex and three times bigger than the Massachusetts offshore wind project:

Iberdrola, which became the world’s biggest wind-farm owner by using government incentives and charging above-market electricity rates for clean energy, now operates in 10 markets including the U.S. and U.K. The Romanian mega-park, near its operations in neighboring Hungary, may extend the Spanish company’s lead over second-ranked wind producer FPL Group Inc. of Florida.

Romania generates much of its electricity by burning oil and gas, which can be easily scaled back during a windy day to allow for surges of power from windmills, said Will Young, a wind energy analyst at Bloomberg New Energy Finance in London.

“That makes Romania an attractive market,” Young said today in an interview. “Romania has relatively high power prices and flexible energy generation that allows power producers to feed in electricity easily.”

Iberdrola plans to build 50 wind farms in Romania, able to light up almost one million homes.

Wind

Cape Wind Seen as Indicator of Obama’s Green Efforts

John Davis

The decision whether to allow a wind energy project off the coast of Massachusetts to move forward could be seen as an indicator of just how serious the Obama Administration is about green energy efforts.

The Washington Times reports that the U.S. Department of the Interior will decide by April 30th whether the Cape Wind Project, planned for 130 wind turbines off the coast of Cape Cod, gets the green light … a decision that after nine years of work is expected to have major implications for other wind energy projects:

“If it doesn’t get approved, it will have a big impact,” said Mr. [Mark Rodgers, spokesman for Cape Wind developer Energy Management Inc. of Boston].

Beyond being a setback for the industry, Mr. Rodgers said a rejection by the administration will be “a real market signal.”

“Stakeholder investors will really be looking to see what’s happening,” he said.

Since taking office 16 months ago, Mr. Obama has made renewable energy a top priority – vowing to double the country’s output in three years, supporting wind turbines along the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf, and putting more than $800 million in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for such clean-energy initiatives as solar and geothermal power.

In a move that pleased many conservative critics, the president last month gave his support to expanded offshore exploration and drilling for oil and natural gas. But Mr. Obama has yet to tip his hand on the pending Cape Wind project that would put 130 turbines in the Nantucket Sound within sight of the Cape Cod shoreline.

Cape Wind poses a particular dilemma for the administration. It was bitterly opposed by Mr. Obama’s close friend and political mentor, the late Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, even though backers say the completed project could supply well more than half of the cape’s power needs.

A White House spokesman passed on commenting on the Administration’s position, referring comments to the Interior Department. Hmmmm … I guess the buck doesn’t stop at a certain executive’s desk.

Wind

Biodiesel Part of NBC’s Green Week

John Davis

This coming Thursday marks the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, and media giant NBC Universal is taking the whole week to mark the occasion. Part of this sixth green-themed Earth Week by the network includes biodiesel as part of the effort.

This NBC press release has details:

“NBC Universal’s green-themed weeks continue to drive consumer awareness around the environment,” said Beth Colleton, Vice President, Green is Universal. “On the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, we are particularly honored to continue contributing to the green conversation, helping to activate both consumers and employees around this important issue.”

Focusing on green behind the cameras, NBCU is making strides on green production efforts. Industry-leading green production guides for both our television and film production units are available to the entire industry, and crews have put knowledge into action on set. A recent example was on the set of “It’s Complicated,” starring Meryl Streep, Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin. The production used biodiesel generators and vehicles, conducted on-set recycling, donated food daily to a local soup kitchen, and diverted over a ton of potential waste away from a landfill. The film’s DVD, due out on April 27th, uses packaging with 20% less plastic and 100% recycled paper inserts.

More information is available on NBC’s “Green is Universal” Web site.

Biodiesel

POET Ethanol Plants Get Safety Awards

Cindy Zimmerman

Five POET ethanol plants have been recognized for chemical transportation safety, receiving the Union Pacific Railroad’s 14th annual Pinnacle Award. The award is given to companies that have no non-accident releases during the year and have successful prevention and corrective plans in place.

“This is Union Pacific’s opportunity to acknowledge and thank our customers for their continuing efforts to eliminate chemical releases from rail cars,” said Diane Duren, POET vice president and general manager – chemicals. “Rail is the safest way to haul the chemicals that Americans use every day, whether it is chlorine for drinking water or fertilizer for our farms that help feed the world.”

POET Biorefining plants in Ashton, Emmetsburg and Jewell, Iowa; Lake Crystal, Minn.; and Hudson, S.D. received the award.

Ethanol, POET

UNICA: Stop High Tariffs on Clean Technologies

Joanna Schroeder

The ethanol tariff debate continues as today, Marcos Jink, President and CEO of the Brazilian Sugarcane Industry Association (UNICA) told World Trade Organization’s Director-General, Pascal Lamy, during a presentation that, “It makes no sense for countries to adopt ambitious policies to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, while continuing to apply high tariffs on clean technologies that can be instrumental to achieve goals and allowing fossil fuels to be traded freely.”

Photo Credit: SugarcaneblogThis presentation was given as part of Lamy’s visit to Sao Martinho, a sugar, ethanol and bioelectricity plant located in Pradopolis, a town located in the center of Brazil’s sugarcane growing region. The Sao Martinho plant processed 8.1 million tons of sugarcane in the 2009/2010 harvest season, making it the largest among Brazil’s 430 cane processing mills and largest in the world. Earlier this month, this year’s sugarcane harvest began.

“It is essential that WTO member countries reconcile their trade and climate change policies, and that we progress toward the inclusion of ethanol in the list of environmental goods for which import tariffs must be abolished,” said Jank, who argues that ethanol should be recognized as a global energy commodity. He calls for the customs classification for ethanol to be changed to reflect its role as a low-carbon energy solution.

Jank noted that biofuels are not the only clean-technology that may be affected by the move to curb climate change and believes that WTO’s rules may be challenged. He cautioned that without measurable rules based on sound science, the door will be open to creating new trade barriers. He concluded that the greatest risk is the development of implementation mechanisms to prove compliance with sustainability criteria and WTO rules, such as the Directive on Renewable Energy Sources, must be assessed carefully.

biofuels, Ethanol, International

Dyadic Resolves Lawsuit

Cindy Zimmerman

DyadicBiotech firm Dyadic International announced today an agreement to resolve a class action lawsuit initially filed in October 2007.

The litigation, Miller v. Dyadic International, Inc. et al, pending in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida, asserted class action claims under federal securities laws based on allegations of misstatements and omissions by Dyadic and certain of its current and former officers and directors arising out of alleged improprieties at Dyadic’s Asian subsidiaries. The final settlement of this lawsuit is conditioned upon the approval of a Stipulation of Settlement which has been submitted by the parties to the Court. The Stipulation of Settlement provides for payment to the alleged class of $4.8 million in cash to be funded by Dyadic and its insurance carriers. If approved by the Court, the settlement will lead to dismissal of the lawsuit with prejudice.

Dyadic has been involved in developing technology for producing biofuels from agricultural by products such as corn stover and wheat straw.

biofuels, Biotech, Cellulosic