Gloucester County Unveils Propane School Bus Fleet

Joanna Schroeder

Gloucester County Virginia recently unveiled the states first propane school bus fleet during an event attended by the state’s Department of Environmental Quality, Congressman Robert Wittman and Delegate Harvey Morgan. Five diesel school buses were replaced with propane power during an event at Page Middle School in Gloucester County designed to celebrates the school district’s commitment to environmental sustainability, energy independence and economic security.

DFBusPhotoRoger Kelly, Director of Transportation for Gloucester County Public Schools said during the ceremony, “Using propane-powered school buses is a step in the right direction to significantly decrease vehicle emissions and improve the air quality for our students. We are excited to be involved in this clean school bus initiative.”

The decision to switch to propane over other alternative fuels was due to several benefits including the estimation that the school will save $1.50 per gallon in fuel costs, propane reduces greenhouse gas emissions by nearly 18 percent, the flammability range of the fuel is lower than other alternative fuels, and the majority of propane is produced domestically.

A $221,355 grant from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act $221,355 funded a portion of the project, the EPA’s National Clean Diesel Program funded another portion and the Gloucester County Public Schools funded the remaining amount.

News, Propane

POET CEO Bullish on Cellulosic Ethanol

Cindy Zimmerman

nafb poetCellulosic ethanol pioneers like Jeff Broin of POET are confident about the future of next generation fuels, even if the country fails to reach the Renewable Fuel Standard mandate of 100 million gallons of production next year.

“To be honest with you, that number was picked out of thin air, so the chance that we do or don’t make it is certainly a risk,” Broin said during an interview at the National Association of Farm Broadcasting annual meeting last week. “The industry is moving ahead as quickly as it can. But I think we will gain on that number in the future and I am very, very bullish about the future of cellulosic ethanol.”

POET is one of several companies on the front lines of developing cellulosic ethanol technology and feedstocks and Broin says the government has been helpful in getting some grants out to build initial plants. “Once we have the first couple plants, I believe the investment will come very quickly,” Broin said.

Broin remains bullish on corn ethanol as well as cellulosic, especially since the primary feedstock for POET’s pilot plant is corn cobs and stover. “We have plenty of grain this year, we’re going to have too much grain in the future, so we need to look at what we are going to do to turn that grain into energy and food.”

Listen to my interview with Jeff Broin from NAFB here.

Audio, Cellulosic, Ethanol, POET

Cellulosic Biofuels Summit Underway

Cindy Zimmerman

banner_cellulosicbiofuels09The 4th Annual Cellulosic Feedstock Summit is being held this week in Washington, DC once again. All the craziness in the nation’s capitol a year ago around election day made them move the summit to Florida last year, but they’re back in the traditional location for the meeting this year.

The focus of the meeting this year is a series of development briefings from key companies in the cellulosic biofuels arena on four main topics – activities, feedstocks, technology and financing. Companies providing briefings include Iogen, Coskata, Novozymes, Qteros, Dupont Danisco, and more.

Cellulosic, conferences, Ethanol, Ethanol News

Book Review – Power Trip

Joanna Schroeder

PowerTripRemember that old wives tale told to children that babies come from storks? Here is the addendum to the tale…and everything else comes from oil. When President Bush delivered his now famous quote, “We’re addicted to oil,” I don’t think he quite realized how prolific that was. He obviously meant in the form of gasoline/energy use but petroleum by-products are used to make plastics, fertilizer, pharmaceuticals (like you lotion and makeup) and even your clothes, and author Amanda Little takes you on this journey in her new book, “Power Trip“.

Little traveled the country for two years, starting her journey on the “Cajun Express,” an offshore rig located miles from the coast of Louisiana, and ending her trip back in Louisiana, spending time with Hurricane Katrina victims as they move into their near zero emission homes as part of the Make It Right program. In the middle, she spent a good bit of time visiting companies developing alternative energy sources.

The end of her journey is spent with the leaders of tomorrow, but these are not your typical Generation Xers or a group of kids who feel “entitled” to everything. These are the people who are refining the new environmental justice movement. These are children who are growing up in areas that have shouldered most of the hidden costs of our country’s fossil-fuel based lifestyle, and they’re making change door-to-door, not via the power of Capital Hill lobbyists.Read More

book reviews

RFA Sends Former VP Ethanol Facts

Cindy Zimmerman

rfaThe Renewable Fuels Association wants former Vice President Al Gore to know that he was right the first time about ethanol and other biofuels. RFA CEO Bob Dinneen has written a letter to Gore challenging the chapter about ethanol in his new book “Our Choice.”

“Given your attention to science and the facts, I am disappointed by the treatment of ethanol and other biofuels in your new book, Our Choice,” Dinneen wrote. “Many of your characterizations of today’s American ethanol industry are out of date or simply wrong. With 10.5 billion gallons produced and sold this year, ethanol is a major factor in America’s motor fuel supply and is helping eliminate the need for increasing environmentally damaging sources of crude oil.”

Listen to or download Dinneen’s comments about Gore’s book and what he hopes to accomplish with this letter to the former Vice President.

Audio, Ethanol, Ethanol News, RFA

BlueFire Ethanol Awaits Feds $56 Mil Loan Decision

John Davis

bluefireCellulosic ethanol producer BlueFire Ethanol Fuels, Inc. has cleared the first hurdle in its quest to get a $56 million government loan guarantee for its Lancaster, California ethanol plant.

As you might remember from my Domestic Fuel Cast earlier this month, BlueFire uses a process called Concentrated Acid Hydrolysis Technology that can turn many feedstocks into ethanol, including garbage. I had the chance to talk to Arnold Klann, CEO of BlueFire Ethanol about this latest bid to get some federal loans and the operation he hopes that money will start.

“Lancaster is a prototype. Our business model is to be able to take the waste that’s generated by society … and divert the cellulosic fraction of that waste treatment and convert it into ethanol.”

He says the Lancaster facility is designed for communities of about 100,000-150,000 people. This opens up the possibility that this type of plant could be exported to some developing countries that have agricultural residues and garbage that could be turned into fuels for those local communities. In fact, BlueFire is working with a couple of economic develpment groups in Africa to see if this technology could be used there.

You can hear my entire conversation with Klann here: [audio:http://www.zimmcomm.biz/domesticfuel/AKanninterview-edit.mp3]Read More

Audio, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Government, News

SD DOT to Add 3 E85 Stations

sddotThe state of South Dakota will be adding more infrastructure to fuel their nearly 3,400 government vehicles. According to Ethanol Producer Magazine, ethanol infrastructure will be added to three Department of Transportation campuses in Rapid City, Pierre and Sioux Falls.

This infrastructure will allow DOT to increase their E85 use from 32,640 gallons per year to approximately 250,000 gallons per year. Also available will be mid-level blends of ethanol for the flexible fuel vehicles. For the first six months of operation, the tanks will dispense E85. For the next six months, the tanks will dispense a midlevel blend, likely E30. South Dakota’s Fleet and Travel Office will monitor the use of ethanol-blended fuels and their performance. At the end of the year, the most efficient blend of ethanol will be the fuel routinely distributed at the DOT regional yards.

The state of South Dakota has 96 E85 and blender pump fueling facilities in the state. The three new facilities will be the first privately accessed stations.

blends, E85, Ethanol, Ethanol News, News

RFA Talks Ethanol With Farm Broadcasters

Cindy Zimmerman

nafb rfaRepresentatives of the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) were in Kansas City last week for the National Association of Farm Broadcasting annual Trade Talk event, which meant they did dozens of interviews about the importance of ethanol to agriculture and the rural economy.

Ethanol Report PodcastIn this edition of “The Ethanol Report,” we hear from RFA president and CEO Bob Dinneen about some of the topics they discussed with reporters, including when the EPA decision on increasing the ethanol blend level might be made, how the industry is faring, and the great productivity of the American farmer.

You can subscribe to this twice monthly podcast by following this link.

Listen to or download the podcast here:

Audio, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Ethanol Report, RFA

Texas to Get Electric Vehicle Infrastructure

John Davis

ReliantEnergyOil-rich Texas is beginning to look like an alternative fuel paradise. Drivers in Texas will soon have more opportunities … thanks to new infrastructure … to run their electric vehicles.

Reliant Energy and Nissan Motor Company have announced that the two companies will work together to establish infrastructure, policies and services to support electric vehicle owners across Texas. The
NissanDallas Environmental Policy Examiner reports the move comes as the state has put into effect a new law that requires Texas government agencies to use alternative fuels in half of the state fleet of 27,000 vehicles 80 percent of the time:

“We can now see a clear path to having thousands – even hundreds of thousands – of zero-emission vehicles on Texas roads in the next several years”, said Jason Few, President of Reliant Energy. “By adding a robust charging network and services dedicated to electric vehicles, we will be able to offer a viable alternative to fossil-fuel powered transportation”.

NissanLEAFReliant and Nissan will initially focus on the Houston region and expect infrastructure and services to be in place in the late 2010 to support the commercial introduction of the Nissan LEAF. Nissan’s new five-passenger, compact all-electric car that will be eligible for a $7,500 federal tax credit, will be capable of achieving 100 miles on a single charge…

A new Texas law requires state agencies to run 50 percent of their vehicles on alternative fuels 80 percent of the time, and to increase the percentage of newly purchased low-emission state vehicles from 10 to 25 percent. The state fleet is currently comprised of about 27,000 vehicles distributed among 95 agencies.

“House Bill 432 addresses the fact that our state is a leader in the research and production of alternative fuels, but we lack the infrastructure to get drivers who would use it to fuel their vehicles”, Governor Perry said at a ceremonial bill signing in Dallas in August. “Since our state already spends money on a fleet, this bill requires it to include vehicles that use alternative fuel. That will drive the creation of a basic distribution infrastructure and take advantage of the fuels we produce in Texas, including natural gas coming from the Barnett Shale”.

This alternative energy kick seems to be a trend for Texas. As you might remember from my post on March 16, 2009, Dallas-based AT&T is putting 15,000 alternatively-fueled vehicles on the road… a $565 million venture aimed at helping the environment and saving the company gasoline costs. Part of AT&T’s plan includes building up to 40 new compressed natural gas (CNG) fueling stations.

Car Makers, Electric Vehicles

Mid-Atlantic Offshore Wind Farm Gains Traction

John Davis

Offshorewindmills2A couple of events this week could bring the hope of wind farms off the coasts of Delaware, Maryland and Virginia … better known as the Delmarva … closer to reality.

The Ocean City (MD) Dispatch reports that on Monday, Bluewater Wind, which already has an offshore wind farm project well underway in Delaware and a conceptual plan for a second one off the coast of Maryland, was taken over by NRG Energy Inc., a major player in energy production and distribution in the region. Then, on Tuesday, the governors of Maryland, Delaware and Virginia signed memorandum of understanding (MOU) to form a tri-state partnership for the deployment of offshore wind energy in the mid-Atlantic coastal region:

Viewed individually, each event represents a gentle nudge in the direction of future wind farms off the mid-Atlantic coast. Together, however, they represent a significant move toward the development of the alternative energy source in the three states that comprise Delmarva. First and foremost, the MOU agreed upon by Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley, Delaware Governor Jack Markell and Virginia Governor Tim Kaine on Tuesday creates a formal partnership that could pull together the region’s significant offshore wind resources.

“No one state will be able to do this independently of the other states in the region,” said Bluewater Wind’s Dave Blazer. “There will have to be some spillover. It’s a pretty exciting development in this effort and should be beneficial for the region as a whole.”

Blazer explained the MOU essentially opens the door for the three states to partner and pool its collective resources on things like economic development, research and development and job training, for example. O’Malley agreed the MOU represents a significant step in the collaborative effort to develop offshore wind resources off the coast of the three states.

The article goes on to point out that Bluewater Wind already has a 25-year, 200-megawatt power purchase agreement with Delmarva Power and Light that has already been approved by the Delaware Public Service Commission as well as other state agencies. Maryland and Virginia are a bit further behind in their wind energy developments, but the new memorandum of understanding between the three states is expected to push their efforts forward as well.

Wind