Corn growers want regulators to know that trying to measure unintended consequences of biofuels production could result in more unintended consequences.
The National Corn Growers Association held a conference this week in St. Louis to focus on the issue of land use and carbon impacts of corn ethanol and how the future can be predicted with models to determine lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions. The problem, according to NCGA CEO Rick Tolman, is the language that was put in the 2007 energy bill’s Renewable Fuels Standard. “We had some arcane language put in there that said we’ll take a look at indirect land change and its implications as an unintended consequence,” Tolman said. “What we think is there’s an unintended consequence of the unintended consequence, which may be that we may in fact start using more imported oil because of this language we have regulation that exceeds our ability to measure.”
Tolman says California’s low carbon fuel standard is an example of how using unproven models that fail to use updated information or accurate future predictions of new technology and higher yields is going to have the opposite effect of what was intended – that is, using less imported fossil fuels. “After 2010, you won’t be able to sell ethanol in California,” said Tolman. “And it is really the only viable low carbon fuel that’s available in California, so that means more oil.”
The corn growers are hoping regulators will take a closer look at what they are trying to do and consider the impact that it will have down the road.
Listen to or download an interview with Rick Tolman here:
St. Louis was the destination this week as more than 100 researchers and industry leaders from 10 states came together for the “Algae-to-Energy in the South” regional summit aimed at looking at algae’s potential as a renewable energy resource, particularly making it into biodiesel.
The National Biodiesel Board has been proactive to support research and development to learn more about algae’s potential as well as honing algae extraction techniques. NBB’s feedstock program, with funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation, is working with Dr. Sayre to further develop a non-destructive oil extraction process, sometimes referred to as “milking the algae,” that is capable of continuously removing oil from living algal cultures. The program is considering what strains perform best and how the process may benefit production efficiency by removal of contaminants.
Dr. Sayre explained that oil based fuels, such as biodiesel, have many benefits. They boast twice the energy density of alcohol; oil producing plants have reduced impact on the environment; and algae based biodiesel can be produced on land not suitable for other uses and result in higher oil per acre than currently available.
Federal officials have handed out $4.2 million in grants for projects that will reduce the fuel for forest fires, while creating a green fuel source.
Woodbury BP Daily Express at 1569 Woodlane Drive will be offering E85 and biodiesel at a discount, tomorrow, August 28
“Thank you to the event supporters: Woodbury BP Daily Express, Minnesota Corn Growers Association, Minnesota Soybean Growers Association and the Minnesota Clean Air Choice™ Team,” said Kelly Marczak, with the American Lung Association of the Upper Midwest. She noted that E85 is for flexible fuel vehicles (FFVs) only. FFVs use E85 or gas interchangeably and one can check to see if their vehicle is compatible by looking at their fuel lid door. B5 biodiesel can be used in any diesel engine. 
Geoff Cooper with the 
Following over a year of intense work by the 
The power of soybean-based biodiesel will be on display this Friday and Saturday nights in Jefferson City, Mo., as the Midwest Xtreme Truck and Tractor Pull, a National Tractor Pullers Association Grand National event, comes to town.
USB staff and Missouri Soybean Merchandising Council staff will be on hand educating pull attendees on the benefits of soy biodiesel and will be available for media interviews. Biodiesel has the best energy return of any liquid fuel, along with increased lubricity, high cetane and the highest BTU content of any renewable fuel.
In what should be a cautionary tale to American lawmakers who might want to raise revenues from biodiesel sales, a leader of Germany’s biofuels industry says high taxes on biodiesel in that country are killing the green fuel there.
A Louisiana biodiesel plant that needs intense heat to turn animal fats and waste materials into the green fuel has chosen a Texas company that specializes in the process control system that uses hydrogen to create the heat needed.