ACE Conference 2026

Join the Conversation with ACE

Joanna Schroeder

So you’re reading my blog post so you’ve made a step in the right direction to get the news on ethanol, but did you know that you’re only scratching the surface of knowledge? You can get more involved than ever in the ethanol industry without ever leaving your couch. You can “Join the Conversation” with all of the great tools that the American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) offers.

Here is a peak at what you might be missing:

PR PanelYou may notice a “Social Media” theme here which is still new to many in the biofuels industry. One of the sessions, “Strategic, Advocacy and PR in the Era of New Media” was a great first step for attendees to learn how to get into the game. The panel included Kristin Brekke and Shannon Gustafson, with ACE along with Jeremy Bird, Organizing for America and Greg Veerman, Astronaut Studios. If you missed the session, check out ACE’s YouTube channel where they have several of the conference presentations or you can reach out to anyone of the speakers, or even our very own team here at DomesticFuel. And if this isn’t enough to keep you busy, check out my Flicker photo album from the conference.

ACE, conferences, Ethanol, News

Renew. Unit. Succeed. Determination.

Joanna Schroeder

IMG_1405“We must leave oil before oil leaves us.” Wise words from Brian Jennings, the executive director of the American Coalition for Ethanol during his general session presentation at the 22nd Ethanol Conference & Trade Show. We need to progress from short-term day to day crisis management to thinking long-term strategy, continued. Jennings. “We need to unite.”

A major theme of the conference delivered by both Brian as well as the other speakers and attendees was the need for the ethanol industry to unit. “We need to focus on things we have in common rather than focusing on differences. We can get more done. Only we can defeat ourselves,” said Jennings.

“We put way too much emphasis on who’s better. Who has better ideas. We need to put less emphasis on the me and put more emphasis on doing the work.”

Jennings also spoke about how the industry is really trying to make gasoline the alternative fuel, but that the industry needed political courage to change the status quo. He also encouraged the industry that the days of profitability are coming back, but if the blend wall isn’t increased it could be devastating– there is more capacity than demand. “We have to focus with laser like attention to creating more demand for ethanol.”

determinationIn closing, Jennings said, “We need to renew, unite and have the determination to succeed.” Well said.

You can see photos from the event in our Flicker photo album.

ACE, conferences, Ethanol News

US Navy to Develop Portable Biodiesel Production Unit

John Davis

BioAeroNavyThe U.S. Navy is working with Biodiesel Industries and aerospace and defense company Aerojet to develop a high-tech, remote-controlled, automated, portable biodiesel production unit.

This story from Biodiesel Magazine says the project at the Naval Facilities Engineering Service Center in Port Hueneme, Calif. will called ARIES… Automated, Real-time, Remote, Integrated Energy System:

With the resources and modus operandi of the U.S. Navy, along with Biodiesel Industries’ 10-year biodiesel production database, ARIES utilizes Aerojet’s systems control technologies to provide real-time sensing and management of important processing and chemical parameters, resulting in automation of the entire process. Biodiesel Industries stated that this enhances yields, makes quality control more reliable, and assures safety of personnel. This remote sensing also allows for monitoring and operation from one control center for multiple biodiesel processing centers located anywhere in the world.

Russell Teall, president and founder of Biodiesel Industries, said Aerojet and the Navy are perfect partners in this project. “For the past 15 years we’ve been developing proprietary technology for modular multi-feedstock biodiesel production. Combining the [Naval Facilities Engineering Service Center’s] specialization in energy and environmental systems with Aerojet’s history of advanced systems controls, enabled the implementation and first public demonstration of Biodiesel Industries’ ARIES platform. As the world’s largest consumer of diesel fuel, the implications for the Navy and the [Department of Defense] are clear.”

Officials expect that if the project works for the Navy, there will be benefits for the commercial sector.

Biodiesel

Biodesel Powers Radio at Iowa State Fair

John Davis

irfaThe Iowa Renewable Fuels Association has teamed up with legendary radio station WHO in Des Moines to power its Crystal Studio at the Iowa State Fair from August 13-23 using B20 biodiesel.

This IRFA press release says the diesel generators for the studio have been running on bodiesel during the fair since 2006:

“IRFA is proud to help continue the biodiesel tradition of WHO radio and the Iowa State Fair,” said Monte Shaw, Executive Director of IRFA. “With the largest farm audience in Iowa, WHO and the Iowa State Fair are the perfect partners to demonstrate the power and performance of Iowa-produced B20. As farmers begin the process of ordering fuel for the harvest, we want to encourage them to buy biodiesel, a clean, reliable alternative for the fall harvest season and beyond.”

IRFA is also airing “buy biodiesel” ads on WHO during the fair, and the green energy group’s members will also conduct on-air interviews to educate the public about the benefits of biodiesel.

Biodiesel

BP, Martek Ink Deal to Make Biodiesel from Sugars

John Davis

BPMartekBP and Martek Biosciences Corporation have signed a deal to develop an advanced biodiesel from sugars.

The agreement will use Martek’s ability to work with microbes and BP’s large-scale capabilites:

“Martek is pleased to partner with BP’s Alternative Energy team, to combine our unique algae-based technologies and intellectual property for the creation of sustainable and affordable technology for microbial biofuel production,” said Steve Dubin, Martek CEO. “BP’s global leadership and commitment to alternative energy solutions complements Martek’s own commitment to responsible and sustainable products and production.”

“BP is very pleased to be entering this important partnership with Martek,” says Philip New, CEO BP Biofuels. “As an alternative to conventional vegetable oils, we believe sugar to diesel technology has the potential to deliver economic, sustainable and scaleable biodiesel supplies. In partnering with Martek, we combine the world’s leading know-how in microbial lipid production with our expertise in fuels markets and applications, and our more recent experience in biofuels production and commercialization.”

The technology has been demonstrated in Martek’s field for more than 20 years and the challenge is to adapt this technology to the needs of the biofuels market, in terms of product profile and economics.

Philip New added, “This technology is also a perfect fit with our other strategic choices for biofuels, all based on sustainable feedstocks and fermentation to produce advanced biofuels. It is part of our approach of integrating sugar cane and lignocellulosic biofuels with advanced technologies to produce products with a wide range of uses.”

BP is contributing $10 million in capital to the project.

Biodiesel

Ethanol Report on Blender Pump Initiative

Cindy Zimmerman

Corn growers and the ethanol industry are teaming up to bring more choices to the consumer at the fuel pump.

Ethanol Report PodcastIn this edition of “The Ethanol Report” we hear from representatives of the National Corn Growers Association, the American Coalition for Ethanol and the Renewable Fuels Association about the “Blend Your Own Ethanol” campaign announced this week at the 22nd Ethanol Conference & Trade Show in Milwaukee. The goal of BYOethanol is to install 5,000 blender pumps nationwide over the next three years.

You can read more about it here or see a video and photos from the press conference announcing the partnership here.

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

Listen to or download the podcast here:

ACE, blends, corn, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Ethanol Report, NCGA, RFA

Basketball Champ Loves Ethanol Maker

Cindy Zimmerman

After four NBA Championships, Shaquille O’Neal is pretty much a household word. Now he wants a new moniker to represent his investment in what could become the next big household appliance – the E‐Fuel MicroFueler™ that makes ethanol from organic waste or leftover alcoholic beverages.

E-FuelSometimes known as the “Big Diesel,” Shaq said during a demonstration of the microfueler in California last week that he now wants to be called “Big Ethanol.”

“They showed me how it works, and it was great,” said Shaq, who is having a microfueler installed in his own house.

O’Neal is one of the latest investors in San Diego-based GreenHouse Energy, a San Diego based alternative green energy company. GreenHouse has partnered with several companies, including Karl Strauss Brewing Company, Gordon Biersch Brewing Company and Sunny Delight, to convert 29,000 tons of liquid waste into ethanol using the MicroFueler process.

Ethanol News

BYOethanol: Press Conference

Joanna Schroeder

Unless you haven’t been reading our coverage of the 22nd Ethanol Conference & Trade Show hosted by the American Coalition for Ethanol, you’ve heard by now the news regarding the new blender pump program called BYOethanol. Pronounced “bio,” Blend Your Own Ethanol is a joint campaign between ACE, RFA and NCGA to bring 5,000 blender pumps online throughout the United States in the next three years.

You can learn more about this unprecedented program in my last post. You can also watch the announcement unfold in my video. Interested in seeing what else you missed? Check out our Flickr photo album.

ACE, corn, Ethanol News, Flex Fuel Vehicles, NCGA, RFA, Video

More Corn in the Forecast

Cindy Zimmerman

Despite a late planting season, farmers are still expected to harvest the second biggest corn crop on record and U.S. corn supplies are projected at a record 14.5 billion bushels.

corn 2009According to the crop report released this morning, USDA is forecasting a 12.8 billion bushel corn crop – just two percent less than the record 2007 crop and five percent more than last year. USDA’s World Agricultural Supply and Demand report estimates corn use for 2009/10 will also be higher. “Food, seed, and industrial use is raised 100 million bushels with higher expected use for ethanol supported by favorable ethanol producer returns and strong incentives for ethanol blending,” USDA predicts. They also added another 100 million bushels for feed and residual use and another 150 million in exports.

“We’re proud of our growers and excited to see these estimates because they reflect a lot of hard work and represent the high production many of us are seeing in our fields,” said National Corn Growers Association President Bob Dickey, a grower in Laurel, Neb. “This is all-around a great accomplishment by our farmers and good news for our markets and, ultimately, American consumers.”

Renewable Fuels Association President Bob Dinneen says this proves American farmers are able to provide food, feed, and fuel for the nation. “Technological advancements in both the seed and in the field are allowing farmers to produce more per acre, while using fewer inputs such as fertilizer and diesel fuel. There can be no doubt that we are fully capable of meeting the food and feed obligations we have to the world while simultaneously helping break our addiction to foreign oil,” said Dinneen.

Tom Buis, CEO of Growth Energy, says the continued increases in both corn and soybean production contradicts the theory of indirect land use change. “Based on these reports, it’s silly to still think that the demand for corn in the U.S. to make ethanol would displace land used to plant soybeans and in turn cause deforestation in other parts of the world,” Buis said.

Analyst Peter Georgantones of the Minnesota-based Investment Trading Services thinks the 12.8 billion bushel corn crop forecast could get even bigger. “I actually think the corn yield is going to continue to grow unless we get an early frost,” he said. “I could see 2-3 bushels more put on this corn crop pretty easily.” USDA is predicting a yield of 159.5 bushels per acre, the second highest on record.

corn, Ethanol, Farming, Growth Energy, NCGA, RFA

New North Commissions Study on Cellulosic Ethanol

Joanna Schroeder

NewNorthFor more than a year, officials at the New North, Inc., a regional collaboration effort focused on promoting regional cooperation and economic development in an 18-county region in Northeast Wisconsin have explored the economic development opportunities surrounding cellulosic ethanol production in Northeast Wisconsin. Earlier this week New North announced the results of phase one of what will be a multifaceted project aimed at attracting large-scale cellulosic ethanol production to the region.

Phase one of the study, which is available for download provides detailed analysis of the current availability of forest products in the region. Phase two, with an expected release later this fall, will address behavioral aspects such as production levels and harvest techniques, as well as existing contracts and pricing strategies.

“As Wisconsin moves forward with large scale commercialization and production of cellulosic ethanol, we’re going to be prepared to attract development by promoting our resources and highlighting Northeast Wisconsin’s assets,” said Jerry Murphy, Executive Director of the New North, Inc. “This study will show investors that the New North has the available feedstocks and the skilled workforce necessary for cellulosic ethanol production, and hopefully whets the appetite of companies looking for a site to make an investment.”

Cellulosic, News, Research