Climate Bill Debate Begins in Senate

Cindy Zimmerman

The U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee began debate on the so-called climate bill Tuesday with testimony from four top members of the Obama administration – U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson.

VilsackSecretary Vilsack testified discussed the importance of engaging farmers and ranchers in crafting the solution to this critical issue, and highlighted many potential economic benefits to rural communities in a cap and trade program.

“Rural landowners can benefit from incentives in climate and energy legislation that reward production of renewable energy such as wind and bioenergy,” said Vilsack. “A number of renewable energy technologies such as anaerobic digesters, geothermal, and wind power can reduce farmers’ reliance on fossil fuels. In cooperation with the Department of Energy, USDA will contribute to promoting these technologies and our outreach and extension networks will need to help make them available to farmers, ranchers, and land managers.”

One of the most contentious moments of today’s testimony came when Administrator Jackson confirmed an EPA analysis showing that unilateral action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions would have no effect on climate without action by China and India. Secretary Chu disagreed with EPA’s analysis.

Energy, Ethanol News, Government

Is There a Link Between Climate Change and Poverty?

Joanna Schroeder

3659752199_8831062b10Oxfam International released an interesting report yesterday called, “Suffering the Science: Climate Change, People and Poverty”. The crutch of the report is to demonstrate how the effects of climate change are impacting people in poor communities much harder then in developed regions. Issues that are linked to poverty and development include access to food and water as well as health and security. The report warns, “without immediate action 50 years of development gains in poor countries will be permanently lost.”

The study was released in tandem with the G8 Summit being held in Italy beginning tomorrow. Climate change and poverty issues are expected to be high on the list for discussion.

“Climate change is the central poverty issue of our times,” said Jeremy Hobbs, Oxfam International Executive Director. “Climate change is happening today and the world’s poorest people, who already face a daily struggle to survive, are being hit hardest. The evidence is right in front of our eyes. The human cost of climate change is as real as any redundancy or repossession notice.”

Another issue the report focuses on is the impact of erratic weather on agriculture. Without the ability for poor farmers to rely on seasons, they are losing multiple crops due to sudden heat waves or heavy rains. The report also accusess “rich countries” of creating the climate crisis. Oxfam wants these countries to fund more aid programs as well as adopt tougher climate policies. It will be interesting to see what “calls to action” come from the G8 Summit relating to climate change and poverty.

Environment, Farming, global warming, International

Register Now for Alcohol School

Joanna Schroeder

textbook-51Don’t miss out on the 29th annual Alcohol School, being held in Montreal, Quebec September 13-18, 2009. The course is designed to educate students on proven technology and advances in fuel ethanol and distilled beverage production. Students have the opportunity to attend either Fuel or Distilled Beverage lectures taught by leading industry scientists and academics, as well as Ethanol Technology Institute experts.

The European and North American programs are designed for lab, plant, and management personnel and during the week classes will be taught in both the classroom and the lab. With a rapidly changing industry, Alcohol School can help you keep you apprised of the latest ethanol and distilled beverage technology. You also have the opportunity to network with other experts in your field.

There are early bird registration rates through Augusst 17. Register now and receive a free copy of  “The Alcohol Textbook, 5th edition” which is a detailed guide to fuel and distilled alcohol production . Can’t attend the school? You can order your copy of the textbook here.

conferences, Ethanol

Canada Plans Advanced Energy Research Center

Cindy Zimmerman

EnerkemEnerkem, a leading waste-to-biofuels and green chemicals technology company, today announced that it will jointly form an advanced energy research center with the City of Edmonton and the Alberta Energy Research Institute (AERI).

The research center will focus on the development and demonstration of novel catalytic conversion processes to produce advanced biofuels and green chemicals from non-hazardous industrial waste (generated by the oil and gas, agricultural, forestry and other industrial sectors), as well as from municipal waste. It will be adjacent to the planned commercial waste-to-biofuels production facility, which is ready for construction and has already been announced by Enerkem.

biofuels, Energy

Pickens and Propane

Cindy Zimmerman

T. Boone PickensBillionaire oilman and energy activist T. Boone Pickens says propane is an important part of the “Pickens Plan”, citing propane’s environmentally friendly profile and ample production in the United States. Pickens made that announcement at a recent propane industry event in Washington with the Propane Education & Research Council (PERC).

PERC“America has the opportunity today to reduce its dependence on foreign oil while protecting the environment by making the most of domestic energy sources,” said Pickens. “Propane is clean, it’s American-made, and it can be put to work right now.”

Ninety-seven percent of propane used in the United States is produced in North America, with much of it coming from the processing of natural gas originating in the United States. “As more American natural gas reserves are tapped, propane production becomes even more domestic,” said Pickens.

Introduced in July 2008 by Pickens, the Pickens Plan is a comprehensive approach to ending America’s growing dependence on foreign oil while reducing the environmental impact of foreign oil, gasoline and diesel. The environmental benefits of gaseous fuels, including propane and natural gas, was another factor in Pickens’ decision to highlight propane as part of his plan.

Energy, Propane

New Shape of Wind Energy is a Cube

John Davis

windcube2Many times when you think of wind turbines, you think of giant, white blades turning effortlessly in the breezes above a Midwestern farm field. But in order for wind energy to become better accepted, it’s got to be practical in the cities and suburban areas that don’t always have the winds you might see on the prairies and coastal areas.

This story from WKYC-TV in Cleveland says a 22-foot Wind Cube has made its debut in the Lake Erie Business Park in Port Clinton:

It was installed by Green Energy Technologies of Akron, which developed the device for urban areas and those in which traditional large wind turbines were not practical.

“We knew that if we were going inside the city limits or if we were going to be putting them in buildings we had to be able to amplify the wind,” Green Energy President Mark Cironi told WKYC before a ribbon-cutting at the Port Clinton plant on Monday.

“We just couldn’t take the straight ambient wind, convert it to energy, and call it a day,” he explained. Thus the concept off the Wind Cube, in which a shroud surrounding the turbine blades actually doubles the ambient wind speed.

“Doubling the wind speed with this tunnel effect actually increases energy generation by a factor of eight,” said John Fedor of MRD Solutions in Eastlake, which helped design the Wind Cube.

The device can operate at ambient wind speeds of as low as five miles per hour. Consultant David Spera, Ph.D., of DASCON Engineering says that can help keep a constant flow of power into the system.

Government officials at the ribbon-cutting ceremony say it’s because of local credits for this type of project that made it possible. One congressman even declared Northern Ohio to be the “Saudi Arabia of wind” energy.

Wind

Biodiesel Control Center Manages Grease Feedstock

John Davis

biodieselsoftwarecomRestaurant owners who want to get rid of their used cooking oil and biodiesel producers who want to turn that waste into the green fuel will get some help from a new Web-based tool.

Biodiesel Magazine has this story on how the Biodiesel Control Center software will help biodiesel makers identify potential customers, establish collection routes and conduct titration tests on samples of the greasy feedstock:

“The Biodiesel Control Center is web-based software that helps new or future producers manage their business,” [Jason Burroughs of DieselGreen Fuels] said. “When we needed software to help with our management needs, we found that there really wasn’t anything specifically for the biodiesel industry. And what was available was dated, and cost as much as $14,000.”

Users of the Biodiesel Control Center do not need to install any programs on their computers; they simply log in to a secure website and access several databases and management programs. The starting price will be $50 per month for up to 25 restaurants, and it scales up from there. Web hosting, weekly leads, and data backups are included in the price. Setup fees vary but can include importing private data into the system and helping set up collection routes.

“If we have been taking oils to a producer who complains about the free-fatty-acid content of the feedstock for instance, we can trace where that particular batch of feedstock comes from,” Burroughs said. “If we discover it’s a Dairy Queen giving us grease that really isn’t suited for biodiesel production, we can eliminate them from our route…so this software helps us separate our good customers from the bad ones.”

The Biodiesel Control Center Web site is offering a free trial now through August 1. After that, commercial subscriptions will be available.

Biodiesel

Biodiesel Board: EPA Extension Will Hurt Industry

John Davis

nbb-logoThe Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has extended its public comment period on its proposal to change the requirements to the Renewable Fuels Standard.

The National Biodiesel Board was already upset that the proposal would keep soy-based biodiesel from qualifying for the RFS, and now, this Des Moines Register story says the 60-day extension on comments on that proposal will delay the biodiesel mandate from going into effect:

“This will provide additional hardship to the U.S. biodiesel industry,” the board said. The mandate was to start at 500 million gallons this year and rise to a billion gallons by 2012.

“It’s important that the rule gets finished to provide market certainty because biodiesel is not in very good shape,” said Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Ia.

As you might remember from my post back on June 29, 2009 the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009… aka the Climate Bill… will exempt current biodiesel producers from meeting certain emission rules that might have sunk them. It passed the U.S. House and is now awaiting aciton in the Senate.

Biodiesel, NBB

Growth Energy Adds New Staff

Cindy Zimmerman

Two experienced Capitol Hill insiders have joined the staff of Growth Energy.

Growth EnergyAnne Steckel will be Director of Government Affairs for the ethanol organization and Ted Monoson has been named Director of Legislative Affairs. Steckel is a former aide to Senator Richard Durbin (D-IL) and most recently served as the Director of Congressional Relations for the American Farm Bureau Federation. Monoson is a former aide to House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH).

According to a Growth Energy release, Monoson and Steckel will work to advance the organization’s policy priorities in the nation’s capitol, “which include increasing the blend of ethanol in our fuel supply to up to 15 percent and ensuring America’s farmers and ethanol producers can continue to provide alternative fuels to power our nation.”

Ethanol, Growth Energy

Leading Ethanol Marketer Acquired by Mansfield Oil

mansfield_oilAccording to Convenience Store News, Mansfield Oil, a downstream oil company that provides fuel services throughout the U.S. to convenience stores and other retailers, will be acquiring C&N Companies, a leading ethanol marketer based in Minneapolis.

Mansfield operates 650 bulk terminals and 900 supply points in 48 states and plans to immediately begin marketing C&N products to refiners and blenders.

C&N was founded by Jon Bjornstad, a former Cenex Petroleum unbranded fuel marketing manager who established C&N in 2000 to produce and market biofuels and ethanol. The company now accounts for more than 500 million gallons of ethanol production at 11 plants in the U.S. and Mexico and 150 million gallons of biodiesel. He will continue in his role as president. He believes selling to Mansfield will take the company to the “next level”.cnn_cos

“We’re going to be able to tap into 50-plus-year relationships with the blender customers that my ethanol plant customers have in North America,” he said. “And that’s really important to my ethanol plant clients as we efficiently and effectively bring their product to market. For our plants, at the end of the day, it’s all about transportation logistics and the ultimate netbacks that they can achieve.”

The deal greatly enhances the Georgia-based Mansfield’s geographic strength in the Midwest.

Biodiesel, Ethanol