Book Review – Coming Clean

Joanna Schroeder

coming-cleanCome Clean America! This week I read “Coming Clean: Breaking America’s Addiction to Oil and Coal by Micheal Brune. I’m going to come clean for a moment and let you know that Brune is the Executive Director of the Rainforest Action Network and the book was published by Sierra Club Books. Ironically, last week I read Green Inc., and many organizations mentioned in this book, including Brune’s own, were called out by MacDonald for ethical and moral issues.

As controversy is a great prerequisite for fodder, I’ll point out that Brune is a huge advocate of global warming. He writes, “Let me be blunt: if we only take individual action and do nothing else to save our climate, we’re probably cooked. We need to aim higher by changing corporate America and challenging our political leaders.”

Brune highlights several issues in the book including Big Oil; King Coal; how banks are funding global climate change; how to jump-start Detroit; wind and solar; and as always one of my favorites, biofuels, which Brune calls agrofuels. I rarely read an energy book where the author is truly up to speed on biofuels and Brune is no exception. Like most everyone, he hates corn ethanol and writes that biofuels may have an important role to play if they meet five criteria. They must:

  1. 1. reduce greenhouse gases
  2. 2. not displace food crops and threaten food security for the world’s poor
  3. 3. uphold the integrity of critical ecosystems, particularly in tropical forests
  4. 4. strengthen the human rights of community farmers and indigenous people
  5. 5. should be developed only as part of a broader strategy to reduce fuel consumption and redesign mobility

Read More

book reviews

Celebrate Iowa Corn Indy 250 with Discounted Ethanol

Joanna Schroeder

bilde1The Iowa Corn Indy 250 is racing into Newton for the third year, and in celebration the Iowa Corn Promotion Board (ICPB) is offering drivers discounted ethanol through two pump promotions. The events will offer consumers the opportunity to register for $250 worth of free ethanol and the chance to win prizes including tickets to the race and the chance to win a ride in an Indy car. The events include radio remotes and an Indy show car will be on hand.

“We want consumers to celebrate with ethanol promotions prior to the Iowa Corn Indy 250. The race will be at the Iowa Speedway on Sunday, June 21,” says Shannon Textor, Iowa Corn marketing director. “We’re proud that 100 percent of locally produced Iowa ethanol is used in the race. We want all consumers to recognize the advantages of using corn ethanol.”

Ethanol promotions will take place at the following locations:

Friday, June 12, 2009
11:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Casey’s General Store
6630 Mills Civic Parkway
West Des Moines, Iowa

Friday, June 19, 2009
11:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Prairie Gas
4300 S. 22nd Avenue E
Newton, Iowa

For more information visit www.iowacorn.org. The race is Sunday, June 21 at 12:30 PM Central Time. It will be broadcast live on ABC.

Ethanol, Racing

DF Cast: Making the Case for Biofuels to the EPA

John Davis

df-logo1Members of the biofuels industries, including those growing the feedstocks to make the green fuels of ethanol and biodiesel, made their way to Washington, D.C. this week to try to stop the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from implementing rules that the biofuels folks will hurt their industry.

The biggest point of contention is the EPA’s Indirect Land Use proposal that could end up making American biodiesel ineligible to be part of the Renewable Fuels Standard… endangering the biodiesel industry and the very standard designed to lower the amount of greenhouse gas emissions. And while ethanol is getting a pass for now, those from that industry are worried how the Indirect Land Use provisions, which estimates the deforestation of rain forests in places such as South America based on how much in row crops U.S farmers grow, could eventually affect them.

Those testifying at the EPA hearing included Renewable Fuels Association President and CEO Bob Dinneen; Steve Ruh, chair of the National Corn Growers Association’s Ethanol Committee; the National Biodiesel Board’s Manning Feraci; the American Soybean Association’s Vice President Ray Gaesser, a soybean producer from Corning, Iowa; POET Vice President for science and technology Dr. Mark Stowers; and Brent Erickson, executive vice president of the Biotechnology Industry Organization’s Industrial and Environmental Section. About 60 people testified at this hearing.

You can hear more about it here: [audio:http://www.zimmcomm.biz/domesticfuel/DFCast-6-12-09.mp3]

You can also subscribe to the DomesticFuel Cast here.

Audio, BIO, Biodiesel, Domestic Fuel Cast, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Government, Indirect Land Use, NBB, NCGA, News, POET, RFA

California Approves B20 for Underground Storage

John Davis

california_state_flagThe state of California has given the OK to store higher blends of biodiesel in underground storage tanks.

Previously, 5 percent biodiesel… or B5… was the limit that a 25-year-old California law imposed. But Biodiesel Magazine reports that California’s Water Resources Control Board has expanded underground storage of biodiesel blends up to B20:

The three-year variance allows underground storage of blends up to B20 in double-walled tanks and piping that currently meet requirements for petroleum-based fuels. It is hoped that the Underwriters Laboratory will have approved testing protocols and the required tests completed before the end of the three year period.

“I was not happy to see it wasn’t B100,” said Joe Gershen, vice president of sales and marketing for Tellurian Biodiesel Inc. “But B anything is better than nothing.” Gershen added that B20 is probably the most commonly used blend in California, and “going from nothing to B5 to B20 is going in the right direction.” He added that the California Biodiesel Alliance, which Tellurian CEO Eric Bowen chairs, has been meeting with the water board which has increased the member’s comfort level with biodiesel. “We’re forging a new relationship with regulators in California,” Gershen said.

Biodiesel, Government

Presentations from Brussels Biofuels Congress Available

John Davis

world-biofuelsJust in case you missed last March’s World Biofuels Markets congress in Brussels, Belgium, now you have a chance to see and hear the presentations from the three-day event.

Green Power Conferences, which put on the international meeting, is making the entire set of presentations available… for a fee:

The complete set contains:

* The speaker presentations from the three day event in PDF format, including the pre-conference seminars (16, 17 & 18 March)*
* Audio recordings from Day 1 and Day 2 of the main conference (17 & 18 March), synchronized with the PowerPoint speaker presentations**
* Video interviews with key speakers and exhibitors from the congress

The World Biofuels Markets (WBM) conference is the leading industry event, where each year the leaders of the biofuels world convene to help drive innovation and business. This presentation set will provide you with:

* Cutting edge insight from 200 of the industry’s most influential speakers
* High quality content from the multi-streamed congress
* 200 speakers, 46 sessions: “No other event gives you as complete a picture of the entire industry”
* Information from key sessions: Renewable Diesel, Btl & Synfuels, Algae Fuels, Cellulosic Ethanol, Biofuels & Forestry, Biofuels from Waste, Jatropha and many more…
* Specific Biofuels Cities sessions featuring Ecofys International, SenterNovem and ICLEI
* Recordings by keynote speakers including Sir Bob Geldof, Lord Browne and Dr Hermann Scheer MEP

More information is available through the Green Power Conferences Web site.

The next World Biofuels Markets congress will be held March 15-17, 2010, in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

biofuels, International

Farm to Fuel Summit Features Biofuels Meeting

John Davis

f2f-09This year’s Farm to Fuel Summit, the fourth year for the Florida-based meeting, will kick off with a Pre-Farm to Fuel Summit meeting on Wednesday, July 29, 2009, from 2-4 pm.

Entitled, “Moving Biofuels into Production in Florida,” the meeting is sponsored by the Florida Biofuels Association, Inc. in association with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, the Florida Office of Energy and Climate Change, and the Florida Office of Tourism, Trade and Economic Development at Rosen Shingle Creek in Orlando:

This Pre-Farm to Fuel Summit Meeting will discuss and explore the opportunities and obstacles the State of Florida faces in infrastructure development of biofuel facilities. The goal of this Strategic Meeting is to begin centralizing the initiatives between public and private enterprise and to develop a vision for the future, thus setting the stage for a successful road map to biofuels production. The list of industry leader panelists is included on the registration form linked below.

Registration and more information is available at the Florida Farm to Fuel Summit 2009 Web site.

biofuels

24 Hours of Le Mans to Use Cellulosic Ethanol

Joanna Schroeder

preview-2866Last year, the American Le Mans Series used both E10 and cellulosic E85 as a part of its fuel mix with the exception of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. This year, the gasoline based cars will be fueled with 10 percent cellulosic ethanol. This is the first time an advanced biofuel has been used in the gasoline at the 24 Hours of Le Mans race. The race will be held in France on June 13, 3009 and the cars will be fueled with Shell V-Power race fuel.

In addition, Shell is blending another advanced biofuel, BTL (Biomass to Liquid), into its Shell V-Power Diesel race fuel. A small amount of the biofuel is used in conjunction with the established, high-performance GTL (Gas to Liquid) component.

Daniel Poissenot, Sport Vice President from Automobile Club l’Ouest (ACO), the Le Mans governing body said, “The use of advanced biofuels in both Shell V-Power gasoline and diesel race fuels at Le Mans highlights the role of the racing series in demonstrating new technologies.”

The biofuel is produced at Iogen Energy Corporation’s demonstration plant in Ottawa, Canada where Iogen and Shell are parters. Earlier this week, Shell announced that its stations in Ottawa will be offering consumers a 10 percent cellulosic ethanol blend for the month of June. The fuel is produced from wheat straw.

“Shell is proud to be the offical fuel supplier for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. We see motorsport as a technical test bed and we are excited about demonstrating Iogen cellulosic ethanol in our Shell V-Power gasoline race fuel this year,” concluded Richard Karlsetter, Shell Global Technology Manager, Racing Fuels.

Cellulosic, Racing

Cellulosic Ethanol Plant to be Closer to UF

Cindy Zimmerman

Plans for a new cellulosic ethanol research and demonstration plant to be built by the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences are being revamped for a location closer to Gainesville.

IFAS officials announced that they have modified their agreement for the plant, which originally was slated to be built at a Florida Crystals site in Okeelanta, Fla. The new plans call for a smaller facility, which will better meet the $20 million budget allocated by the Florida Legislature. In addition, a location closer to UF will help draw upon the expertise of the university’s faculty and staff to expedite next-generation ethanol technology.

The plant will now focus on new parallel processes that produce cellulosic ethanol as well as organic acid co-products in the form of plastics. The plant will also experiment with a wider variety of feedstocks, including forest products, various types of sugarcane, sugar processing byproducts and many others.

Cellulosic, Ethanol, Research

Navy Exchange Opens New E85 Station

navalA grand opening celebration will be held tomorrow, June 11 at 11:00 a.m. to celebrate the opening of a new Navy E85 fuel pump. The dispenser will be located at the Navel Station in Everett, Washington. This is the first NEX E85 dispenser available on the west coast to not only official vehicles, but to both military and civilians who have access to military installations.

The E85 now available at Naval Station Everett supports Executive Order 13149, “Greening the Government Through Federal Fleet and Transportation Efficiency.” The purpose of the order is to ensure the Federal government exercises leadership in the reduction of petroleum consumption through improvements in fleet fuel efficiency and the use of alternative fuels.

“This is a major step forward in our goal of reducing petroleum consumption in fleet vehicles by 2% annually through 2015,” said CAPT Gregory Harshberger, Executive Officer, Naval Facilities Engineering Command Northwest.

The contract for the installation of the E85 tank was awarded on September 24, 2008 to Weston Solutions and construction started on February 26. The cost of the contract was $387,225.

“The availability of an alternative fuel supply on base clearly helps decrease NAVSTA’s “carbon footprint.” Plus, we now have an opportunity to do something for the environment every single day of the year, and not just an annual event to observe Earth Day-type programs,” said CAPT Thomas Mascolo, NAVSTA Everett Commanding Officer.

E85, Ethanol

CPV to ‘Mothball’ Hereford Ethanol Plant

Joanna Schroeder

cpv2Competitive Power Ventures (CPV) has been selected by Ethanol Acquisition, LLC to manage its 105 million-gallon-per-year Hereford Texas ethanol plant under contract to be acquired through the bankruptcy of Hereford Biofuels, L.P. In April of this year, Ethanol Acquisition, who is owned by Societe Generale, acquired the Hereford ethanol plant from Panda Ethanol Inc. for a $25 million credit bid in bankruptcy court.

Dave Magill, Senior Vice President, Asset Management for CPV, stated in a company release, “We are pleased to have been selected by Ethanol Acquisition to manage their Hereford plant. Our objective is to properly maintain and preserve the facility in anticipation of a future start-up or eventual sale.”

CPV is assisting Ethanol Aquisition with closing the aquisition, and will be overseeing the plant’s transition to ‘mothball’ status and liquidating physical commodity positions.

Company Announcement, Ethanol