ACE Conference 2026

Hydrogen Honda Green Car of the Year

John Davis

hondaclarity2All you’ll see coming out of its tailpipe is clean water vapor. It’s no wonder that Honda’s hydrogen-powered FCX Clarity picked up World Green Car of the Year honors at the recent New York Auto Show.

This story from EcoGeek.org says it beat out 22 other competitors for the title:

The judges credited the FCX Clarity for advancing hydrogen fuel-cell technology to the closest it’s been to mainstream success yet, but also stated that governments need to do more to create infrastructure that will allow cars like the FCX Clarity to really take off.

The FCX Clarity is still only in limited release in California, but, as announced at the NY Auto Show, runner-up [Mitsubishi] iMiEV will definitely be released in the U.S. sometime “before 2012.”

To be in this competition, a vehicle had to either be in full production or as a prototype with limited release. Emissions, fuel efficiency and use of technology were all factors in deciding the winner.

Hydrogen

Biodiesel Fuels Conservation Through Exploration Tour

John Davis

It’s getting closer to that time of year when families across the country will pack up the kids, the dog and a couple of weeks of clothing and head out across the great expanse of America on a Griswold-family style summer vacation (Sorry folks, park’s closed. Moose out front shoulda told ya. — cracks me up every time!).

biodieselrv2But one man isn’t waiting until summer to get his adventure going. In fact, in the past year, Brian Brawdy has driven more than 60,000 miles in his biodiesel, wind and solar powered RV throughout the lower 48. This story from the Chicago Tribune and Sun-Times says his journey is to prove that you can explore while you conserve:

Brawdy’s home on wheels consists of a 2008 Ford F-350 Super Duty 4×4 topped off with a Lance 1181 Camper. The interior is straight up bachelor pad, with a TV, a few beers in the fridge and a disheveled bed.

This “mobile base camp,” as he calls it, let’s him travel North America’s highways and byways while spreading the word about environmental conservation.

Huh, you say? Gas-guzzling RVs aren’t exactly the poster child of the green movement.

Brawdy wants to show that it’s possible to RV in an environmentally sensitive way. He customized his rig with half a dozen rooftop solar panels that, along with a wind turbine, generate enough electricity to power his air conditioner, kitchen gadgets, computer and other equipment he uses to document his journey on his Web site, brianbrawdy.com…

He originally hoped to run the RV on used vegetable oil from restaurants, but Ford’s warranty on the truck’s engine said that was a no-no. So he settled on biodiesel fuel instead.

Brawdy says one of the biggest challenges of the trip has been finding clean-burning biodiesel to burn in his truck (maybe he could use the National Biodiesel Board’s Web site for where to buy the green fuel). But for the former cop, he’d probably find a way to turn the drive to a local gas station into another adventure. At least he won’t have to worry about leaving the dog tied to the bumper.

Biodiesel, Solar, Wind

Hereford Biofuels Sold As Part of Bankruptcy

Joanna Schroeder

One of the most notable ethanol plants in the country was sold today.  The Hereford ethanol plant, which is most noted for its planPANDA ETHANOL MULESHOE FACILITY to turn more than 1 billion pounds of manure into fuel for the boilers that supply steam for the plant, was sold to its creditors for $25 million in credit. Societe Generale, is the lender and the administrative agent for the lending syndicate, that was awarded the plant. The Hereford Biofuels plant filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in January of this year and was owned by Panda Ethanol.

The plant had been in production since mid-year 2006 and has yet to be completed although construction was in the late stages in December 2008. Several complications were cited by Panda contributing to the delays in finishing the facility including firing their contractor, Lurgi PSI, as well as funds that didn’t come to fruition by financial backers and lenders.

Bill Pentak, Panda spokesman, was quoted in Amarillo.com as saying that, “It’s theirs to decide what to do with. The court approved the sale, but we don’t know the closing date for the transaction.”

According to court documents, there are still issues to be revolved and it is unclear as to the future plans of the 100 million gallon ethanol facility. Although Panda Ethanol has not filed for bankruptcy and still has three subsidiary companies, its future is also unclear.

Ethanol, News

Ethanol Across America To Support National FFV Awareness Project

ethanol-across-americaThe Ethanol Across America education campaign has announced its support of the National Flexible Fuel Vehicle (FFV) Awareness Project in cooperation with the FlexFuel Vehicle Club of America. The FlexFuel Vehicle Club was founded to build a national support base of FFV owners and other related stakeholders. The goal of the project is to accelerate and support existing consumer education efforts to increase ethanol demand through the sale of high level blends of ethanol to meet the nation’s renewable fuel standard.

ffv-club“Consumers are becoming more aware of the impact of their energy usage on the environment. Consumers have the choice to turn off a light, change a bulb, or even buy green energy (e.g., wind, solar, hydro) from their local utility. However, the vast majority of consumers still do not have the choice of what fuel to put in their cars unless they are one of the 7 million owners of FFVs. We are launching this national FFV awareness campaign so more consumers will begin to use their power of choice and purchase higher than 10% blends of ethanol,” said Burl Haigwood, President of the FlexFuel Vehicle Club.

By teaming with the Clean Fuels Foundation and the Ethanol Across America program, project coordinators say they will be able to reach a wide audience through announcements about the project on the Ethanol Across America’s Ethanol Minute radio show. The first phase of the FFV Club’s efforts will concentrate on reaching out to Governors and Energy Offices in states with biofuel programs and/or E85 stations. They have the opportunity to identify and contact the FFV owners in cooperation with their state department of motor vehicles and state inspection stations.

The FlexFuel Vehicle Club’s awareness program will try to decal all makes and models of FFVs. FFV decal branding will compliment similar efforts to brand fuel ethanol and E85 at the retail gasoline dispenser. The national FFV awareness project will focus on increasing the utilization of E85 after the retail station has opened. The program will expand the stakeholder community from just fuel providers to include the automobile dealership network and other community stakeholders (e.g., civic, faith, and environmental organizations) to increase FFV and E85 awareness to the public.

“True energy independence is about the freedom of consumer choice. FFVs, ethanol, E85 and the nation’s renewable fuel standard have put consumers back in the driver’s seat, and we plan to mobilize this American asset,” said Haigwood.

Miscellaneous

Bright Automotive Unveils The IDEA

Joanna Schroeder

1_voc_crop_090416b1In the race to develop and produce more efficient electric vehicles, Bright Automotive has launched a brand-new, 100-mpg plug-in hybrid electric (PHEV) fleet vehicle –The IDEA. This is one of the first PHEVs designed “for the people by the people,” to compete in the light-duty truck market. The vehicle offers 180 cubic feet of interior space and a 1-ton payload capacity. Perfect, claims Bright, for commercial fleet use.

Beginning in 2012, the company plans to be produce 50,000 vehicles per year that will provide companies and government agencies, such as the post office, with a cost-saving, eco-friendly American made fleet vehicle. But maybe more interesting than its features and fuel-economy, is that Bright Automotive developed the IDEA in less than one year. It has taken some companies, such as GM, years to develop PHEVs such as the Chevy Volta, which has yet to begin full-scale production, and on average current hybrid vehicles have yet to achieve more than 60 mpg. It looks like the smaller auto companies, such as Tesla Motors and Bright Automotive are poised to own the PHEV market.

3388564188_4427beac121The company, based in Andersen, Indiana was formed in January 2008 as an offshoot of the Rocky Mountain Institute and haspartners that include Alcoa, Google.org, Johnson Controls and the Turner Foundation. Consumers got their first preview of The IDEA on April 8th and Washington lawmakers were able to drive around town on April 21st.  The worldwide unveiling of the IDEA will be in May at the Electric Vehicle Symposium (EVS24) in Norway.

So how does it work? It is unique in that on a full charge, the IDEA uses battery power for the first 30 miles, using little to no gasoline. Once the driver exceeds 30 miles, the car functions like other hybrids. When you factor in battery vs gas usage plus miles driven, say 50 miles, the car gets the equivalent of 100 mpg.

The IDEA should prove to both American consumers and Washington DC policy makers that PHEVs are a reality and will hopefully encourage American automakers to step up their research development and production of electric vehicles.

Car Makers, Electric Vehicles

New Study: Evaluating Options for GHG Mitigation

Joanna Schroeder

logo_corpThere is a lot of dialogue surrounding the best way to create energy and environmental policies, specifically around greenhouse gas emissions. The RAND Corporation recently released a study, “Evaluating Options for U.S. Greenhouse-Gas Mitigation Using Multiple Criteria,” that evaluates three past attempts to develop energy policy. The study notes that the majority of current policy focuses on cost-effectiveness but policy that relies on this criteria is unlikely to survive.

The paper identifies four normative criteria that can be applied to GHG-control systems and examines their implications for how packages of GHG policies might perform against these criteria. The criteria include: cost effectiveness, fairness of distributional inputs, incentives for innovation and adaptability of policy framework.

The authors offer lessons to be learned about the policies they reviewed and noted, “Well-crafted environmental policies need to address not only efficiency issues but also equity or distributive issues and appeal generally to the public and industry.”

Ultimately the paper finds that policies likely to have political viability and achieve environmental goals will:

• Include burden-sharing mechanisms that are transparent, means-tested, and limited in scope and duration when considering incentive-based greenhouse gas mitigation policy.

• Couple the mitigation policy with a strategic framework for research, development, and demonstration (RD&D) to reduce long-term GHG emissions, including a clear role for public-sector financing from revenues generated by the mitigation policy.

• Limit irreversible commitments in order to maintain the ability to adapt to uncertain and changing future circumstances.

This is an informative policy paper especially for those lobbying on behalf of the renewable energy industry. Click here to download a free copy of the report, “Evaluating Options for U.S. Greenhouse-Gas Mitigation Using Multiple Criteria“.

Company Announcement, Energy, Environment, Legislation

10 Big Oil Front Groups to Watch

Joanna Schroeder

front_groups_badgeFront groups are as old as Big Oil. These are coalitions, committees, alliances and think tanks that are created by organizations that don’t disclose their support. They usually have misleading names, for example the Citizen’s Alliance for Responsible Energy (CARE), which is now defunct, and often consumers take them and their positions at face value, not understanding the group’s underlying goals or implications.

There are several common threads among the front groups that are supported by enemies of renewable energy (most often Big Oil) with the largest number of them publishing documents and supporting research that proves global warming doesn’t exist. This goal is achieved in many ways with the most prominent being the support of groups that promote “sound science”.  Another popular strategy is to fund think tanks to write papers that outline policies that are beneficial to the energy industry (oil, coal, natural gas).

Many of our readers have contacted me asking how to determine if an organization is a “front group”. In response, I did some research and following are 10 groups to watch outlined in a free issues brief, “10 Big Oil Front Groups to Watch”. This list is by no means exhaustive but encompasses organizations that are currently very active in the public debate about energy and environment.

1. The Heartland Institute
2. Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI)
3. Committee for a Constructive Tomorrow (CFACT)
4. American Enterprise Institute (AEI)
5. CATO Institute
6. Center for North American Energy Security (CNAES)
7. American Council on Science and Health (ACSH)
8. George C. Marshall Institute
9. Food Before Fuel
10. Cooler Heads Coalition

Click here to download a copy of “10 Big Oil Front Groups to Watch“.

Opinion

VW Ready to Race on Biodiesel

John Davis

vwtdi2A race circuit for young drivers to get their professional careers going… while running on a clean, renewable fuel, gets started this weekend. The 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup series kicks off at VIRginia International Raceway on April 25 & 26… the second year that VW has offered a new way of thinking about auto racing.

The series, sanctioned by SCCA Pro Racing, sets up the young drivers in identical factory-prepared clean diesel Jetta TDIs running on a 5 percent blend of biodiesel. That way you know it’s their driving skills and not some mechanical advantage one engine has over the other. This press release from the National Biodiesel Board points out it is the only clean diesel racing series in the United States, and Volkswagen is the only auto manufacturer participating in motorsports full time with diesel powered cars:

Houston-based HYPERFUELS is also the official fuel sponsor of the 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI race season, powering the series with its high performance Syndiesel® B5. That’s a blend of 5 percent biodiesel and 95 percent synthetic diesel fuel. This biodiesel blend provides a winning combination of benefits, offering the highest cetane rating of any diesel fuel on the market today and 20 percent more BTUs than conventional diesel. It has the added benefits of increased lubricity and reduced emissions from the domestically produced, renewable biodiesel component.

About 12,000 gallons of biodiesel blended fuel will be used to power the 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup series, from the Jetta TDI race cars running on B5, to the transport trucks and generators running on 20 percent biodiesel blends. The overall carbon emissions of the series will be reduced by more than 33,760 pounds.

Clark Campbell, Motorsport Manager for Volkswagen of America, Inc. said, “The addition of Syndiesel® B5 in the Jetta TDI Cup race cars further demonstrates the feasibility of biodiesel as an alternative fuel source for American consumers, and supports the clean and green racing of the Jetta TDI Cup series. Volkswagen also supports the use of up to B5 biodiesel blends in all of its TDI clean diesel powered vehicles available at local Volkswagen dealerships today.”

By the way, Jess Hewitt, President of HYPERFUELS, is also the Chairman of the National Biodiesel Board’s marketing committee.

Biodiesel, NBB

KL Energy Corporation Expanding Into Brazil

Joanna Schroeder

kl-energyKL Energy Corporation, based in Rapid City, South Dakota, has announced a partnership agreement with add blue Ltda, based in São Paulo, Brazil, to build a cellulosic ethanol plant in Brazil utilizing KL Energy’s cellulosic ethanol technology for the use of sugarcane bagasse and straw feedstock. The plant will use KL Energy’s enzymatic process which will be integrated into a conventional sugarcane mill, and is expected to go online in 2010.

“KL Energy had been looking for opportunities to enter the Brazilian ethanol market. Our agreement with add blue is the perfect fit to expand our business strategy as a global cellulosic ethanol technology provider,” said Steve Corcoran, CEO of KL Energy.

In addition, add blue will be the first company in Brazil’s sugarcane industry to apply Aspen Plus®, a process simulation tool designed to enable mill owners to increase capacities, yields and profitability. add blue is in the process of successfully concluding its first full scale process optimization project at a sugarcane mill in the State of São Paulo. addblue2

“Cellulosic ethanol has great market potential in Brazil and this is the ideal moment to introduce this technology,” said Peter Gross, Founder and Managing Partner of add blue. “The cooperation with KL has begun extraordinary well in all areas: the joint optimization of KL Energy’s enzymatic process for sugarcane mills, testing of bagasse feedstock in KL Energy’s commercial scale facility, and Aspen Plus powered process optimization.”

Brazil is the world’s 2nd largest producer of ethanol. Today, more than 360 mills are operating in Brazil, all of them generating significant amounts of sugarcane bagasse, an ideal feedstock for cellulosic ethanol production. KL Energy was the first company in the U.S. to bring a commercial-scale cellulosic ethanol facility online in January 2008 based in Upton, Wyoming using woodwaste as the primary feedstock.

Cellulosic, Company Announcement, Ethanol, International

Canadian’s Support of Biofuels Strong

Joanna Schroeder

canadian-rfa-logoPublic support for biofuels continues to grow in Canada according to national poll results released today. The poll was conducted by Praxicus Public Strategies and funded by the Canadian Renewable Fuels Association.

When respondents were asked if they support replacing some fossil fuels with renewable fuels like ethanol and biodiesel, 69 percent said yes. This is an improvement from last year’s results. In addition, 76 percent of respondents support the passing of a five percent renewable fuel standard by 2010 and 87 percent support federal policies that would encourage the development of next generation biofuels.

Environmental support also scored high with Canadians strongly supporting the development of environmentally friendly and viable alternatives to fossil fuels as part of an “Energy and Environment” agenda. Respondents want to see increased fuel efficiency at the top of the agenda followed by alternative fuel development. Support for both of these policies scored higher than regulating the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.

The poll was conducted April 15-18, 2009 had a national sample of 1,000 Canadians. It has a margin or error +3.1% nineteen times out of twenty. To learn more about the poll and its results, visit www.greenfuels.org.

Biodiesel, Ethanol, International