ACE Conference 2026

NEVC to Hold 2008 Board and Membership Meeting in St. Louis

nevcThe National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition (NEVC) will be holding their 2008 Annual Board of Director and Membership Meeting at the Renaissance St. Louis Airport on January 26-27, 2009. The NEVC invites all to join automakers, marketers, commodity organizations, retailers, equipment manufacturers and MORE to discuss how to further the use of higher blends of ethanol throughout the country.

A schedule of events will be as follows:

Monday, January 26:
12 p.m. – 5 p.m.: Executive Session for NEVC Board Members
6 – 9 p.m.: Reception (ALL Welcome)

Tuesday, January 27:
8:30 a.m. – 12 p.m.: Executive Session for NEVC Board Members
1 – 5 p.m.: Continuation of business meeting (ALL Welcome)

Guest speakers expected to attend on the afternoon of January 27 include representatives from the Department of Energy, Underwriters Laboratory, Renewable Fuels Association, Flex Fuel U.S., American Coalition for Ethanol, and more. Cost to attend the meeting is $50 per person. Contact Rhonda Beul, rbeul@e85fuel.com, or the NEVC office, (573) 635-8445, to register by Wednesday, January 21, 2009.

Sponsors for the event are: Ohio Corn Grower Assn., Dresser Wayne, Siouxland Energy and Livestock, Kansas Corn Growers Assn, Missouri Corn Growers Assn., John Deere, and Minnesota Corn Growers Assn.

E85, Ethanol, Flex Fuel Vehicles, National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition, News

Biofuels Focus at Farm Bureau Meeting

Cindy Zimmerman

Biofuels have been a major topic of discussion at the American Farm Bureau Federation 90th annual meeting in San Antonio this week.

Brooke ColemanA conference titled “The Growing Role of Biofuels for Today, Tomorrow and Beyond,” featured Brooke Coleman, executive director of the New Fuels Alliance and spokesperson for FoodPriceTruth.

“Agriculture is the key to the new energy economy,” Coleman said. “Biofuels are the key to agricultural revitalization.”

According to Coleman, the biofuels industry has survived a well-orchestrated smear campaign led by food makers and environmental groups and even though the economy has taken a serious downturn, renewable energy is poised for continued growth.

He said many ethanol and biodiesel companies have cash reserves to transition through the current tough times, the cost of breaking down their feedstocks is coming down and several new biofuel plants making advanced ethanol from non-grain feedstocks are coming online.

Biodiesel, Ethanol, Farming, News

Ethanol Industry Outlook for 2009

Cindy Zimmerman

Ethanol Report Podcast2008 was a year that for the most part everyone would like to forget – including those in the ethanol industry. Now that 2009 is underway, Renewable Fuels Association president and CEO Bob Dinneen says there are still challenges ahead for the industry – but opportunities as well. That is the subject of this edition of “The Ethanol Report” podcast – the first for 2009.

You can listen to “The Ethanol Report” on-line here:
Ethanol Report on 2009 Outlook

Or you can subscribe to this podcast by following this link.

Audio, Ethanol, Ethanol Report, RFA

POET Producing Pilot Cellulosic Ethanol

Cindy Zimmerman

The world’s largest corn ethanol producer is now successfully producing cellulosic ethanol at a pilot plant in South Dakota.

Poet Research FacilityAccording to company officials, POET Research Center in Scotland, S.D. is now producing cellulosic ethanol at a rate of 20,000 gallons per year using corn cobs as feedstock.

“The start-up of the pilot scale facility has been extremely smooth,” said POET CEO Jeff Broin, who held a telephone press conference Monday calling it a “grand opening” of the plant – although weather prevented them from actually holding the call at the facility. “After producing 1,000 gallons, we’ve already been able to validate all of what we learned in the lab and believe the process will be ready for commercialization when we start construction on Project LIBERTY next year.”

Broin stressed the potential for producing cellulosic ethanol from corn cobs and other agricultural waste products. “Because they are being grown today, they don’t require farmers to plant a new crop,” said Broin. “And there are lots of them. Enough to produce five billion gallons of ethanol every year. That’s five billion gallons of ethanol that can come from what is a waste product today.”

Broin is optimistic about being able to achieve commercialization of cellulosic ethanol by 2011 but he hedged when asked whether he thought the industry would be able to meet the goal of 100 million gallons by 2010. “This is a brand new technology, it takes time to develop it, so we’re going to have to have a wait and see attitude,” Broin said. “You can put a number on a piece of paper, but it’s going to come at the speed at which the technology is developed.” However, he noted that the industry has been very successful in the past at meeting and even exceeding the goals set forth.

Cellulosic, Ethanol, News, POET

Economist Says Biofuels Demand Will Drive Crop Prices

Cindy Zimmerman

An agricultural economist speaking to members of the nation’s largest general farm organization meeting in San Antonio this weekend said crop prices this year will be driven by demand for biofuels.

AFBF 09 conventionJim Sullivan of Informa Economics in Washington, D.C. told a crop outlook seminar at the American Farm Bureau Federation 90th annual meeting that the global recession will mean weakening demand for corn and soybeans this year, except when it comes to ethanol and biodiesel.

“The only demand increase we can expect to see for corn this year and next year will be corn used for ethanol,” Sullivan said, while biodiesel will be the top demand driver for soybeans. He expects commodity prices for both corn and soybeans to be lower in 2009.

Biodiesel, corn, Ethanol, Farming, News

Obama Economic Speech Highlights Alt Energy Plans

John Davis

obama3This week’s major economic speech from President-elect Barack Obama pointed out how ethanol and biodiesel, as well as other alternatives to conventional energy sources, will be key to the nation’s economic recovery.

This article from the New York Times says the plan also pushes energy efficiency:

“To finally spark the creation of a clean energy economy, we will double the production of alternative energy in the next three years,” Mr. Obama said in a speech at George Mason University in Virginia. “We will modernize more than 75 percent of federal buildings and improve the energy efficiency of two million American homes, saving consumers and taxpayers billions on our energy bills.”

Mr. Obama also said that the nation must begin building a “smart grid,” which he said would make the country less vulnerable to blackouts or even attacks, in addition to saving money and aiding renewable energy.

The article goes on to point out that green energy jobs have been a longtime priority for Obama since the earliest days of his candidacy.

Biodiesel, Ethanol, Government, News

Biodiesel Board Sure Industry Will Meet RFS

John Davis

nbb-logo2In an effort to quell skepticism over the renewable energy industry’s chances to meet the 10.5-billion Renewable Fuels Standard in 2009, the National Biodiesel Board has reaffirmed its industry’s ability to hold up its end of the deal… and then some.

The NBB released a statement saying not only will biodiesel meet its goal, but it will make up any shortfall by its ethanol brethren:

feraci“The U.S. biodiesel industry’s contribution to the nation’s fuel supply will help ensure that the RFS targets for 2009 will be met,” said Manning Feraci, NBB’s Vice President of Federal Affairs. “In 2008 alone, the U.S. biodiesel industry produced nearly 700 million gallons of biodiesel, which equates to 1.05 billion ethanol equivalent gallons for purposes of the RFS.”

Currently, there are 176 plants in operation with the capacity to produce more than 2.61 billion gallons of biodiesel. In 2008, the U.S. biodiesel industry supported nearly 52,000 jobs in all sectors of the economy. This added $4.287 billion to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP); displaced 38.1 million barrels of petroleum; generated $866.2 million in tax revenue for federal, state and local governments; and reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 11.28 tons, the equivalent of removing 980,000 vehicles from U.S. roads.

Biodiesel

Outgoing Ag Secretary Notes Biofuel Gains

Cindy Zimmerman

The outgoing U.S. Secretary of Agriculture listed advancements in the renewable fuels industry among the accomplishments of the Bush administration over the past eight years.

Ed SchaferSpeaking to reporters this week, Secretary Ed Schafer noted that growth in ethanol and biodiesel production have helped create “remarkable prosperity and growth in the agriculture economy” during the Bush administration.

“Looking to the future, we know that economic growth in rural American and energy security for our nation as a whole will both depend on further development of renewable fuels and for biofuels to reach their full potential we must develop new biomass feedstocks and the business models that go with them,” Schafer said. “The new Farm Bill puts us on the right road by providing $1 billion to help fund this effort, but continued public support will be needed.”

Schafer is hoping that before he leaves office he will be able to check off one more item on his “to do” list – awarding a loan guarantee for the construction of a commercial cellulosic ethanol facility that would produce 100 million gallons a year from wood chips and waste. “We’re trying to get it out the door before we leave,” Schafer said. “This is a huge move forward to United States’ energy independence and increased economic activity in rural markets.”

Schafer believes that making that investment and getting a major cellulosic ethanol facility in operation will jump start the movement to second generation biofuels.

Cellulosic, Ethanol, News, USDA

Continental Joins Biodiesel Flight Club

John Davis

continentalLess than two weeks after Air New Zealand took to the air in a flight powered by jatropha-based biodiesel, American carrier Continental Airlines has used a combination of the the weed and algae to fuel one of its 737s.

This story from the Los Angeles Times has details:

The two-hour test flight over Houston, where the carrier’s headquarters is located, involved powering one of the two engines with a mix of 50% kerosene and a blend of fuel derived from algae and jatropha, a weed that bears oil-producing seeds. No passengers were on board.

The demonstration flight was the first by a U.S. carrier. It was the latest among a handful of airlines that are testing a new generation of so-called sustainable biofuels that could help airlines cut fuel costs and reduce carbon emissions.

Later on this month, Japan Airlines is scheduled to join the biodiesel-friendly skies using Montana-grown camelina biodiesel.

Biodiesel

Biodiesel, Ethanol Friend Leaving Senate

John Davis

bondU.S. Sen. Christopher “Kit” Bond, a longtime friend of renewable and clean energy efforts, has announced he will not seek re-election in 2010.

During his nearly 40 years of elected service as Missouri’s State Auditor, the state’s youngest governor and a U.S. Senator (which he served an amazing four, six-year terms), Bond has been a great advocate for green fuels.

The National Biodiesel Board offered these thoughts on Bond’s upcoming departure:

“Senator Bond is a model for the kind of strong leader and courageous public servant that our country needs,” said Joe Jobe, CEO of the NBB. “Senator Bond has been a pioneering leader for renewable energy and has contributed greatly to the progress our country has made so far.”

“Senator Bond’s work helped give birth, strength, and support to this emerging industry which is responsible for bringing an estimated 20,000 green jobs and over 700 million gallons of domestic renewable fuel to the fuel supply,” Jobe said.

Bond picked up the NBB’s National Energy Leadership award in 2001.

As for ethanol, last August at the Missouri State Fair, Bond had this to say:Read More

Biodiesel, Ethanol, News