Energy Crop Trials

Cindy Zimmerman

Energy crop company Ceres will begin test trials of improved switchgrass cultivars and high-biomass sorghum hybrids at the site of Range Fuels‘ commercial-scale cellulosic ethanol plant, now under construction in Georgia.

CeresAccording to a news release, while wood residues will be the primary feedstock for the biorefinery, Range Fuels is also interested in better understanding the economic, environmental and logistical attributes of non-food, low-carbon grass species in the production of cellulosic biofuels.

Range Fuels“The goal is to determine the best crop management, storage and handling practices for Georgia, and just as important, the performance of herbaceous biomass in Range Fuels’ conversion process,” said Anna Rath, Ceres vice president of commercial development. She noted that grass species, including both annuals and perennials, can provide a flexible and reliable supply of raw materials for fuel and power. “This is an important step in demonstrating that energy crops can be successfully and sustainably grown in the area surrounding the Range Fuels Soperton Plant site,” she said.

Ceres recently announced that it will commercialize its first seed varieties under the trade name Blade Energy Crops. Rath said that the company will begin booking seed orders this fall for the 2009 growing season.

Cellulosic, Ethanol

Everglades May Get Ethanol Plant

Cindy Zimmerman

Governor CristFlorida Governor Charlie Crist says an ethanol plant may be built on land that the state is buying from U.S. Sugar to use for Everglades restoration.

According to an interview with the St. Petersburg Times, reported on TampaBay.com, the governor said he’s concerned about U.S. Sugar’s 1,800 employees, so using some of its property for ethanol production is one of the things he’d like to see.

Although Crist did not endorse a project by a specific company, an ethanol manufacturer backed by General Motors already has spent several months negotiating with U.S. Sugar to build a plant next door to the company’s Clewiston mill.

Negotiations with the ethanol company, Coskata, have been on hold while talks about the state buyout proceed, said Robert Coker of U.S. Sugar, “but depending on what happens in the next month or so, we’ll probably be sitting back down with them.”

Ethanol, News

Obama Tells Farmers He Supports Ethanol

Cindy Zimmerman

Ethanol was a major topic of discussion for members of the National Farmers Union meeting this week in Washington DC.

NFUDemocratic presidential candidate Barack Obama spoke to the NFU members by phone and pledged his support for new investments in renewable fuels and other policies that would benefit rural America. Obama also reiterated his support of the Renewable Fuels Standard. “I am strongly committed to advancing biofuels as a key component of reducing our dependence on foreign oil,” he told the NFU members.

“America’s farmers are ready, willing and able to play a vital role in reducing our dependence on foreign oil. With the right policies in place we can continue to feed the world while fueling the future,” NFU President Tom Buis said.

The NFU members also visited the U.S. Department of Agriculture to meet with Deputy Secretary Chuck Conner and other USDA officials. Conner told them that “the corn-to-ethanol equation has to continue to be a key part” of the nation’s energy plans and he will continue to defend it.

Ethanol, Farming, News, politics

Alternatives Could Create More Jobs Than Petroleum

John Davis

A report issued by the the Sierra Club, United Steelworkers, the Blue Green Alliance, Natural Resources Defense Council and Audubon New York says that investment in the biodiesel and ethanol industries, wind energy, and solar power could produce four times the number of jobs as compared to investing that same amount in the petroleum oil sector.

And this article from the New York Times says the number of those jobs being good-paying… at least $16 an hour… could be triple what the petroleum industry offers:

Such jobs are based on the proposed investment of $100 billion over two years, through a cap-and-trade program like those sponsored last year in Congress that would “drive private investments into clean energy and raise public revenue through carbon permit auctions.” And spending $26 billion on retrofitting, for example, could save $5 billion in energy costs a year, for a net savings after five years or so, according to the report.

Robert Pollin, the lead author and a co-director of the Political Economy Research Institute at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, said many elements of the recommended plan were already in place, in some form.

“There are incentives for retrofits, tax and production credits for wind, solar and geothermal energy, and loan guarantees. I’m talking about ramping up dramatically the scale of these things. Why not do it now, because we know we have to do it sooner or later, and it’s also the most efficient single job program we could come up with.”

The article goes on to point out how one New York firm has hired 15 people who used to be homeless or incarcerated to haul waste restaurant grease to a facility to turn it into biodiesel… renewing energy and people’s lives.

Biodiesel, Ethanol, Solar, Wind

Biodiesel Plant Opens in the Heart of Oil Country

John Davis

At a point where much of the nation’s petroleum oil flows in and out of port, a biodiesel plant is making its stand to knock off the non-renewable energy source as the fuel of choice for a nation looking to wean itself from petroleum oil dependence.

The Houston Chronicle reports that Iowa-based Renewable Energy Group, one of the biggest biodiesel producers in the country, has opened a 35-million-gallon-a-year biodiesel plant right on the Houston Ship Channel:

The Seabrook plant, known as REG Houston, is the ninth biodiesel production site owned or managed by Renewable Energy Group. Added up, the company either produces or markets more than 300 million gallons of biodiesel per year, about half of U.S. production…

Renewable Energy Group executives in Houston Wednesday for the local plant opening said if the industry is going to keep growing it must convince customers that it is no longer an upstart business. It also must make the case more forcefully that biodiesel can play a role in reducing U.S. petroleum consumption, cleaning the air and providing “green collar” jobs.

“We really believe that biodiesel and ethanol and wind and solar are going to change the way we look at the energy complex in the U.S.,” said Jeffrey Stroburg, chairman and CEO of Renewable Energy Group.

The article points out that the new national biodiesel mandate that requires 500 million gallons of the green fuel be used in 2009, growing to one billion gallons in 2012, has helped the biodiesel industry go from a small industry to a major player in America’s energy future.

Biodiesel

San Francisco Getting Biodiesel Plant

John Davis

A couple of days ago, I told you about how San Francisco Bay would be home to a fast ride around the bay on a biodiesel-powered boat. Now, it looks like the boat won’t have to go far to get the fuel it needs to make the quick journey.

San Francisco Port Commissioners have approved construction of a $10 million plant biodiesel plant at the site of an old rendering facility that will turn fats, waste grease, and tallow into 7.5-10 million gallons of the green fuel a year. This post on inhabitat.com has details:

San Francisco’s proposed biodiesel plant would be situated within on old rendering facility in the Hunter’s Point district owned by Darling International. Under the plan the facility will be renovated to turn grease waste into useable, sustainable energy. Although the agreement has not yet been signed, it is expected that the city will purchase the fuel to cut down on shipments from the Midwest while feeding San Francisco’s biodiesel fleet of 1,500 vehicles.

Last week, Mayor Gavin Newsom announced the deal, pending the approval of the port commissioners:

“This facility will serve as a model for cities throughout the world who aim to reduce their carbon footprint and transform their grease waste into useable, sustainable energy,” said Mayor Newsom. “Turning waste generated by local restaurants and other businesses into a sustainable fuel source is yet another major step in reaching our goals of carbon neutrality for City Government by 2020, zero emission public transit by 2020, a 75% recycling rate by 2010, and zero waste in 2020.”

Biodiesel

Biodiesel Board Gets Green Building

John Davis

The National Biodiesel Board has officially cut the ribbon on its new building at 605 Clark Avenue in Jefferson City, MO. The facility is as eco-friendly and green as the fuel the employees inside promote as the carpet comes from recycled materials, the paint is nontoxic, and even the parking lot lights are powered by the sun. Even the building itself is a renovated, old building that used to belong to the Catholic Church.

During the ceremony today at the new location, a variety of speakers, including NBB CEO Joe Jobe, NBB Chairman and Minnesota soybean farmer Ed Hegland, Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt and Rep. Kenny Hulshof… all big backers of biodiesel… extolled the virtues of the green fuel and the beautiful new building.

Jobe told the crowd how the NBB was practicing what it preached in making the building as eco-friendly as possible. He also pointed out how the biodiesel industry is doing something to help the environment and America’s pressing energy needs.

“The petroleum industry has not built a new refinery in the last 30 years,” said Jobe. “However, the U.S. biodiesel industry has built more than 150 renewable refineries in the last three years, which support an estimated 20,000 jobs across the country.”

Hear some of Joe’s remarks here: [audio:http://www.zimmcomm.biz/domesticfuel/JoeJobeceremony1.mp3] Read More

Biodiesel

Broad Coalition Encourages Pelosi to Advance E85 Infrastructure

In a first of a kind effort, a broad coalition of ethanol producers, automakers, agricultural advocates, convenience store owners, petroleum marketers, and equipment manufactures, are encouraging the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives to include tax credits that support new alternative fuel infrastructure in any pending energy bill or stimulus package.

“Both Presidential candidates and several members of Congress have recently called for mandatory production of flexible fuel vehicles,” stated Executive Director of the National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition, Phil Lampert. “We support increased production of flexible fuel vehicles or FFVs, but frankly, that overlooks the primary issue which is the lack of sites to fuel these vehicles.”

The broad coalition sending the letter to the Speaker is encouraging that H.R. 6734, the E85 and Biodiesel Access Act introduced by Congresswoman Stephanie Herseth-Sandlin (D-SD) and Congressman John Shimkus (R-IL), be included in any energy legislation that may be approved during this session of Congress. This act would enhance the Alternative Fuel Vehicle Refueling Property Credit.

“The inclusion of the E85 and Biodiesel Access Act in any energy bill or potential stimulus package is critical as it provides fuel retailers with more meaningful assistance in making clean-burning biofuels available to motorists,” stated Executive Vice President for the American Coalition for Ethanol, Brian Jennings.

Vice President for Government Relations of the National Association of Convenience Stores, John Eichberger, stated that the legislation would, “overcome one of the major obstacles to the availability of alternative and renewable fuels infrastructure by offsetting a major portion of the expense of such equipment.”

Biodiesel, Car Makers, E85, Ethanol, Flex Fuel Vehicles

Ag Secretary on Ethanol Incentives

Cindy Zimmerman

Secretary of Agriculture Ed Schafer says that ethanol is an important part of the nation’s plan for energy security, but he expects that ethanol incentives such as the blenders tax credit will eventually be phased out.

Florida Farm to Fuel Ed SchaferDuring an appearance this week in Kansas City, Schafer said ethanol producers need to prepare for an eventual end to these kinds of incentives. “Because they have been built in today, I think we can’t just shut them off,” Schafer said. “I think it’s important to say here’s the target, we are going to gradually reduce them so that you can adjust your operations to operate without them.”

He says that should start happening when the ethanol industry becomes profitable enough to operate on its own and when production begins to approach 34 billion gallons per year – which could be 13-14 years down the road.

Schafer also defended the Renewable Fuels Standard and noted that ethanol blended gasoline actually saves consumers between 20 cents and 35 cents a gallon. And he said that there continue to be promising developments in cellulosic ethanol.

Ethanol, Government, News

New Ethanol Plant Openings

Cindy Zimmerman

POETThe world’s largest ethanol producer is opening two new 65 million gallon per year ethanol production plants this month.

POET will host a grand opening event for POET Biorefining – North Manchester, Indiana on Thursday, September 11. The $105 million ethanol production facility will be the 24th POET production facility.

On September 30, POET will host a grand opening event for POET Biorefining – Fostoria, Ohio. The $130 million plant will be the 25th POET production facility and the second in the state of Ohio, making POET the largest ethanol producer in the state of Ohio, in addition to being the largest producer in the world.

Both events will feature the Vanguard Squadron – the world’s only 100 percent ethanol-powered aerobatic fleet, as well as speakers and plant tours open to the public.

Ethanol, News