Rural Development Helping Rural Communities

Chuck Zimmerman

Tony CrooksWe had USDA Rural Development represented here at the Transition To A Bio Economy conference by Tony Crooks. He works with their rural business cooperatives program and has done a lot of work with communities in the area of ethanol and biodiesel.

The challenge he says we have today in rural communities is the large capital outlay to get a biorefinery started so USDA is looking at creative ways to help them. He highly suggests that a community have a community development plan so they can better decide if a plant would be in their best interest. Ways that USDA Rural Development can help is with grants and guaranteed loans. He says they’re looking for communities who need financial assistance, especially in the second generation cellulosic area.

You can listen to my interview with Tony here: [audio:http://www.zimmcomm.biz/farm-foundation/ff-bio-08-crooks.mp3]

You can also download the interview using this link (mp3).

Transition To A Bio Economy Photo Album

Audio, Cellulosic, Energy, Farm Foundation, Government

Earth Friendly Fuel Location Opens in Kansas

ZarcoZarco 66 Earth Friendly Fuels plans to celebrate the opening of their eco-friendly fueling facility on Monday, June 30. The station is being designed under a public-private partnership as a demonstration project to showcase various energy technologies and feature sustainability elements on site.

Blends of ethanol, including E85, and biodiesel will be available at 900 Iowa St., in Lawrence, Kansas. Kicking off the celebration will be a press event that includes speakers: Sam Brownback, U.S. Senator, Kansas (invited); Pat Roberts, U.S. Senator, Kansas (invited); John Askew, Regional Administrator, EPA Region 7; and Adrian Polansky, Secretary, Kansas Dept. of Agriculture.

Ethanol fuel blend promotions will be held during the day from 11:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. E10 will sell at a 20 cent discount, E20 will sell for a 40 cent discount, E30 will sell for a 60 cent discount and E85 will sell for $1.85 per gallon.

Partners in this alternative fueling facility include: EPA Region 7, Ethanol Promotion and Information Council, University of Kansas, Kansas Dept. of Health and Environment, Kansas Dept. of Agriculture, Kansas Dept. of Revenue, Kansas Dept. of Commerce, Kansas Soybean Commission, Kansas Corn Growers, U.S. Dept. of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy in Kansas, Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Store Association of Kansas, and Zarco 66 Earth Friendly Fuels.

Biodiesel, E85, Ethanol, Facilities, News, Promotion

Energy BioSciences Institute Development

Chuck Zimmerman

Paul WillemsThe luncheon speaker at the Transition To A Bio Economy conference focused on managing risk. Paul Willems works for BP Energy Biosciences Institute. He says it’s a collaboration between the University of California, Berkely, the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, the University of Illinois and BP.

Paul says that their mission is to apply modern biology towards energy problems. The Institute was started in November of 2007 and is currently almost 70 percent staffed. They’ve already committed funding to about 50 projects and programs. Some examples of these programs include feedstock research and the discovery of new enzymes.

One of Paul’s key messages was not to get carried away with problems since solutions will take a while to achieve.

You can listen to my interview with Paul here: [audio:http://www.zimmcomm.biz/farm-foundation/ff-bio-08-willems.mp3]

You can also download the interview using this link (mp3).

Transition To A Bio Economy Photo Album

Audio, Energy, Farm Foundation, News, Research

Flexibility and Diversification Key To R&D Risk

Chuck Zimmerman

Gordon RausserTwo key words in a presentation at the Transition To A Bio Economy Conference were flexibility and diversification. These are important to managing risk, especially in R&D for renewable fuels.

Our presenter was Gordon Rausser, University of California, Berkeley, who was here with his assistant Maya Papineau. I interviewed them both together after the presentation. Gordon says that we should be looking at R&D risk as a portfolio of opportunities. He says we should be managing the overall risk by recognizing the inter-relationships among the technologies and their ultimate commercialization. He also says that stand alone analysis will miss much of the opportunities that will arise.

When it comes to flexibility he suggests giving yourself options so that you can take advantage of new opportunities as they arise. He says that current ethanol plants are vulnerable going forward since they don’t have the flexibility to move to different feedstocks.

Maya talked about probably breakthroughs in renewable energy technology. She says that it’s important for how you use public and private R&D resources to maximize the investment.

You can listen to my interview with Gordon and Maya here: [audio:http://www.zimmcomm.biz/farm-foundation/ff-bio-08-rausser.mp3]

You can also download the interview using this link (mp3).

Transition To A Bio Economy Photo Album

Audio, Energy, Facilities, Farm Foundation, News, Research

Looking At The Switchgrass Alternative

Chuck Zimmerman

Jim LarsonThe second session here at the Transition To A Bio Economy conference was on risk and uncertainty.

Jim Larson, University of Tennessee, talked about farmers risk in growing switchgrass as a biomass feedstock for fuel production. He says that this is a commodity that will come into play looking forward. His research shows that it’s risky for farmers because it’s difficult to establish and takes several years to get to full yield. He thinks that farmers will need incentives from biomass processors to get started.

Harvesting this crop is also risky since you have to deal with large amounts of material that’s subject to weather and storage concerns. Some ways to help with risk would be contracting and price guarantees.

You can listen to my interview with Jim here: [audio:http://www.zimmcomm.biz/farm-foundation/ff-bio-08-larson.mp3]

You can also download the interview using this link (mp3).

I’m also uploading pictures to a photo album which you can feel free to use if you’d like: Transition To A Bio Economy Photo Album

Audio, biomass, Energy, Ethanol, Farm Foundation, News

Having a Positive Impact on Rural Communities

Chuck Zimmerman

John MiranowskiOne of our speakers here at the Transition To A Bio Economy conference brought the discussion down to the farm level. John Miranowski, Iowa State University, spoke about the impact of biofuels on the rural economy and the farm structure.

He says that their numbers indicate that increasing biofuels production will have a positive impact on rural communities and farm structure up to a point but that it could have some negative impacts. One thing is certain, he sees an uncertain future for biofuels.

However, even with the uncertainty, he thinks the industry will make a go of it because of an increased demand for fuel. As far as where we’re going, he sees a bigger role for corn and corn stover fuels given the RFS and that this is one area where we have an ability to increase productivity while decreasing environmental impact concerns.

You can listen to my interview with John here: [audio:http://www.zimmcomm.biz/farm-foundation/ff-bio-08-miranowski.mp3]

You can also download the interview using this link (mp3).

I’m also uploading pictures to a photo album which you can feel free to use if you’d like: Transition To A Bio Economy Photo Album

Audio, corn, Ethanol, Farm Foundation, News

Need To Increase Agricultural Productivity

Chuck Zimmerman

David ZilbermanLike the first speaker on our program today here at the Transition To A Bio Economy conference, our second speaker, David Zilberman, University of California, Berkeley, says we need to increase agricultural productivity.

His talk was on the distributional effects of biofeuls and he had two conclusions. The first one is that biofuels make some people better off and some people worse off. Drivers are better off since they’re getting their fuel for about 15 cents less than if it didn’t have biofuels in it but consumers of food are worse off since the price of food is higher. He says that’s worse in developing countries where they’re seeing food prices 20 to 40 percent higher. This situation he says is causing political instability which will become an obstacle to the development of biofuels.

His second conclusion is that we have to increase productivity. He says that if we don’t we’re in real trouble. In order to increase agricultural productivity he says we must use biotechnology in all crops.

You can listen to my interview with David here: [audio:http://www.zimmcomm.biz/farm-foundation/ff-bio-08-zilberman.mp3]

You can also download the interview using this link (mp3).

I’m also uploading pictures to a photo album which you can feel free to use if you’d like: Transition To A Bio Economy Photo Album

Audio, Biotech, Energy, Farm Foundation, News

Ethanol and Corn Price Link Not Long Term

Chuck Zimmerman

Michael WetzsteinThe first speaker here at the Transition To A Bio Economy conference is Michael Wetzstein, University of Georgia. His talk deals with two issues. One is on price volatility and the other is on food and fuel.

Michael says that gas price volatility can be avoided with fuel diversification by blending renewable fuels with fossil fuels. That’s what his research shows. He also suggests that we could relax gas taxes and reduce the tariff on the importation of Brazilian ethanol.

Another part of his research is on food and fuel and to answer the question of “Is there a direct link between the volatility of ethanol production and the volatility of corn prices. His research has found that there is a link but not a persistent or long lasting one. In fact, in the long run he says there is no direct link.

The bottom line he says is to produce more food.

You can listen to my interview with Michael here: [audio:http://www.zimmcomm.biz/farm-foundation/ff-bio-08-wetzstein.mp3]

You can also download the interview using this link (mp3).

I’m also uploading pictures to a photo album which you can feel free to use if you’d like: Transition To A Bio Economy Photo Album

Audio, Ethanol, Farm Foundation, Food prices, News

Making a Transition To a Bio Economy

Chuck Zimmerman

Steve HalbrookThe Farm Foundation conference, “Transition To A Bio Economy, Risk, Infrastructure and Industry Evolution” is underway here in Berkeley, CA. Getting us started was Farm Foundation Vice President, Steve Halbrook.

This conference, which is focusing on biofuels, is part of a series, of which this is part 3.

The Transition to a Bioeconomy series is designed to assess the impacts of the evolving bioeconomy on agriculture, the food system, and rural regions. The third conference in the series, to be Oct. 15-16 in St. Louis, will address environmental and economic development impacts. The first conference in the series examined the integration of agricultural and energy systems. The last conference in the series, slated for early 2009, will focus on the implications of a global bioeconomy.

Transition To A Bio Economy Photo Album

Farm Foundation

Former EPIC President Gives Fond Farewell

John Davis

Just two years in and the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council has created a brand identity that’s sweeping across borders… both domestic and international. Tom Branhan, Glacial Lakes Energy, was the main man behind the “e,” serving as Board President for two years. Now, Tom has stepped down from his leading role, saying he’s confident about where the organization is coming from… and where it will be going.

“I am so proud of EPIC and what it’s become in a short two years. It’s nationally recognized now. The “e” is gaining acceptance all over the United States and all over the world.”

Chuck spoke with Tom at EPIC’s first ever annual meeting. You can listen to Chuck’s interview here:

[audio:http://www.zimmcomm.biz/epic/epic-annual-mtg-branhan.mp3]
Audio, EPIC, Ethanol, News