E85 Goes Redneck

Cindy Zimmerman

This just in from the National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition: E85 has gone Redneck.

According to NEVC, Thom Shepherd, co-writer of the hit country song, Redneck Yacht Club, is one of the newest supporters of the domestically grown fuel. “I support anything our country can do to reduce our dependency on the Middle East,” noted Shepherd. He stands by his word and has even entertained U.S. troops in the Middle East, Alaska, Europe, Iceland and Greenland for Armed Forces Entertainment.
Redneck Yacht Club
Shepherd is the proud owner of a 2004 FFV Suburban. Alongside his Redneckyachtclub.com static sticker, he sports a “Corn Fed E85” bumper sticker.

“I fueled up with E85 last week and was pleased by the performance,” he stated. “I just wish we had more E85 availability in Nashville.”

Shepherd, originally from St. Louis, MO, moved to a suburb outside of Nashville 15 years ago. His first number one song, Riding with Private Malone, recorded by David Ball, won an Achievement Award from the Nashville Songwriters Association. His second number one song, co-written by Steve Williams and recorded by Craig Morgan, is the foundation of their company, RedneckYachtClub.com. The website sells merchandise relating to the song and the boating lifestyle.

E85, Ethanol, News

E85 on a Roll in Missouri and Colorado

Cindy Zimmerman

Fulton E85 SignA BreakTime gas station in Fulton, Missouri sold E85 for 85 cents below unleaded during a grand opening event on Friday. Officials say E85 will sell for 20% below regular unleaded as a normal pricing.

Representatives from the National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition (NEVC), the Missouri Corn Growers Association and the Missouri Department of Natural Resources attended the grand opening event.

BreakTime is owned by MFA Oil Company, which now has over 50 outlets in the state of Missouri selling E85.

Meanwhile, NEVC reports that sales of E85 fuel in Longmont, Colorado have steadily increased at both gas stations in the city which are selling the alternative fuel.

“We’ve had a very good public response to E85 in Longmont,” said Renee Shellhorse, marketing manager for Greenwood Village-based Pester Marketing, which owns fifty-three 1st Stop stations in Colorado and Kansas. “Even the people who can’t use E85 because they don’t have a flex-fuel vehicle will come in and talk to store personnel (about it).

“It’s probably one of our higher-volume E85 locations,” Shellhorse said.

Ten of the company’s 53 stations offer E85 and the company plans to open three more this year.

E85, Ethanol, News

Alternative Wine

John Davis

Parducci Wine Cellars is harnessing all sorts of alternative energy to produce its wine. The carbon neutral vintner now uses solar power, wind power and biodiesel tractors.

Parducci effectively transferred all of its energy needs to non-polluting, renewable sources by supplementing its on-site solar power with Green-E(R) certified wind energy purchased from the Bonneville Environmental Foundation. The annual positive environmental impact of the winery’s 100% green power use is equivalent to:

— removing 172 cars from the road for a year, or
— planting 242 acres of trees, or
— not driving a passenger vehicle 2,171,450 miles.

The oldest family-owned winery in Northern California’s Mendocino County, Parducci Wine Cellars is committed to responsible land stewardship, sustainable viticulture and green business practices that yield superior wines while protecting the environment.

In 2007 Parducci received the Governor’s Environmental and Economic Leadership Award, California’s highest environmental honor, for the company’s efforts to combat climate change. In addition to buying grapes from local family farmers, Parducci uses sustainable farming practices including bio-diesel tractors in the vineyards and 100% green power as well as earth friendly packaging at the winery. Parducci’s respect for the land yields quality wines as evident by recent 90+ point scores in several national wine publications.

Biodiesel, Energy, Farming, Production, Solar, Wind

BASF Podcast Tackles Clean Diesel

John Davis

basf.pngThis week’s Chemical of Innovations podcast from BASF explores how consumers can make exhaust fumes of their diesel vehicles cleaner through catalysts technology.

In terms of design a diesel is much more efficient: It uses less fuel and emits less CO2. To purify diesel exhaust fumes is a challenge and only possible because manufacturers of catalytic converters like BASF Catalysts are continually improving their exhaust gas after treatment systems.

Listen to the audio reportage with the experts Andreas Binder and Dr. Frank Monkeberg of BASF Catalysts.

Direct subscription via RSS-Feed or iTunes (search for “basf”): http://corporate.basf.com/en/podcast/innovation.xml

Agribusiness, Energy, transportation

Iowa Could Get First Algae-Biodiesel Plant

John Davis

While Iowa might be best known for its large amount of corn and soybeans being turned into ethanol and biodiesel, the Hawkeye State might get into a feedstock more associated with the layer of scum that grows on its many farm ponds.

According to this story in the Cedar Rapids Gazette, the Iowa Power Fund board is looking into funding the state’s first algae-to-biodiesel project:

gpre.gifA pilot plant proposed by Green Plains Renewable Energy would use three byproducts from the company’s Shenandoah plant – waste water, waste carbon dioxide, and waste heat from dryers – as feedstock to grow algae. The algae would then be harvested and processed into biodiesel

The Iowa Power Fund board authorized final negotiations for $2,190,407 state grant for phase I of the two-phase project.

“The availability of new technologies and new feedstocks for renewable fuels is critical to our state and regional economies,” said Scott Poor, corporate counsel and director of external communications for Green Plains Renewable Energy.

The project would initially involve the development of a 100-square-meter pilot plot for algae growth. If the project is developed at commercial scale, it would cover about 250 acres with algae impoundments covered by movable greenhouse-like structures to sequester carbon.

GreenFuel Technologies, Green Plains’ partner in this project, is not new to the algae-biodiesel game. The company has been involved in other algae projects in Arizona and Kansas.

Green Plains’ ethanol plant in Shenandoah has already been pretty successful since opening last August, producing even more than its initially-projected 50 million gallons of ethanol a year. The company plans to open another ethanol plant in Superior later this year.

Biodiesel

New Web Site Offering Alternatively-Fueled Trucks

John Davis

There’s a new web site out there that could make it a little easier for truck operators looking to get away from diesel and start running on compressed natural gas (CNG) and liquefied natural gas (LNG).

James Blakely… JB… is a former truck driver, heavy equipment mechanic, and truck sales professional and has put his expertise with the need for CNG and LNG trucks to create Alternatefueltrucks.com:

altec-boom.jpgI am honored to be able to say I have worked for Carmenita Truck Center for over sixteen plus years. In that time I have had the opportunity to assist business owners and fleet managers with supplying and designing trucks to make their businesses more efficient and profitable.

I still serve many of my original customers from 1991. I view myself as your business partner. If your business is successful and grows, so will mine. I would be privileged to add you to my list of happy customers.

We currently offer the Autocar product with a factory installed Cummins ISL-G engines. I have built these for applications including: aerial booms, utility cranes, dump and water truck bodies and more. Almost any truck body can work with either CNG or LNG as their fuel type.

Check ’em out at Alternatefueltrucks.com!

Miscellaneous

POET to Use Methane for Ethanol Plant

Cindy Zimmerman

Under an agreement with the City of Sioux Falls, POET Biorefining – Chancellor will use methane generated from the Sioux Falls Regional Sanitary Landfill to provide energy for ethanol production.

POETAccording to POET, the methane will initially displace 10 percent of the ethanol plant’s natural gas usage, increasing to 30 percent in 2025 as additional methane is generated. The methane, which is generated when municipal solid waste decomposes, will be transported by a 10 mile low-pressure pipeline. Construction is expected to be completed in Q2 2009. Displacement of natural gas will decrease CO2 emissions at the plant by 26,445 tons in 2010, the first full year that the system is operational.

Sioux Falls Mayor Dave Munson said, “This is truly a win-win for the City of Sioux Falls, POET, our community and customers of the landfill,” Munson said. “The City feels fortunate to be able to make a significant impact on the environment and improve revenue at the Landfill at the same time.”

Energy, Ethanol, News

Company Offers Wood for Cellulosic Ethanol

Cindy Zimmerman

Green Energy ResourcesA New York-based lumber company is offering supply contracts to any American company anywhere in the United States requiring woodchips for cellulosic ethanol production.

Green Energy Resources says it is “ready to meet the demand and supply of the US Government-mandated 15 billion gallons of wood cellulostic ethanol authorized under the US Energy Bill passed in 2007.”

The company uses a software-based national inventory system that “can deliver cost effectively from anywhere in the United States and can work with producers on carbon credits and other trading mechanisms to utilize maximum profitability,” according to a press release.

Green Energy Resources says they obtain woodchips from urban/suburban wood waste streams, including landfills, tree services, excavators, storm damage and tree farms.

Cellulosic, Ethanol, News

Westar to Break Ground on Kansas Wind Farm

John Davis

westar.jpgState officials, as well as company officials from Westar Energy, Horizon Wind Energy and The Empire District Electric Company (from Joplin, Missouri), will be on hand this Friday when the companies break ground on a 200-megawatt wind power farm in Northern Kansas’ Cloud County.

This Westar press release says, when the project is completed (anticipated by the end of this year), it will crank out power for residents of at least two states while making the environment a bit cleaner:

Meridian Way Wind Farm is a 201 megawatt (MW) project owned and operated by Horizon Wind Energy. The wind farm will produce enough energy to power 45,000 average Kansas homes. Westar Energy will purchase 96 MW of energy produced by Phase II of the project. The Empire District Electric Company, based out of Joplin, MO, will purchase energy produced by Phase I of the project.

“The ample natural supply of wind and the support of the local residents and community leaders make Cloud County a prime location for a wind farm,” said Greg Greenwood, vice president, generation construction for Westar Energy. “This groundbreaking symbolizes the commitment Westar Energy, The Empire District Electric Company and Horizon Wind Energy has for providing clean, renewable energy to our customers and the state of Kansas.”

Meridian Way will consist of 67 Vestas V90-3.0 MW turbines, the largest on-shore wind turbine currently being installed. The wind farm is expected to prevent the annual emission of approximately 600,000 tons of carbon dioxide; nearly 1,200 tons of nitrogen oxide; and over 1,600 tons of sulfer dioxide. This is equivalent to taking 60,000 cars off the road. Meridian Way is expected to go online by the end of 2008.

The wind farm is part of Westar’s plan to bring even more wind energy to Kansas and the region.

Wind

PA Officials Get Behind-the-Scenes Look at Lake Erie Biofuels

John Davis

lakeerielogo.gifLocal and state officials in Pennsylvania have received a first-hand, behind-the-scenes tour of the new Lake Erie Biofuels plant at the site of the former International Paper plant near Erie, PA.

This story in the Erie (PA) Times-News says they were impressed with what they saw at the 45-million-gallon-a-year facility:

“I must have read a million things about this place, but until you see it, you don’t get a full understanding of it,” said Dennis Yablonsky, secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development.

Yablonsky led a delegation of local and state officials on a tour of the biodiesel plant, which has grown over the past two years at the East Lake Road site that once held the International Paper plant.

In November, state, federal and local government officials joined Erie Management Group to cut the ribbon on the $60 million facility that has the capacity to produce 45 million gallons of biodiesel a year.

Now, five months later, Erie Management Group founder Samuel P. “Pat” Black said he is happy with the progress of the $60 million plant. And government development officials said the $15 million that government programs pumped into the former IP site and its infrastructure is also paying off.

“Absolutely we are happy with it,” said Monica Brower, chief executive of the Economic Development Corp. of Erie County. “We have had almost $85½ million of (private and public) investment in this site, and it has only been two years. To be able to do this in just two years … it’s amazing.”

The story also has the following link with video so you can see it, too. Check it out!

lakeerievideo.jpg

Biodiesel, Government