GE Inks $1 Bil Wind Energy Deal

John Davis

ge-invenergy.gifGE Energy has agreed to deliver $1 billion worth of wind turbines to Chicago-based Invenergy LLC for projects in North America and Europe.

In this article posted on the Business Review website, says GE cites it as the biggest commitment ever for wind turbines in one year:

Under the deal, GE Energy, based in Atlanta, will deliver 400 of its 1.5 megawatt wind turbines to Chicago-based Invenergy for projects in North America, and 200 megawatts, or 80 turbines, for projects in Europe.

The turbines are scheduled to be shipped in 2009. The 800 megawatts of wind energy will provide power to 275,000 households.

Some of the work will be done at GE Energy’s Schenectady plant. Victor Abate, GE Energy’s vice president of renewables, called the deal “a milestone agreement.”

The article goes on to say that GE has increased it’s wind turbine production by 500 percent since 2004.

Wind

The “e” on TV

Cindy Zimmerman

E on TVThe ABC sitcom “Carpoolers,” which airs on Tuesday nights, featured the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council’s “e” logo in this week’s episode entitled “First Fight.”

As the name implies, Carpoolers is about a group of guys who carpool to work together from their suburban homes. The gas-saving connection makes it a great show for the ethanol brand’s first product placement.

The producers of Carpoolers contacted EPIC in September to ask permission to use the “e” logo. The photo shows how the “e” was used during the show – as “Baby Ethanol Farmer.”

Won’t spoil any of the plot, but if you want to see the “e” in action and find out who Baby Ethanol Farmer is and what happens to he/she, watch the entire episode of Carpoolers at www.abc.com.

EPIC, Ethanol, News

“Fields of Fuel” Reviews

Cindy Zimmerman

The biofuels documentary “Fields of Fuel” made its debut this week at the Sundance Film Festival in Utah to mixed reviews.

Fields of FuelAFP reports that the biodiesel film is “not to everyone’s tastes at Sundance.” The reviewer, who interviewed film director and activist Josh Tickell, focused on the food versus fuel controversy rather than the film itself, saying “not everyone is buying into his (Tickell’s) message.” The review discusses both biodiesel and ethanol, brings up the energy bill and quotes an economist saying that ethanol is causing higher food prices.

CNET News reporter Michelle Meyers offers a better review of the movie itself, noting that it “received a long standing ovation at its first public screening” Monday.

Josh TickellIn the film, director Josh Tickell tells the story of his life as an activist pushing for the use of biodiesel and other alternative fuels in an effort to reduce our dependency on foreign oil and protect the environment.

I tend to be wary of advocacy docs for fear they’ll be feature-length brainwashers. But Tickell’s film is fair, honest, informative and–a biggie for me–nicely edited. And I suppose it was convincing, too–it got me thinking about buying a car with a diesel engine and I went online to find the nearest biodiesel fuel pumps.

MTV also gives the film a good review with a liberal light, although it does confuse biodiesel and ethanol.

If you are a fan of “An Inconvienient Truth,” “SICKO,” or any Michael Moore-esque film than you are going to love this film. It urges the power of the vote, the power of change, and the power of you. You have the momentum to make certain small changes that can impact this world. We are currently in a war where most Americans think it is for the control of oil. This film just gives the voice that this war is not needed and we do not need oil – we can use bio-diesel fuel made from corn, wood chips, algae and alleviate the pressure we put on this earth. Final say: watch the film, learn from it, and make it happen.

Biodiesel, Ethanol, News

Domestic Fuel Survey 2008 Contest Giveaway

Chuck Zimmerman

DomesticFuel Survey 2008We’d like to encourage you to take our first ever (maybe annual) Domestic Fuel Survey. There’s only about 12 easy questions so it will only take a minute and we’d really appreciate your participation. Our supporters would just like to get a better idea of who our readers and subscribers are and we want to provide you with another opportunity for feedback so we can further develop the site.

To get you excited we’re going to pick one lucky winner from all the people who participate in our survey for a brand new, personalized 4G iPod Nano. Yes, you’ve wanted one, now you have a chance to win one by completing our online survey. It’s the Domestic Fuel Survey 2008 Contest Giveaway. The questions are simple and we need as many responses as we can get.

Domestic Fuel is about as open a source of industry news and information as you’re going to find. We don’t ask you to fill out cards on an annual basis to keep your subscription current, etc. However, the companies and organizations that support us really want some demographic data we can’t provide any other way. It’s really important to us that you take just a few moments sometime over the next month to fill out a survey form.

Even if you already have a Nano they make a great gift for your favorite person who doesn’t have one. Believe me, the odds will be pretty good in this contest compared to the Lottery.

To keep the legal people happy you can find The Official Rules here (Word doc). It’s not rocket science. The Survey Contest starts now and ends at 12pm on February 22, 2008. So you’ve got plenty of time to get it done.

And thank you very much for participating!

Miscellaneous, News

WI Governor Proposes Energy Independence Plan

John Davis

doyle.jpgWisconsin’s governor is proposing an aggressive plan to make his state a leader in renewable energy.

From the text of Gov. Jim Doyle’s speech, he has called for lawmakers to approve his strategy to increase his state’s homegrown power through the Wisconsin Energy Independence Fund:

Over the next 10 years Wisconsin will invest $150 million to help our businesses, our farmers, our foresters, and our manufacturers produce and promote renewable energy.

Our strong manufacturing base and rich agricultural industries, along with the wealth of resources in our vast northern forests and world-leading research universities, position Wisconsin to become the Saudi Arabia of renewable energy.

From manufacturing wind turbines and solar panels to retro-fitting fuel pumps and exploring the latest clean technologies, we will seize green opportunities and create good jobs for our citizens.

But we won’t stop there.

Tonight we’ll launch a new campaign to increase the availability of renewable fuel by 1 billion gallons. First we’ll provide new tax credits for biodiesel fuel producers and add 400 new renewable fuel pumps to our roads. Second let’s pass a renewable fuel standard sponsored by Senator Kreitlow and Representative Suder to require oil companies to provide renewable fuel for our consumers.

Doyle pointed out that ethanol production in Wisconsin has gone from none to half a billion gallons a year since he took office. He says this country needs to depend more on the Midwest… and less on the Mideast.

Biodiesel, Ethanol, Government, Legislation, Wind

MO Governor Makes Surprise Announcement

Cindy Zimmerman

Missouri’s youngest governor has decided not to run for a second term, saying he has accomplished all the goals he had when he took office in 2005. Among those goals was a ten percent ethanol mandate for gasoline, which took effect this month.

Matt BluntBlunt recently announced proposals for $2 million in tax incentives for retailers who install E-85 ethanol pumps and a statewide five percent biodiesel standard.

“Governor Blunt has been as progressive as any public official in the nation on renewable fuels policy,” said Missouri Soybean Association Executive Director Dale Ludwig. “This year, he became the first governor in the country to publicly support a statewide five percent biodiesel standard. He has also shown great leadership by fully funding the biodiesel incentive fund, which helps place biodiesel producers on a level playing field with petroleum companies that receive federal tax incentives.”

The 37-year-old governor’s announcement stunned the state of Missouri since he had already been collecting campaign contributions and even running commercials. Blunt says he has spent 20 years in government service, ten in the Navy and ten in public office, and he wants to spend more time with his wife and young son who was born about the same time he became governor.

Wonder if this means his brother Andy can now keep his shares in the Show Me Ethanol plant without a conflict of interest? (See yesterday’s post on that story)

Biodiesel, Ethanol, Government, News

SD Biodiesel Tax Break Moves Forward

John Davis

A plan to cut state fuel taxes for biodiesel is moving forward in South Dakota’s legislature.

rounds.jpgThis story from Forbes says the state Senate’s State Affairs Committee voted unanimously to move Governor Mike Rounds’ plan to the full Senate:

The bill would cut the 22-cent-a-gallon tax on diesel to 20 cents for diesel fuel that contains at least a 5 percent blend made from soybeans or other organic material.

The 2-cent-a-gallon tax break would be the same as that given to ethanol, which is a gasoline blend generally made from corn.

The tax break would not start until biodiesel facilities in South Dakota reach a capacity of 20 million gallons a year and produce at least 10 million gallons a year. It would end when production reaches about 20 percent of diesel fuel sold, state Agriculture Secretary Bill Even said.

If passed, the bill would encourage the development of soybean-based biodiesel plants in South Dakota. The state is home to just one small facility now.

Biodiesel, Government, Legislation

ND Biomass Research Work

Cindy Zimmerman

NDSUNorth Dakota State University and USDA’s Agricultural Research Service are working on ways to convert cropland to biomass production for energy use.

According to a university news release, the research is working to determine what crops would maximize biofuels production and to develop economically feasible management systems for transitioning in and out of bioenergy crop production.

“This project will strengthen and enhance ongoing research efforts on dedicated energy crop production,” says D.C. Coston, NDSU vice president for Agriculture and University Extension. “This agreement continues our effort to pull together the full set of capabilities within NDSU and position ourselves to be partners with others, such as the ARS’s Northern Great Plains Research Laboratory, to develop and grow biobased production.”

Cellulosic, Ethanol, News, Research

Biodiesel Put to Extreme Cold Test

John Davis

Temperatures are typically pretty cold this time of year in Canada, so there’s no better place to put biodiesel through Canada’s most extensive cold-weather, on-road demonstration test of biodiesel.

crfa.gifThe move is being applauded by the Canadian Renewable Fuels Association in this press release:

Over sixty trucks will be put to the test by Climate Change Central, an Alberta government public-private not-for-profit organization focusing on green house gas reductions and new environmental technologies. The demonstration, which will take place in the Alberta winter cold, will provide hands-on, cold-weather experience for fuel blenders, distributors, long-haul trucking fleets and drivers.

quaiattini.jpg“Over the next few weeks biodiesel will be put to the ultimate extreme cold weather iron man test,” said Gordon Quaiattini, President of the Canadian Renewable Fuels Association. “We are confident these tests will confirm adverse condition tests in the USA and Europe, and will reconfirm biodiesel as a viable tool in diversifying our energy supply and reducing green house gases.”

The Canadian and Alberta governments are investing $2.6 million into this project. Shell Canada is the demonstration’s fuel partner. Additional sponsors and supporters include the Canola Council of Canada, Canadian Petroleum Products Institute, Canadian Bioenergy, Neste Oil and Milligan BioTech.

Biodiesel

First Texas Ethanol Plant Opens

Cindy Zimmerman

White EnergyThe first large-scale ethanol plant in Texas opened this week in Hereford.

White Energy president Kevin Kuykendall, says the plant will provide significant economic benefits to the panhandle economy and will support both the farmers and the cattle ranchers in the area.

The 100 million gallon capacity plant will use 36 million bushels of corn and milo annually. A majority of the corn will be purchased from Archer-Daniels-Midland, while the milo will be purchased from the local Herford Grain Co-op. White Energy’s plant will produce 833-thousand tons of distillers wet grain – to feed the areas more than 2-million head of cattle.

Built by Fagen, Inc., the facility earned recognition as Project of the Year by the Texas Renewable Energy Industries Association because of its significant expansion of the production of bio-fuels in Texas.

White Energy also owns and operates a 50-million-gallon ethanol plant in Russell, Kansas and has another 110 million gallon per year plant under construction in Plainview, Texas.

EPIC, Ethanol, Facilities, News