Governors to Discuss Energy Future

John Davis

natlgovassoc.JPGA clean energy future will be the main topic of discussion when nearly 50 governors from across the nation and several U.S. territories meet this weekend in Washington, D.C for the 2008 National Governors Association (NGA) Winter Meeting.

According to a press release on the group’s web site, biofuels will be a big part of the discussion titled “Securing a Clean Energy Future”:

Making the nation a global leader in energy efficiency, clean energy technology, alternative fuels use and energy research will be the key topic on the governors’ meeting agenda this year. In addition, governors will explore the future of the nation’s surface transportation policy and finance system, strategies for improving struggling elementary and secondary schools, long-term care challenges facing states and the role of traditional domestic energy in a clean energy future during four standing committee sessions: Economic Development and Commerce; Education, Early Childhood and Workforce; Health and Human Services; and Natural Resources. All four committees will meet Sunday, Feb. 24.

Saturday’s opening plenary session will provide an overview of NGA Chair Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s Securing a Clean Energy Future initiative. During the plenary, three-time Pulitzer Prize winner and New York Times columnist Thomas L. Friedman will discuss states’ role in helping America achieve a cleaner, more independent energy future, and Jeffrey R. Immelt, chairman of the board and chief executive officer of General Electric Company, will talk about the role businesses can play in advancing energy and environmental innovation.

The discussion will last through Monday when Former CIA Director R. James Woolsey will talk to the group about developing and supporting alternatives to imported oil. Also, John Doerr, with Kleiner Perkins Caulfield & Byers, will speak about promising energy technologies and how states can help spur clean energy innovation.

Biodiesel, Ethanol, News

Blender Pumps Now Available

Cindy Zimmerman

GilbarcoFuel pump supplier Gilbarco has introduced the industry’s first alternative fuel blending dispensers.

Gas PumpDesigned to blend ethanol or biodiesel with standard fuels, the new 3+1 and 3+0 blenders have Weights & Measures approvals. The alternative fuel blenders are part of the Gilbarco® Encore® S product line, which includes the industry’s most comprehensive selection of dispensers for alternative fuels.

The Ethanol Promotion and Information Council has been working with Gilbarco for several weeks to debut their first set of dispensers of this kind at a Colwich, KS station as part of the recently announced Kansas Flex-Fuel Pilot Program for higher blends of ethanol. The new dispenser will offer regular unleaded, E10, E20, E30 and E85. All ethanol blends above 10 percent ethanol are for flex-fuel vehicles only at this time. Dispensers are clearly labeled to signify which products are to be used in which vehicles, and carry the “e” brand on all ethanol blends.

Biodiesel, E85, EPIC, Ethanol, News

Alternatives Could Be Winners from $100 Oil

John Davis

With oil prices more than $100 a barrel, the big winners (besides the oil companies) from the price spike could be alternative energies… as people look for something other than pricey petroleum to meet their energy needs.

This story on CNBC.com features hedge fund and private equity consultant John D’Agostino’s thoughts on the issue:

The next wave of oil wealth will go probably go into alternative energy, says D’Agostino. Middle East investors are comfortable with longer time frames and can weather the volatility of this sector. Specifically, solar & wind names are most likely to benefit. In fact, I helped facilitate 3 deals between Abu Dhabi and alternative energy companies recently.

While D’Agostino believes the $100-plus oil prices won’t stay that long forever, prices will stay high enough long enough to help the alternatives, even in the long run.

Solar, Wind

Ethanol Pipeline to East Coast in the Works

John Davis

ethanolmap.jpg
What you see above could be the biggest boost to ethanol in this country: a pipeline that will move ethanol to the East Coast of the U.S. at a transportation cost on par to what petroleum now enjoys.

magellanbuckeye.jpgMagellan Midstream Partners and Buckeye Partners, both in the fuel transport business, put out this press release saying they are looking into a dedicated pipeline that could supply more than 10 million gallons of ethanol per day:

The pipeline would gather ethanol from production facilities in Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota and South Dakota to serve terminals in major markets such as Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and the New York harbor. The project, which preliminarily has been estimated to cost in excess of $3 billion, would span approximately 1,700 miles and would take several years to complete.

“The most promising liquid fuel alternative to conventional gasoline today is ethanol. But without an efficient means to transport ethanol from the Midwest to other markets, its benefits are limited,” said Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry and a leader in promoting ethanol pipelines. “Having a dedicated ethanol pipeline running from the Midwest to the eastern markets will help bridge the gap between the Midwest and the East, aiding America’s energy security. So I applaud these two companies’ efforts and I look forward to working in Congress to support the development of such pipelines.”

“We believe the proposed pipeline is a unique and innovative solution to meeting the growing need for renewable fuels in the Northeast,” said Don Wellendorf, Magellan’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “Pipelines have consistently been chosen over the years as the safest, most reliable and cost effective method for moving liquid fuels. The potential project would be a major step in bringing ethanol into the traditional petroleum infrastructure system.”

“Buckeye and Magellan are leaders in the pipeline industry and can play an important role in developing the infrastructure needed to efficiently meet the renewable fuels requirements of the recently enacted Energy Bill,” said Eric Gustafson, Buckeye’s Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. “This feasibility study will evaluate the possible use of existing right-of-ways and workforces as well as other synergies and resources that our companies have. Our goal is to develop a cost effective project that could deliver ethanol from the production hubs in the Midwest to the high demand areas in the Northeast.”

The feasibility study into the project could be done by the last half of this year.

Ethanol, Miscellaneous, News

Exhaust Could Power Cars

John Davis

Talk about your perpetual motion machine, researchers in Great Britain are looking at ways of capturing the exhaust from cars to power those very same cars.

Cardiff University, a longtime home to engineering research, has this press release about how it is taking the next step is renewable energy:

rowe.jpgProfessor Mike Rowe’s long term research interest at the Cardiff School of Engineering has been in thermoelectric generation – employing thermocouples to convert heat into electricity. The conversion technology is used in everyday applications such as controlling the central heating system or refrigerator temperature.

Now Professor Rowe aims to use this technology to generate electricity from the waste heat in vehicles.

Professor Mike Rowe, OBE School of Engineering, said: “The main interest in cars is to decrease the petrol consumption and reduce CO2 emissions. If you can utilise the exhaust heat you could replace the alternator. This would provide a 5 per cent saving in fuel straightaway.”

The release goes on to say that this technology is also being explored by American vehicle manufacturers.

Miscellaneous

POET Funds ISU Research

Cindy Zimmerman

POETPOET is helping to fund research at Iowa State University into starch for ethanol production in the hopes of finding starches to further improve the efficiency of POET’s patent-pending BPX™ process.

ISUBPX is a raw starch hydrolysis that converts starch to sugar and then ferments to ethanol without the use of heat. It is utilized in 20 of POET’s 22 ethanol production facilities where its benefits include reduced energy costs, increased ethanol yields, increased nutrient quality in the feed co-products and decreased plant emissions.

ISU researcher Dr. Jay-Lin Jane says there are differences between the starches in different lines of corn. “We are trying to identify which lines of corn starches are more easily hydrolyzed by the enzyme and the mechanism of enzyme hydrolysis of uncooked cornstarch,” Jane said.

The best starch needs to break down more easily. Jane has found that starches with certain molecular and granular structures work best. “Some starches are loosely packed in the granule and can be hydrolyzed easily,” said Jane. “While others, especially those with different crystalline structures, will be difficult for the enzyme to hydrolyze,” she said.

corn, Ethanol, Research

Back Over a Barrel

Cindy Zimmerman

Oil BarrelThis post was on Corn Commentary yesterday:

The price of a barrel of crude shot up to $110.10 today before closing at $100.01, driven by fear despite evidence of good supplies and falling demand, illustrates the tightrope the United States walks in terms of energy security.

A refinery explosion in Texas over the weekend and fear that OPEC will decide to cut back production next month drove prices higher.

Commentary, Ethanol, News

“Future of Play Today”

John Davis

Corgi InternationalYou know it’s big when it’s become a child’s plaything. Corgi International is introducing the next-generation fuel-cell powered toy car. Now renewable energy is going to be hip with the kids…

A revolutionary next-generation radio controlled (RC) toy car powered by clean fuel cell energy technology was unveiled at the Nuremberg International Toy Fair in Germany.

Corgi InternationalThe H2GO, from Corgi International, one of the world’s leading toy-makers, combines classic playability with breakthrough zero emissions energy technology. Power for the H2GO is delivered by an on-board hydrogen fuel cell, where sun and water supply the fueling unit with renewable, clean energy for unlimited play.

The first of a new range of toys to be launched under the brand name H2GO, the futuristic car was designed by acclaimed designer Professor Luigi Colani. The car boasts an eye-catching aerodynamic design and is made using lightweight environmentally-friendly wheat based plastics.

The H2GO is the result of a unique strategic partnership between Corgi International and Horizon Fuel Cell Technologies, a global leader in fuel cell development. Going forward, both companies aim to develop and produce a range of new toys using hydrogen fuel cells, making the H2GO brand a recognized global leader in clean energy toys.

Energy

Utah Legislature Considering Renewable Energy Bill

John Davis

jonhuntsman.jpgA bill before the Utah legislature that will encourage utilities to use renewable energy has received a boost from that state’s governor.

This story in the Salt Lake Tribune says despite the support from Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr., it doesn’t mean he’s giving up his own push for more solar, wind and geothermal resources into the state’s electricity mix:

During a legislative committee hearing on Monday, Huntsman’s energy policy advisor, Dianne Nielson, spoke in favor of SB202, which urges public and regulated utilities to pursue renewable energy sources to the extent it is cost-effective to do so.

Tuesday, Nielson said she believes the bill, sponsored by Sen. Curt Bramble, R-Provo, is a good way to reach Huntsman’s goals for renewable energy development. But if difficulties arise on the way to that goal, the governor would step in to help meet the target, she said.

The point is to stimulate economic development and ensure a more secure energy future, with renewable energy resources a key ingredient, she said.

“The governor wants to find a way to work with all the parties to diversify the energy supply and meet the targets,” Nielson said. “That’s everybody’s goal here.”

The article goes on to say that Huntsman is stopping short of mandating the increase in renewable fuel use.

Solar, Uncategorized, Wind

Ethanol Maker to Squeeze Biodiesel Out of Process, Too

John Davis

gscleantech.gifTwo biofuel interests are partnering to extract corn oil from the by-product of an ethanol plant in Wisconsin and turn that oil into biodiesel.

This story from Ethanol Producer Magazine says GreenShift Corp. (through its subsidiary GS CleanTech)is partnering with United Ethanol to extract 1.5 million gallons of corn oil a year from the distillers grains produced at the 42-million-gallon-per-year ethanol plant in Milton, Wisconsin using GreenShift’s patent-pending Corn Oil Extraction Systems:

The technology reduces overall plant emissions and utility costs by up to $1 million each year for a 100 MMgy plant that dries all of its distillers grains.

“Corn ethanol producers recognize the need to use technology to enhance margins and defray risk,” said GreenShift Chairman Kevin Kreisler. “The best way to do this is to implement ’plug and play’ technologies that enhance the yields and operating efficiencies of the traditional ethanol production process. Our corn oil extraction technology is the first of several technologies that meets that goal.”

GS CleanTech Corp., a subsidiary of GreenShift, will build the corn oil extraction operations on the ethanol plant site, and United Ethanol will operate the facility, according to David Cramer, president and chief executive officer of United Ethanol, “This is the first stage of a long-term project that will get us into biodiesel production using corn oil from our facility,” he said in a company newsletter.

I will tell you that this kind of technology was part of the talk at the recent National Biodiesel Conference & Expo in Orlando, Fla. Seems to make sense to squeeze every bit of good out of that corn seed that you can… ethanol, biodiesel, livestock feed… to make sure bottom lines stay above the red line.

Biodiesel, Ethanol, News