“Field of Dreams” Ethanol Plant Breaks Ground

Cindy Zimmerman

US Bio 1US BioEnergy broke ground Friday on US Bio Dyersville, a 100 million gallon per year ethanol biorefinery in Dyersville, Iowa.

“We are happy to be a member of the Dyersville community and believe in the power of the American farmer,” stated Gordon Ommen, US BioEnergy’s CEO and president. “The construction of this plant is another step in decreasing our country’s dependence on foreign resources and revitalizing the American Heartland.”

Dyersville is where the movie “Field of Dreams” was filmed, which Renewable Fuels Association president Bob Dinneen says is very appropriate.

US Bio 3“It is fitting that the home of the ‘Field of Dreams’ is now going to be home to a state-of-the-art ethanol biorefinery. Across Iowa and around the country, farmers and rural communities are thriving because of tremendous economic opportunities ethanol production is creating. Whether its fields of corn today or fields of corn and switchgrass tomorrow, ethanol is helping turn rural America into a real life field of dreams.”

Among those on hand to celebrate with US BioEnergy were Ron Fagen, President and CEO of Fagen Inc.; Dyersville Mayor Jim Heavens; Brian Jennings, Executive Vice President of American Coalition for Ethanol; and · Dave Schroeder, President of Dyersville Industrial Development.

Ethanol, Facilities, News

Ethanol Branding Makes Progress

Cindy Zimmerman

e-podcastBeing able to identify ethanol at the pump nationwide can help consumers “fill up and feel good” no matter where they are.

That’s the goal of the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council’s “e” branding program, which already has seven states on board in just a few months. This edition of “Fill up, Feel Good” talks about the progress, the program’s goals and how it is being implemented. The podcast includes comments from EPIC’s Robert White and Mark Lambert of the Illinois Corn Marketing Board.

The “Fill up, Feel Good” podcast is available to download by subscription (see our sidebar link) or you can listen to it by clicking here. (6:00 MP3 File)

The Fill Up, Feel Good theme music is “Tribute to Joe Satriani” by Alan Renkl, thanks to the Podsafe Music Network.

“Fill up, Feel Good” is sponsored by the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council.

Audio, EPIC, Ethanol, Fill Up Feel Good, News, Promotion

Ethanol Campaigning

Cindy Zimmerman

McCain BusAccording to the Washington Post, John McCain had only been in Iowa long enough Thursday to make one ethanol joke – “I have a glass of ethanol every morning for breakfast” — when word went out that he was already leaving.

Turns out that the presidential candidate ended up staying after all, skipping a procedural vote in DC on the Iraq war. On the campaign trail, McCain has apparently decided to try and make up for ignoring Iowa in his race seven years ago when he was vocal in his opposition to ethanol subsidies.

Now the candidate is reportedly supporting ethanol, at least with words, if not actions. According to an article on Seeking Alpha analyzing McCain’s position on ethanol, blogger Konrad Imielinski notes that the candidate maintained a consistent “anti-ethanol demeanor through 2005 as documented by his voting record” which includes voting against the Energy Policy Act of 2005, the Environmental Effects Caused by Ethanol Amendment and the Energy Omnibus Bill.

McCain then changed his position completely in 2006. When giving a speech in Iowa, the same state which he publicly stated his skepticism in 2000, he said “I support ethanol and I think it is vital, a vital alternative energy source not only because of our dependency on foreign oil but its greenhouse gas reduction effects.”

HillaryMcCain isn’t the only candidate to have an “ethanol conversion” experience, as the Washington Post calls it.

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) experienced one in May of last year. Long opposed to federal support for the corn-based biofuel, she reversed herself and endorsed even bigger ethanol incentives than she previously voted against. Now running for president, Clinton is promoting a $50 billion strategic energy fund, laden with more ethanol perks.

Seeking Alpha’s Imielinski also analyzes Clinton’s ethanol position noting that she voted a total of 17 times against measures promoting ethanol production. Senator Clinton even stated in 2002 that “there is no sound public policy reason for mandating the use of ethanol” but now has shaped herself as a prominent advocate of ethanol.

Ethanol, Government, News

Aventine Branches into Biodiesel

Cindy Zimmerman

Aventine Ethanol producer, marketer and distributor Aventine Renewable Energy has entered the biodiesel business.

According to a company release, Aventine is setting up a marketing program for biodiesel similar to how it currently markets ethanol.

Aventine president Ron Miller, who is also chairman of the Renewable Fuels Association, says “As the country continues to embrace other sources of renewable fuels in addition to ethanol, we intend to take advantage of opportunities in the marketplace to utilize our 25 years of experience, distribution assets, and customer relationships. Biodiesel is a natural progression and addition from ethanol for us. We will continue our focus on our existing ethanol alliance and expanding our own ethanol production facilities, while at the same time, adding another renewable fuel source to our product lineup.”

Biodiesel, Ethanol, News

Biodiesel Races Into History

John Davis

Osborn at Sebring
History will be made Friday at the Sebring International Raceway in California when the world’s first biodiesel car will join the race. Jim Osborn will be behind the wheel of the number 24, spiced-red Volkswagen Jetta TDI.

The car is racing in the SPEED World Challenge SCCA SPEED Touring Car series:

The SPEED World Challenge is a production-based car series, and Osborn’s Jetta isn’t much different from those on showroom floors across the country. Osborn hopes his performance at the internationally famous Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring event, will inspire consumers everywhere to explore the possibilities of alternative fuels in their own cars.

“We are extremely proud of this project,” Osborn said. “Alternative fuels have been getting a lot of media attention lately and to be racing a biodiesel car in SPEED World Challenge is a great way to show the motorsports industry and the world that alternative fuels are ready to be incorporated into our lives. The biodiesel fuel we’re using this week is very similar to what’s already on the market.”

Osborn will race Friday, March 16th at 11:05 a.m. (EDT). The SPEED Channel will show the race Sunday, March 25th at 1:30 p.m. (EDT).

Last week, I talked to Osborn for Domestic Fuel, and you can hear that interview here.

Biodiesel, Racing

Global Warming Education

Cindy Zimmerman

GW 101 One of the goals of Will Steger’s Global Warming 101 expedition is to educate students about the impact of global climate change on the people living closest to the Arctic Circle.

That’s why there are two educators on the expedition, which is currently traveling across Canada’s Baffin Island. One of them is Abby Fenton of Boston, Massachusetts.

“Right now we have six lesson plans that are all aligned to national standards that are available for free, easy to download, for junior high through high school and then we have a set of over 50 activities based on global warming and those are also free,” said Fenton. There are also a variety of other educational materials on the website, all of which will be updated on a regular basis throughout the expedition.

AbbyFenton says the lessons on the website will document the affect of global climate change on the Inuit people to educate young people about a culture they often learn nothing about in school. In addition, the educational materials on the website include actions that individuals can take to make a difference, such as using ethanol-enriched fuel.

“It’s not that ethanol is the end-all solution to global warming, but it’s a step toward a whole new way of thinking,” Fenton said. “So, we’re really excited about that partnership, something people can do that is out there now and available.”

The expedition and its educational efforts are being supported by the ethanol industry through the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council and Fagen Inc.

Global Warming 101 invites anyone who would like to learn more to download lesson plans from the website, www.globalwarming101.com.

Listen an interview with Abby done in Ely, Minnesota shortly before the team left on their expedition: Listen to MP3 File Abby Fenton (6 min MP3)

Audio, Ethanol, global warming, News

Racing in the Sunshine

Cindy Zimmerman

Florida FreshThe 55th running of the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring will be “Fresh From Florida” this year with a fresh new fuel.

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services has partnered with Sebring International Raceway to sponsor America’s oldest sports car endurance race, which will be held March 17. The winner of this year’s race will celebrate victory with a glass of “Fresh from Florida” orange juice in the winner’s circle.

RLR ALSIt will also be the first American Le Mans Series race to be run on 10 percent ethanol and will feature the entry from Rahal Letterman Racing, sponsored by the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council. The Hilliard, Ohio-based team spent Monday and Wednesday at Sebring in the first test for its Porsche 911 GT3 RSR. Team co-owner Bobby Rahal won at Sebring in 1992 in a Porsche 962 and plans on rekindling that success with a lineup of Ralf Kelleners and Tom Milner for the full American Le Mans Series season.

The 2007 American Le Mans Series opens with the 55th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring on March 17 at Sebring International Raceway. The green flag will fall shortly after 10 a.m. and will be broadcast live on the SPEED channel and American Le Mans Radio.

And stay tuned for more racing in the sunshine later this month when the Indy Car Series kicks off at the Homestead-Miami Speedway, running for the first time on 100 percent fuel grade ethanol. That race will be held on March 24 at 8 pm and broadcast live on ESPN2.

EPIC, Ethanol, Indy Racing, News, Racing

University of Florida Seeking Biofuels Research Funding

Cindy Zimmerman

Jimmy CheekFlorida legislators are being asked to help fund biofuels research in the Sunshine State.

Dr. Jimmy Cheek, Senior Vice President for Agricultural and Natural Resources at the University of Florida, says they are working to convince the legislature to support an alternative fuel initiative that would provide funding to help build a pilot plant in Gainesville and support cellulosic ethanol research.

“Biofuels are critical to the future of Florida,” said Cheek in an interview with Southeast Agnet. “We will not probably produce ethanol from corn and sugar but we will produce it from cellulose.”

That includes agricultural products, agricultural waste, trees, urban waste and hurricane debris.

Listen to Cheek’s interview with Katherine Bush of Southeast Agnet: Listen to MP3 File Dr. Jimmy Cheek (1 min MP3)

Ethanol, News, Research

Iowa Forms State Biodiesel Board, Moves Key Legislation

John Davis

The Iowa Soybean Association has formed a board to coordinate biodiesel activities in the state, along with activities with the National Biodiesel Board.

Wallaces Farmer reports that the ISA hired Randy Olson to serve as the new Iowa Biodiesel Board’s executive director, as well as a senior marketing manger for the association:

“I’m very excited to join ISA and support our state’s farmers,” says Olson. “I’m looking forward to the opportunity to work with our growing number of biodiesel manufacturers in the state. With this industry’s tremendous growth, it is vital that our producers get the support that they need.”

Meanwhile, the ISA is happy that several keys pieces of legislation for biodiesel survived the March 9th “funnel” at the state legislature. That date is the date that bills must pass out of committee… otherwise they are considered dead. The bills making it through include ones that provide funding for a biodiesel testing laboratory to ensure quality, as well as tax breaks for biodiesel facilities.

Biodiesel, Government, Legislation

Nova Biosource Fuels Inks Deal with Scott Petroleum

John Davis

Nova logo Biodiesel maker Nova Biosource Fuels has agreed to purchase 50% of the biodiesel produced from a Greenville, Mississippi plant that is a joint ventire between Nova and Scott Petroleum.

In a company press release, Nova says the plant will be capable of producing 20 million gallons of biodiesel a year when it is finished this summer:

Nova plant “We selected Nova’s technology based upon our confidence in the technology and the entire Nova team,” said Solon Scott, President of Scott Petroleum. “Nova’s ability to utilize multiple feedstocks, produced right here in the Delta, and its ability to generate outstanding fuel quality gave us the confidence to invest and become a producer in the emerging biodiesel industry. This tolling and off-take agreement is an extension of our continuing partnership with Nova, and we are very pleased to embark on this new opportunity.”

“Our relationship with Solon and Scott Petroleum has continued to evolve largely in part because of Solon’s vision to vertically integrate from the farm to fuel,” said Kenneth T. Hern, Nova’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “Scott Petroleum has demonstrated leadership with an outstanding and successful track record as a petroleum distributor in the Delta for many years. We are very pleased to see that the continued benefits of our long-term alliance with Scott Petroleum will produce biodiesel utilizing our proprietary technology while granting us 50 percent of all production from the plant.”

The plant will use catfish oil, poultry fat and other rendered products from the area.

Nova is building three to four biodiesel refineries able to produce 160 to 240 million gallons of biodiesel fuel each year. In the next few years, Nova intends to have seven 20-60 million-gallon-a-year refineries up and running.

Biodiesel