Eye on Biodiesel Award – Bill & Cindy Mack

Chuck Zimmerman

Bill & Cindy Mack AwardEach year the National Biodiesel Board bestows the “Eye on Biodiesel” awards, designed to recognize individuals and groups who have advanced the board’s mission of public education and industry growth. The awards were presented by NBB Chairman Darryl Brinkmann (left) and NBB CEO Joe Jobe (right). Award for:

Influencer – Bill and Cindy Mack.
Bill and Cindy Mack, known and admired by U.S. truckers, have significantly increased the awareness of biodiesel in that large market. Bill Mack, XM Radio’s “Satellite Cowboy,” not only recently helped kick off the Biodiesel Hotline, 866-BIODIESEL, but he and Cindy have spoken about biodiesel on “Open Road” the past few years. “Truckers are committed to using biodiesel and we get a lot of calls from truckers looking for biodiesel on the road,” said Bill. “We want to do whatever we can to help them find biodiesel. We believe it is the right thing for America.” They often send listeners to NBB’s Web site, biodiesel.org, as well as to NBB’s “Biotrucker” information; and they have regularly spent entire shows discussing only biodiesel, often with guest Willie Nelson.

Listen to the presentation with Cindy & Bill here: Listen To MP3 Cindy & Bill Mack Presentation (4 min MP3)

Domestic Fuel coverage of the
National Biodiesel Conference is sponsored by John Deere

Audio, Biodiesel, Biodiesel Conference

Eye on Biodiesel Award – Rod Lawrence

Chuck Zimmerman

Rod Lawrence AwardEach year the National Biodiesel Board bestows the “Eye on Biodiesel” awards, designed to recognize individuals and groups who have advanced the board’s mission of public education and industry growth. The awards were presented by NBB Chairman Darryl Brinkmann (left) and NBB CEO Joe Jobe (right). Award for:

Industry Partnership – Rod Lawrence/Magellan Midstream Partners LP, Manager of Quality and Analytical Services.
Under Rod Lawrence’s direction, Magellan Analytical Laboratories has been closely involved in biodiesel testing and analytical method development for more than 15 years. Lawrence’s Magellan lab, then Williams Pipeline, was the first host of the biodiesel industry’s Technical Brainstorming Workshop a decade ago. Lawrence has played a leadership role in developing the industry’s BQ-9000 program, as well as the ASTM specifications. Lawrence and Magellan have given of their own resources, working with other petroleum and biodiesel companies to understand and help prevent quality control issues. Biodiesel blends are now available at nine Magellan terminals which handle over 600 million gallons of diesel fuel annually.

Listen to the presentation with Rod here: Listen To MP3 Rod Lawrence Award Presentation (3 min MP3)

Domestic Fuel coverage of the
National Biodiesel Conference is sponsored by John Deere

Audio, Biodiesel, Biodiesel Conference

First Wood-Based Ethanol Plant Announced

Cindy Zimmerman

PerdueGeorgia Governor Sonny Perdue has announced that Range Fuels, Inc., a Colorado-based cellulosic ethanol company, will build Georgia’s first wood-based cellulosic ethanol plant in Treutlen County.

“Georgia will be a national leader in cellulosic ethanol, and Range Fuel’s investments here will be a major step forward helping us address our state’s long-term energy issues,” said Governor Perdue at the Georgia Agribusiness Council’s annual State Legislative Breakfast on Wednesday.

Range Fuels CEO Mitch Mandich said, “Thanks to Georgia’s environmentally sensitive stewardship of its forests for the past 50 years, Range Fuels can take what is traditionally considered a waste product, and turn it into a source of transportation fuel.”

Southeast Agnet’s Lee McCoy was at that breakfast in Atlanta and he interviewed Mandich right after the announcement was made.

Listen to that interview here. Listen To MP3 Mandich Interview (2:00 min MP3)

Audio, Cellulosic, Ethanol, News

American Le Mans Goes With Ethanol Blend

Cindy Zimmerman

New ELe MansThe American Le Mans Series has partnered with the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council to make E10, “the official ethanol-enriched fuel” of the series.

Scott Atherton, President and CEO of the American Le Mans Series, considers this a perfect fit for the platform that is the American Le Mans Series.

“We’ve often described the American Le Mans Series providing a direct link for our manufacturers, the link from the race track to the show room,” Atherton said. “Today, we’ve established another direct link and that is from the race track to the fuel station.”

The American Le Mans Series was founded in 1999 by Georgia-based entrepreneur Don Panoz. It features top manufacturers such as Acura, Aston Martin, Audi, Corvette, Ferrari, Mazda, Panoz, Porsche, and Saleen.
Epic LeMans

The American Le Mans Series features 12 races in 2007, including the prestigious season opening Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, which will be held on March 17, and the 1,000-mile Petit Le Mans. This will be the first time that ethanol-enriched fuel will be used in a 12 hour endurance race.

Atherton held a press conference with EPIC Executive Director Tom Slunecka and Bobby Rahal of Rahal Letterman Racing to make the announcement. A portion of that press conference can be heard here.
Listen To MP3 Le Mans Press Conference (24:00 min MP3)

Audio, EPIC, Ethanol, News

Closing Bell Grand Opening

Cindy Zimmerman

The closing bell on the NASDAQ rang in New York Wednesday from Albert City, Iowa at the site of the U.S. BioEnergy plant grand opening ceremony.

US Bio Grand Opening

Gordon Ommen (center), CEO and Chairman of US BioEnergy (USBE) rang the NASDAQ remote closing bell along with Bruce Aust (far right), Executive Vice President of NASDAQ to celebrate the plant’s opening and the company’s recent initial public offering on the NASDAQ Stock Market. Others on hand for the festivities included Iowa Governor Chet Culver, U.S. BioEnergy President Brian Thome and Ron Fagen, CEO of Fagen, Inc.

EPIC, Ethanol, News

Market Ethanol to Women

Cindy Zimmerman

Jeff at MeredithA new survey indicates that the ethanol industry might want to consider getting women more pumped up about ethanol.

The survey was conducted by sending 9,000 emails to women readers of magazines published by Meredith Corporation, which includes some of the oldest and most popular, such as Better Homes and Gardens, Ladies Home Journal and Family Circle.

Of the 17 percent who responded to the survey, 63 percent of the respondents said they are familiar with ethanol but only 14 percent buy it at the pump.

The survey was released Tuesday at a biofuels forum in Des Moines sponsored by Successful Farming magazine, another Meredith publication. Among the forum participants was Team Ethanol IndyCar driver Jeff Simmons, pictured here with Successful Farming business editor Dan Looker.

EPIC, Ethanol, News

Interview with GM Executive

Cindy Zimmerman

MB Stanek Mary Beth Stanek, GM’s director for Environment and Energy, has been making the midwest rounds recently talking about ethanol and the auto industry. This week she was in Des Moines at a biofuels forum sponsored by Successful Farming magazine.

Last month she hit the Jackpot – Jackpot Junction, that is – in Morton, Minnesota where she attended the Minnesota Ag Expo. She is pictured here at that event with Kelly Marczak of the American Lung Association of Upper Midwest and Rich Gunther, also with GM.

After a couple of unsuccessful attempts to connect for a telephone interview, I finally emailed a few questions to Ms. Stanek and got her responses.

DF: GM and the other main car manufacturers have already pledged to make at least half of your cars flex fuel by the year 2012. How will the emphasis on revving up production of ethanol even more impact that goal – any chance that might increase?
MBS: Ethanol production is increasing and so is flex fuel vehicle production. These combined activities are sending positive signals to the biofuel and other supporting industries. The hope is to support current biofuel production and to spur commercialization of gen 2 ethanol from biomass. Grain-based ethanol producers such as Abengoa are moving into biomass ethanol. We are also continuing with our VeraSun partnership and they are developing remarkable efficiencies and fuel alternatives

DF: There has been talk that another way to displace more foreign oil would be to increase the manufacturers’ recommendations for the amount of ethanol that can be used in non-flex fuel vehicles to perhaps 15 or 20 percent from the current 10. What are the chances that might happen, assuming it could also be approved by the EPA?
MBS: Much more e20 study is required. As you know, there are over 240 million vehicles on the road and many are over five years old. We do not want to prematurely retire vehicles due to unforseen vehicle performance and fuel issues. Emission certification is key to higher blends initiatives.

DF: Tell us about the potential at this point for plug-ins like the Chevy Volt or hybrids that can run on a number of different fuel types.
MBS: The Volt plug in concept that debuted at the Detroit Auto show has the ability to have battery charge extended through the use of recharging. Ethanol and biodiesel will be compatible, adding greater distance ranges between grid charges

DF: What about biodiesel? What is GM doing in that realm?
MBS: GM is very active in the bio diesel segment. Our vehicles are certified for B5 and we are involved in ASTM specification development for higher blends. A robust spec is needed with retail adherence to spec in order to grow the consumer market.

Biodiesel, Car Makers, Ethanol, News

Getting John Deere’s Perspective on the Conference

Chuck Zimmerman

Don BorgmanI want to thank our sponsor for my coverage of this year’s National Biodiesel Conference, John Deere, represented here by Don Borgman. The conference is winding down with the NBB Board meeting and a few workshops still taking place. I’m headed home but have a number of posts that I’ll add within the next day, including all the Eye on Biodiesel award winners.

Before Don took off I sat down with him for another interview to get his perspective on what he’s seen and heard here at the Conference. The word “quality” seems to have been a real big focus and Don applauds the the National Biodiesel Board for working even harder on this issue after a few concerns surfaced last year. Don says that in the sessions he participated in there were questions about equipment warranties and the issue of feed stocks since we’ll need to find resources in addition to soybeans to meet demand in the future.

Listen to my interview with Don here: Listen To MP3 Don Borgman Interview (6 min MP3)

Domestic Fuel coverage of the
National Biodiesel Conference is sponsored by John Deere

Audio, Biodiesel, Biodiesel Conference

Mary Matalin & James Carville Press Conference

Chuck Zimmerman

Mary MatalinAt our general session this morning here at the National Biodiesel Conference we got the political perspective from both sides of the aisle. On hand were Mary Matalin and James Carville.

The couple have figured out how to get along even though they look at life through very different political eyes. After their presentation they conducted a short question and answer session with the press and attendees who wanted to sit in.

James CarvilleI’ve got the recorded audio of the press conference for you here. The questions aren’t on microphone but the answers are very clear. The first question to kick it off is whether they think biodiesel as part of an energy solution is on the radar screen inside the beltway in Washington, DC.

Listen to their press conference here: Listen To MP3 James Carville & Mary Matalin Press Conference (15 min MP3)

Domestic Fuel coverage of the
National Biodiesel Conference sponsored by John Deere

Audio, Biodiesel, Biodiesel Conference

Michigan Gov Calls for $100 M for Alt Fuels

John Davis

As predicted in the Detroit Free Press and reported here yesterday, Michigan Governor Jennifer M. Granholm has called for $100 million dollars in public and private money to be put into alternative energy investments.

From the speech posted on her website:

Gov Granholm State of State Speech This new industry, so critical to our economy, our national security, and our environment is already setting up shop in Michigan. With other states clamoring for this opportunity, Michigan cannot afford to wait.

Tonight I am announcing that we will begin an aggressive, three-year effort to attract even more alternative energy companies to Michigan through more than $100 million in combined public-private investments. This will include the green technology companies that will make Michigan a leader in building the products that reduce the emissions that cause global warming.

Next, I will ask this Legislature to set ambitious goals for our state, so that within eight years, a minimum of 10 percent of our energy will come from renewable sources. And we will double that goal in the decade after that.

I will also ask you to expand alternative energy renaissance zones to attract new solar and wind energy companies. .

Finally, by 2008 we will have 1,000 ethanol and bio-diesel pumps at gas stations across the state so you can put ethanol in your gas tank;

In the 20th century, we were the state that put the nation on wheels.

In the 21st century, Michigan can be the state that breaks our nation’s dependence on foreign oil!

To put this into perspective, the state is facing a major budget crisis… projected to be $800 million in the red this year and $3 billion by next year…. that Granholm is proposing to fix, at least in part, with budget cuts. So, to see alternative fuels getting such a commitment is really a testament to what the governor believes they’ll return to the state.

Biodiesel, Ethanol, Government, Legislation, News