Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman sent ethanol stocks down today with comments that the Bush administration is considering lifting import tariffs on ethanol, but ethanol interests were busy out stating their reasons why the tariffs should remain in place. 
Senator Charles Grassley (R-IA) and Sen. John Thune (R-SD) issued a joint statement saying that ending the duty is unnecessary and would have negative consequences. “Everyone’s looking for a way to lower gas prices, but lifting the ethanol tariff won’t mean lower prices for consumers. What’s more, it would undermine efforts to make our country more energy independent and reward the oil companies that are already raking in record profits.”
Don’t Try This at Home
The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) is warning the public not to start their own home ethanol plants. A notice on the TTB website says “it is illegal to distill alcohol without first obtaining a Federal permit” from the TTB. The notice is in response to “several news items on people distilling ethanol at home to supplement their gasoline needs.” Those wishing to distill alcohol at home are invited to contact TTB to apply for a permit, but I would bet it’s no easy process, since they note there “may also be additional permitting requirements and other restrictions on the state and local level.”
Domestic Fuel For Amelot
Cellulosic ethanol and biodiesel hit the spot for a company known as Amelot.
According to their website, “Amelot Holdings Inc. is a Natural Resources and Energy Company including Oil, Gas Alternative and Bio-Energy projects.” A press release this week from Kerry Associates says they have entered into joint negotiations with a cellulose ethanol technology company on behalf of Amelot.
An earlier press release from Amelot announced that they have ordered bio-diesel processing equipment to start production at its first facility, to be located in New Hampshire. Amelot expects to produce over 1 million gallons in 2006. “We are extremely excited that this initial purchase has been formalized. This investment will enable us to create a division within the holding company dedicated to the development of alternative fuels and bio-diesel production. Having already established a solid infrastructure allows us to be generating substantial revenue and profits from this facility within the next 90 days,” commented Aziz Hirji, President of Amelot Holdings, Inc.
Media Training At Clean Cities
The Clean Cities Congress & Expo is about to kick off and so is our coverage here on Domestic Fuel. One of the organizations exhibiting at the show is the National Biodiesel Board. I just visited their office yesterday since I’ll be helping NBB Director of Communications, Jenna Higgins, with a media training workshop on Sunday and we were looking at some camera equipment. So I asked her a couple questions about why the NBB is involved and what she’ll be teaching her workshop participants.
You can listen to my interview with Jenna here: 
Jenna Higgins Interview (2 min MP3)
Domestic Fuel coverage of the Clean Cities Congress is made possible by the following sponsors:
Billboard Controversy
This graphic appeared in the Columbia (MO) Tribune today, with an article claiming the Missouri Corn Growers Association billboards are continuing to “fuel controversy.” According to the article, the Arab American Institute sent a letter to MCGA asking them to take down eight billboards that show an image of the late King Fahd of Saudi Arabia. MCGA communications director Becky Grisham said they do not plan to remove the billboards until their contract is up later this month, although they are considering a plan to “replace the king with Hugo Chavez, president of Venezuela and an outspoken critic of the United States.”
I bet we could think of other faces that could grace the billboard. Any suggestions? I think it’s a good message and a fair question and it would be great if we could get a national campaign going to put billboards like this up on highways all over the country.
Mandatory but Optional?
A bill passed this week in the Louisiana House would require a portion of the gasoline sold in the state to include ethanol – but at the same time makes the mandatory sale of alternative fuels optional for some retailers. According to the Shreveport Times, Rep. Mickey Frith, D-Kaplan, a convenience store owner who sells gasoline, got House approval in a 55-44 vote to remove a mandate for wholesalers and retailers to sell the product in Louisiana. He promoted it as protecting small dealers who couldn’t meet the cost demands to change tanks and pumps.
ND Plant Gets Boost
According to an AP story in the Grand Forks Herald, a proposed $350 million ethanol plant and coal-fired steam plant is getting a boost from a local economic development group. The Jamestown-Stutsman Development Corp. is investing $6 million in the effort – a $4 million grant over 3 1/2 years and the purchase of $2 million in Spiritwood Energy LLC stock.
Both the Jamestown City Council and Stutsman County Commission approved the money in special meetings this week. The 100 million gallon a year ethanol plant and steam power plant is planned in Spiritwood, about 10 miles east of Jamestown.
Partners Invest in Indiana Ethanol Plant
Central States Enterprises, Inc. and GROWMARK, Inc. have joined forces to build a new corn ethanol facility in Blackford County, Indiana. According to a news release, the facility will consume approximately 41 million bushels of corn annually, producing 100 to 110 million gallons of ethanol and 376 thousand tons of distillers dried grains.
Delta-T Corporation of Williamsburg, Va., along with their Alliance Partners of TE Ibberson of Minneapolis, Minn. and TIC – The Industrial Company of Steamboat Springs, Col., have been appointed design-build contractors. Construction is scheduled to begin this summer.
Biofuels and Goats
Blue Diamond Ventures Inc. has announced plans to build ethanol and biodiesel facilities in Oklahoma and Belize, according to a company release.
“As nature’s partner, we are committed to addressing the world’s energy shortages by utilizing alternative fuels made from renewable resources,” said Blue Diamond Chairman and CEO John Quincey Moaning, noting the company plans to develop processing technologies and methods to increase yields from feed stocks.
Blue Diamond plans to initially construct a 3.5 million gallon per year (MGY) ethanol facility and a 5 million gallon per year (MGY) bio-diesel facility in Belize. The company anticipates using sugar cane and molasses as the main feed stock for the ethanol. The bio-diesel will be manufactured from vegetable oils such as soy beans, canola and palm and from animal fats processed at Blue Diamond’s facilities.
The company also has an interest in goats, with plans to break ground this year on a million dollar goat processing facility in Belize and aggressively market the world’s most eaten meat throughout the U.S., Central America and the Caribbean. Blue Diamond will utilize 3,000 acres in Belize and 1,200 acres in Oklahoma for a goat ranch, research center and processing facility.
NBB Honors MU Research
A group of chemical engineers from the University of Missouri has received the 2006 Glycerine Innovation Award from The Soap and Detergent Association and the National Biodiesel Board, according to an NBB release.
Dr. Galen Suppes, an associate professor at the University’s College of Engineering in Columbia, and his research team were honored at the 97th Annual Meeting of the American Oil Chemists’ Society in St. Louis.
The award recognizes outstanding achievement for research into new applications for glycerine with particular emphasis on commercial viability.