Clovis, New Mexico is the future site of a 105 million gallon a year ethanol plant planned by private equity firms Riverstone Holdings and The Carlyle Group. According to a news release, “the plant will more than triple New Mexico’s ethanol output. New Mexico’s only other ethanol plant, Abengoa in Portales, currently produces 30 million gallons annually.” The plant will be constructed on ConAgra Trade Group’s Peavey grain elevator property which will supply corn and energy inputs for the plant, market and distribute the plant’s outputs, including ethanol and distillers grains, and provide logistics and risk management services.
Showcasing Ethanol Information
On Sunday in Tinley Park, IL we set up a display with information about ethanol that used the Rahal-Letterman #17 show car. You could see it in action at last night’s race.
This display was part of the Innovative Mobility Showcase that’s been following along with us at several stops to showcase some interesting highway and road safety systems.
Domestic Fuel coverage and participation in the AASHTO Interstate 50th Convoy is sponsored by the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council.
Country Coach Founder
We are allowed to play sometimes as we trek across the United States on I-80. Here’s Bob Lee (left), founder of Country Coach, Inc. with one of the toys he brought on the trip.
Besides a remote controlled car, Bob also brought a vintage Thunderbird and a couple of Honda tricycles. Of course he’s riding in a custom Country Coach and his toys are riding in bright yellow truck. Bob has an interesting story to tell which you can listen to here:: 
Bob Lee Interview (4 min MP3)
Here’s a short video clip of Bob playing: 
Bob Lee & Toy (1 min WMV)
Domestic Fuel coverage and participation in the AASHTO Interstate 50th Convoy is sponsored by the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council.
Chicago Blues
About the only thing this post has to do with ethanol is the fact that a lot of it was being consumed around me last night at Buddy Guy’s Legends in downtown Chicago.
I went to see the awesome blues guitarist, Carl Weathersby, who was greatly influenced growing up by Albert King. Carl was even better that I expected and I’m glad I went. After so many days on the road you need at least a few hours to unwind. However, I got a late night reminder of the challenges we face with our interstate highway system when I sat in stopped traffic coming back to my hotel. 3 lanes solid for miles after midnight due to construction. It was 30 minutes getting there, over 2 hours getting back. I’m sure the original highway planners never envisioned that kind of traffic, especially at 12:30am.
I’m posting this video clip so my convoy buddies who didn’t go, know what they missed: Carl Weathersby (1 min WMV)
Domestic Fuel coverage and participation in the AASHTO Interstate 50th Convoy is sponsored by the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council.
Highway Medalists
Here is a group of medalists. Not in the Olympics but highway medals.
The Lincoln Highway Association has produced some commemorative medals that are modern replicas of the ones made when Lt. Col. Eisenhower conducted his cross country convoy in 1919. Most of this group are folks who worked at the Ottawa AASHTO test site many years ago. They were recognized at our stop for the work they did in helping get our interstate highway system off the ground. Mixed in are current convoy participants like yours truly.
Domestic Fuel coverage and participation in the AASHTO Interstate 50th Convoy is sponsored by the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council.
Illinois Corn Greeting
Jim Robbins, Illinois Corn Marketing Board Director, showed up to greet the AASHTO convoy in Tinley Park, IL. In fact, he gave our convoy group and nice description of what ethanol means to him as a farmer and to our country.
Jim is a corn grower in Illinois right below Chicago. He also commented on how important the interstate highway system is for transporting agricultural commodities.
I interviewed Jim prior to his speech: Jim Robbins Interview (4 min MP3)
Domestic Fuel coverage and participation in the AASHTO Interstate 50th Convoy is sponsored by the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council.
Field of Future Fuel
Most of the corn I’ve seen along I-80 looks pretty good. This is near Ottawa, IL. It’s the tallest corn I’ve seen so far coming east.
I got on the convoy radio once to point out to our participants all “that fuel growing along the roadside.” This is what it’s all about. We can grow this over and over and make our own clean burning fuel. Farmers and ethanol plants are getting more and more efficient and the explosive growth in the ethanol industry is just going to keep pushing the development of new and better ways to fuel our cars and our economy.
Domestic Fuel coverage and participation in the AASHTO Interstate 50th Convoy is sponsored by the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council.
IL Senator Dick Durbin
We stopped in Illinois off the road in Ottawa where the original test site was set up by what is now AASHTO to test various highway products and procedures. To do this a lot of people put in a lot of work over years, including driving a track millions of miles.
One of the people greeting us was Senator Dick Durbin. I interviewed the Senator before our program began. He talks about the importance of the highway system and renewable fuels like ethanol. He also pointed out how it took a doubling of the gasoline tax 50 years ago to raise the funds to get the interstate highway system going and he credits President Eisenhower with a lot of courage to get that done.
Listen to Senator Durbin here: Senator Dick Durbin Interview (2 min MP3)
Domestic Fuel coverage and participation in the AASHTO Interstate 50th Convoy is sponsored by the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council.
Army Having Fun
At The World’s Largest Truck Stop they had a 1917 Army truck on display. Possibly one much like the ones involved in the cross country convoy in 1919 that Lt. Col. Eisenhower travelled with, which is one of the events we’re commemorating with our trip.
Here’s two of our army participants posing in their modern day uniforms. They look sharp don’t they?
Domestic Fuel coverage and participation in the AASHTO Interstate 50th Convoy is sponsored by the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council.
World’s Largest Truck Stop
One of our stops on the way through Iowa was The World’s Largest Truck Stop. This stop is so big it has a trucking museum where we were greeted by local people and provided with some of the best pies I’ve eaten in a long time.
This is also a fueling stop that has ethanol in the pumps. Glad to see that.
You can find The World’s Largest Truck Stop off exit 284 (Interstate 80) in Walcott, IA.
Domestic Fuel coverage and participation in the AASHTO Interstate 50th Convoy is sponsored by the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council.