energy.agwired.com

E85 is now legal in Florida. According to the National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition, the notice of the rule change making it legal to sell E85 in the Sunshine State was published in April. NEVC is gearing up to work with vendors to make the fuel available to Florida motorists.

Florida Ag Commissioner Charles Bronson has been a big promoter of bio-fuels this year, pushing his Farm-to-Fuel initiative during the state legislative session. Dr. Matthew D. Curran, Chief, Bureau of Petroleum Inspection with FDACS says Bronson is planning to hold a meeting of bio-fuels industry representatives in Orlando August 30 through September 1 which he hopes will “create an environment conducive for the sale and distribution of quality alternative fuel products in the State of Florida.”

The Broin Companies today announced plans for development and construction of Premier Ethanol, LLC near Portland, Indiana, as well as plans to build a second Pro-Corn Ethanol production facility in Minnesota.
The Indiana plant is a 120 million gallon per year (MGPY) project and the Minnesota facility will produce 60 million gallons of ethanol annually.

San Antonio, TX-based retailer H-E-B has announced that it will offer E-85 in five store locations from San Antonio to Waco by the end of summer. According to a company press release, the five sites are strategically located along IH-35, the nation’s main artery that runs from Mexico to Canada. H-E-B also selected the sites based on their proximity to major fleet operations including the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) and the U.S Army’s Fort Hood. The stores are located in Shertz, Austin, Killeen, Buda and Waco.

According to the Des Moines Register, Australia’s Global Ethanol announced plans this week to build a plant in Belmont, IA. This is the same group that recently bought controlling interest in Midwest Grain Processors operation at Lakota, IA. In addition, British agribusiness giant Tate & Lyle announced plans last week to build a plant in Fort Dodge, IA.

Global Ethanol had been considering at least nine sites in the US for another plant, according to news sources in Illinois last month, but it’s not clear if the Iowa plant was the decision on that matter or if another site might be chosen as well. Global Ethanol, which is backed by international private investment bank Investec Bank (Australia) Limited, also owns a 60 percent share in a 60 million gallons per year ethanol plant the MGP Cooperative has under construction at Riga, Michigan.

Watch out for falling ethanol prices if Wal-Mart decides to start selling E85. Officials with the world’s largest retailer met recently with ethanol industry representatives to discuss the possibility of offering ethanol at its 383 U.S. gas stations.

According to an Associated Press story, Wal-Mart brought together a group of industry, government and academic experts on alternative fuels in Washington last week to discuss how Wal-Mart could develop a network for supplying gas stations at its stores and Sam’s Clubs with E-85 fuel. One of those at the meeting was National Corn Growers Association Executive Director Rick Tolman, who said a decision by Wal-Mart to offer E-85 would help solve one of the emerging industry’s problems: not enough availability for consumers.

Corn farmers are “giddy” with the rising use and price of their commodity, according to this article in Business Week from St. Louis.

Meanwhile, Florida sugar cane farmers are still hesitant to jump on the ethanol bandwagon, according to this Sun-Sentinel story, saying “As sexy as ethanol sounds, we’ve got to be able to make a profit.”

That would be the first time I have ever heard ethanol called “sexy.”