Our U. S. Secretary of Agriculture not only mentioned renewable fuels in his speech last week at Commodity Classic but he made sure he met with all the folks there working for the various organizations involved with the industry.
Ag Secretary Mike Johanns (dark suit, center) poses with staff and leaders from various groups promoting renewable fuels, including EPIC, during the March 2-4 Commodity Classic.
IL Corn Marketing Board is Team Ethanol Sponsor
While exhibiting at last week’s Commodity Classic in Anaheim EPIC got to put a new team ethanol sponsor decal on the car (simulator).
Illinois Corn Marketing Board Chairman Bryan Fogerson (left) proudly applies an ICMB sponsor decal to the Team Ethanol Indy Car simulator with assistance from EPIC Executive Director Tom Slunecka (right). ICMB is a 2006 Team Ethanol Indy Car sponsor.
EPIC Welcomes USDA Undersecretary
Our sponsor here at DomesticFuel is the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council (EPIC). They were in Anaheim this past week exhibiting at the Commodity Classic and had some very distinguished visitors like Tom Dorr, USDA Undersecretary for Rural Development. I just got the pictures and wanted to share. There’s more to come.
(L to R) USDA Undersecretary for Rural Development Tom Dorr, EPIC Executive Director Tom Slunecka and EPIC board member Greg Krissek.
Pawlenty of Renewable Fuel In MN
Minnesota Governor, Tim Pawlenty, spoke to a crowd here at Commodity Classic in Anaheim on Friday. I think some of the folks here would like to see him run for President. He gave a great talk about how his state has led the way in the development of renewable fuels and challenged other states to follow their lead in what he called the “Energy Revolution.”
I know there’s a lot of you who have never heard him talk. I think you’ll enjoy taking a few minutes to listen to him.
You can listen to Governor Pawlenty’s speech here: 
Governor Pawlenty Speech (21:21 MP3 File)
AgWired coverage of Commodity Classic is being made posssible by our good friends at New Holland.
220MPH Is Not Mickey Mouse
The Ethanol Promotion & Information Council wants you to experience fuel performance at 220 miles per hour. As they say, “There’s nothing Mickey Mouse about that.” Here at their booth at Commodity Classic in Anaheim, CA, they’ve got an IndyCar racing simulator. So strap yourself in and hold on. You can hear what this baby sounds like here: Simulator Sound (1:29 MP3 File)
To better see what it’s like to be in the simulator you can watch a short video clip of it here: 
IndyCar Simulator (:31 wmv file)
AgWired coverage of Commodity Classic is being made posssible by our good friends at New Holland.
Hearing From The President of ASA
The President of the American Soybean Association is Bob Metz, from South Dakota. Bob is very happy with the way things are going with the whole renewable fuels initiative in the U. S. and especially with biodiesel. I don’t think you’ll find a bigger supporter out there.
Besides the impact biodiesel development has on the soybean business Bob also thinks all growers should become members of ASA so that their voice will be heard as policy decisions are made here as part of the grassroots effort that takes place at Commodity Classic, the combined annual meeting of the National Corn Growers Association and ASA.
You can listen to my interview with Bob here: Metz Interview (3:30 MP3 File)
AgWired coverage of Commodity Classic is being made posssible by our good friends at New Holland.
NCGA President Happy About Ethanol Progress
Hello from Commodity Classic, the combined annual meeting of the National Corn Growers Association and the American Soybean Association. The first press conference here at Commodity Classic is always with the leadership of NCGA and ASA. To get us started I interviewed NCGA President, Gerald Tumbleson.
Gerald talks about the success his state has had with their ethanol mandate in Minnesota and the issues facing corn growers that will be discussed here. You can listen to my interview with Gerald here: Tumbleson Interview (4:05 MP3 File)
AgWired coverage of Commodity Classic is being made posssible by our good friends at New Holland.
Ethanol Car Takes Wing
Now this is a cool car! This Saab concept car, which runs on 100 percent ethanol, was unveiled this week at the Geneva Auto Show. According to an MSNBC story, “The 400-hp, twin-turbo, BioPower V6 engine is fueled entirely by ethanol,” Saab said in a statement touting the environmental benefits of reduced emissions of carbon dioxide, a gas that many scientists tie to global warming. The Aero X has a cockpit and aerodynamic design based on Saab’s aviation roots. While there is no promise from Saab that this car will ever make it beyond the concept stage Kjell Bergstrom, executive director of Saab Automobile Powertrain says some of the Aero X technology, especially turbocharging, could find its way in future models. “Turbocharging and bioethanol make excellent partners,” Bergstrom said. Saab stated that turbocharging with ethanol “allows the use of a higher compression ratio — giving more engine power — than is possible with gasoline because of the risk of harmful ‘knocking’ or pre-detonation.” Bergstrom also touted another advantage with ethanol: “If there is no bioethanol available, the customer can still use gasoline at any time.”
More info on this nifty little vehicle can be found by going to the Saab link above or here.
EPA Proposes Equal Treatment for Ethanol Plants
An Environmental Protection Agency proposal would treat ethanol plants the same as corn milling plants for grain when it comes to Clean Air Act standards. According to the EPA announcement, ethanol is produced at corn milling facilities for use as fuel or human consumption. While the processes are similar, these facilities are currently treated differently under Clean Air Act permitting programs. EPA’s proposal would provide equal treatment for corn milling facilities, regardless of whether they produce ethanol for fuel or human consumption. The proposal would establish the same emissions limits under the PSD program – 250 tons per year – regardless of whether the ethanol end product is used for fuel or human consumption
Seems reasonable to me, if they are essentially creating the same product just for different uses – and the idea is to help generate more ethanol production. The proposal led to headlines like this: “EPA proposes allowing ethanol plants to emit more pollution” which is true, but makes it sound kind of sensational unless you read the actual article on the proposal which explains it very well.
More on Private Investment in Renewables
The Carlyle Group, one of the biggest and baddest private equity firms in the world, “is set to boost its investment in the renewable energy sector,” according to Reuters.
They report that Carlyle “is raising a fund that will invest in renewable energy infrastructure.” More evidence that renewables are getting lots of attention from big investors.