USDA Provides Financial Assistance

Chuck Zimmerman

USDA Under Secretary Tom DorrThe keynote speaker today at the Ethanol Summit here at the Indianapolis Speedway was USDA Under Secretary Tom Dorr.

I interviewed the Secretary and asked him what his department is doing to assist in the development of alternative fuels. He says that the main ways they help are by providing small grants to companies that are starting up and developing alternative fuel alternatives like ethanol and then some initial financing in the form of low interest loans.

You can listen to my interview with Secretary Dorr here: Listen To MP3 Secretary Dorr Interview (4 min MP3)

Audio, EPIC, Ethanol, Government, Indy Racing

Greg Dana Remarks

Chuck Zimmerman

Greg DanaOne of the first speakers at today’s Ethanol Summit was the late Paul Dana’s brother Greg.

Greg talked about the vision and mission Paul had in bringing together the ethanol industry and the IRL. He paid a great tribute to his brother and I have to believe it was a tough thing to do here today in front of so many people in the industry who worked with and miss Paul. He did a great job though and I’ve got his full comments for you.

You can listen to Greg’s remarks here: Listen To MP3 Greg Dana Remarks (7 min MP3)

Audio, EPIC, Ethanol, Indy Racing

Farmer and Administrator Meet Up

Chuck Zimmerman

Len Corzine & Tom DorrPrior to the start of the program here at the Ethanol Summit at the Indianapolis Speedway the chairman of the National Corn Growers Association, Leon Corzine (left), met with USDA Under Secretary for Rural Development, Tom Dorr.

It’s not the first time the Secretary has been here in Indianapolis and I’m sure it won’t be his last.

Dorr’s department is very involved with assisting in the growth of infrastructure for alternative fuels around the country as you’ll hear in a post coming up with my interview with him.

EPIC, Ethanol, Indy Racing

Ethanol Summit Underway

Chuck Zimmerman

Tony GeorgeThe Ethanol Summit is now in full swing. Buddy Rahal and his 3 drivers got us started with short statements. Tony George, President of the IRL, (pictured) just finished speaking.

Right now Greg Dana, brother to the late Paul Dana is speaking. It’s a very emotional moment and you can hear it in his voice. I know we all wish Paul was still here with us to celebrate this week’s race and the use of ethanol in the Indy car tanks.

I’ll have a number of posts with audio for you after the morning’s activities are completed. Coming up on the agenda are several more speakers.

EPIC, Ethanol, Indy Racing, Racing

Ethanol Car Driver

Chuck Zimmerman

Jeff SimmonsTo get you in the Indy mood today, here’s an interview I did on Ethanol Day with the number 17 car driver, Jeff Simmons.

Jeff talks about the significance of the event. He talks about how his fellow drivers feel about putting ethanol in their cars.

You can listen to my interview with Jeff here: Listen To MP3 Jeff Simmons Interview (3 min MP3)

Audio, EPIC, Ethanol, Indy Racing, Racing

Ethanol Forum At Indy

Chuck Zimmerman

Ethanol Promotion and Information CouncilIt’s a beautiful Thursday morning trackside here in Indianapolis as we get ready for the Ethanol Forum. As you know, our primary sponsor is the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council and they are very involved in the event being held here this morning.

On the agenda this morning we’re going to hear from people like Jeff Simmons, Bobby Rahal, Danica Patrick, Buddy Rice, Tony George, Tom Slunecka, Becky Skillman and USDA Under Secretary for Rural Development, Tom Dorr. I’ll have audio and pictures later today for you.

Hopefully, the rain that passed through last night will leave us alone this morning.

EPIC, Ethanol, Indy Racing

On The Road To Indy

Chuck Zimmerman

E CarTime to take a break, as in drive to Indianapolis. Tomorrow there will be an Ethanol Forum taking place and I’ll be there. I’ll be posting lots of interviews and pictures all the way through the race on Sunday from the pagoda, as they call the media center building trackside.

I hope you enjoy our coverage of the race and surrounding activities.

EPIC, Ethanol

Frontier Ethanol Opens In Iowa

Chuck Zimmerman

Broin CompaniesThere is no shortage of ethanol news this week as we get closer to the Indianapolis 500. This story is about a new ethanol plant in Iowa. The Broin Companies just announced that Frontier Ethanol, LLC, near Gowrie, Iowa, is the 100th ethanol plant to begin operations in the United States. The Sioux Falls, SD-based company developed, designed, engineered, and built the facility and will provide management and marketing services. There’s a grand opening planned for tomorrow.

“The Broin Companies built one of the first successful ethanol production plants in America in the early 1980s and we are thrilled that our plant, Frontier Ethanol, is our nation’s 100th,” exclaimed Jeff Broin, CEO of the Broin Companies. “This is a tremendous milestone for our industry and our organization.”Read More

Ethanol, Facilities

Meet The EPIC President

Chuck Zimmerman

Tom BranhanIt’s time once again for an Indy week interview. This time it’s with Tom Branhan, CEO of Glacial Lakes Energy, a farmer-owned ethanol plant in Watertown, SD.

Tom is also President of the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council, one of our primary sponsors. I intereviewed Tom on Ethanol Day in Indianapolis. He tells us a little bit about the success of his company and gives us some information about EPIC and how it’s working to promote ethanol. He also explains what the activities of Ethanol Day mean to the industry.

You can listen to my interview with Tom here: Listen To MP3 Tom Branhan Interview (5 min MP3)

Audio, EPIC, Ethanol, Indy Racing, Promotion, Racing

EPIC Wichita Exhibit

Chuck Zimmerman

Wichita River FestivalI didn’t attend but Claire did and sent in a great photo.

This weekend, the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council participated in the Wichita River Festival, a 10-day long celebration of the beautiful Arkansas River in downtown Wichita. The Indy Simulator had people lining up for hours to take a shot at getting the best time in what is essentially a gigantic video game.

This young soldier was having a great time!

Thanks Claire!

EPIC, Promotion