New Holland Supports B20

Chuck Zimmerman May 17, 2006

Biodiesel fans can cheer New Holland today. They are the first equipment manufacturer to fully approve B20, a 20 percent blend of biodiesel, in their tractors. The release I received came from the National Biodiesel Board which is appropriately happy.

Ed Hegland (pictured), a soybean grower in Appleton, Minn., has waited for this news for years. The maker of his tractor, New Holland, has approved the use of 20 percent biodiesel (B20) in all of its equipment using New Holland engines. It is the first Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) to announce full support of B20 in all of the diesel engines that it produces.

“I am elated that New Holland has taken this step to show support for biodiesel, a farmer-grown fuel,” Hegland said. “Their customers asked for it, and they listened. I truly hope others will follow suit soon.” Read More

Agribusiness, Biodiesel

Green Star Plans BioRefineries

Cindy Zimmerman May 16, 2006

Green Star Products, Inc. has announced plans to construct facilities for the production of both biodiesel and biomass ethanol, according to a press release. The first facility is planned for North Carolina, the second location is yet to be announced but the company says it will be somewhere in the northwestern US.
Each GSPI-designed Bio-Refinery will have a start-up production of between 10 or 20 million gallons per year with quick expansion capabilities. The facility infrastructure will be capable of expanding to 60 million gallons per year (and further expansion capabilities could reach 100-million gallons per year), ranking them among the largest fuel production facilities in the world.

Biodiesel, Ethanol

Biodiesel Update

Cindy Zimmerman May 16, 2006

The University of Georgia is holding a Southeastern Biodiesel Workshop this week in Athens featuring a number of interesting speakers and perspectives on the fuel. Although the National Biodiesel Board was not able to be a part of this event, you might be interested in hearing a update from NBB Executive Director Joe Jobe on what is happening with this domestic fuel industry.
Jobe reports that in the last 18 months, the number of biodiesel plants in the US has grown from 22 to 65 and there are another 50 under construction. He notes that if biodiesel could replace “just five percent of the on-road diesel market, that would be the same amount of diesel fuel refined from crude oil that we get from the country of Iraq each year” – about 1.85 billion gallons.
Listen to Chuck’s interview with Joe Jobe from the Clean Cities Congress last week. Joe Jobe (5 min MP3)

Audio, Biodiesel, Clean Cities Congress

Coordinator of the Year

Chuck Zimmerman May 16, 2006

The big award winner at the Clean Cities Congress was Johathan Overly, Executive Director of East Tennessee Clean Fuels (right). Jonathan won the Clean Cities Coordinator of the Year award.

Jonathan describes what the award means to him in a short interview I did just before he had to head back home. Jonathan is a full time Coordinator who’s very passionate about what he does. You can listen to my interview with Jonathan here: Jonathan Overly Interview (4 min MP3)

Domestic Fuel coverage of the Clean Cities Congress is made possible by the following sponsors:

Audio, Clean Cities Congress

Indy Driver Likes Ethanol

Chuck Zimmerman May 16, 2006

At last week’s Ethanol Day at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway I got to meet Danica Patrick, one of the drivers for Rahal-Letterman Racing. Team Ethanol is a big sponsor of the team and Jeff Simmons drives the ethanol-wrapped car. But I wanted to find out what his teammates think of this new fuel they’re putting in their cars this year.

I got to interview Danica just before they headed out onto the track to take some practice laps. She thinks putting ethanol in your car is a great thing. You can listen to my interview with Danica here: Danica Patrick Interview (2 min MP3)

Audio, EPIC, Ethanol, Racing

Home Stills Selling Like Hot Cakes

Cindy Zimmerman May 15, 2006

We got a couple of comments about this company when I did the post about The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) warning not to make ethanol at home (see previous post). Dogwood Energy claims that it is “perfectly legal to own and operate an ethanol still on your property, provided that you are using it ONLY to make fuel and you are not reselling it.” An Associated Press article says the company is now building four or five stills a day and has sold 45 in recent weeks, more than 125 since September, to meet the demand from customers ranging from small businesses to thrifty individuals. The company website also gives directions on how to build your own still and how to make your own diesel.

Ethanol

Will NASCAR Climb Aboard the Ethanol Train?

Cindy Zimmerman May 15, 2006

If the IRL does it, why not NASCAR? That’s the question some are asking, some even urging NASCAR to make the switch to ethanol, according to this SI.com article. SI seems to think if Jeff Gordon used ethanol it might make even more folks sit up and take notice. General Motors is actively encouraging NASCAR to make the switch.

Ethanol, Racing

Water Power

Cindy Zimmerman May 14, 2006

A friend of mine sent me this news video about running cars on water.

Water Fuel (WMV file)
It’s pretty amazing. This would be the ultimate domestic fuel. The company is Hydrogen Technology Applications and they call it the Hybrid Hydrogen Oxygen System (HHOS). Interesting.

Hydrogen, Miscellaneous

Propane Award Winner

Chuck Zimmerman May 14, 2006

There were all kinds of winners at the Clean Cities Congress last week. One of them is Ray Cockrell, pictured on the left. Ray received an “Innovative Fleet” award from the Propane Education & Research Council (PERC). He works at Warren Wilson College in Asheville, NC.

Ray has worked closely with his area Clean Cities coordinator to develop the use of alternative fuels like propane in their industrial mowing program. It’s a big campus and there’s lots of mowing that needs to be done, most of which is by students. In my interview with Ray he explains the program and how propane has helped in ways you might not think of.

You can hear my interview with him here: Ray Cockrell Interview (6 min MP3)

By the way, since we’re podcasters we always like to point out others who are using this new form of internet-delivered content and one of them is PERC with their PropaneCast. Check it out!

Domestic Fuel coverage of the Clean Cities Congress is made possible by the following sponsors:

Audio, Clean Cities Congress, Propane

Calls For New Farm Policy

Cindy Zimmerman May 14, 2006

Some sectors of agriculture are calling for a new direction to farm policy. At a press conference last week, the American Farmland Trust unveiled its vision of a new farm policy called Agenda 2007. AFT President Ralph Grossi says this vision includes renewable energy. “Much more can be done to unleash producer innovation and entrepreneurial spirit,” said Grossi, including expanding the production of renewable fuels, “especially in developing technologies to convert cellulose to biofuels.”

Former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture and former U.S. Congressman Dan Glickman, who endorses the AFT framework, is most excited about “the very significant role that farmers may have in producing big chunks of energy needed to produce electricity, but particularly liquid fuels, motor fuels, transportation fuels – in addition to providing environmental benefits.”

The AFT website details Agenda 2007 and includes a video webcast of last week’s press conference.

Government, Miscellaneous

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