Media Training At Clean Cities

Chuck Zimmerman

Clean Cities Congress & ExpoThe Clean Cities Congress & Expo is about to kick off and so is our coverage here on Domestic Fuel. One of the organizations exhibiting at the show is the National Biodiesel Board. I just visited their office yesterday since I’ll be helping NBB Director of Communications, Jenna Higgins, with a media training workshop on Sunday and we were looking at some camera equipment. So I asked her a couple questions about why the NBB is involved and what she’ll be teaching her workshop participants.

You can listen to my interview with Jenna here: Listen to MP3 Jenna Higgins Interview (2 min MP3)

Domestic Fuel coverage of the Clean Cities Congress is made possible by the following sponsors:
Alternative Fuel Vehicle Institute Southern California Gas Company

Audio, Biodiesel, Clean Cities Congress

Billboard Controversy

Cindy Zimmerman

MCGA billboard
This graphic appeared in the Columbia (MO) Tribune today, with an article claiming the Missouri Corn Growers Association billboards are continuing to “fuel controversy.” According to the article, the Arab American Institute sent a letter to MCGA asking them to take down eight billboards that show an image of the late King Fahd of Saudi Arabia. MCGA communications director Becky Grisham said they do not plan to remove the billboards until their contract is up later this month, although they are considering a plan to “replace the king with Hugo Chavez, president of Venezuela and an outspoken critic of the United States.”
I bet we could think of other faces that could grace the billboard. Any suggestions? I think it’s a good message and a fair question and it would be great if we could get a national campaign going to put billboards like this up on highways all over the country.

Ethanol

Mandatory but Optional?

Cindy Zimmerman

A bill passed this week in the Louisiana House would require a portion of the gasoline sold in the state to include ethanol – but at the same time makes the mandatory sale of alternative fuels optional for some retailers. According to the Shreveport Times, Rep. Mickey Frith, D-Kaplan, a convenience store owner who sells gasoline, got House approval in a 55-44 vote to remove a mandate for wholesalers and retailers to sell the product in Louisiana. He promoted it as protecting small dealers who couldn’t meet the cost demands to change tanks and pumps.

Ethanol

ND Plant Gets Boost

Cindy Zimmerman

According to an AP story in the Grand Forks Herald, a proposed $350 million ethanol plant and coal-fired steam plant is getting a boost from a local economic development group. The Jamestown-Stutsman Development Corp. is investing $6 million in the effort – a $4 million grant over 3 1/2 years and the purchase of $2 million in Spiritwood Energy LLC stock.
Both the Jamestown City Council and Stutsman County Commission approved the money in special meetings this week. The 100 million gallon a year ethanol plant and steam power plant is planned in Spiritwood, about 10 miles east of Jamestown.

Ethanol, Facilities

Partners Invest in Indiana Ethanol Plant

Cindy Zimmerman

Central States Enterprises, Inc. and GROWMARK, Inc. have joined forces to build a new corn ethanol facility in Blackford County, Indiana. According to a news release, the facility will consume approximately 41 million bushels of corn annually, producing 100 to 110 million gallons of ethanol and 376 thousand tons of distillers dried grains.
Delta-T Corporation of Williamsburg, Va., along with their Alliance Partners of TE Ibberson of Minneapolis, Minn. and TIC – The Industrial Company of Steamboat Springs, Col., have been appointed design-build contractors. Construction is scheduled to begin this summer.

Ethanol, Facilities

Biofuels and Goats

Cindy Zimmerman

Blue Diamond Ventures Inc. has announced plans to build ethanol and biodiesel facilities in Oklahoma and Belize, according to a company release.

“As nature’s partner, we are committed to addressing the world’s energy shortages by utilizing alternative fuels made from renewable resources,” said Blue Diamond Chairman and CEO John Quincey Moaning, noting the company plans to develop processing technologies and methods to increase yields from feed stocks.

Blue Diamond plans to initially construct a 3.5 million gallon per year (MGY) ethanol facility and a 5 million gallon per year (MGY) bio-diesel facility in Belize. The company anticipates using sugar cane and molasses as the main feed stock for the ethanol. The bio-diesel will be manufactured from vegetable oils such as soy beans, canola and palm and from animal fats processed at Blue Diamond’s facilities.

The company also has an interest in goats, with plans to break ground this year on a million dollar goat processing facility in Belize and aggressively market the world’s most eaten meat throughout the U.S., Central America and the Caribbean. Blue Diamond will utilize 3,000 acres in Belize and 1,200 acres in Oklahoma for a goat ranch, research center and processing facility.

Biodiesel, Ethanol

NBB Honors MU Research

Cindy Zimmerman

NBB A group of chemical engineers from the University of Missouri has received the 2006 Glycerine Innovation Award from The Soap and Detergent Association and the National Biodiesel Board, according to an NBB release.
Dr. Galen Suppes, an associate professor at the University’s College of Engineering in Columbia, and his research team were honored at the 97th Annual Meeting of the American Oil Chemists’ Society in St. Louis.
The award recognizes outstanding achievement for research into new applications for glycerine with particular emphasis on commercial viability.

Biodiesel

EPIC Website Nominated For Award

Chuck Zimmerman

EPICNo this vote isn’t for us, it’s for our sponsor, the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council. Their website has been nominated for a Webby Award and you can also vote for their site to win a People’s Choice award.

EPIC’s Sr. Director of Marketing, Reece Nanfito explains: Listen To MP3 EPIC Webby Award Nomination (1 min MP3)

You’ve got until May 5th to cast your vote. I got mine in today.

Audio, EPIC, Promotion

Mississippi Ethanol Plans

Cindy Zimmerman

Bunge The largest ethanol plant in the southeast is planned for Mississippi. According to a release from Bunge North America, they are teaming up with Mississippi-based Ergon Ethanol, Inc. to build an ethanol plant with an annual capacity of at least 60 million gallons. “The state-of-the-art facility will provide a key link between Bunge’s grain handling facilities in Mississippi and Louisiana, and Ergon’s petroleum refining assets.”

Ethanol

Another Corn Fuel

Cindy Zimmerman

Butanol According to this website, there is another fuel that can be made from corn – butanol. These folks – Environmental Energy, Inc. – claim to have run cross country last year on 100 percent butanol, getting 24 miles to the gallon with no engine modifications.
Why have we never heard of it? According to the website, production of butanol from corn and other biomass has been stymied by the lack of technology to make it economically viable. The problem has been historically low yields and low concentrations of butanol compared to those of ethanol….EEI’s patent changes everything. We are now able to produce yields of 2.5 gallons of butanol per bushel of corn.
If this has real potential, these guys need a better PR engine to make it work and need to get support from the corn growers.
Thanks to Gary Dikkers for pointing me to the website.

Miscellaneous