Some News Tidbits

Chuck Zimmerman

The state of Missouri is re-launching a program that the state’s Treasurer, Sarah Steelman, says will “help finance ethanol production plants in our state to reduce our dependence of foreign oil and expand markets for Missouri farm products.” That’s from a story in today’s St. Louis Business Journal. The program is now called BIG Missouri Linked-Deposit Program.

In Phoenix, AZ gas mixed with ethanol will become available starting this Saturday. A story in the Tuscon Citizen says that the new fuel option is “aimed at reducing particulate emissions.” This should help with the ozone alerts the city has been having.

In Boston car buyers may soon have some huge incentives to buy a hybrid car that will run on alternative fuel like ethanol. In a story on The Daily News Online, the state senate unanimously passed a bill yesterday that would save car buyers by not having to pay tax on the vehicle and a $2,000 income tax break! These are just part of the provisions of the alternative energy plan bill. The bill would also require 50 percent of state-owned vehicles to run on alternative fuel by 2010.

Ethanol

Morgan Freeman On Biodiesel Company Board

Chuck Zimmerman

Earth BiofuelsNothing like having an Oscar-winning actor on your board! Earth Biofuels is a biodiesel company that now has Morgan Freeman on board!

Meadows Springs, Inc. dba Earth Biofuels, Inc. today announced changes to its Board of Directors and the appointment of new executive officers. In addition to the two newly appointed members, Mr. Dennis McLaughlin, current Chairman and CEO of Apollo Resources International, and Mr. Tommy Johnson, CEO of Earth Biofuels, Inc., the Board appointed 3 new members: popular actor Mr. Morgan Freeman, Mr. Bill Luckett, and Mr. Bruce Blackwell. Additionally, Mr. Johnson was elected CEO of the Company.

Mr. Freeman said, “I am pleased to accept the invitation to serve on the Earth Biofuels Board of Directors. I firmly believe that alternative fuel supplies need to be developed to allow the United States to wean itself off of its significant dependence on foreign oil. Moreover, I feel that our development of alternative sources such as biodiesel fuel will help the environment, farmers, and the economy in general. I look forward to participating in the growth of this company as well as the alternative fuels industry.”

Biodiesel

Turning Sugar Cane Into Ethanol In Brazil

Chuck Zimmerman

A lot of people think ethanol is only made from corn and here in the United States that seems to be the case. However, there are other commodities than can be used in the production of ethanol and one of those is sugar cane. A story in today’s Planet Ark out of Sao Paulo, Brazil talks about how ethanol itself is becoming a world traded commodity spurred on by the introduction of flex-fueled vehicles. According to the story, “Brazilian sugar cane mills say they are getting better deals to sell ethanol fuel abroad by extending what used to be only spot market sales into longer-term contracts with flexible pricing, especially with the rise in world oil prices.”

The story says that now people are wondering how much sugar cane will be diverted from sugar production to the production of fuel (ethanol).

Ethanol, International

Biodiesel Helping Hurricane Relief Efforts

Chuck Zimmerman

National Biodiesel BoardWith all the ways people are trying to help hurricane victims it was great to see how a “home-grown” renewable fuel is helping out. Yep, biodiesel in the news again. This story comes from the National Biodiesel Board.

Hurricane Katrina Relief Effort Fueled with Biodiesel

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Biodiesel deliveries are rolling into the Gulf Coast in an effort to provide the hurricane-stricken areas with urgently needed fuel. Biodiesel, a non-toxic, biodegradable fuel made from renewable resources such as soybean oil and other fats and vegetable oils, works in any diesel engine, including generators.

The Veggie Van Organization, a nonprofit advocacy group based in Venice, Calif., has partnered with West Central, a farmer-owned biodiesel company based in Iowa, and the Naples City Council in Florida to transport 13,000 gallons of biodiesel to help victims. The relief effort will focus on smaller coastal towns south of New Orleans that were among the areas most severely affected by Hurricane Katrina. The donated fuel will power a former military ship owned by Sub Sea Research, as well as makeshift medical facilities and emergency generators aboard the vessel. The ship is scheduled to leave Sept. 16 and will take several tons of food, water, ice and relief supplies to the victims in devastated areas near the mouth of the Mississippi River.

“This was the first area hit and it has received little emergency aid or attention,” said Josh Tickell, biodiesel advocate and founder of the Veggie Van Organization. “Thanks to the biodiesel fuel donated by West Central and the donations we received online, we’ll be able to help people who need it most and document the work on our website. A second biodiesel tanker truck will meet us in Louisiana.” Tickell, who is going on the voyage, grew up in Louisiana and has been promoting biodiesel since 1997, when he toured the United States in his biodiesel powered “Veggie Van.”

What’s really interesting about the Veggie Van Organization is that Josh has a blog hosted within his website so you can read about his experiences! He’s even using audio so you can listen to him, although when I tried to download the files they were unavailable.

Biodiesel

Biodiesel In The News

Chuck Zimmerman

We’re not only about ethanol here at DomesticFuel. How about biodiesel? All these renewable, alternative fuels are getting more and more attention these days. I caught this story in the Gainesville Sun. Hey, I went to college there!

It looks like a group has been formed to promote the use of biofuels and the story starts out describing a lady who is putting homemade biodiesel in her truck. Apparently the biodiesel supply hasn’t developed way down south yet. It’s only a matter of time though.

How about this story in today’s Ft. Wayne Journal Gazette about the local community school system planning to convert their 300 buses to biodiesel? They’re applying for a state grant to pay for the conversion. High fuel prices are helping people realize the common sense in developing and moving to these alternative fuel choices.

Biodiesel

Mandated Ethanol Movements

Chuck Zimmerman

When there are so many reasons why it makes sense to use domestically produced fuel you have to wonder why anyone would object but people do. Part of the reason is a lack of facts and common sense. In Wisconsin there’s an effort to mandate a 10percent blend of ethanol and gas but according to a story today in the GazetteXtra this is being fought hard by an unlikely coalition of environmental and oil-interest groups. The story makes it sound like there’s more emotion involved than fact.

A number of states already have this type of legislation like Missesota, Montana and Hawaii. Others are considering it like Iowa according to a story today on WOI-TV that says that Iowa Representative Jim Nussle has introduced a bill that would make 20 percent of Iowa’s energy come from renewable sources by 2010.

Legislation is pending in Missouri to mandate a 10% blend of ethanol in that state.

Legislation

The Latest On EPIC

Chuck Zimmerman

Ethanol Promotion & Information CouncilIn just a few short months the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council (EPIC) has done a tremendous job to bring good information to consumers who want to know about putting it in their cars. The man behind EPIC is Tom Slunecka, executive director. I interviewed Tom for a weekly program on our sister website, AgWired.

You can listen to my interview with Tom here: Download MP3 File

EPIC

IRL Race Set For This Weekend

Chuck Zimmerman

Indy Car SeriesIt’s off to Watkins Glen tomorrow for the Watkins Glen Indy Grand Prix! Why do we care? Because these cars will be powered by ethanol by 2007. That’s why. That’s because ethanol is a high performance fuel and it’s got to be if these guys are going to put in in their cars and cruise at 220mph plus.

Although he’s not in this race you need to be following team Hemelgarn’s #91, currently driven by Jimmy Kite. You may remember how he stepped in for the injured Paul Dana at the Indy 500. You can see quite a bit of that race experience by visiting our sister site, AgWired, which was around before DomesticFuel. Anyway, it’s Ron Hemelgarn and Paul Dana who have had a lot to do with helping convince the IRL to make the switch to ethanol. That’s why #91 is the “ethanol car.”

Update to this post: Scott Dixon won the race today and Dan Wheldon won the IRL title.

Indy Racing

Cranking Up The Ethanol Production

Chuck Zimmerman

Archer Daniels MidlandYou’ve really got to sit up and take notice when a company like Archer Daniels Midland decides to invest so heavily in a project like the one they announced yesterday. This is a very successful company and they see that the future growth of the ethanol business is a positive one. I say let’s keep turning that corn into ethanol. I’d much rather put that in my car than something imported from another country!!

Archer Daniels Midland Company announced plans to expand ethanol capacity by 500 million gallons through the construction of two new dry corn milling facilities. The facilities will be located adjacent to the Company’s existing ethanol plants. “We are pleased to leverage our extensive experience in the ethanol market to help meet increased demands for ethanol,” stated Edward A. Harjehausen, ADM Senior Vice President. “Ethanol demand is growing rapidly as the world’s energy requirements are being met increasingly from renewable agricultural sources such as corn.” Construction, expected to be complete in early 2008, is dependent on final engineering and permit approval.

Facilities

Big Ethanol In Beijing

Chuck Zimmerman

World BioFuels SymposiumI know we’re all about “domestic” fuel here so all I’m trying to do is show you that this is big time stuff. I think the regular media sometimes tries to make people think this ethanol thing is just something dreamed up by a bunch of corn farmers. Not!

Anyway, the folks at BBI International put on some great conferences if you want to learn about ethanol. This one’s in China of all places. It’s the World BioFuels Symposium and it’ll be held in Beijing.

It gets started with a tour of what they claim is the world’s largest ethanol plant – the Jilin Fuel Ethanol Company in Jilin, China November 11. This is one of two plant tours they have arranged. Apparently China is facing a big fuel shortage and with severe air pollution problems they’re looking to renewable fuels like ethanol.

Doesn’t that just make sense?

International