AMERIgreen Energy Lets Students Find #Energy Solutions

Joanna Schroeder

Middle school division winners of Amerigreen's student essay contest on energy solutions for the future. Photo: Amerigreen Energy

Middle school division winners of Amerigreen’s student essay contest on energy solutions for the future. Photo: Amerigreen Energy

Students of all ages were able to voice their ideas on America’s energy future in AMERIgreen Energy’s Video Essay Challenge. Students ranging in grades 1st-12th, as well as undergraduate college students submitted 30 second videos focused on one of two question prompts related to what is the best energy source for the future.

Winners were chosen by the most online votes and audience likes with high school and undergraduate college students vying for a chance to win scholarships while elementary and middle schoolers were eligible for special location packs. AMERIgreen’s 100% American fuel dealers assisted in getting the word out to drive more views and votes online.

“We were so impressed with the video submissions from students – they were extremely passionate, creative and you could tell they had done a lot of research to get the facts right! They made us really encouraged and hopeful, ” said Steve McCracken, AMERIgreen CEO of Energy Services. “We also want to thank our 100% American fuel dealers that garnered community support from area schools, teachers and customers to encourage students to enter the contest.”

1st Place (tie), Winner of $2,000 College Scholarship, Lexy from Manheim, PA.
Lexy’s video focused on the future of U.S. energy, and what part biofuels plays in that picture. She referenced biofuels’ domestic sources, reduced emissions and opportunity to create a better future for the next generation.


1st Place (tie), Winner of $2,000 College Scholarship, Alexandra from Malvern, PA.
Alex’s video depicted a world of clean, renewable alternative fuels for our energy future. She emphasizes that when one person cares and works to make a difference it matters – and the choice begins with you.


3rd Place, Winner of $500 College Scholarship, Injee from Belle Mead, NJ
Injee’s video focused on biofuels as a renewable energy source with many new feedstocks in development, and it is a secure energy source for generations to come.


advanced biofuels, Biodiesel, bioenergy, Education, Ethanol, Video

#USDA Study Examines Land-Use & Ethanol in Brazil

Joanna Schroeder

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has released a new report, “Brazil’s Agricultural Land Use and Trade: Effects of Changes in Oil Prices and Ethanol Demand“. The study looked at the issue of land-use changes in Brazil as westward expansion of agriculture, especially in the Cerrados Savannah region, continues in an effort to grow more food and produce more fuels such as ethanol, and meet expanding needs of sugarcane.

Authors CScreen Shot 2016-07-06 at 9.28.36 AMonstanza Valdes, Kim Hjort and Ralph Seeley also looked at the link between the demand for ethanol and petroleum and how oil prices can affect production and land-use decisions for ethanol feedstocks, and other ag commodities. Ultimately, this study examined how longrun changes in oil prices could affect Brazilian ethanol production and resulting cropping patterns. It also considered the implications for world agricultural markets.

The study examined the effects of two oil-price scenarios—sustained high prices and sustained low prices from 2015 to 2024—on Brazilian agricultural land use. A reference scenario is based on the assumptions in USDA’s Agricultural Projections to 2024.

In the high-priced scenario: In this scenario, the oil price rises 40 percent above the reference, or baseline, price in 2015, followed by another 7-percent increase in 2016 and small changes relative to the baseline price thereafter through 2024 (for a sustained average increase of 45 percent above the base price). With increasing oil prices, the demand for ethanol increases relative to that for gasoline, raising the price of ethanol and creating incentives to increase production.

In the low-priced scenario: In this scenario, the oil price decreases 18 percent below the reference price in 2015, followed by 6-percent declines over the next 2 years and a 1-percent annual decline thereafter through 2024. A sustained fall in oil prices would be expected to trigger a drop in demand for ethanol as well as a drop in prices for agricultural inputs (energy, fertilizer, etc.). In this scenario, ethanol use in Brazil falls by an average of 16 percent annually in 2015-24.

Click here to read the full report.

biofuels, Brazil, Ethanol, Research

RaceTrac Joins Prime the Pump – Offers #E15

Joanna Schroeder

racetracRaceTrac is the latest retailer to join Prime the Pump and offer consumers more fuel choices at the pump. The program assists retailers in installing infrastructure to sell ethanol blends such as E15 and E85. Prime the Pump is a Growth Energy initiative.

“We are thrilled to have RaceTrac join our retailer family and look forward to expanding access to E15 for consumers across the Southern United States with them,” said Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor. “As a longtime supporter of alternative fuels, such as E85, RaceTrac is committed to providing its customers with a choice at their pumps. By adding E15, RaceTrac will bring even more renewable fuel options to consumers, providing greater choice and savings to motorists.”

Skor continued, “We are proud to be a part of this effort, and are confident that consumers will choose E15 because it reduces harmful emissions, burns cooler and has increased octane levels which results in enhanced vehicle performance, while also saving drivers money.”

RaceTrac is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia and operates more than 600 company-owned and third-party contract operated stores under the RaceTrac and RaceWay names in 12 southern states.

E15, Ethanol, Growth Energy

Pacific Biodiesel Rolls Back Maui #Biodiesel Prices

Joanna Schroeder

Maui County Council Vice Chair Don Guzman, who proposed the tax exemption, shows his support for the biodiesel price rollback with Kelly and Bob King, Pacific Biodiesel founders, and Councilmember Don Couch. Photo: Pacific Biodiesel Technologies

Maui County Council Vice Chair Don Guzman, who proposed the tax exemption, shows his support for the biodiesel price rollback with Kelly and Bob King, Pacific Biodiesel founders, and Councilmember Don Couch. Photo: Pacific Biodiesel Technologies

Maui drivers using #biodiesel have a reason to celebrate today as city eliminated its 9 cents per gallon on-road biodiesel fuel tax effective July 1, 2016. In response, Maui’s own Pacific Biodiesel rolled back biodiesel prices at the pump 9 cents. The fate of the tax was uncertain when earlier this year the Maui County mayor’s budget actually requested the tax be raised to 11.5 cents per gallon. However, upon discovering that biodiesel sales were minimal when compared to petroleum sales, Maui County Council Vice Chair Don Guzman proposed the tax be eliminated altogether.

Pacific Biodiesel President and Founder Bob King noted that this sends a strong message of support for renewables in Maui and throughout the state where other counties have ongoing tax exemptions for biodiesel. It should be noted that Hawaii has the largest prices for energy of all 50 U.S. states.

“In Maui County, increasing the tax on biodiesel to 11.5 cents per gallon would have generated less than $50,000 in annual revenue—that’s a drop in the bucket of the county’s budget,” said King. “With the effects of climate change already upon us, it’s taxing the renewable fuel solution and not the problem—petroleum emissions. Our state is committed to a renewable energy future and Maui needs to step up.”

To celebrate the tax exemption, Pacific Biodiesel hosted a price roll-back event at the company’s Kahului pump. Guzman and Councilmember Don Couch were in attendance. Also on hand for the event was Pacific Biodiesel customer David Sellers, a local business owner, former staff of The Nature Conservancy, and longtime biodiesel advocate.

“Biodiesel is the best thing for our environment. And the money stays here on island and helps our community,” noted Sellers. “As a business owner, I like to spend money locally. I’ve been a Pacific Biodiesel supporter for years and I run biodiesel in generators, boats, trucks—you name it. We’re fortunate to have this as a resource here in Hawaii. And anything that can be done locally to lower the price to make it more adoptable to other people is a good thing.” Read More

advanced biofuels, Biodiesel

BioEnergy Bytes

Joanna Schroeder

  • BioEnergyBytesDF1Green Plains Partners LP has announced that John D. Chandler was appointed by Green Plains Inc. as an independent director to the board of directors of its general partner, Green Plains Holdings LLC. Chandler will also serve as a member of the board’s audit and conflicts committees. He is the partnership’s third independent board member.
  • Clean Energy Fuels Corp. has opened a new public fast-fill CNG station in Houston, Texas (compressed natural gas). Located within the Houston Valero station at 9221 Wallisville Road, the fast-fill CNG station, open 24/7 to the public, will support the fueling needs of over 100 heavy-duty trucks in addition to a variety of other natural gas vehicles.
  • Greenbelt Resources Corporation has announced that it has successfully secured a $170,000 investment. “The net proceeds will primarily be used to complete an offering statement for company common stock with the Securities and Exchange Commission via the Regulation A platform and for a targeted sales and marketing campaign focused on our business model. It complements our recent agreement with a banking firm specializing in clean energy technology,” noted Joe Pivinski, Greenbelt Resources CFO.
  • Alaska Power & Telephone has announced that it was selected by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to receive $3,000,000 in grant funds through the High Energy Cost Grant Program to construct a 1.8 megawatt wind farm in interior Alaska. The 7-Mile Wind project will be a 1.8 MW Wind farm, located in a Class-4 Wind area adjacent the Glenn Highway, near the community of Tok, Alaska.
Bioenergy Bytes

#ExEx16 Registration Open

Joanna Schroeder

Registration is now open for Export Exchange 2016 (#ExEx16), taking place in Detroit, Michigan October 24-26, 2016. The event is co-hosted by the U.S. Grains Council (USGC) and the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) and members of either organization are eligible for discounted registration fees. The biennial event will bring together more than 200 international buyers and end-users of coarse grains and co-products including distillers grains (DDGS). Also expected in attendance is nearly 300 U.S. suppliers and agribusiness representatives.

#ExEx16“This premiere event is focused on networking in order to establish connections between U.S. suppliers and international customers,” said USGC Chairman Alan Tiemann, a farmer from Nebraska. “Our last Export Exchange in 2014 generated well over a billion dollars’ worth of sales. We know the relationships built at this conference not only help our industry now, but also help build demand for the future.”

In addition to networking opportunities, the conference will have general sessions addressing topics such as critical issues facing U.S. agricultural exports, and the event will provide customers and sellers an increased awareness of the benefits of U.S. coarse grains and co-products.

“The U.S. ethanol industry has emerged as a major producer of high quality animal feeds like DDGS and corn gluten feed,” added RFA President and CEO Bob Dinneen. “The Export Exchange provides a venue to connect producers and marketers of those co-products with customers around the world.”

corn, Distillers Grains, Export Exchange, Exports, RFA, USGC

G20 Ministers Recognize Renewables Progress

Joanna Schroeder

During a G20 Energy Ministers meeting in Beijing last week, energy ministers and other senior officials recognized recent progress made to increase the use of renewable energy. The review took place alongside the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) to take stock of work completed under the G20 Toolkit of Voluntary Options for Renewable Energy Deployment, adopted last year at the first-ever G20 Energy Ministers meeting in Istanbul.

Screen Shot 2016-07-05 at 8.53.43 AM“The dramatic and ongoing shift in the global energy sector accelerated in 2015. Renewable energy costs have declined dramatically and will continue to do so, investment reached record levels, and global capacity additions set new record highs,” said IRENA Director-General Adnan Z. Amin. “Much of this can be attributed to the G20’s strong commitment to renewables.”

In 2015, Energy Ministers endorsed an 11-point Communiqué, including the adoption of a renewable energy toolkit, that assists countries in identifying and deploying renewable energy opportunities. The toolkit focuses on five areas including: Driving down technology costs; Exchanging good practices on enabling policy frameworks and power system integration; Mobilising finance through risk mitigation; Technology potentials and roadmaps; and Deployment of modern bioenergy. During the meeting, progress in each area was reviewed.

Of note, in April of this year IRENA released a paper, “Boosting Biofuels: sustainable Paths to Greater Energy Security,” which provides an overview of the challenges of scaling up biofuels and different means for G20 countries to overcome those challenges.

Building on the success already achieved through the toolkit, Energy Ministers are now considering a G20 Voluntary Action Plan on Renewable Energy to drive the continued expansion of renewable energy in G20 countries.

advanced biofuels, Biodiesel, bioenergy, Ethanol

#Ethanol Helps Americans Celebrate Independence Day

Joanna Schroeder

Food City supporting ethanol blended fuel at its retail station in Fairfield Glade, TN. Photo Credit: Joanna Schroeder

Food City supporting ethanol blended fuel at its retail station in Fairfield Glade, TN. Photo Credit: Joanna Schroeder

With gas prices predicted to be the lowest in many cities across the country since 2005, record travel is expected this July 4th weekend. The American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) would like the 43 million travelers this holiday weekend to know that one reason they are saving money at the pump is because of homegrown #ethanol and more specifically the Renewable Fuel Standard (#RFS). The RFS, says ACE, provides consumers with an abundant supply of low-cost, high-octane ethanol that is blended with gasoline. This helps prove the benefits of ethanol extend far beyond rural America and in fact improves people’s lives nationwide.

“With economic anxiety gripping many parts of the world, American families traveling to celebrate our nation’s independence this weekend are saving between $700 and $1000 on gasoline this year compared to prior years,” said ACE Executive Vice President Brian Jennings. “The RFS is one reason for this relief at the pump because it ensures a domestic supply of low cost ethanol which also cuts greenhouse gas emissions because it is a low carbon, high-octane performance fuel. Since ethanol production also results in an abundance of nutritious and high-protein livestock feed, the RFS helps fuel and feed the nation.”

The Oil Price Information Service (OPIS) is reporting that for the 1st half of the year, gas prices nationwide averaged $2.04 a gallon which is inspiring motorists to take that car trip they may not have been able to afford in past years. It’s the second straight year that July gas price averages are under three dollars a gallon. Combine that with the recent International Food Policy Research Institute report showing that there isn’t a link between ethanol and rising food costs, these factors, says ACE, show that the RFS is working as intended despite what the critics want you to believe.

ACE, biofuels, Ethanol

#Enogen4Energy Committed to #Ethanol & #Farmers

Joanna Schroeder

One theme for the very successful ethanol NASCAR race weekend at Iowa Speedway was #4Enogen4Energy – or seeing in action Syngenta’s commitment to the American ethanol industry and to American farmers. To learn more about Syngenta’s work in the ethanol industry and how it ties to innovative seeds for corn farmers, Chuck Zimmerman spoke with Ponsi Trivisvavet, president of Syngenta seeds in North America. This the fourth year of Syngenta’s sponsorship of the race known as the American Ethanol E15 250 presented by Enogen.enogen-ponsi-trivisvavet

It’s been a successful program according to Trivisvavet, but this year has been the most successful. Why? Farmers from across the Midwest descended to the Iowa Speedway and on Saturday night Trivisvavet said there were more than 600 growers spending time with Syngenta in their hospitality tent while on race day the number was well over 1,100.

“This is about ethanol. This is about farmers. This is about agriculture. And this is about ethanol and agriculture marrying together,” Trivisvavet noted.

In terms of using the race as a marketing platform for Enogen and Cellerate, Trivisvavet said this event is very critical for them. “The event itself is not about marketing. It’s not about sales. It’s about the long-term relationship we have between Syngenta and our customers and our customers and the ethanol industry. We have been investing significantly in our product Enogen and how we can turn around the whole market to look at the benefits and how we can help increase the yields of ethanol plants. So that is something we are really proud of.”

Trivisvavet added that the weekend was also a way to say thank you to Growth Energy, ethanol plants, farmers and all the people supporting them.

To learn more listen to Chuck’s interview with Ponsi Trivisvavet here: Interview with Ponsi Trivisvavet, President, Syngenta Seeds North America

You can find lots of photos from Iowa Speedway race weekend here: Enogen Syngenta NASCAR Photo Album

American Ethanol, Audio, corn, E15, Enogen, Ethanol, NASCAR, Syngenta