Grain Growers, Biofuelers to Meet at Export Exchange

John Davis

exportexchange1Two industries that go hand-in-glove will meet next fall in Detroit. The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) says it is joining with the U.S. Grains Council (USGC) for Export Exchange 2016, scheduled for Oct. 24–27, 2016.

“We are expecting more than 200 international buyers of coarse grains, co-products and ethanol to attend Export Exchange 2016 along with an estimated 300 producers and agribusiness representatives, making this the industry’s premiere opportunity to network with your key customers,” said USGC Chairman Alan Tiemann.

In addition to networking opportunities, Export Exchange 2016 general sessions will address critical issues facing U.S. agricultural exports, offering the customers and sellers in attendance an increased awareness of the benefits of U.S. corn, distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS), ethanol and other products.

“The global demand for DDGS has increased significantly over the last several years, and Export Exchange provides a one-of-a-kind opportunity to bring buyers and sellers together with the goal of promoting continued growth in the international market,” said Bob Dinneen, president and CEO of the Renewable Fuels Association.

More information is available at www.exportexchange.org or on social media using the hashtag #ExEx16. Those interested can sign up for a mailing list to automatically receive conference updates by emailing info@exportexchange.org.

biofuels, RFA, USGC

What’s Climate Accord Mean for Ag?

Jamie Johansen

New Holland ZimmPollOur latest ZimmPoll asked the question, “Do we need any more gun control laws?”

The latest Islamic terrorist tragedy which occurred here in the United States is being used by many politicians to call for more gun control. But do we need it? Well over half of our pollers believe more gun control isn’t the answer. Some commented stronger background checks are needed.

Here are the poll results:

  • No, too many now – 40%
  • No, current ones not enforced – 37%
  • Yes, but only via Congress – 5%
  • Yes, no matter what – 14%
  • Other – 4%

Our new ZimmPoll is now live and asks the question, What do you think climate accord will mean for ag?

We have spent the last couple of weeks anticipating the announcement from negotiators from nearly 200 countries about the landmark climate accord being discussed at the Climate Change Conference in Paris. But what does this announcement mean for agriculture? Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack said the COP21 deal will support a “better-nourished, stable, secure future” and the benchmarks “build on the ambitious climate smart strategy being implemented by U.S. farmers, ranchers and foresters.” Do you believe the climate accord is meaningless, adds to more regulations or simply good/bad for everyone?

ZimmPoll

Nova Scotia Supports Ocean Energy, Wildlife

Joanna Schroeder

As offshore wind begins to take off, many organizations are concerned about the impact on ocean life. Last week, the Nova Scotia Legislature passed the Marine Renewable Energy Act (Bill 110) as a means to ensure that ocean renewable energy has appropriate licensing and environmental protections in place to protect marine life.

Novia Scotia is looking at tidal energy as a clean energy tool and along with technological developments in this sector, companies are also developing offshore wind farms and wave technology. According to WWF-Canada, Nova Scotia has significant tidal energy potential, and the province has plans to develop enough energy using tidal turbines to power a quarter of the province’s homes. The Bay of Fundy has some of the highest tides in the world, with more water flowing in and out of the bay with each tidal cycle than the output of all the world’s freshwater rivers combined.

Cape Split © Sarah Saunders / WWF-Canada

Cape Split © Sarah Saunders / WWF-Canada

This productive area provides a home for 22 species of marine mammals, including endangered North Atlantic right whales, more than 130 species of birds, and a wide variety of fish and invertebrates. Properly harnessing these tides could help reduce the province’s dependence on fossil fuels, but development cannot compromise this ecologically rich habitat, says WWF-Canada, which supports coastal economic activities, including fishing, aquaculture and ecotourism.

In response to the approval of Bill 110, David Miller, WWF-Canada President and CEO said, “WWF-Canada strongly supports and commends the province of Nova Scotia for their work to revolutionize their energy grid while protecting ecosystems. The Act not only promotes renewable energy, but it recognizes the need to ensure that renewable energy projects do not have substantial impacts on nature. We applaud the government of Nova Scotia for paying attention to the importance of habitat maintenance and protection.”

WWF is promoting a 100 percent habitat friendly renewable energy future by 2050. This Act is one step towards achieving that goal.

Clean Energy, Environment, ocean energy, offshore wind

General Motors Texas Plant to be Wind Powered

Joanna Schroeder

Wind will be soon be powering General Motors’ (GM) Arlington Assembly plant (Texas). Enough renewable energy will be produced to build nearly 125,000 trucks a year. The 115 million kilowatt hours of renewable energy will be enough to manufacture more than half of the plant’s annual vehicle output – the plant produces more than 1,200 vehicles per day. The wind power project should be online during Q4 2016.

GM Wind_Info_finalGM signed a power purchase agreement with EDP Renewables North America for its first U.S. wind power project– 30 MW of energy from the planned 250 MW Hidalgo Wind Farm in Edinburg, Texas. Fifteen of the wind farm’s 261-foot-tall turbines, whose blades span the size of a football field, will generate the energy GM will use.

“Our investment is helping accelerate the proliferation of clean energy in Texas and the use of wind as a reliable, renewable source of energy,” said Jim DeLuca, GM executive vice president of Global Manufacturing. “Our sustainable manufacturing mindset benefits the communities in which we operate across the globe.”

EDP Renewables North America CEO Gabriel Alonso, added, “We are pleased to enter into this agreement with General Motors and look forward to providing clean and more economical energy for GM’s Arlington Assembly plant in the coming years.”

Beginning in the first quarter of 2016, wind energy will help power three GM Mexico facilities. Once on line, the company will exceed its commitment to use 125 MW of renewable energy by 2020. GM’s investments in renewable energy to date have yielded nearly $80 million in savings.

automotive, Clean Energy, Electricity, Wind

BioEnergy Bytes

Joanna Schroeder

  • BioEnergyBytesDF1NJR Clean Energy Ventures, the unregulated distributed power subsidiary of New Jersey Resources, has announced the completion of the Alexander Wind Farm, its third – and largest – onshore wind project. Located in Rush County, Kansas, approximately 120 miles northwest of Wichita, the $83 million project consists of 21 turbines with a total capacity of 48.3 MW.
  • Ford is investing an additional $4.5 billion in electrified vehicle solutions. The auto making is adding 13 new electrified vehicles to its portfolio by 2020, when more than 40 percent of the company’s global nameplates will come in electrified versions. This represents Ford’s largest-ever electrified vehicle investment in a five-year period. On the way next year is a new Focus Electric, which features all-new DC fast-charge capability delivering an 80 percent charge in an estimated 30 minutes and projected 100-mile range – an estimated two hours faster than today’s Focus Electric.
  • Constellation, a subsidiary of Exelon Corporation, and the Archdiocese of Baltimore have announced the construction of a 5.4-megawatt (DC) aggregate solar generation project. The solar power system, located at Perryman Station in Harford County, Maryland, is expected to generate enough electricity to meet approximately 20 percent of the Archdiocese’s electricity needs.
  • The Geothermal Energy Association has announced the third U.S. and International Geothermal Energy Showcase on March 17, 2016 at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington, DC. The Showcase will feature industry and governmental leaders from across the geothermal marketplace. In other news, GEA is one of the organizations supporting the new Global Geothermal Alliance that was launched during COP21.
Bioenergy Bytes

New Officers Elected for Iowa RFA

Joanna Schroeder

Iowa RFA logo-newThe 2016 Board of Directors, Officer and Executive Committee have been elected for the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IRFA). The votes took place during their annual meeting on December 10, 2015. Each producer member has a seat on the Board and votes on officers. New officers will serve a one-year term during the 2016 calendar year. Iowa is the leading producer of biofuels including ethanol, biodiesel and cellulosic ethanol.

2016 IRFA Board of Directors Officers:

  • President: Tom Brooks, Western Dubuque Biodiesel
  • Vice President: Eamonn Byrne, Plymouth Energy
  • Treasurer: Rick Schwarck, Absolute Energy
  • Secretary: Steve Bleyl, Green Plains, Inc.
  • Executive Director: Monte Shaw (non-voting)

The IRFA Executive Committee is comprised of the IRFA Officers and other members as elected by the Board. Elected to join the IRFA Officers on the Executive Committee for 2016 are:

  • Past President: Brian Cahill, Southwest Iowa Renewable Energy
  • At-Large: Derek Winkel, Renewable Energy Group
  • At-Large: Craig Willis, Archer Daniels Midland
  • At-Large: Bill Howell, POET – Coon Rapids

“For renewable fuels in Iowa, 2015 was both a great and challenging year,” said IRFA President-elect Tom Brooks. “I’m looking forward to leading IRFA, and continuing to build upon our progress as a leader in renewable fuels production and use.”

Biodiesel, biofuels, Ethanol, Iowa RFA

Mass. to Get First Community-Owned Biodiesel Plant

John Davis

nebiodieselMassachusetts is on the verge of getting its first community-owned biodiesel plant. This article from Public News Service says the Northeast Biodiesel plant in Greenfield will open in early 2016.

Co-op Power CEO Lynn Benander says the plant will take cooking oil waste from restaurants, schools and institutions in the area and convert it into millions of gallons of a clean source of energy that works in both vehicles and for heating homes.

“The way that biodiesel is clean is that it cuts the carbon emissions by 86 percent, cuts down particulate emissions over diesel fuel,” she explains. “So, it is a clean alternative to the fossil fuels that we are using to stay warm and get around.”

Benander says the Northeast Biodiesel Plant in Greenfield is not the first refinery of this type in the region, but it will be the first that is locally owned. She says a big reason that Co-op Power got involved in the project was that there was very little access to this type of clean fuel in the region.

Isaac Baker, director of Community Shared Solar programs at Co-op Power, says there were opportunities to allow outside investors to get involved in the project, but co-op officials decided it made more sense to keep the investment local. He says those outside investors would have limited community control.

“Someone might decide to go and sell the asset to a foreign company, where we would have no control over who was receiving the lowest cost benefit, or whether or not the plant was just shut down,” he explains. “So, that’s what the cooperative brings.”

Biodiesel

Cruz Talks Ethanol at Iowa Event

Cindy Zimmerman

cruz-rts-1Republican presidential candidate Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas has gotten a sudden bump in the polls, showing him now leading front runner Donald Trump among committed Iowa caucus goers.

On Friday, Trump criticized Cruz’s lack of support for ethanol, but on December 5 the senator appeared at the FreedomWorks Rising Tide Summit in Cedar Rapids and spoke very favorably about ethanol, saying in his speech that as president he would “take on the EPA’s blend wall that is preventing ethanol and biofuels from having a larger share of the marketplace.”

Asked about ethanol by reporters at the event, Cruz expanded on that comment. “One of the things I am committed to doing is expanding market access to ethanol,” he said. “Right now you see federal regulatory barriers, you see EPA blocking ethanol’s ability to access the market. As president, I will remove those barriers.”

Cruz specifically said he supports all sources of energy, including ethanol. “I think God has blessed this country with abundant natural resources,” he said. “But you shouldn’t have government picking winners and losers. My tax plan that I’ve introduced eliminates every subsidy across the board for energy,” he added, including oil.

Asked if ethanol can survive without the Renewable Fuel Standard, Cruz said, “Not only would ethanol survive without the RFS, ethanol can and will grow. There is a market demand for ethanol. Ethanol adds octane to gasoline in an environmentally responsible matter, and right now the barrier to ethanol expanding is the federal government.”

Listen to Cruz’s comments here: Cruz comments on ethanol in Iowa

Audio, Ethanol, Ethanol News, politics

Ethanol Promo in Little Rock, AK This Week

Joanna Schroeder

Kum & Go and Growth Energy are partnering to bring $1.15 per gallon of E15 fuel to the residents of Greater Little Rock, Arkansas. The two-day promotion will take place from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm on Wednesday, December 16 – Store 143 – 1303 South Pine Street, Cabot, AR; and Thursday, December 17 – Store 144 – 5216 JFK Blvd, North Little Rock, AR. During these promotions customers can fuel up with E15 for only $1.15 per gallon, as well as learn more about the benefits of this alternative fuel.

Kum & Go station in Des Moines offering E15. Photo Credit: Joanna Schroeder

Kum & Go station in Des Moines offering E15. Photo Credit: Joanna Schroeder

There are only 120 locations nationwide that offer E15, a blend of 15 percent ethanol and 85 percent gasoline. Since ethanol is cleaner and has a higher octane content than street-grade gasoline, E15 reduces the number of pollutants in fuel and produces less carbon emissions than regular gasoline. In addition, E15 is typically the less expensive option at the pump. E15 can be used in vehicles model year 2001 and newer, and in all flex-fuel vehicles.

“We’re happy to deliver a little something extra to our customers during the busy and expensive holiday season,” said Jim Pirolli, vice president Fuels, Kum & Go. “This is a great opportunity for our customers to learn more about the benefits of E15, while at the same time saving a bit of money.”

Over the next two years, Kum & Go plans to make E15 available at more than 65 stores across Iowa, Nebraska, Arkansas, Colorado, Missouri, Oklahoma, and South Dakota. “As the leading coalition of U.S. ethanol supporters, Growth Energy is committed to accelerating the use of renewable fuel, increasing energy security, creating U.S. jobs and improving the environment through the use of alternative fuels,” added Retired General Wesley Clark, board member of Growth Energy.

E15, Ethanol, Growth Energy, Promotion

BioEnergy Bytes

Joanna Schroeder

  • BioEnergyBytesDF1Innovative Solar Systems and John E. Green, CEO for ISS, have announced preparations for a large capital raise. With close to 2GW of projects its current pipeline, ISS plans to expand that pipeline to 5GW in the next 24-36 months. There are few, if any, solar farm companies in the U.S. with the magnitude of projects that ISS has in the company’s pipeline.
  • The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is offering rebates to Pennsylvania residents to assist with the cost of purchasing an alternative fuel vehicle. These rebates are funded by the Alternative Fuels Incentive Grant Program, which is supported by a gross receipts tax on utilities. To qualify, the vehicle must be registered in Pennsylvania, operated primarily in-state, and be purchased no more than six months before the rebate application is submitted.
  • Continental European power prices tumbled in November as exceptional wind power output combined with mild temperatures and unexceptional demand, according to a data analysis released by Platts, a leading global provider of energy, petrochemicals, metals and agriculture information.
  • The Geothermal Resources Council (GRC) has announced six new members of the Board: Dave Boden, Marcelo DeCamargo, Kevin Kitz, Danielle Matthews Seperas, Kevin Wallace and Patrick Walsh.
Bioenergy Bytes