What’s Your Opinion on US Ag Coalition for Cuba?

Jamie Johansen

New Holland ZimmPollOur latest ZimmPoll asked the question, “What do you think were the biggest ag stories of 2014?”

We were not limited on the number of important ag stories in 2014. It looks like RFS and the drought in the West topped this poll. Immigration and agriculture documentaries were a few others people added to the list. 2015 has already started off with a bang. It will be interesting to see what the year brings.

Here are the poll results:

  • New Farm Bill – 11%
  • Water of the US rule – 5%
  • California drought – 24%
  • PED virus in swine – 8%
  • High meat prices – 5%
  • Transportation issues – 10%
  • No RFS numbers from EPA – 24%
  • Trade issues – 5%
  • Other – 8%

Our new ZimmPoll is now live and asks the question, What do you think about new US Ag Coalition for Cuba?

More than 25 companies and organizations recently launched the U.S. Agriculture Coalition for Cuba (USACC) in Washington to liberalize trade and re-establish Cuba as a market for U.S. food and agriculture exports. In this week’s ZimmPoll, we want to know what you think about it. Will it benefit all aspects of the ag industry or is it too soon?

ZimmPoll

Market Challenges, Fed Policy Talk at Biodiesel Conf.

John Davis

2015biodieselconflogo1World energy market challenges and federal policies have had some major impacts on the biodiesel industry as 2014 closed out. That’s why this month, as a new year begins, attendees of the annual National Biodiesel Conference and Expo, January 19 – 22 at the Fort Worth Convention Center in Texas, will talk about what the petroleum glut and the delay of federal renewable fuels volume requirements for gas and diesel mean for biodiesel.

“With a new Congress convening in Washington, DC, promising significant new legislation aimed at biofuels and the energy sector, it just makes sense that we will be highlighting some of these same issues in the heart of the of domestic oil and gas industry,” said Joe Jobe, CEO of the National Biodiesel Board (NBB).

[E]nergy policy will be front-and-center of the discussions, with state and federal experts on all sides of the issue presenting their views and expectations.

Of particular importance to biofuel producers is the fate of the Renewable Fuel Standard, the federal policy enacted under President George W. Bush with bipartisan support that ensures minimum volumes of biodiesel and other renewables are blended into the fuel supply. The year ended clouded in controversy as the EPA never finalized a rule for 2014’s volume requirements.

“Without a rule in place,” Jobe said, “biodiesel producers are hesitant to invest in their businesses and employees. In some cases, the uncertainty over the EPA potentially scaling back volume requirements has led some producers to shutter plants and lay off staff. The industry needs confidence that the federal government is committed to advanced biofuels and supportive of our growth.”

The 12th annual conference and expo also includes:

An opportunity for attendees and the public to test biodiesel vehicles at a unique ride-and-drive experience;
Automakers and fleets will display their latest cars and trucks at the vehicle showcase;
Texas fleet managers will share their experiences with biodiesel and how it’s making a difference in the Lone Star State;
A session on biodiesel infused heating oil shaking up the industry, and much, much more.

But energy policy will be front-and-center of the discussions, with state and federal experts on all sides of the issue presenting their views and expectations.

More information and registration is available at biodieselconference.org.

Biodiesel, Biodiesel Conference, NBB

Fed Policy Blamed for Iowa Biodiesel Production Dip

John Davis

IowaRFAlogoThe nation’s leader in biodiesel production remained that way in 2014, but federal policy is being blamed for Iowa’s dip from 2013’s record biodiesel numbers. The Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IRFA) says the state’s biodiesel production was 227 million gallons in 2014, down slightly from the 2013 record of 230 million gallons.

For the vast majority of 2014, Congress allowed the federal biodiesel blenders tax credit to expire, renewing it only in mid-December, too late to spur meaningful demand. At the same time, the EPA went through the entire year without setting a biodiesel number for the federal Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). That one-two punch led to a nationwide biodiesel production reduction. Due to Iowa’s state-level biodiesel production tax credit, producers in Iowa were able to essentially maintain production in the face of the federal uncertainty.

“Iowa continues to lead in the production of biodiesel,” stated IRFA Executive Director Monte Shaw. “Not surprisingly, the lapse of the federal biodiesel credit and uncertainty over EPA’s Renewable Fuel Standard proposal resulted in an industry slow down. Due to favorable state policies, Iowa was able to weather the storm better than most states.”

Shaw says federal uncertainty still hangs over 2015, but if a strong and growing RFS and a multi-year federal biodiesel tax credit extension is renewed, he believes the biodiesel industry would take a strong step forward.

Biodiesel, Iowa RFA

Oregon Moves Forward with Clean Fuels Program

Cindy Zimmerman

or-deqThe Oregon Environmental Quality Commission this week approved phase two of the Oregon Clean Fuels Program, which seeks to cut greenhouse gases by lowering the carbon content in Oregon transportation fuels. The new rules, developed by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, will go into effect February 1.

RFANewlogoThe Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) is pleased that the commission decided to exclude indirect emissions when calculating the carbon intensity of various fuels regulated under the state’s Clean Fuels Program (CFP). “Oregon officials used common sense and good judgment in proposing and approving the framework for Phase 2 of the CFP. All fuels have indirect carbon effects,” said RFA president and CEO Bob Dinneen. “Oregon did the right thing by taking a careful approach to indirect effects and not putting the policy cart in front of the science horse. We hope other jurisdictions considering LCFS-like policies will follow the lead of Oregon and British Columbia when it comes to carbon intensity scoring.”

In its recommendations to the Commission, Oregon’s Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) reported that “Recent data has shown that both food (human and animal) and fuel production has increased while the amount of land farmed has stayed constant.” Thus, DEQ proposed to exclude ILUC emissions for now and resolved to “…continue to monitor the status of technical work on this issue and will determine whether to recommend including ILUC and other indirect effects in a subsequent rulemaking, as appropriate.”

The Oregon CFP is similar to the California Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) in that both programs aim for a 10 percent reduction in the carbon intensity (CI) of transportation fuels used in the state over a 10-year period. However, Oregon’s approach bases CI estimates only on verifiable, direct emission while the California LCFS uses predictive economic modeling scenarios to penalize certain biofuels for theoretical “indirect land use change” (ILUC) emissions, while assuming no other fuels induce any indirect GHG emissions at all, according to RFA.

Dinneen also pointed out that new real-world global land use data is casting doubt on scenarios used by California for the LCFS that penalize biofuels like ethanol.

Ethanol, Ethanol News, Low Carbon Fuel Standard, RFA

Bill Introduced to Re-test E15 – Again

Cindy Zimmerman

Anti-ethanol legislation has already been introduced this very first week of the brand new 114th Congress.

sensenbrenner-2On Tuesday, Congressman Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI) introduced legislation to require additional testing for 15% ethanol blended fuel (E15), a bill he has repeatedly introduced over the past four years.

Renewable Fuels Association president and CEO Bob Dinneen says the bill would hinder the growth and expansion of E15 and would simply repeat extensive studies that have already been done on the higher-level fuel blend. “The study Mr. Sensenbrenner seeks has been done. The Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy undertook the most exhaustive analysis ever conducted prior to approving the 211(f) fuel waiver. But even more significantly, E15 has been driven more than 100 million miles by consumers without a single reported case of engine failure or performance problems,” said Dinneen. “The rest of the world has moved beyond the hyperbolic angst about E15 and has accepted the fact that higher level ethanol blends are good for consumers, good for air quality, and good for energy security. Mr. Sensenbrenner should as well.”

A recent RFA report found that nearly 70 percent of all new vehicles are approved by automakers for use of E15.

E15, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Government, RFA

Bidding Ends on Ontario Biodiesel Plant

John Davis

glb-logoAfter about a month on the auction block, the bidding period has ended for an Ontario, Canada biodiesel plant. But this article from the Welland (ON) Tribune says it will take a few days to see who gets the $50-million Great Lakes Biodiesel refinery.

In early October, the plant went into receivership as a result of court action by Luxembourg-based investment company Heridge SARL, which said in court it was only repaid half of a $20-million loan used to get GLB’s Welland plant off the ground.

In November, all of the assets of Great Lakes Biodiesel, including the Welland refinery and offices in Toronto, as well as other associated companies, were put up for sale in an open auction.

That bidding closed at 10 a.m. Wednesday, but Heridge SARL was the only bidder that could be confirmed. It submitted an initial offer that would have had to be beaten in order for the company to lose the sale.

A manager at GLB’s Welland facility said Wednesday he wasn’t authorized to speak about the plant or the bidding and directed all calls to KPMG. An official with KMPG, which is handling the GLB receivership proceedings, said he had been advised not to speak with the media.

City officials would only say they have a meeting scheduled this coming Monday with Heridge officials.

Whoever wins the bid will get a biodiesel ready to get back on line practically immediately.

Biodiesel, International

West Coast Biodiesel, Ethanol on the Rise

John Davis

logo_E2-1Advanced biofuels, especially biodiesel and ethanol, are on the rise on the West Coast. Environmental Entrepreneurs (E2), a national, nonpartisan group of business leaders, investors and others promoting smart environmental policies, says fuel policies in Oregon, Washington state and California, as well as federal initiatives, have helped the country as a whole produce more than 800 million gallons of advanced biofuels in 2014.

“The advanced biofuel industry is meeting the growing demand for cleaner-burning transportation fuels,” said Solecki. “Americans who want more local jobs, cleaner air, and more homegrown energy should demand elected officials enact policies, right now, that will promote the growth of advanced biofuel.”

E2 defines advanced biofuel as liquid fuels made from non-petroleum sources that achieve a 50-percent reduction in carbon intensity compared to a petroleum-fuel baseline. Advanced biofuel companies included in the report range from small biodiesel businesses like Beaver Biodiesel in Oregon, which produces about 1 million gallons annually, to POET, which at facilities in South Dakota and Iowa produces more than 20 million gallons of cellulosic ethanol annually using corn stover, or waste from corn crops, as a primary feedstock.

“If state and federal leaders want to reduce our dependence on foreign oil – and support American farmers, businesses, and entrepreneurs – they should ensure this clean, cutting-edge industry can expand,” Solecki said.

The report highlights, in particular, how Oregon is considering Phase 2 rules of its Clean Fuels Program, which is expected to create as many as 29,000 jobs and save Oregon consumers and businesses up to $1.6 billion in fuel costs. In Washington state, a new clean fuel standard is being proposed that would increase the use of advanced biofuel. And California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard is being credited with lowering carbon emissions in that state.

The complete E2 report is available here.

advanced biofuels, Biodiesel, Environment, Ethanol

Indiana Town Considering Sludge-to-Biodiesel Plan

John Davis

An Indiana town is looking at a plan that would turn sewer sludge into biodiesel. This article from the Princeton (IN) Daily Clarion says that city is negotiating a contract with Terre Haute, just up the road, to haul away the sludge and make it into the green fuel.

Sewer plant superintendant Charlie Woodruff said Terre Haute works with a company that makes biodiesel out of the sludge.

He estimated that Princeton generates about 10,000 to 14,000 gallons of sludge per day.

Hurst said a report will be presented Jan. 20 to the board, comparing the cost of contracting for the sludge disposal with Terre Haute to the cost of the chemicals the city needs to use to try to mitigate the stink that wafts away from the plant on Richland Creek Drive, toward homes and local businesses.

According to the Terre Haute Tribune Star, that city is expected to produce 12 million gallons of biodiesel from its sludge-to-biodiesel program.

Biodiesel, Waste-to-Energy

ChargePoint Home Debuts in the New Year

Joanna Schroeder

The new year has brought drivers of plug in electric vehicles (EV) a new way to charge at home. ChargePoint Home is now available and according to the company some notable features include its size as well as at its ultra-sleek, durable design – about the size of an average tablet.

ChargePoint Home“ChargePoint has spent years perfecting commercial charging stations, and with over 20,000 charging spots, we have built the largest EV charging network in the world. With our entrance into the single family home market, we are giving even more people the most advanced tools needed to confidently and conveniently drive an EV,” said ChargePoint CEO Pasquale Romano. “Smart homes, smart phones and smart cars. It makes sense to connect them to create a user-friendly, efficient and complete charging system at home.”

With ChargePoint Home, drivers can charge up to 25 miles per hour and easily manage the charger from their smartphone. Some of the key features include:

  • Scheduling through the ChargePoint app to minimize energy costs and work around your life
  • Remote start and stop charging
  • Set reminders to ensure you never forget to plug in
  • Different cord lengths available to fit any garage
  • Integration with your ChargePoint account to track all your charging information
  • Works with Nest Learning Thermostat

ChargePoint Home plugs into a standard 240V outlet and has a universal J1772 connector that is compatible with all cars and can be installed either indoors or outdoors. ChargePoint Home will be on the market this summer.

Electric Vehicles

BioEnergy Bytes

Joanna Schroeder

  • http://energy.agwired.com/category/bioenergy-bytes/The Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IRFA) has announced that Iowa Governor Terry Branstad and Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds will discuss Iowa’s leadership in the production of biofuels, such as ethanol and biodiesel, at the 9th Annual Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit and Trade Show on January 27, 2015 at The Meadows Conference Center in Altoona, Iowa.
  • Gevo, Inc. has announced that they have received a positive determination from the Listing Qualifications department of The Nasdaq Stock Market December 30, 2014, granting approval of the company’s request to transfer its listing to The Nasdaq Capital Market from The Nasdaq Global Market. The company’s securities will begin trading on the Nasdaq Capital Market effective at the start of trading on Monday, January 5, 2015.
  • TransCanada Corporation has announced that it has acquired the eighth Ontario solar facility from Canadian Solar Solutions Inc. (Canadian Solar). The newly built Liskeard 1 facility has a generating capacity of 10 MW and is located in northeastern Ontario in the New Liskeard region. The new facility has now started generating electricity under a 20-year power purchase agreement with the Ontario Power Authority.
  • The Board of Trustees of Kit Carson Electric unanimously approved a build out of an additional 1.5 Megawatts of Community Solar projects to be located on Taos, New Mexico, into Kit Carson Cooperative Electric’s power supply mix. The approval comes following a decision by the Board of Trustees to begin negotiations of opting out of the current contract with Tri-State Generation and Transmission Cooperative. The total 1.5 Megawatt Community Solar Projects will allow Kit Carson Electric to fully reach its contract limits set by Tri-State of 5% energy to 10% capacity.
Bioenergy Bytes