Atlanta Now Has 12 E85 Pumps

Cindy Zimmerman

protectlogoThe Atlanta metro area now offers a dozen E85 locations for drivers of flex fuel vehicles (FFVs) as Ruby Shell & Protec Fuel joined forces to launch a new E85 station last week in Doraville, Georgia.

protec-e85This is the first E85 station for owner Maruf (Mike) Khan, but he also has a station in Buford, Ga. “I wanted to provide a choice for my customers and hopefully gain new customers looking to use the environmentally friendlier fuel made from U.S. resources,” said Khan.

“Many cars have flex-fuel capability, whether the drivers know it or not,” said Steve Walk, a VP of Protec Fuel. “Alternative fuels like this in any blend also benefit air quality in a sensitive area such as big cities like Atlanta. This station is another stepping stone for the use of ethanol blends in any gas vehicle, like E15.”

Ruby Shell is located at 5020 Winters Chapel Rd., Doraville, GA.

Protec Fuel, based in Florida, has partnered to help manage the E85 installation and provide fuel for the location’s new cleaner burning fuel offering of E85. Protec is a turnkey E85 company specializing in station conversions and fuel distribution.

E85, Equipment, Ethanol, Ethanol News

Vermont Low Sulphur Requirement is Biodiesel Boon

John Davis

As of July 1, Vermont has a new, low-sulfur requirement for all fuel oil in the state, and that could be a boon for biodiesel. In a news release from Gov. Peter Shumlin touting the new requirement of 500 parts per million on July 1, 2014, and 15 parts per million by 2018, along with a new Thermal Energy Finance Pilot Program to help Vermonters improve efficiency in their homes, the state says it is joining Massachusetts and New Jersey for such a requirement.

“Since more than half of all Vermont home owners currently choose oil heat, the low sulfur fuel mandate now in effect will greatly lower emissions and improve air quality,” said Matt Cota, Executive Director of the Vermont Fuel Dealers Association. “It will also maximize efficiency and reduce service calls on existing systems, while allowing more Vermonters to install high efficiency oil heat units that require low sulfur fuel.”

whitemtnThe Stowe (VT) Reporter says the governor got a chance to check out firsthand… and first-nose… just how much cleaner boidiesel will be in helping meet the low-sulfur requirement during a news conference at White Mountain Biodiesel.

[The goverrnor] took a big sniff of the new low-sulfur fuel — organizers encouraged people to stick their fingers in it and take a whiff; it’s nothing like the heating oil they’re used to.

Biodiesel heating fuel emits 89 percent less greenhouse gases than regular heating oil, said Bob Kuhsel, a managing member of White Mountain Biodiesel, LLC. The New Hampshire company supplies biodiesel created from leftover cooking oil to Bourne’s and other fuel dealers.

For more information on biodiesel-based heating oil, check out the National Biodiesel Board’s Bioheat website.

Biodiesel, Government

Iowa Biodeisel Maker Counters Tax Group Argument

John Davis

westerndubuque1A biodiesel producer is disputing claims by a taxpayer watchdog group that says producers of biofuels shouldn’t still be getting government assistance. This article in the Dubuque (IA) Telegraph Herald says a report by Taxpayers for Common Sense shows that Western Dubuque Biodiesel in Farley, Iowa received more than $2.5 million in tax-funded assistance between 2009 and 2014, and the group pushes for the elimination of the bioenergy program in the federal farm bill. But Tom Brooks, general manager of Western Dubuque Biodiesel points to the good biodiesel has done in Iowa alone, producing 230 million gallons of fuel in 2013 and more than 7,000 jobs in the state.

Brooks said the government assistance is necessary to level the playing field with oil companies.

“Government has always had a hand in to help starting industries. Big Oil has had a hand up for over 100 years to the tune of several hundred billion dollars in tax supports that they still draw today,” Brooks said.

The watchdog report also makes a point of highlighting large agribusinesses that are benefiting from government assistance. Companies like Renewable Energy Group, Louis Dreyfus and Cargill received roughly $10 million each or more between 2009 and 2014, the report says.

Brooks said it is unfair to lump Western Dubuque Biodiesel in with those companies.

“I’m in the big, booming metropolis of Farley,” Brooks joked. “The (report) suggests we’re paying all these big companies. The vast majority of these producers are small.”

The article goes on to say that Brooks argues the report doesn’t take into account the savings for the country when biofuels reduce the dependence on foreign oil.

“What’s the cost to our taxpayers for those soldiers in Afghanistan and the Middle East? For every gallon of oil we buy not from the U.S., you’re giving to a foreign country’s economy and they may not exactly share our political values, let alone our moral values,” Brooks said.

Biodiesel, farm bill, Government

DOE Allocates $4B in Loan Guarantees

Joanna Schroeder

The Department of Energy (DOE) has issued a loan guarantee solicitation making as much as $4 billion in loan guarantees available for innovative renewable energy and energy efficiency projects located in the U.S. that avoid, reduce, or sequester greenhouse gases.

DOE_logo1“As the President emphasized in his Climate Action Plan, it is critical that we take an all-of-the above approach to energy in order to cut carbon pollution, help address the effects of climate change and protect our children’s future,” said Secretary Ernest Moniz. “Investments in clean, low-carbon energy also provide an economic opportunity. Through previous loan guarantees and other investments, the Department is already helping launch or jumpstart entire industries in the U.S., from utility-scale wind and solar to nuclear and lower-carbon fossil energy. Today’s announcement will help build on and accelerate that success.”

The Renewable Energy and Efficient Energy Projects Loan Guarantee Solicitation is intended to support technologies that are catalytic, replicable, and market-ready. Within the solicitation, the Department has included a sample list illustrative of potential technologies for consideration. While any project that meets the appropriate requirements is eligible to apply, the Department has identified five key technology areas of interest: advanced grid integration and storage; drop-in biofuels; waste-to-energy; enhancement of existing facilities including micro-hydro or hydro updates to existing non-powered dams; and efficiency improvements.

advanced biofuels, energy efficiency, Hydro, Microgrid, Waste-to-Energy

BioEnergy Bytes

Joanna Schroeder

  • BioEnergyBytesDFThe Maryland Energy Administration is accepting applications for its Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Grant Program (EVIP). EVIP funds will facilitate the installation of Direct-Current (DC) Fast Charging Networks in Maryland. DC fast charging stations allow for speedy charging of electric cars, adding sixty to eighty miles of electric driving range in nearly twenty minutes. The program is intended to promote energy independence in the State by facilitating greater investment in clean fuel automobiles which can be produced in the United States. Widespread adoption of electric vehicles is also a critical tenet of Maryland Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Council, which seeks to have 60,000 electric vehicles in Maryland by 2020.
  • On July 2, 2014 the EPA finalized the quality assurance program (QAP) rule for verifying the validity of Renewable Identification Numbers (RINs) under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program. To assist the renewable fuels community in navigating this final ruling, Genscape will host a free educational webinar, “The QAP Final Rule Frontier,” to explore the content of the newly finalized QAP rule at 2 p.m. ET on Thursday, July 17, 2014.
  • SeaRoc Group has successfully completed the first major maintenance visit to Forewind’s Dogger Bank meteorological (met) masts in the North Sea at the beginning of June. The East (DB-MME) and West (DB-MMW) masts have been installed for 15 and 8 months respectively and scheduled structural inspection, instrumentation and cleaning tasks were undertaken. The met masts are collecting valuable wind, wave, atmospheric and marine traffic data for the proposed wind farms on Dogger Bank. The data will be used to help assess the technical options and economic viability of the projects in the zone.
  • PSEG Solar Source announced today that it will acquire a 13 megawatt (MWdc) solar energy facility near El Paso, TX from juwi solar (JSI). The project was originally developed by JSI and has a 30-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with El Paso Electric Company. The plant, to be called the PSEG El Paso Solar Energy Center is located 14 miles north of El Paso, adjacent to the existing El Paso Electric Newman Generating Station. The $22 million acquisition will increase PSEG’s Solar Source’s portfolio capacity to 106 MWdc.
Bioenergy Bytes

Many Still in the Heat of Hay

Jamie Johansen

New Holland ZimmPollOur latest ZimmPoll asked the question, “Where are you in #hay14?”

It looks like farmers across the United States are all at different stages with this year’s hay crop. On our farm we started out with a bang. But were soon falling behind due to rain. No one is complaining about the rain though. I think I can easily speak for all involved in agriculture that we are very glad to be getting these early summer showers. Good luck to all those still in the heat of #hay14.

Our poll results:

  • Done – 25%
  • Right on schedule – 12.5%
  • Behind due to rain – 62.5%
  • Behind due to equipment – 0%

Our new ZimmPoll is now live and asks the question, “What will be on your Independence Day grill?”

The 4th of July typically equals family and friends gathering for a barbecue and barbecue’s equals meat. The choices for your grill are limitless. Will you be having the traditional meal of hamburgers and hot dogs? Or will you be showing off your culinary genius and serving Venison Osso Buco, Beer Grilled Chops or Thai Grilled Shrimp?

ZimmPoll

EPA Establishes Quality Assurance for RINS

Cindy Zimmerman

epaIn addition to the final rule approving crop residue as a cellulosic feedstock, the Environmental Protection Agency yesterday established a “voluntary quality assurance program” for renewable identification numbers, or RINs.

The program is designed to maintain liquidity in the market for RINs under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) providing a means for ensuring that RINs are properly gener­ated through audits of renewable fuel production conducted by independent third-parties using quality assurance plans (QAPs). According to EPA, the QAP is intended to improve RIN market liquidity and ef­ficiency and improve the ability of smaller renewable fuel producers to sell their RINs.

Other provisions in the final rule regarding RINs include modifications to the exporter provisions of the RFS program to help ensure that an appropriate number and type of RINs are retired whenever
renewable fuel is exported.

Read the entire rule from EPA here.

EPA, Ethanol, Ethanol News, RFS, RINS

Ethanol Report on Energy Independence

Cindy Zimmerman

ethanol-report-adAs we prepare to celebrate our nation’s Independence Day, many of us will be out on the roads driving to see family, friends and fireworks. But, thanks to upheaval in a little country halfway across the world, gas prices are up again so we are going to be paying more at the pump, a stark reminder that we are not so independent when it comes to our energy sources.

dinneen-capitolIn this Independence Day Ethanol Report, Renewable Fuels Association president and CEO Bob Dinneen reminds us that ethanol saves Americans money at the pump, stretches the fuel supply and is the perfect remedy for skyrocketing gas prices.

Dinneen talks about the new milestone reached this week in cellulosic ethanol production and why the government needs to be expanding the use of biofuels rather than contemplating scaling back our nation’s renewable energy policy and striking a blow for American energy independence.

Ethanol Report on Energy Independence

Subscribe to “The Ethanol Report” with this link.

Audio, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Ethanol Report, RFA, RFS

Minnesota “Spills Beans About Biodiesel”

John Davis

saintsbaseballWhat could be more All-American this time of year than baseball… and biodiesel! This article from the Minnesota Farm Guide says the folks at the Minnesota Soybean Research & Promotion Council (MSR&PC) are combining the two truly patriotic loves during their “Spilling the Beans About Biodiesel” night at the St. Paul, Minnesota Saints baseball game at Midway Stadium on Tuesday, July 8.

Fans at tailgating can receive a free biodiesel t-shirt when they post a photo of themselves with the Saints’ cow mascots on social media, using the hashtag #BreatheBetterMN. Other events at tailgating include additional giveaways, a super hybrid Metro Transit bus that runs on biodiesel and more consumer-friendly information about biodiesel.

Prior to the Saints game on July 8, Minnesota Soybean will promote a coupon on their social media sites that could get game-goers a free $10 gas gift card. The first 50 people to bring the biodiesel coupon to their tailgating booth will receive a gas card.

Local media are being welcomed to the event with a chance to meet with and interview Minnesota soybean farmers who grow the feedstock for biodiesel. Contact Abby Bastian at abastian@wideopenthinking.com or 507-766-1038 for more information.

Biodiesel, Soybeans

Springboard Biodiesel Offers Restaurants Incentive

John Davis

springboardbiodiesel2Small biodiesel processor maker Springboard Biodiesel wants more restaurants to get into the act of brewing up their own biodiesel from their used cooking oil and grease. The company has declared July “Green Restaurant Month” and is offering $1,000 cash back to any restaurant in the U.S. that recycles the waste into biodiesel using one of their BioPro™ appliances.

Springboard Biodiesel’s CEO Mark Roberts explains, “Making biodiesel out of used cooking oil is not only profitable, it is possibly the single ‘greenest’ step a restaurant can take to improve air quality and reduce CO2 output.”

“We make an automated appliance that enables any business that cooks for large groups of people to convert their used cooking oil into premium grade fuel for 95 cents per gallon. Currently, the National average price of diesel hovers around $4.00 per gallon and will go higher. The fuel made in a BioPro™ runs in any diesel engine and costs one-quarter of the price.”

Over the last 6 years, Springboard Biodiesel has built a strong reputation within the green dining movement and is endorsed by the Green Restaurant Association, a national non-profit organization that assists member restaurants to become more environmentally responsible. The company also earned a prestigious “Kitchen Innovations” award from the National Restaurant Association in May of 2012 for the release of it’s BioPro™ EX.

Springboard Biodiesel has put nearly 1,000 of its biodiesel brewers in restaurants and breweries all across the U.S. and about two dozen other countries. Not only do the restaurant owners and brewers save the environment, but they also save the cost of paying someone else to pick up their old cooking oil, as well as having a great fuel source of their own to run in vehicles, such as delivery trucks.

Biodiesel