NE Energy Event Features Biodiesel Heating Oil

John Davis

BioHeatAttendees of a recent energy, petroleum and HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) industry tradeshow in the Northeast U.S. got to hear a lot more about biodiesel used as heating oil, better known as Bioheat. The National Biodiesel Board helped feature the green heating fuel at the Atlantic Region Energy Expo, considered the most significant energy event in that area.

“Our partnership with AREE reflects the successful partnership of the oil heat and biodiesel industries,” explained Paul Nazzaro, Petroleum Liasion for the National Biodiesel Board. “The collaboration between these groups has fueled Bioheat® fuel’s success and provided expanded options for oilheat consumers and new opportunities for small business throughout the Northeast.”

“As the biodiesel industry has grown to more than a billion gallons each of the last three years it has begun to penetrate markets beyond just on-road diesel use,” said Bob Metz, South Dakota Soybean Research and Promotion Council. “Bioheat® fuel is a tremendous opportunity to improve the air quality in home heating with a renewable product. Supporting AREE with the Bioheat® partnership is a great way to take that message direct to the industry.”

Bioheat certainly isn’t a new feature, as experts have been involved with biodiesel blends in heating oil for nearly 20 years. This is the third year that the Atlantic Region Energy Expo and Bioheat have hosted the AREE event.

Biodiesel

Biodiesel, Renewable Diesel Imports Hit Record

John Davis

The U.S. is importing more biodiesel and renewable diesel than ever before. This report from the Energy Information Agency (EIA) says in 2013, the U.S. imported 525 million gallons of the green fuels, compared to just 61 million gallons in 2012.
biodieselimports2013
The strongest driver of the resurgence in U.S. biomass-based diesel demand was the increasing Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) target. Both biodiesel and renewable diesel qualify for the biomass-based diesel and advanced biofuel targets, as well as the overall RFS target. The total RFS target increased from 15.20 billion gallons in 2012 to 16.55 billion gallons in 2013. The biomass-based diesel and advanced biofuels targets increased from 1.00 billion gallons to 1.28 billion gallons, and from 2.00 billion gallons to 2.75 billion gallons, respectively. Biomass-based diesel fuels have higher energy content compared with ethanol, and thus generate more Renewable Identification Number (RIN) credits per gallon of fuel produced. In addition, renewable diesel meets the same American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standards as petroleum diesel, and is thus not subject to the blending limits imposed on biodiesel.

The report says that domestic production could only partially offset increased U.S. biodiesel consumption. In addition, during the last four months of 2013, Argentine biodiesel was locked out of Europe in that continuing trade dispute, making the South Americans’ fuel available for U.S. consumption.

Biodiesel, Government

Ag Subcommittee Hears Pros and Cons of RFS

John Davis

glauber1The food versus fuel debate arose once again in front of Congress. At last week’s U.S. House Ag Subcommittee hearing in Washington, D.C., opponents and proponents of the Renewable Fuels Standard presented their arguments on the RFS and its impact on the livestock industry.

One of the biggest opponents of the RFS is the poultry industry. Their members argued that ethanol has forced up feed prices that keeps them from expanding operations and fulfilling consumers’ needs to have a cheaper alternative to beef and pork, calling the RFS “broken beyond repair.” But the chief economist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Dr. Joseph Glauber, said while ethanol initially did have an impact much bigger factors forced up the price of feed.

“Certainly, the ramp up [in ethanol production] we saw from 2005 to 2010 had a big impact on corn prices, but we also saw a big increase in energy prices, so it’s not the only thing going on,” he told the committee.

In fact, during that same ramp-up period, petroleum prices shot up to record levels, and RFS proponent, Roger Johnson, President of the National Farmers Union, said the agriculture industry should be united for renewable fuels.

“The World Bank found that crude oil is the number one determinant of global food prices. We should reduce our dependance on oil consumption in order to be more food secure, and biofuel production is an excellent way to do that,” adding that pitting the biofuels industry against the livestock growers is counter-productive.

The bottom line, according to Glauber, is that biofuels are important, and they’re here to stay.

“Corn-based ethanol is a vibrant industry and is competitively priced against gasoline, and producers will continue to produce ethanol from corn as long as profit margins are there. And profit margins have been there.”

Biodiesel, biofuels, Ethanol, Ethanol News, food and fuel, Food prices, Government, Legislation, livestock, livestock feed, RFS

2012 Ag Census Includes Renewable Energy

Cindy Zimmerman

2012-censusThe 2012 Census of Agriculture shows a doubling of on-farm renewable energy production since 2007.

According to the census data released by USDA today, there were 57,299 farms that produced on-farm renewable energy in 2012, more than double the 23,451 in 2007. By far the biggest was solar panels, used on over 36,000 farms. Geoexchange systems and wind turbines each were used on more than 9,000 farms.

For renewable fuels, biodiesel was produced on 4,099 farms and ethanol on 2,397. Small hydro systems were used on about 1300 farms and methane digesters on 537.

The census reveals there are now 3.28 million farmers operating 2.1 million farms on 914.5 million acres of farmland across the United States. Those numbers are all lower than 2007 when the census reported 3.18 million farmers, 2.2 million farms and 922 million acres. The top 5 states for agricultural sales were California ($42.6 billion); Iowa ($30.8 billion); Texas ($25.4 billion); Nebraska ($23.1 billion); and Minnesota ($21.3 billion). Corn and soybean acres topped 50 percent of all harvested acres for the first time.

Census data is available from USDA online and a recording of the webcast release of the census data is here: USDA Releases 2012 Census Data

Audio, Biodiesel, corn, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Farming, Geothermal, Government, Hydro, Renewable Energy, Solar, Soybeans, USDA, Wind

Results in on 2014 Corn Planting

Jamie Johansen

New Holland ZimmPollOur latest ZimmPoll asked the question, “Is corn planting underway in your area?”

I don’t believe I’m overstating when I say we are all seeing a late spring. After an unusually cold winter, it’s not surprising that it lingered longer then welcome. Our poll held true to this with few in the full swing of planting. Most have just started or are waiting for the ground to cooperate.

Our poll results:

  • Full swing – 12%
  • Not yet – 20%
  • Just started -33%
  • Ground not ready – 33%
  • Other – 2%

Our new ZimmPoll is now live and asks the question, “What is the MOST important part of sustainability?”

Sustainability is the number one buzzword for all industries these days, especially agriculture, but the definition of the word varies. In general, it means the ability of a process or action to continue indefinitely without draining significant resources. Those resources can include everything from soil and water to inputs and labor. What do you think is most important to the long term sustainability of global agriculture?

ZimmPoll

Farmers Co-op Breaks Ground on Renewable Fuels Station

Joanna Schroeder

Farmers Cooperative Company has broken ground on the future site of its new Mount Ayr, Iowa renewable fuels retail location. The station will offer consumers higher blends of ethanol and biodiesel including ethanol blends E10, E15 as a registered fuel, E30 and E85, as well as biodiesel blends B10, B20 and B99 for jobbers and special use customers.

Groundbreaking-Group.2“The price of [E10] in Iowa is 17-30 cents below gasoline, so the savings is even greater with higher ethanol blends,” Iowa Governor Terry Branstad told the audience at the groundbreaking ceremony. “I’ve told the EPA, if E15 is offered to give consumers a choice, they will choose cheaper renewable fuels.”

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey told attendees, “For this project, we have a great partnership with [Iowa State University] who will be conducting a study to find out why motorists choose the fuels they do. This is a great opportunity to convince others to make the same type of investment.”

Farmers Cooperative Company was selected to receive $125,000 in funding for the new site from Iowa Governor Terry Branstad’s “Fueling Our Future” program, administered by the Iowa Department of Transportation (IDOT) and the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS). In addition, Farmers Cooperative will receive $100,000 in funding from the Iowa Renewable Fuels Infrastructure Program. Construction will begin later this year.

“We congratulate Farmers Cooperative Company on this great event to celebrate the groundbreaking on a true renewable fuels retail location that will provide consumers with greater access to clean, locally-produced ethanol and biodiesel,” added Iowa Renewable Fuels Association Managing Director Lucy Norton. “With the help of Gov. Branstad’s ‘Fueling Our Future’ program and the Iowa Renewable Fuels Infrastructure Program, Iowans will continue to benefit from fuel choice at locations like this one.”

Biodiesel, biofuels, blends, E15, E85, Ethanol, Iowa RFA

Strata Solar Completes Nine Solar Projects in NC

Joanna Schroeder

Strata Solar, has installed nine utility-scale solar projects across North Carolina (NC) using more than $100 million of tax-equity financing provided by a subsidiary of Wells Fargo & Company. When combined, the projects produce enough electricity to power 5,000 homes and were in part made possible by a 35 percent North Carolina Renewable Energy Tax Credit. The power will be purchased by NC utility Progress Energy Carolinas.

Strata Solar Nash 58 solar array in NC“We are very proud of our ability to invest and build in North Carolina’s rural communities. These projects bring jobs, significant local spend, and an increase in the tax base without the requirement of county dollars which is typical of development projects,” said Markus Wilhelm, Strata Solar’s CEO. “On a number of occasions we’ve witnessed these projects having an impact on attracting additional investors who are looking for business-friendly environments.”

The three largest projects – Bladenboro, Wagstaff and Nash 58 – all exceed six MWs in capacity and provide a significant boost to the local tax base without requiring additional county expenditures on sewer, roads or any other infrastructure.

“As a leading provider of capital in renewable energy and cleantech across the U.S., Wells Fargo is excited to participate in the rapid expansion of solar in the Southeast,” said Barry Neal, Head of Wells Fargo’s Environmental Finance Group. “We are proud to partner with top-tier developers like Strata who share in our commitment to support communities and deploy clean energy.”

Renewable Energy, Solar

Companies Need to Step Up Sustainability Efforts

Joanna Schroeder

According to a recent report, while there are pockets of sustainability leadership in the U.S. business community, much more needs to be done. The Ceres and Sustainalytics study found that most companies are merely taking small, incremental steps to address sustainability issues that could impact not only their bottom line, but also the economy and planet.

Ceres Sustainability Report 2014“Given the acceleration of environmental and social challenges globally – floods, droughts, and workplace tragedies – most U.S. corporations are not keeping pace with the level of change,” said Mindy Lubber, president of the sustainability advocacy group, Ceres. “Those that step up to the challenge will be best positioned to thrive in the rapidly changing, resource-constrained 21st century economy.”

The report assesses the sustainability performance of 613 of the largest publicly traded companies in the U.S. and covers nearly 80 percent of the total market capitalization of all public companies in the country. It tracks corporate performance against 20 key metrics essential for any sustainable corporation to follow, including governance, disclosure, greenhouse gas emissions reductions and labor standards. It identifies sustainability trends across eight key sectors, highlighting industry best practices and which companies are leading among their peers. It also provides aggregate data and online scorecards for companies on each performance area. Key findings include:

  • While many companies are taking action to reduce GHG emissions, few have set time-bound targets. More than two-thirds of the companies evaluated (438) have activities in place aimed at reducing GHG emissions, but only 35 percent (212) have established time-bound targets for reducing GHG emissions. In terms of renewable energy, 37 percent of companies have implemented a program, while only six percent have quantitative targets to increase renewable energy sourcing.
  • More companies are setting clear sustainability standards for suppliers. Fifty-eight percent of companies (353) have supplier codes of conduct that address human rights in supply chains, compared to 43 percent in 2012. However, only a third (205 companies) have some activities in place to engage suppliers on sustainability performance issues, up from 27 percent in 2012.
  • A growing number of companies are incorporating sustainability performance into executive compensation packages. Twenty-four percent of companies (147) link executive compensation to sustainability performance – up from 15 percent in 2012.

The metrics used in this report were first spelled out in the Ceres Roadmap for Sustainability, which has been used by dozens of leading companies since 2010 to incorporate sustainability into their business planning and corporate accountability infrastructure.

“The findings of this report should inspire companies to examine their own progress and identify where they stand on the path to sustainability,” said Michael Jantzi, CEO and Founder of Sustainalytics. “This is about more than how companies stack up against their peers – it’s about how innovation is driving performance from the corporate boardroom throughout the entire supply chain.”

Clean Energy, Climate Change, Environment, Renewable Energy, Research

BioEnergy Bytes

Joanna Schroeder

  • BioEnergyBytesDFThe U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is seeking public comments on the draft action plan for its RE-Powering America’s Land Initiative. The plan guides EPA’s efforts over the next two years to encourage renewable energy development on current and formerly contaminated lands, landfills and mine sites when such development is aligned with the community’s vision for the site. The agency will solicit comments for 30 days. Comments on the proposed plan are due by Friday, May 30.To submit a comment, please send to cleanenergy@epa.gov.
  • Mars, Incorporated, in partnership with Sumitomo Corporation of Americas, have announced an agreement on a new 200MW wind farm that will generate 100% of the electricity needs of Mars’ U.S. operations, which is comprised of 70 sites, including 37 factories and 25,000 Associates. ‘Mesquite Creek Wind,’ a 118-turbine wind farm was jointly developed by Sumitomo and BNB Renewable Energy and is based near Lamesa, Texas with a footprint of 25,000 acres­ and an annual output of over 800,000 megawatt-hours. The wind farm represents the biggest long-term commitment to renewable energy use of any food manufacturing business in the United States.
  • The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has pre-qualified a four-company team led by TransGen Energy of Rockville, Maryland to bid for solar projects at U.S. military installations throughout the United States and its territories. The TransGen Energy team was one of 38 entities recently authorized to pursue solar power generation Task Orders under a Multiple Award Task Order Contract (MATOC).
  • According to UNICA, the cane sugar processed by mills in South-Central region of the country totaled 12.57 million tons in the first half of April 2014, up 62.52% in compared to the value observed in the same fortnight last year (7.73 million tonnes). Since the beginning of the 2014/2015 season until April 16, grinding totaled 16.41 million tonnes – 71.45% higher than in the same period of 2013 (9.57 million tons). At the end of the first fortnight of April this year 153 mills were in operation in the region, compared to 155 recorded in the same period last year.
Bioenergy Bytes

Oregon Institute of Technology Goes All Renewable

Joanna Schroeder

According to Oregon Institute of Technology, they are the first campus in the world to produce all of its energy needs using renewable energy. The campus is now 100 percent powered by a combination of solar and geothermal sources. The achievement was noted in a ceremony that included U.S. Senators Wyden and Merkley, Oregon Senator Whitsett, and First Lady Hayes.

The campus has been entirely heated by geothermal water for several decades, and now the geothermal resource is being utilized in a 1.75-megawatt combined heat and power plant to provide electricity. Additionally, a 2.0-megawatt solar array was installed on 9 acres of campus land and commissioned at the end of last year.

“The geothermal and solar projects all serve important and dual purposes for Oregon Tech,” said Christopher Maples, president of Oregon Tech. “They support the education of our students in the growing green jobs industry, and they put us closer to our goal of becoming a climate neutral campus by 2050.”

Oregon Insitute of Technology Geothermal-Solar EnergyOregon Tech built the geothermal power plants in two stages, beginning with a 0.28- megawatt module that was the first operating geothermal power plant in Oregon. The success of that system, followed by the ability to garner additional financial support, led to the installation of a 1.75- megawatt project. In combination, they generate an estimated 8,315,000 kilowatt hours annually, reducing energy costs by nearly one-half million dollars per year.

In addition to the combined heat and power system, Oregon Tech installed 7,800 ground-mounted solar electric panels next to the John F. Moehl football stadium, with a total capacity of just under 2 megawatt. The solar project is an “all-Oregon” project and is one of the largest solar photovoltaic system in the state of Oregon and the largest multiple campus, university system-based contract for solar energy in the nation.

The university received a Blue Sky grant from Pacific Power to support the system installation, which has had a positive economic impact on Klamath Falls and the surrounding areas. SolarCity, the contractor that installed the system, used all local contractors and labor to complete the project.

The combined output from the three renewable energy projects on the campus will exceed the campus electricity use by an estimated 700,000 kilowatt hours per year. That energy will be donated to Pacific Power’s low-income subsidy program, making Oregon Tech the largest non-utility net metering contributor in the state.

Education, Geothermal, Renewable Energy, Solar