DF Cast: Fuels America Fights Back with “Oil Rigged”

John Davis

Backers of renewable fuels say when it comes to the fight against Big Oil, the fight is rigged… oil rigged.

Recently, Fuels America held a pair of news conferences. The first was to announce the launch of its “Oil Rigged” television and digital ad campaign and OilRigged.com, designed to “expose the many ways the oil industry is rigging the system to protect their profits and block the transition to clean, American renewable fuels.” In addition, Fuels America is backing up its claims with more than just talk, unveiling a new survey showing how renewable fuels have added significantly to the country’s economy, especially in rural areas.

In this edition of the Domestic Fuel Cast, we hear from Growth Energy CEO Tom Buis, Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) president Bob Dinneen, Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) Executive Vice President Brent Erickson, and Jon Doggett with the National Corn Growers Association, talking about how they want to rig the debate back to the facts.

Listen to what they had to say after they listened to ACE: Domestic Fuel Cast - Oil Rigged

You can also subscribe to the DomesticFuel Cast here.

Audio, BIO, Biodiesel, biofuels, corn, Domestic Fuel Cast, E15, EPA, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Fuels America, Growth Energy, Oil, RFA, RFS

Biodiesel Board Fights Back On Corn Waste Article

John Davis

jobe1The National Biodiesel Board is jumping on an article that seems to be more in the ballpark of its cellulosic ethanol cousins. In a letter to the editor of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, NBB Chief Executive Officer Joe Jobe takes issue with what he calls are “some dubious conclusions” of the Associated Press’ “Fuels from corn waste not better than gas” article that slams cellulosic ethanol made from corn stover. But Jobe says a bigger point is missed in the article: how biodiesel is America’s first nationally distributed advanced biofuel and is working right now.

Last year, the domestic biodiesel industry produced 1.7 billion gallons of renewable fuel, filling the vast majority of the EPA’s advanced biofuel volume requirements under the federal Renewable Fuel Standard.

The RFS was created by a bipartisan coalition in Congress. They recognized moving away from a singular reliance on petroleum for transportation fuel needs is paramount to America’s national security, economic and environmental interests. It has helped biodiesel — made in communities across the country from recycled cooking oil, animal fats and abundant vegetable oils — become an American success story.

Jobe goes on to point out that this country is importing less oil than at any time since 1991, and biodiesel is a big reason why that is happening. He also makes the case how biodiesel is “diversifying our transportation fuel portfolio and creating options,” while reducing carbon pollution by as much as 86 percent compared to petroleum diesel.

Biodiesel, NBB

Biodiesel Leads as Greenhouse Gas Reducer in BC

John Davis

canada flag1Biodiesel has been the leading contributor to the reduction of greenhouse gases in British Columbia. This story from Biodiesel Magazine says numbers from the province’s 2012 emissions reductions show that renewable fuels and low carbon fuel regulation accounted for more than 900,000 tons of greenhouse gases removed from BC’s motor fuels, the same as taking 189,000 cars off the road. And the figures show that biodiesel was the single largest reducer of those gases, accounting for more than 296,000 tons, about one-third of the total.

The Western Canada Biodiesel Association has worked with the BC government since 2005 on market-based solutions to reduce greenhouse gas and other air contaminants from the combustion of fossil diesel fuels. On a full life-cycle basis, biodiesel produced in western Canada reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 87 to 94 percent below petroleum diesel.

“This is a remarkable accomplishment,” said Ian Thomson, WCBA President. “Low carbon fuels deliver cleaner air for BC’s cities and towns, real action on climate change, and jobs in BC from clean and renewable technologies. The province has been recognized globally for its leadership and these results are proof that the BC approach is working.”

That should make everyone breathe a little easier, eh?

Biodiesel

Oklahoma Institutes “Sun” Tariff

Joanna Schroeder

The Oklahoma legislature has passed a bill that institutes a tax on the sun and wind (distributed generation). Beginning November 1, 2014, residents who use solar or wind energy and want to connect their renewable energy to the grid, must begin paying a “solar surcharge” to utilities for the privilege. The bill was signed into law on April 21 (notably one day before Earth Day and during Earth Week) by Governor Mary Fallin. Existing solar arrays and wind turbines and any projected commissioned by October 31, 2014 will be grandfathered in at existing connection charges.home-solar-panel-install-dallas-north-carolina-solar-energy-usa

The bill was passed with virtually no opposition and was supported by the state’s major electric utilities who said they need the surcharge to recover some of the infrastructure costs to send excess electricity safely from distributed generation back to the grid, especially for those customers who don’t have the money to do this safely. The bill drew opposition from solar and wind advocates as well as environmentalists.

The Oklahoma Corporation Commission is now tasked with establishing a separate customer class and monthly surcharge, or tariff for distributed generation customers. The new tariffs would start by the end of 2015.

So in other words, complements of the “sun tax” customers now have to pay extra to generate their own electricity from renewable resources – the exact opposite of what adding solar or wind to your home is supposed to do. In keeping with the theme of the sun and wind, this is not a bright idea but rather a blustery idea.

Electricity, Legislation, Opinion, Solar

Microalgae Project Underway in Portugal

Joanna Schroeder

A one-hectare pilot project for the production of microalgae is under construction in Portugal. The facility will demonstrate, what a consortium of biotechnology experts say, is an innovative approach to produce microalgae biomass with biodiesel validation in a sustainable manner.

The demonstration pilot facility is one of the milestones expected from the Integrated Sustainable Algae (InteSusAl) project. The project aims at optimizing the production of algae by both heterotrophic and phototrophic routes. It will also demonstrate integration of these production technologies to achieve the microalgae cultivation targets of 90-120 dry tonnes per hectare per year.

algae“InteSusAl’s demonstration unit comes in a time of extreme importance to ensure Europe’s energy supply security, said Dr Neil Hindle, coordinator of the InteSusAl project. “We are glad that the European Commission is making it possible to demonstrate this new approach to produce microalgae biomass. We hope that our results will attract attention from investors interested in financing a 10-hectare site to produce microalgae in a sustainable manner on an industrial scale.”

The project integrates heterotrophic and phototrophic production technologies, using biodiesel glycerol as a carbon source to the heterotrophic unit and validating the biomass output for biodiesel conversion. The demonstration unit will be located in the municipality of Olhão, in the Algarve region of Southern Portugal. The pilot site will be composed of a set of fermentation units, tubular photobioreactors and raceways.

The sustainability of this demonstration, in terms of both economic and environmental (closed carbon loop) implications will be considered across the whole process, assessed via a robust life cycle analysis.

advanced biofuels, algae, biomass, International

EPA Announces People, Prosperity, Planet Winners

Joanna Schroeder

Seven winners of the People, Prosperity and Planet (P3) competition were announced as part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) 10th annual National Sustainable Design Expo recently held in Washington, D.C. The phase II awards are for innovative and sustainable designs created to help solve today’s environmental problems.

USA Science and Engineering Festival“As we mark the 10th year of the National Sustainable Design Expo and P3 competition, we continue to be inspired by the next generation of scientists and engineers shaping the future of our country,” said Bob Perciasepe, U.S. EPA Deputy Administrator. “These students support a vision for the future that encourages a prosperous economy while seeking sustainable and creative solutions to some of the most pressing environmental and health challenges facing our world.”

EPA’s P3 Program challenges student teams to create designs for a sustainable future while offering quality hands-on experience that brings science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) classroom learning to life. This year’s winners were selected from 35 competing teams following two days of judging by a panel of national experts convened by the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Each award-winning team is recommended for a grant of up to $90,000 to further develop their design, apply it to real world situations, and bring it to the marketplace.

Winners of this year’s awards are:

  • Cornell University, New York, for designing a low-cost monitor for measuring water quality.
  • Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Florida, for designing an innovative air conditioning system that runs on solar power.
  • Iowa State University for designing a new kind of fabric made with fibers from bacteria and yeast grown in tea and polymers of corn and soy.
  • Purdue University, Indiana, for researching how to improve indoor air quality by using plants grown in the air filter of a home HVAC system.
  • SUNY Stony Brook, New York, for designing and building Poseidon, an ocean energy harvester that converts wave motion into electrical energy.
  • University of Tennessee, Knoxville, for exploring ways to use green oak or “heart centers,” the low-quality part of hardwood logs in U.S. building construction.
  • University of Wisconsin, Madison, for implementing a campus recycling program for expanded polystyrene packaging thereby diverting almost 2000 boxes and other polystyrene material from landfills in 6 months of operation.

In addition to the seven winning team, 17 teams were recognized as Honorable Mentions for their project quality inspiring innovation for environmental solutions.

bioenergy, biomaterials, Environment, Renewable Energy

EPA and USDA Dispute Corn Stover Study

Cindy Zimmerman

Two federal agencies joined the biofuels industry last week in seriously questioning the results of a University of Nebraska study that claims negative greenhouse gas emissions impacts in using corn stover for ethanol production.

corn_stover03 Photo: USDOE-NRELA statement by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency spokeswoman Liz Purchia about the report noted problems with “hypothetical assumption that 100 percent of corn stover in a field is harvested” which she calls “an extremely unlikely scenario that is inconsistent with recommended agricultural practices. As such, it does not provide useful information relevant to the lifecycle GHG emissions from corn stover ethanol. EPA’s lifecycle analysis assumes up to 50 percent corn stover harvest. EPA selected this assumption based on data in the literature and in consultation with agronomy experts at USDA to reflect current agricultural practices.”

During a forum on climate change right after the study hit the headlines last week, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack also pointed out that it is based on a false premise. “The study started with an assumption about the way corn stover would be removed from the land. The problem with the assumption is no farmer in the country would actually take that much crop residue,” Vilsack said. “It’s not what’s happening on the ground. If you make the wrong assumption, you’re going to come up with the wrong conclusions.”

Work done by Dr. Douglas Karlen with the USDA Agricultural Research Service was cited several times in the UNL study. In response to questions from POET-DSM, which is using corn stover as feedstock at a plant in Iowa, Karlen said the study “makes unrealistic assumptions and uses citations out of context to reinforce the authors’ viewpoint.”

According to Dr. Karlen, the research fails to differentiate between responsible biomass removal and “excessive” biomass removal, projecting a removal rate of approximately 75% across the entire Corn Belt.

“Harvesting 75% of all corn stover produced in the 10 Corn Belt states is unrealistic, far greater than any projections made by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) in their projections for developing a sustainable bioenergy industry, and would certainly result in the depletion of soil organic matter.”

biomass, Cellulosic, corn, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Government, POET, USDA

BioEnergy Bytes

Joanna Schroeder

  • BioEnergyBytesDFMaximpact, a philanthropic, impact-investing network, invites new registrants in the impact and sustainability sectors to list projects. Each free listing directly connects users with partners and potential funders worldwide. Its definition of “impact” has broad appeal embracing CSR as well enabling philanthropists, investment funders, impact pioneers, and ecological and green technology businesses to meet and collaborate.
  • ReneSola Ltd. a technology provider of solar photovoltaic products, has announced it has appointed Mr. Daniel Lee as the Company’s chief financial officer, effective May 5, 2014.
  • Consumers Energy has resumed construction of its Cross Winds Energy Park in Tuscola County, Michigan and is looking for construction workers to complete the project. The project includes necessary maintenance, repair and upgrades to several area roads needed for transporting wind turbine components and other construction related materials. About 150 construction jobs will be created during Cross Winds construction. The facility will include 62 wind turbines, with a capacity of 105 megawatts when it begins generating renewable energy for Consumers Energy customers, scheduled for late 2014.
  • VIASPACE Inc. has announced that the company has signed a contract with Emunite Energy Solutions Inc., based in St. Lucia, West Indies, to provide Giant King Grass for its planned 100,000 ton per year pellet mill. Giant King Grass was delivered to Guyana and planted April 15-17, 2014.
Bioenergy Bytes

Springboard Biodiesel to Open Closed-Loop Facility

John Davis

springboardbiodieselSpringboard Biodiesel will open a new closed loop biodiesel production facility in Chico, Calif. on May 1. The company says the new production facility will produce and sell 1,000 gallons per day of ASTM-D6751 grade biodiesel.

Working in concert with the company’s used cooking oil (UCO) collection partner, Smart Alternative Fuels, based in Redding, CA., Springboard will be processing locally collected UCO into ASTM-grade biodiesel and thereby providing organizations in Butte County and its environs access to cleaner-burning, locally produced biodiesel.

Biodiesel is a global commodity that is increasingly used in fleets around the country, as fleet managers try to better manage their carbon emissions without expensive equipment changes. Springboard CEO, Mark Roberts, notes, “Using biodiesel made from UCO will reduce the driver’s CO2 emissions by as much as 90 percent, while simultaneously reducing particulate matter by 50 percent, and because we are able to price our biodiesel to compete with diesel, these are ‘free’ benefits of incorporating biodiesel into your fleet management logistics.”

The California Energy Commission (CEC) played a significant role in the development of this “first in the state” small-scale biodiesel production facility. The CEC awarded a grant through its Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicle Technology program to assist in the development with the intention that this facility will serve as a model to be replicated in other communities.

Springboard officials say their proprietary system can use a variety of feedstocks in an automated environment, producing high-quality fuel at competitive prices. Tours of the new facility will take place on May 1, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Biodiesel

Allliance Autogas Adds Two New Members

Joanna Schroeder

Alliance AutoGas has added two new members to its propane autogas conversion national network: Green Country Alternative Fuels based in Claremore, Oklahoma and Tornabene Alliance Autogas LogoAuto Sales and Service based in Pownal, Vermont. With a network of more than 90 members, Alliance Autogas installs propane refueling infrastructure, coordinates propane autogas vehicle conversions and provides vehicle maintenance support and training.

“It is of the highest importance that Alliance AutoGas provides a quality support network and keep the vehicles running on the road,” said Stuart Weidie, president of Alliance AutoGas.

Ty Burnett, Owner Green Country Alternative Fuels, Inc. said of joining the Alliance, “We are excited about starting a partnership with Alliance AutoGas. The wide range of vehicle applications and attention to quality and detail is very important to us. We feel this alliance will be very beneficial to our company as well as to our customers.”

Jody Tornabene, president of the family-owned retail and repair business Joe Tornabene’s Auto Sales and Service added, “We see this as the wave of the future and it’s a natural fit for our business to enter the alternative fuel conversion market. Propane is a great source of alternative fuel, as is about 35 percent cheaper and 60 percent cleaner than diesel and gasoline. Our garage has two bays that will be set up to complete the propane conversions and we are looking forward to providing new jobs in our region that is in need of an economy boost.”

Alternative Vehicles, Propane