Majority in Ag Boycott Chipotle

Jamie Johansen

New Holland ZimmPollOur latest ZimmPoll asked the question, “What do you think about Chipotle’s Farmed & Dangerous?”

An overwhelming majority said they have boycotted Chipotle and I am proud to say I fit into that majority. I also believe Chipotle should be ashamed and have decided I don’t need to watch their recent stunt to know they are bad news. Thank you to those in the agricultural community who have made a stand against this restaurant giant and joined the fight to tell agriculture’s story.

Our poll results:

  • Chipotle should be ashamed – 25%
  • Hilarious – Lighten up! – 6%
  • Thought provoking – 4%
  • Refuse to see it – 6%
  • Will never eat at Chipotle – 47%
  • Never heard of it – 12%

Our new ZimmPoll is now live and asks the question, “What’s your favorite fish?”

Today is Ash Wednesday and the first day of Lent. Many across the country are giving up something beloved to them in the 40 days leading up to Easter and reframing from meat on Friday’s. In honor of that we want to know what’s your favorite way to prepare fish.

ZimmPoll

Farm Bill Boosts Biodiesel-based Bioheat

John Davis

us-capitol-fiscal-cliff-voteOne of the big winners in the recent passage of the $1 trillion Farm Bill was the reauthorization of the National Oilheat Research Alliance (NORA) and the biodiesel-based heating fuel, Bioheat. This article from Biodiesel Magazine says the five-year extension of the program will boost Bioheat in this country.

The new bill encourages greater research on Bioheat with the goal of moving up the percentages of biodiesel in heating oil.

“When NORA was founded in 2000, the product was almost nonexistent,” said John Huber, NORA CEO. “But through a partnership between NORA and the National Biodiesel Board, we have moved this into a product used by nearly every heating oil retailer at concentrations between 5 and 20 percent. We expect those percentages to continue to grow as the biodiesel industry continues to provide a compelling product to our industry.”

The organization’s executive committee and board of directors will work diligently to integrate those changes into the program. Most importantly, there will be an increased emphasis on research and development. This additional research will pave the way for a better product for the heating oil consumer—a product that will be more efficient and more dependable.

The article goes on to say that NORA and the biodiesel industry have worked closely to expand the use of Bioheat in home heating oil markets.

Biodiesel, farm bill, Government

IRFA: Obama Misses Chance to Help Biodiesel

John Davis

IowaRFAlogoAs President Obama unveiled his FY 2015 Budget Proposal, the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IRFA) says he missed his chance to level the playing field for biodiesel. IRFA Policy Director Grant Menke points out that while the President included the reinstatements of several currently expired tax provisions, such as tax credits for cellulosic biofuel and wind energy production, he seemed to forget about the federal $1-a-gallon biodiesel tax credit, which expired at the end of 2013.

“While we are pleased the President seeks to reinstate the cellulosic biofuel tax credit and several other important tax incentives, we are disappointed he did not include the biodiesel tax credit among these extensions. As America’s leading advanced biofuel, biodiesel has made great strides in production, distribution, and use. However, faced with the enduring effects of the petroleum industry’s continuous Century of Subsidies, reinstating the biodiesel tax incentive is a vital part of leveling the energy playing field and allowing true consumer fuel choice.”

IRFA points out that the Hawkeye State is a leader in renewable fuels production, with 42 ethanol refineries capable of producing over 3.8 billion gallons annually, three cellulosic ethanol facilities currently under construction, and a dozen biodiesel facilities able to produce nearly 315 million gallons each year.

Biodiesel, Iowa RFA, Legislation

EPA Biodiesel Proposal, Tax Credit Priorities for ASA

John Davis

classic14-asa-murphySoybean growers attending the recent Commodity Classic see the government’s proposal to cut biodiesel and the expiration of the federal biodiesel tax credit as their top priorities to take on this year. At a news conference at the annual meeting of corn, soybean, wheat and sorghum growers in San Antonio, American Soybean Association (ASA) Chairman Danny Murphy, a grower from Mississippi, said their first priority is to get the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to reverse its proposal that would effectively cut in half the amount of biodiesel to be required to be blended into the Nation’s fuel supply.

“We have asked our soybean farmers to make comments, and we’ve had hundreds of farmers express their concern to EPA about the proposed level and what it would do to the capability and potential of the biodiesel industry,” he said. “These proposed regulations would reduce the production over the next year or two and really stifle the growth in a really valuable market for soybean farmers.”

In a separate interview with Cindy, Danny said, based on what he’s heard from EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy, the folks at EPA might be having some second thoughts about their own proposal. “So we hope that means they’ll make some changes and allow this biodiesel industry to grow,” he said.

He added ASA supports the extension of the $1-a-gallon federal tax credit for biodiesel, which expired at the end of December. He believes it could be reinstated as part of a tax extenders package, but he would also be happy to see the stand-alone legislation proposed by Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Maria Cantwell (D-WA) get passed.

Listen to Danny’s portion of the ASA news conference here: American Soybean Association Chairman Danny Murphy
2014 Commodity Classic Photos

Audio, Biodiesel, Commodity Classic, EPA, Soybeans

East Africa’s 1st Utility Solar Project Makes Progress

Joanna Schroeder

East Africa’s first utility-scale solar field is making progress. When complete, it is estimated to produce 8 percent of the country’s power generation capacity. The project is going forward due to Dutch solar developer Gigawatt Global Coöperatief having successfully ASYVclosed on $23.7 million in financing for a 8.5 megawatt solar photovoltaic (PV) power plant from an international consortium of equity investors and debt providers including Norwegian development finance institution Norfund, Norwegian-headquartered Scatec Solar, Dutch development bank FMO and the Emerging Africa Infrastructure Fund (EAIF).

The photovoltaic (PV) plant will be located 60 km from the capital of Kigali on land belonging to the Agahozo-Shalom Youth Village (ASYV) for youth orphaned during and after the 1994 Rwandan genocide. The electricity will be fed into the national grid under a 25 year power purchase agreement with the Rwanda Energy, Water and Sanitation Authority (EWSA). Construction has already started and commercial operation of the solar field is expected by summer of 2014.

“It takes a global village to raise a solar revolution,” said American-Israeli entrepreneur and human rights activist Yosef Abramowitz, President of Gigawatt Global and CEO of Energiya Global Capital, Gigawatt’s Israeli affiliate that provided seed money and strategic guidance for the project.

“There are 550 million people in Africa without electricity. Economic growth in developing markets depends on access to affordable, green power. Environmentally-friendly solar energy is far less expensive than diesel-generated power. This first-ever utility-scale solar field in Rwanda – and all of East Africa – represents the future of energy for developing countries and for island nations. It is a game-changer for humanity and the environment,” added Abramowitz.

The Rwanda Minister of State in Charge of Energy and Water, Eng. Emma Francoise Isumbingabo said, “Generation and provision of electricity to all Rwandans is important for the Government of Rwanda. This initiative to produce 8.5 megawatts is a good addition towards closing the current energy gap.”

With limited power generation capacity, the Government of Rwanda has introduced an aggressive plan to boost the nation’s generation capacity. The objective is for 50 percent of the population to have access to electricity by 2017.

Reflecting its dedication to helping heal the world, Agahozo-Shalom Youth Village fostered the development of a solar field, located on Village property, that will generate enough electricity to contribute to a roughly 8 percent increase in the country’s electricity supply. ASYV is leasing land to house the solar facility, the fees from which will help pay for a portion of the Village’s charitable expenses.

International, Renewable Energy, Solar

Biodiesel Mini-Refineries Could Help Rural Areas

John Davis

dewittWhile the trend is to build big, commercial-sized biodiesel refineries, a smaller business model might be what some rural communities need. This article from inArkansas.com tells the story of a refrigerator-sized biodiesel microbrewery that could turn 870,000 acres of farmland near the Delta town of DeWitt into the green fuel.

The box is a miniature biorefinery. It turns waste vegetable oils into biodiesel. Its operator is Johnny Davis, a semi-retired farmer who owns the crumbling gas station, a feed business and a cattle farm.

The refinery can pump out between 50,000 and 80,000 gallons of the liquid per year, which Davis will sell to the city of DeWitt for use in the same trucks that collect the waste oil input, as well as some tractors and mowers.

Davis and the mini-refinery are small cogs in what is planned to be a giant machine of job creation in the Delta region. The plan traces back to alt.Consulting, a nonprofit in Pine Bluff that works to grow entrepreneurship in rural areas.

[U]niversity professors in Arkansas were studying a crop known as camelina. The crop seemed perfect for conversion to fuel:

• It’s not suitable for human consumption, so it wouldn’t compete with food grains;

• It could thrive in cold temperatures, so farmers could grow it in their off season; and

• Byproducts of the seed are rich in omega-3 acids and could be used in animal feed.

The nonprofit’s idea was to scale the refinery project from small to large and factor out transportation costs.

When the current biorefinery is in stable use, alt.Consulting reclaims it and replaces it with a larger micro-refinery that can turn the camelina into biodiesel. Read more about alt.Consulting’s Farm to Fuel program here.

Biodiesel

Renewable Energy Powers Asian Development Bank

Joanna Schroeder

Renewable Energy is now powering the Asian Development Bank (ABD). It’s Manila headquarters is now getting 100 percent of its energy from renewable energy including geothermal and solar power. ABD has signed an agreement with AdventEnergy, Inc. Geothermal energy is being delivered from plants in Tiwi in Albay province and Makiling-Banahaw in Laguna province, both of which are on the main Philippine island of Luzon.

Screen Shot 2014-03-04 at 11.35.18 AM“As an institution we are strongly committed to expanding the use of renewable energy across Asia and the Pacific, so it is only fitting that we walk the talk in our own headquarters,” said ADB Vice President Bruce Davis at a ceremony in ADB headquarters. “This agreement will allow us to cut our annual corporate carbon footprint by nearly 50%, with an emission reduction of more than 9,500 tons of CO2 equivalent.”

The supply contract with AdventEnergy will see ADB purchase an average of 1.5 million kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity a month. This will be supplemented by about 50,000 kWh generated monthly from ADB’s rooftop solar panels. These two sources will meet the entire energy requirements of the headquarters building, where more than 2,600 staff and consultants work each day.

With the switch to renewables, ADB will no longer purchase electricity directly from the Manila Electric Company (Meralco), although it will continue to use the company’s distribution network. The move follows ADB’s decision to take advantage of electricity reforms in the Philippines which allow large users to choose their power supplier.

A ceremony to mark the switchover to full renewable power was the centerpiece of ADB’s second “No Impact Week,” during which staff are encouraged to make work and personal lifestyle changes to reduce their carbon footprint and impact on the environment.

Geothermal, International, Renewable Energy, Solar

EPA Releases Tier 3 Emission Standards

Joanna Schroeder

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released its Tier 3 Vehicle Emission and Fuel Standard Program rules. The purpose of the program is to reduce impacts of motor vehicles on air quality and public health. In addition to lower the gasoline sulfur standard, the program is supposed to reduce both tailpipe and evaporative emissions from passenger cars, light-duty truck, medium-duty passenger vehicles and some heavy-duty vehicles. The proposed rule was released on May 31, 2013 and the final rule was signed on March 3, 2014.

EPA_LOGOIn a nutshell, what does this mean for the alternative fuel industry? It means that in some circumstances alternative fuels such as higher blends of ethanol could emerge as next generation automotive fuels. Tier 3 fuels are considered fuels that the automotive industry can “test” to meet the emission standards. The EPA’s rule finalizes an ethanol content of 10 percent (E10) for emissions test gasoline. However, the biofuels industry was lobbying for higher ethanol blends to be approved as test fuels such as E15 and E30. This did not come to pass.

So in other words, an automotive company can test “E15” and find positive emission reduction results, but since it is not considered a legal “test fuel,” the fuel can’t be considered meeting (or exceeding) the EPA’s emission standards.

“It’s not the greatest thing since sliced bread; but at least there’s dough in the machine,” said Advanced Biofuels USA’s vehicle emissions expert, Robert Kozak. “We didn’t get everything that we wanted but two items are important. 1) The new requirement that vehicles be tested and certified using E10 (10% ethanol blend that is standard fuel across the country); and 2) The opportunity for manufacturers to request approval of another new certification fuel such as high octane/high ethanol E30 (30% ethanol blend).”

The next step, says Kozak, is to begin working with the EPA immediately to approve the next round of text fuels such as E30. Others in the industry agree that E15 and E30 should be legal test fuels but some believe the next step is to sue the EPA because limiting the higher ethanol blends as test fuels will limit the automakers research and deployment of more and better optimized vehicles, such as flex fuel vehicles, designed to capitalize on ethanol fuel blends.

automotive, Car Makers, EPA, Ethanol

BioEnergy Bytes

Joanna Schroeder

  • BioEnergyBytesDFValero Energy Corporation has announced that Bill Klesse, 67, has chosen to step down as Chief Executive Officer effective May 1, 2014. Klesse will remain a Valero director and Chairman of the Board. Joe Gorder, 56, who was named Valero’s President and Chief Operating Officer in 2012, was elected to the role of CEO effective May 1 and has also been elected a director by the Board of Directors. Gorder will join Valero’s Board of Directors immediately.
  • Renewable generation was up 30% for the week ending February 20, 2014, according to recent estimates from Genscape’s Generation Fuel Monitor Report. The total weekly generation of 11,982 GWhs was the second highest weekly number in the past five years. Wind generation in the Midwest appears to be a significant driver of the increase week-over-week. Genscape’s monitored hydro generation in the Pacific Northwest was also up 39% (612 GWhs), despite the ongoing drought conditions. As a result of the increase in renewables and weaker power demand, gas consumption plummeted 35% (-7,847 GWhs).
  • DTE Energy has selected 122 solar energy projects in the third offering of its expansion of the SolarCurrents customer-owned pilot program, which offers customers a more affordable way to install solar photovoltaic systems on their homes and businesses. The SolarCurrents program is offering an additional 2 megawatts (MW) of capacity to be fully subscribed by Dec. 31, 2015. The projects that weren’t selected can reapply for Offering 4, which starts June 23. The application deadline is July 23.
  • The North and South American solar photovoltaic (PV) installed capacity will increase more than tenfold over the coming years, climbing from 13.1 Gigawatts (GW) in 2013 to 138.8 GW by 2030, at a massive Compound Annual Growth Rate of 15%, says a new report from research and consulting firm GlobalData. According to the report, the Americas’ power generation from solar PV installations will also increase at an impressive rate, jumping from 21 Terawatt-hours (TWh) in 2013 to 234 TWh by 2030.
Bioenergy Bytes

Mayors Leading Way in Energy Efficiency

Joanna Schroeder

This week the mayors from across the U.S. released results of a new survey pointing to successes of cities using Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) program funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) to improve energy efficiency and lower carbon emissions.

Screen Shot 2014-03-04 at 9.18.21 AMUnveiled by Gresham, Oregon Mayor Shane Bemis, Bridgeport, Connecticut Mayor Bill Finch, and Carmel, Indiana Mayor Jim Brainard, the survey findings derived from the responses of 204 mayors demonstrate how cities invested their EECBG program funds to help further local initiatives to reduce energy use, deploy new energy technologies and curb harmful energy emissions, among other local outcomes. All three mayors are members of the Mayors’ Climate Protection Center.

“These findings underscore that mayors have been leading by example on energy efficiency and conservation for years,” said Gresham Mayor Shane Bemis, Chair of the Conference’s Energy Committee. “Mayors all across the country have been actively working to advance energy-saving measures in communities large and small, and what we see in this report translates into real budgetary savings, local job creation and small business growth.”

Some of survey’s key findings include:

  • The three top uses of EECBG dollars by cities were energy retrofits of government buildings (83 percent of cities), LED/other energy-efficient street lighting (42 percent), and solar energy systems on public buildings and facilities (31 percent).
  • Most mayors directed a majority of their EECBG funds to investments in municipal projects and operations. Nearly seven in eight mayors (87%) expended a majority of their EECBG grant dollars on municipal projects and operations.
  • LED/other energy-efficient lighting ranked first among energy technologies that have already been deployed by cities, with local and federal resources, most notably EECBG grants, providing the primary sources of funding for these deployments.
  • The availability of EECBG funds to cities has influenced city budgetary priorities, and also prompted new partnerships with a range of private sector and governmental entities.
  • A majority of mayors cited energy service contracting as the innovative energy financing strategy that EECBG funds helped most often.

Of the report’s findings, Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch, who Co-Chairs the Conference’s Energy Independence and Climate Protection Task Force noted, “Even as mayors were confronting budget constraints due to the recession and federal spending cuts, this report shows that cities leveraged EECBG dollars by making investments that are still paying dividends today. In my city, we are reducing electricity usage and making solid waste and sewage sludge operations more efficient. So, clearly, this modest federal commitment has bolstered mayors’ efforts to advance energy efficiency, conservation and technology deployment initiatives in their cities.”Read More

Climate Change, energy efficiency