RFA Says Flexibility is Key to RFS

Cindy Zimmerman

Today, the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) touted the flexibility of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) while responding to the last in a five part series of whitepaper questions posed by the House of Representatives’ Energy and Commerce Committee. The last whitepaper examines “implementation issues” of the RFS.

Questions answered by RFA in the paper include:
Does EPA’s annual (Renewable Volume Obligation) setting process work well or are there concerns?
Are the cellulosic biofuel provisions in the RFS working well or do they need to be changed?
How can EPA improve its enforcement of the RIN credit trading program?
What is responsible for the rise in ethanol RIN prices in 2013?
Are increases in RIN prices likely to affect the production or marketing of renewable fuels?

hearing-dinneenRFA president and CEO Bob Dinneen touched on most of these issues during his testimony to the committee this week. “Congress did an excellent job crafting the RFS and building in a great deal of administrative and market flexibility,” he said. “There’s nothing wrong with the RFS that can’t be fixed by what is right with the RFS.”

On the subject of RINS (Renewable Indentification Numbers), Dinneen had this to say. “RINS are free!” he said. “Ethanol producers are required to give RINS to refiners and gasoline marketers when they purchase a gallon of ethanol. Buy a gallon of ethanol, get a RIN for free.”

Listen to Dinneen’s opening remarks here: Bob Dinneen RFS testimony

Audio, Ethanol, Ethanol News, RFA, RFS

Senate Ag Committee Approves USDA Nominees

Cindy Zimmerman

usda-nomineesThe Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee this week unanimously approved the nominations of Krysta Harden to serve as deputy secretary of agriculture and Robert Bonnie to serve as under secretary for natural resources and the environment.

The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) congratulated Harden on her confirmation. “Krysta Harden is the right person for the job,” said Bob Dinneen, President and CEO of the RFA. “Her years as Chief of Staff at USDA, her work on Capitol Hill, and her vast understanding of value-added agriculture gleaned from years working for farmers and biofuels have all given her the knowledge and insight needed to fill this very important position as Deputy Secretary at USDA. Just as she has been confirmed in the past, we are eager to see her sweep through the approval process and look forward to her full confirmation by the U.S. Senate.”

Harden has been nominated to succeed Kathleen Merrigan in the second-highest post at USDA Bonnie, while Bonnie, who has been a senior advisor to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, would succeed Harris Sherman in the post of natural resources under secretary.

biofuels, Ethanol, Ethanol News, RFA, USDA

Refuel Colorado Fleets

Joanna Schroeder

Refuel Colorado Fleets, a pilot project to boost the use of alternative fuel vehicles in public and private sector fleets, has announced a new pilot program for several Colorado communities. The program is funded by a U.S. Department of Energy grant to the Colorado Energy Office. Counties selected for the year-long pilot are Routt, Larimer, Boulder, Jefferson, Adams, Garfield, Mesa, Montezuma and La Plata. A is funding the project.

Energy coaches employed by four community-based nonprofits will help business and government fleet owners work together with auto dealers, fuel providers, business leaders and local governments in the nine counties to pursue or expand use of alternative fuels. The program is aimed at accelerating the deployment of alternative fuels, reducing Refuel Colorado Fleets logopetroleum imports and increasing fuel cost efficiency in public and private sector vehicle fleets. Alternative fuels being considered include compressed natural gas (CNG), liquefied natural gas (LNG), propane, biofuels and plug-in electric vehicles.

“The Refuel Colorado Fleets energy coaches will support the adoption of alternative fuel vehicles,” said Jeff Ackermann, director of the Colorado Energy Office. “Each community will determine what makes sense for them, be that electric, natural gas, propane, or other vehicle types. Each of these provides economic and environmental benefits, making this an exciting project.”

Energy coaching will be done by Northern Colorado Clean Cities, Denver Metro Clean Cities, Garfield Clean Energy and Four Corners Office for Resource Efficiency. The pilot project is being led by CLEER: Clean Energy Economy for the Region, a Carbondale nonprofit with expertise in alternative fuel vehicle technology, energy coaching and community engagement.

“Colorado has built a strong reputation as a leader in renewable energy and other innovative industries,” said U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo. “Refuel Colorado Fleets’ work on these projects in counties across the state only enhances that reputation. “There is great promise in alternative fuel vehicles and these types of programs help proliferate their use and allow communities to see how best to implement proven green technologies.”

In the coming weeks, energy coaches will work with businesses and local governments in the nine counties to analyze their fleets, including miles driven and age, vehicle type and purpose, to determine the optimal alternative fuel to focus on.

Alternative Vehicles, biofuels, Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), Electric Vehicles, Liquefied natural gas (LNG), Propane

Alaska and Hawaii Combine for Biodiesel Deal

John Davis

AlaskaAirlinesCompanies from numbers 49 and 50 (in the state-numbering race) are combining forces to provide biodiesel for aircraft. Alaska Airlines and Hawai`i BioEnergy LLC announced an agreement to provide biodiesel for the airline starting as soon as 2018.

“We are pleased to be partnering with Hawai`i BioEnergy to encourage the production and commercial distribution of sustainable fuels,” said Keith Loveless, Alaska Air Group’s executive vice president and general counsel. “Beyond the environmental advantages, it improves the fuel supply integrity in the state of Hawaii, which will allow for the further growth of our airline operations throughout the Islands.”

“Alaska Airlines shares our goals of environmental responsibility and our commitment to sustainable, local energy production,” said Joel Matsunaga, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Hawai`i BioEnergy. “The development and commercialization of local, renewable energy is of critical importance to Hawaii, given the state imports 95 percent of its energy needs. Use of locally grown feedstocks for biofuel production will improve Hawaii’s energy sustainability and security while creating jobs in our communities.”

Hawai`i BioEnergy is a consortium of three of Hawaii’s largest landowners and three venture capital companies who plan to use locally grown feedstocks to produce biofuels.

Biodiesel

Appalachian State University Receives Biomass Grant

Joanna Schroeder

Appalachian State University Department of Technology and Environmental Design professors David Domermuth and Ok-Youn Yu have received a $45,000 grant from the N.C. Agricultural Foundation for a project to economically convert biomass to biofuel and useful biobiomasschar. The grant, along with a current grant from the EPA, is being used to complete the university’s bioshelter/greenhouse at the Watauga County Landfill where the biomass conversion will occur. When testing is complete, the project will move to the Energy Xchange in Spruce Pine and be used for public outreach and education.

For the past four years, researchers at Appalachian have worked to develop the most economical method for converting agricultural and forest biomass to useable products and energy and subsequently provide a source of revenue.

“To test our system we are using wood chips, which are a plentiful resource in the mountains,” said graduate assistant Miranda Harper who is assisting with the project. “Wood waste from wood processing also can be recycled into useful products. Any kind of biomass can be used in the system including agricultural waste, yard brush and even animal waste.”

A process called bio volatilization (BV) converts biomass into biochar, pyrolosis oil, fuel gas and heat. The biochar created from the BV process can be used as a soil additive to increase soil fertility and protect against soil-borne diseases. Biochar also improves water quality and reduces agricultural productivity and reduces nutrient leaching and soil acidity.

The waste energy created from the BV process will be used to heat the university’s bioshelter/greenhouse at the Watauga County Landfill. The fuel created will be used to run a generator to produce electricity for day lighting in the winter at the bioshelter/greenhouse.

advanced biofuels, biomass

A New Use for Algae in Biofuel Production

Joanna Schroeder

According to an article in the journal Phycologia, a recent research study examined a promising freshwater algal strain for possible genetic engineering applications that could make it a viable biofuel. The research, conducted by a research team in Japan, was aimed at reducing the time from research to commercial production of algal-based biofuels.

Phycologia52.4.coverThe article takes an in-depth look at the genetic structure of a unicellular green alga, Botryococcus braunii, and explores its unique ability to be utilized in the genetic engineering of biofuel development. Botryococcus braunii was initially selected for large-scale biofuel production because of its extraordinary ability to synthesize large amounts of hydrocarbon oils.

Several difficulties were encountered in the initial production and harvesting processes, leaving it by the wayside. However, this latest research reintroduces B. braunii as the perfect vehicle for genetic engineering applications when compared with three other species of green algae, five species of land plants, and eight other phyla species, including bacteria, archaea, fungi, and mammals.

The research focused on the codon usage, or DNA compatibility, of B. braunii with the other organisms. Codon usage for this particular alga is one of the fundamental genetic markers that had not been explored. Codons are greatly affected by the vast amount of guanines (G) and cytosines (C), two of the four nucleotides that make up a DNA molecule. Many green algal species having high GC content, which causes codon usage bias, or poor compatibility, with other organisms. Surprisingly, B. braunii had comparatively low GC content and its codon usage was similar to that of bacteria, mammals, and land plants.

Although further study is necessary, the researchers found that the ability of B. braunii to synthesize hydrocarbons, combined with the newly discovered codon usage and GC content data, could lead to new genetic engineering techniques that could hasten biofuel development and production.

advanced biofuels, algae, Research

REG to Offer Biodiesel at New York Harbor

John Davis

REG LogoBiodiesel giant Renewable Energy Group (REG) will soon offer the green fuel in New York Harbor. The deal was struck for the International-Matex Tank Terminals (IMTT) in Bayonne, N.J., one of the world’s largest petroleum trading hubs.

“The Northeast has an active biodiesel market and this terminal position allows us to provide more high quality REG-9000® biodiesel to better serve this growing market,” said Gary Haer, REG Vice President, Sales and Marketing. “In conjunction with our five other terminal locations in New York and New Jersey, we will be able to provide a reliable and consistent supply of biodiesel to serve existing transportation fuel applications and barge business as well as the growing Bioheat® (heating oil blended with biodiesel) market in and around New York Harbor.”

The New York State Legislature recently passed a B2 biodiesel requirement in home heating oil. Once signed into law by the Governor, it will require all heating oil for use in any building within Nassau, Rockland, Suffolk and Westchester counties to contain at least two percent biodiesel, effective October 1, 2014. On July 1, 2015, all heating oil sold for use in any building statewide will meet this standard. New York City already has a B2 biodiesel requirement for home heating oil in place.

REG officials say the deep water port able to cater to many ships and barges matches well with the company’s marketing capabilities.

Biodiesel, REG

POET Plants to Add Liquefied Carbon Dioxide

Joanna Schroeder

POET_LogoTwo POET biorefineries in Ohio are installing liquefied carbon dioxide facilities on site.

POET Biorefining – Marion and POET Biorefining – Fostoria will be operating in the Greater Ohio Valley liquid carbon dioxide marketplace. The plants will be able to serve the traditional food freezing and beverage carbonation markets as well as secure new carbon dioxide customers.

“One of our priorities at POET is to get the most value from the corn kernel,” POET Biorefining – Marion General Manager Cliff Brannon said. “We don’t just produce biofuel here. We produce Dakota Gold high-protein animal feed, Voila corn oil and more. We’re excited to add carbon dioxide to that list.”

With the latest two plants coming online this year, nine POET plants will be producing liquefied carbon dioxide.

biofuels, Carbon, Company Announcement

NBB: Biodiesel Headed for Record Year

John Davis

nbb-logoNumbers from the EPA show that biodiesel production hit record production in the first half of the year and is on pace to have its best year ever. The EPA reports that biodiesel refiners made 636 million gallons through the end of June and is on pace to break the annual record of about 1.1 billion gallons, exceeding this year’s volume requirement under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) and gaining praise from the National Biodiesel Board.

“This is further proof that policies like the RFS are delivering,” said Anne Steckel, vice president of federal affairs at the National Biodiesel Board, the U.S. biodiesel trade association. “This growth means good-paying jobs, fewer harmful emissions and a diversified fuel market that is helping consumers.”

“Just this week, gas prices were the third highest on record, even as we’re drilling more and more oil here at home,” Steckel added. “It just shows that we need alternatives if we’re going to escape this cycle of price spikes in the oil markets. The American people understand that we need to diversify and adopt an all-of-the-above energy approach, and we need strong domestic energy policy to do that.”

On the down side, some producers are worried that Congress will allow the $1-a-gallon biodiesel tax incentive expire (again) at the end of this year, and that could push production levels down.

“The uncertainty around the tax incentive makes it very difficult to plan for growth,” [Karl Radune, president of BioDiesel One Ltd., a small producer in Southington, Conn.,] said.

Biodiesel, NBB

American Ethanol Wins Ohio NASCAR Race

Cindy Zimmerman

dillon-winAmerican Ethanol was in the winner’s circle Wednesday night as Austin Dillon won the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series™ Mudsummer Classic.

This inaugural event was held at one of the world’s most iconic dirt tracks, Eldora Speedway in Ohio. The race, which was the first NASCAR-sanctioned national event held on a dirt track since 1970, brought American Ethanol to the forefront as Dillon finished in front in the No. 39 American Ethanol Chevrolet truck.

Dillon detailed his journey from Chicago to Ohio, and the role ethanol played, in a blog, providing a look at how flex fuel vehicles, E85 and E15 can help consumers save money as gas prices rise faster than the summer temperatures.

Dillon will race next in the NASCAR Nationwide Series™ race to be held in Indiana this Saturday followed by an appearance in the Sprint Cup Series™ race on Sunday. American Ethanol will be on site promoting the benefits of the biofuel all weekend.

American Ethanol, corn, Ethanol, NASCAR, NCGA