Riding Safe, Fueling Right at Sturgis Motorcycle Rally

Chuck Zimmerman

Ride Safe Fuel RightRide Safe. Fuel Right. That’s the message from the Renewable Fuels Association here in Sturgis, SD at the 2013 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. I’m on location for the next couple days at the Legendary Buffalo Chip Campground where I’ll be documenting the activities with staff members from RFA. We’ll start out with a dinner tonight and the Legends Ride tomorrow that takes off in Deadwood.

According to the Legendary Buffalo Chip it has been a record opening weekend already for this year’s rally.

Legendary Buffalo Chip CampgroundThe Largest Music Festival in Motorcycling™ is off to a record-breaking start. With some campers arriving nearly two weeks prior to the festival kickoff, the sea of people and rumble of bikes for the first two nights of performances was larger than the Sturgis Buffalo Chip campground has ever seen before.

“We’re very excited about attendance we’ve seen so far and look forward to what this year’s rally has in store.” Says Rod Woodruff, President of the Sturgis Buffalo Chip. “In addition, it’s a huge honor to have CMT television filming their Bike Week series here and we’re excited to be able to send a piece of the Chip into millions of home across the country.”

I’ve got a photo album started which I’ll be adding to when I can. You can also expect to hear interviews with a variety of folks including some of the bikers here. I hope you enjoy the coverage and feel free to share: 2013 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally Photo Album

biofuels, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Motorcycle, RFA, Sturgis

Motorcycle Enthusiasts Choose Ethanol at Sturgis Rally

Chuck Zimmerman

Renewable Fuels Association at SturgisEthanol will be on display in Sturgis, SD once again this year in front of a huge crowd at the Legendary Buffalo Chip Campground and the 73rd Annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. I’ll be working with our good friends at the Renewable Fuels Association. They are partnered with the event and venue to promote the use of ethanol fuel to motorcycle enthusiasts. And having been there once, let me tell you, these are motorcycle enthusiasts!

RFA has produced promotional and educational materials, banners and merchandise including koozies and t-shirts (featured above) exclusively for this event that will be handed out at various locations during the week. The RFA’s promotional trailer will be featured at The Crossroads, a gathering area for riders. The Sturgis Rally offers an opportunity for attendees to be educated on ethanol-blended fuel as it is often mischaracterized as a problem fuel for engines found in motorcycles.

New this year, campers at the Buffalo Chip will see more ethanol promotional efforts on the jumbotrons during the day and concerts at night as videos play 144 times each day. Banners will now also wrap the jumbotrons.

Returning this year is the opportunity for riders to fuel their motorcycles for free. The “Free Fuel Happy Hours” promotion will allow motorcyclists to fill their tank, free of charge, with 93 octane E10 (10 percent ethanol). This high octane fuel is not available in the area, and will be brought in specifically for this event. To fill up, riders must have a Buffalo Chip wristband and no fuel containers will be allowed. The Free Fuel Happy Hours will be on Tuesday, August 6, Wednesday, August 7 and Thursday, August 8 at The Crossroads at the Buffalo Chip from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. each day.

“We’re very pleased to have the Renewable Fuels Association at the Chip and offer our campers some education and free ethanol-blended fuel,” said Rod Woodruff of the Sturgis Buffalo Chip. “The RFA will be here to address some of the loose talk we all hear about motorcycles and ethanol. Personally, I’ve used home-grown American ethanol-blended fuel in my motorcycle for years. Naturally, I’m looking forward to getting a free fill at the Buffalo Chip’s CrossRoads during the RFA’s ‘Free Fuel Happy Hours’ and, hopefully, even get some free ‘Fueled with Pride’ stuff.”

biofuels, Ethanol, Ethanol News, RFA

Brazilian Biofuel Trade Mission

Cindy Zimmerman

A first-of-its-kind joint trade mission to Brazil has been scheduled to “improve and enhance biofuels trade by matching businesses seeking greater trade opportunities in ethanol and other biofuels as well as green technology designed to expand and enhance biofuel production.”

brazilApproximately 15 companies will be selected for the mission, which is the product of a partnership between the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA), Brazilian Sugarcane Industry Association (UNICA), and the Advanced Biofuel Association (ABFA), targeting the Brazilian cities of São Paulo and Recife.

The trade mission, which will be held Sept. 30 to Oct. 2, will focus on introducing importers and exporters of biofuel and biofuel technology, in an effort to enhance bilateral relationships and enhance trade opportunities. The effort was engineered through a partnership between the aforementioned biofuel advocates, and the Brazil-U.S. Business Council (BUSBC), which represents key businesses from the United States and Brazil that have interests in promoting free trade between the two countries. The BUSBC, which is a part of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, is helping to administer the matchmaking mission as part of its Export Green Initiative, which was created through funding from the International Trade Administration of the U.S. Department of Commerce to promote U.S. exports of renewable and green commodities and technologies.

Learn more about the mission here.

advanced biofuels, biofuels, Brazil, Ethanol, Ethanol News, RFA, UNICA

Are Electric Cars Really Green?

Joanna Schroeder

IMAGITRENDSAccording to two recent articles published in IEEE Spectrum, electric vehicles (EVs) may not be so “green”. The first report, Unclean at Any Speed, describes how the subsidies for electric cars may cause more harm than good after considering full electric vehicle lifecycles. It advocates directing EV subsidies toward initiatives such as emissions testing, bicycle infrastructure, public transit and land-use changes.

The second article, coined by Ozzie Zehner, is a response to electric car proponents published in the same journal, and describes how the high cost of electric cars and solar cells exposes the substantial amount of fossil fuels that their manufacturing employs.

Zehner, is a visiting scholar at the University of California – Berkeley and the author of Green Illusions. He once built an electric hybrid car of his own, but is now more cautious about promoting costly high-tech strategies. “Stating that an electric car is clean is like saying that a light bulb is clean. Light bulbs don’t produce exhaust, but it doesn’t mean we IMAGITRENDScan use them with zero emissions. The same holds true for electric cars,” said Zehner in an NPR interview Monday.

In his article, Zehner identifies a price tag predicament. “The cost of manufactured goods ultimately boils down to two things: natural resource extraction, and profit,” explains Zehner. “Extraction is largely based on fossil-fuel inputs. Generally speaking, if a supposedly green machine costs more than its conventional rival, then more resources had to be claimed to make it possible.”

He indicates that pricey green technologies, including solar cells and electric cars, likely require more fossil fuel and produce more carbon dioxide than their conventional counterparts. Zehner warns that even if electric car costs come down, “we will have invested billions of dollars to maintain an otherwise unsustainable transportation infrastructure.”

Zehner remarks that researchers could instead “measure the virtues of electric cars against those of walkable neighborhoods, and the costs of generating more energy against the savings from using less.” He admits these may not seem comparable at first but that “in a world of 7 billion people living in increasingly precarious times, these are the tough questions that matter.”

Electric Vehicles, Environment

BioEnergy Bytes

Joanna Schroeder

  • BioEnergyBytesDFVerenium Corporation has announced that James Levine, Chief Executive Officer, and Janet Roemer, Chief Operating Officer, will present at two upcoming conferences. Roemer will present at the Southern California Investor Conference on Thursday, August 8, 2013 at the Island Hotel in Newport Beach, California at 2:00 pm ET and Levine will present at the upcoming Jefferies 2013 Global Industrials Conference in New York City on Monday, August 12, 2013 10:30 a.m. ET.
  • New Energy Farms is hosting an Open Day featuring a CEEDS demonstration.  For farmers, end users and project developers requiring feedstock, this is an opportunity to see a breeding demonstration of napier grass, miscanthus, arundo donax and sugarcane.  The event is September 19, 2013 in Leamington, Ontario.
  • Advanced Energy Economy announced the appointment of Todd Keller as Vice President, Federal Policy. Keller previously led legislative efforts for the National Wildlife Federation, and served as the Director of Recreation Policy for the Outdoor Industry Association. Keller will work to build the Accelerating Energy Leadership Political Action Committee.
  • Moore Energy, a Southampton, PA based renewable energy design and installation firm, recently completed the installation of a 39,000 watt solar system at the Northampton, Bucks County Municipal Authority. The solar system was installed at no cost to the Authority through a Power Purchase Agreement, and will guarantee a 20% reduction in utility costs. The solar system is comprised of 150 WINAICO 260 W modules.
Bioenergy Bytes

New Biofuels Projects Announced by DOE

Joanna Schroeder

During remarks at the Energy Department’s (DOE) Biomass 2013 annual conference, Secretary Ernest Moniz highlighted the important role biofuels play in the Administration’s Climate Action Plan to increase our energy security and reduce greenhouse gas emissions algae photobioreactorsfrom the transportation sector. During the event, Secretary Moniz announced over $22 million in new investments to help develop cost-competitive algae fuels and streamline the biomass feedstock supply chain for advanced biofuels.

“By partnering with industry and universities, we can help make clean, renewable biofuels cost-competitive with gasoline, give drivers more options at the pump and cut harmful carbon pollution,” said Moniz.

The research projects announced build on the DOE’s broader efforts to bring next generation biofuels online, with the goal of producing cost-competitive drop-in biofuels by 2017 and algae biofuels by 2022.

Nearly $16.5 million was given to four projects located in California, Hawaii and New Mexico aimed at breaking down technical barriers and accelerating the development of sustainable, affordable algae biofuels. The projects will help boost the productivity of sustainable algae, while cutting capital and operating costs of commercial-scale production. The projects include:

  • Hawaii Bioenergy ($5 million DOE investment): Based in Lihue, Kauai, Hawaii Bioenergy will develop a cost-effective photosynthetic open pond system to produce algal oil. The project will also demonstrate preprocessing technologies that reduce energy use and the overall cost of extracting lipids and producing fuel intermediates.
  • Sapphire Energy ($5 million DOE investment): Headquartered in San Diego, California, Sapphire Energy will develop a new process to produce algae-based fuel that is compatible with existing refineries. The project will also work on improving algae strains and increasing yield through cultivation improvements.
  • New Mexico State University ($5 million DOE investment): For its project, New Mexico State University will increase the yield of a microalgae, while developing harvesting and cultivation processes that lower costs and support year-round production.
  • California Polytechnic State University ($1.5 million DOE investment): California Polytechnic State University will conduct research and development work to increase the productivity of algae strains and compare two separate processing technologies. The project will be based at a municipal wastewater treatment plant in Delhi, California that has six acres of algae ponds. Read More
advanced biofuels, algae, biomass

Feedstock Flexibility Program Final Rule Published

Joanna Schroeder

The Farm Service Agency has made the final Feedstock Flexibility Program (FFP) public and was published in the Federal Register on Monday, July 29, 2013. Congress created the FFP in the 2008 Farm Bill, allowing for the purchase of excess sugar to produce Screen Shot 2013-08-02 at 9.10.14 AMbioenergy in order to avoid forfeiture of sugar pledged as collateral by processors when securing short-term commodity loans from United States Department of Agriculture’s Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC).

Federal law allows sugar processors to obtain loans from the CCC with maturities of up to nine months when the sugarcane or sugar beet harvest begins. Upon loan maturity, the sugar processor may repay the loan in full or forfeit the collateral (sugar) to the government to satisfy the loan. The last time sugar forfeitures occurred was in 2004 but atypical market conditions have necessitated USDA to take a number of actions this crop year to manage the sugar supply at the least cost to the federal government. If needed, FFP is an additional tool to manage the domestic sugar surplus.

As part of continuing efforts to manage the surplus, USDA is currently operating a purchase of sugar from domestic sugarcane processors under the Cost Reduction Options of the Food Security Act of 1985, and simultaneously will exchange this sugar for credits offered by refiners holding licenses under the Refined Sugar Re-export Program.

bioenergy, feedstocks

Biodiesel Part of Soybean Demand Success

John Davis

goodThe domestic crush of soybeans is more during each of the first five months of the current marketing year (September 2012 through January 2013) than it was for the same time a year earlier. According to this analysis from Darrel Good at the University of Illinois, part of that success can be attributed to biodiesel:

The amount of soybean oil used for biodiesel production in the year ahead, and beyond, depends on a large number of factors. These include U.S. biofuels policy; the pace of expansion in the domestic ethanol blend wall; and the competition from other biodiesel feedstocks, particularly imported palm oil. The USDA currently projects that soybean oil used for biodiesel will reach 5.5 billion pounds in 2013-14, up from 4.8 billion pounds this year and 4.87 billion pounds last year. The projection represents nearly 28 percent of total projected domestic use and exports of U.S soybean oil.

The analysis goes on to say that in the future, soybean demand is expected to stay strong, once again, helped by the biodiesel demand.

Biodiesel, Soybeans

Purdue Jet to Fly on Camelina-based Biofuel

John Davis

purduejet1A jet from Purdue University will fly on a camelina-based biofuel at an international air show today. This story from the school says the Embraer Phenom 100 jet takes part in the Experimental Aircraft Association AirVenture in Oshkosh using the jet biofuel developed by the U.S. Air Force.

“Aviation biofuels, some of which are approved for use today, are of interest due to their potential to reduce carbon emissions and be derived from non-petroleum sources such as renewable biomass,” said Denver Lopp, professor of aviation technology and co-director of Purdue’s Air Transport Institute for Environmental Sustainability (Air TIES).

The demonstration flight will be one of the first in the United States in which a university-owned jet will be powered by biofuels, said Air TIES co-director David Stanley, and represents an important milestone toward the long-term vision of operating a green training fleet at Purdue University.

The biofuel used will be a Camelina-based HEFA (hydroprocessed esters and fatty acid), developed in partnership with the U.S. Air Force and the Air Force Research Lab. Results from the flight will be studied.

biofuels, Research, University

ZeaChem Recieves EPA Approval on Cellulosic RINS

Joanna Schroeder

zeachemlogoZeaChem Inc. has announced that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has given registration approval for the cellulosic biofuel produced at the company’s demonstration biorefinery in Boardman, Oregon. The EPA Fuels Programs Registered Company/Facility ID List has been updated accordingly with ZeaChem’s biorefinery verified as an approved registered facility for the production of Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS2) qualifying D3 cellulosic biofuel RINs. Carbon Solutions Group, a project development, environmental asset management and advisory firm in Chicago, Ill., provided registration services to ZeaChem.

ZeaChem is a producer of sustainable and economical advanced biofuels and bio-based chemicals from domestic, renewable agricultural and forestry resources. Earlier this year, ZeaChem successfully produced the first volumes of cellulosic chemicals and ethanol at its demonstration biorefinery on the path to commercialization. With facility registration complete, cellulosic ethanol production will now generate RINs to achieve the national RFS2.

advanced biofuels, Cellulosic, RINS