S.D. AAA Promotes TV Ad Supporting Ethanol

Joanna Schroeder

With Triple A (AAA) defending itself against comments made by a current Big Oil campaign that they don’t support ethanol, the organization is fighting back. South Dakota AAA has launched its own TV ad in support of ethanol. The South Dakota AAA office says a new campaign by the American Petroleum Institute (API) misrepresents AAA’s position on E15 and ethanol. They say API’s ads are the latest in a series of communications on social media and elsewhere which portray AAA as being “anti-ethanol.”

“We thank AAA and the many ethanol supporters across the country who spoke up and urged the auto club to set the record straight on Big Oil’s dishonest ad campaign,” said Ron Lamberty, senior vice president for the American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE).

“Big Oil wants people to think AAA is anti-ethanol, but the auto club’s response shows that is clearly not the case. We are glad to work with AAA South Dakota to help spread the message about their support for ethanol,” continued Lamberty.

He also thanked ethanol supporters for calling AAA offices. “This would not have happened if individual ethanol supporters had not contacted AAA to find out what their stance was, and asked that AAA set the record straight,” added Lamberty. “This is a perfect example of what we all need to do, to make sure Big Oil’s anti-ethanol smear campaign is not successful.”

AAA South Dakota Ethanol Video from AAA Oklahoma on Vimeo.

ACE, biofuels, E15, Ethanol, Video

U.S. Biodiesel Production Hits Record in May

John Davis

Helped by federal mandates, U.S. biodiesel production hit a record level in May. The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) reports May’s numbers reached 111 million gallons. The agency also said production in the first five months of 2013 was 449 million gallons, up 17 million gallons from the same period last year.

EIAmay13biodiesel1
There were 3,427 million pounds of feedstocks consumed for biodiesel production during the period from January-May 2013, giving a ratio of 7.6 pounds of feedstock per gallon of biodiesel produced. Of the total biodiesel feedstocks, 1,838 million pounds (about 54%) were soybean oil.

The use of biodiesel as a motor fuel is supported by federal mandates for biodiesel blending under the Renewable Fuel Standard program. Under this program, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency sets annual targets for the use of biodiesel and other biofuel categories, such as advanced and total biofuels, which can also be satisfied through additional biodiesel use. Biodiesel blenders are also currently eligible for a federal tax credit of $1 per gallon blended.

There are 116 active biodiesel plants in the U.S. able to crank out 2.2 billion gallons per year.

Biodiesel, Government

BioEnergy Bytes

Joanna Schroeder

  • BioEnergyBytesDFThe National Biodiesel Board has hired Scott Fenwick as the new Technical Director. Fenwick is the current Chairman of the BQ9000 Commission and is an officer of the ASTM Committee D02 that presides over the current biodiesel specifications and test methods. As Technical Director Fenwick takes on the day-to-day management responsibilities of running the technical program and expanding NBB’s technical reach to better match the growing industry needs and challenges.
  • Butamax has announced that Judge Sue Robinson granted Butamax’s summary judgment motions for non-infringement of Gevo 8,017,375 (‘375) and 8,017,376 (‘376) patents. This decision, issued last Friday, closely follows the Court’s dismissal of all claims against Butamax relating to Gevo’s ‘808 “GIFT™” patent. In a further ruling, the Court also granted Butamax’s summary judgment motion for invalidity of the ‘375 patent stating that “Butamax has met its clear and convincing burden, sufficient to invalidate the patent for lack of enablement…”.
  • OPIS is holding its 2nd Annual LCFS Workshop on December 12-13, 2013 in San Francisco, California. Attendees will learn such things as how to properly track, value and report carbon credits; how to accurately calculate your CI obligation; and how Cap and Trade will impact your business.
  • Registration is now open the GRC Annual Meeting & GEA Geothermal Energy Expo being held September 29, 2013 through October 2, 2013. Early birds who register before August 31 pay only $695 as GRC members or $795 if non-members. The non-member registration includes GRC membership through 2014. Students with a current identification card from an accredited institution pay just $5 which includes GRC membership through 2014. Registration to the GRC Annual Meeting also includes entry to the GEA Energy Expo.
Bioenergy Bytes

1st Offshore Wind Lease Sale in U.S.

Joanna Schroeder

Today the United States Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) held its first-ever offshore wind lease sale, leasing 164,750 acres off the coasts of Rhode Island and Massachusetts. The area was divided into two leases, the North Lease Area, which consists of about 97,500 acres, and the South Lease Area, covering approximately 67,250 acres.

Oceana, an international advocacy group protecting oceans, celebrated the sale. “Today is a historic day for the United States and its offshore wind industry. For more than 20 years, we have watched as Europe developed and benefited from offshore wind power. It is high time for the U.S. to take advantage of this unlimited resource that can help solve our Offshore wind energy platformclimate and energy challenges,” said deputy vice president for U.S. campaigns Jacqueline Savitz.

She continued, “Today’s lease sale takes a critical step toward building offshore wind in U.S. waters. These companies understand the massive clean energy and job-creating potential that offshore wind provides. They should be commended for their efforts to transition America off of fossil fuels and toward a clean energy future.”

“However, in order to continue the advancement of the U.S. offshore wind industry,” stressed Savitz, “we will need a long-term extension of the Investment Tax Credit (ITC). The ITC is necessary to stimulate investment in offshore wind, and extending it will further demonstrate that the U.S. stands strong in its commitment to this renewable energy source. We urge Congress to provide a long-term extension of the ITC for offshore wind so that we can finally begin to reap all of the environmental and economic benefits of this domestic clean energy supply.”

Electricity, Energy, offshore wind, Renewable Energy, Wind

Is Cellulosic Ethanol for Real?

Talia Goes

zp-nhOur latest ZimmPoll asked the question, “How many ag-related apps do you have?”

Our poll results:

· 1-5 44%
· None 31%
· 5-10 16%
· More 6%
· 10-15 3%

The number of ag-related apps for smart phones and tablets continues to grow – from news and information, to markets and products, you name it. Find out more about what’s out there in this recent ZimmCast.

Our new ZimmPoll is now live and asks the question, “Do you think cellulosic ethanol can be commercialized?” For those of you who may not know, cellulosic ethanol is a biofuel produced from wood, grasses, or the inedible parts of plants. It is a major part of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) with the goal of using more non-food sources to make biofuels. Some recent announcements include a plant in Vero Beach, Florida and a new bolt-on process to allow existing corn ethanol plants to produce ethanol from the cellulosic parts of corn. But some call it a “phantom fuel” that will never come to fruition – what do you think?

ZimmPoll is sponsored by New Holland Agriculture.

ZimmPoll

Xcel Takes Aim at Rooftop Solar in Colorado

Joanna Schroeder

Renewable energy advocates, businesses and environmental groups have joined together to urge the Colorado Public Utilities Commission to reject a new proposal from Xcel Energy that would discourage rooftop solar growth in its territory. Issued last week as part of Xcel’s 2014 Renewable Energy Standard compliance plan, the proposal takes aim at net metering, one of the state’s most important programs for encouraging consumer investment in solar power.

Solar Installation Photo Energy.gov“Net metering is key to reaching Colorado’s Million Solar Roofs goal and has been a huge component to helping Colorado families and businesses afford to go solar,” said Edward Stern, executive director of the Colorado Solar Energy Industries Association (COSEIA). “Xcel’s current proposal falls short of accounting for rooftop solar’s tremendous value to Colorado. If we’re going to have a conversation about net metering, we need to make sure we’re using good, updated, accurate information.”

According to solar advocates, the utility is using a contested study that has not undergone public or commission review to make its case against the successful solar policy. The Xcel study and subsequent proposal do not fairly value the many benefits that rooftop solar delivers to Colorado.

Annie Lappé, solar policy director at The Vote Solar Initiative (Vote Solar), said of Xcel’s plan, “Xcel is using a flawed study and backroom tactics to attempt to roll back one of the state’s most important solar customer rights. While we understand that rooftop solar represents a change from the utility’s traditional way of doing business, this proposal is a non-starter for a needed conversation about the future of rooftop solar in Colorado.”

Solar advocates say that rooftop solar is helping Colorado families, schools and businesses take charge of their power supply and their electricity bills. This private investment in local clean energy is delivering economic, environmental and public health benefits to Xcel’s solar and non-solar customers alike.

  • New energy leadership: Colorado ranks 5th in the country with enough solar installed to power 50,500 homes.
  • Grid benefits: Local solar energy systems can reduce the need for expensive centralized power plants and transmission infrastructure, which benefits Colorado’s non-solar customers.
  • Job & economic benefits: There are currently 275 solar companies employing 3,600 Coloradoans throughout the state. In 2012, $187 million was invested in Colorado to install solar on homes and businesses.

“Private investment in rooftop solar is helping build a cleaner, safer and more resilient energy supply for all Coloradans. We encourage the Colorado PUC to stand strong for rooftop solar by rejecting this harmful proposal from Xcel,” added Carrie Cullen Hitt, senior vice president for state affairs at the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA).

Miscellaneous

Commercial Scale Cellulosic Ethanol Is Real

Joanna Schroeder

INEOS Bio’s biorefinery, Indian River BioEnergy Center, is now producing cellulosic ethanol at commercial scale. The first ethanol shipments will be released in August. According to the company, this is the first commercial-scale production in the world using their gasification and fermentation technology for conversion of biomass waste into bioethanol and renewable power.

“We are delighted with the progress made by our team at Vero Beach,” said Peter Williams, CEO of INEOS Bio and Chairman of INEOS New Planet BioEnergy. “They have successfully addressed the challenges of moving a new technology to large production INEOS BIO BIOETHANOL FIRST FACILITYscale for the very first time. Consequently, we are now pleased to announce that we are producing commercial quantities of bioethanol from vegetative and wood waste, and at the same time exporting power to the local community – a world first. We expect to spend the remainder of 2013 putting the plant through its paces, and demonstrating full nameplate capacity.”

Dr. Williams added, “All that we have seen so far validates the technical and economic viability of the technology. We remain convinced that the ability to divert waste materials from communities by converting them into competitively priced renewable fuel and power offers an excellent value proposition. It helps solve waste disposal issues, contributes to the supply of affordable and renewable fuel and energy, creates attractive jobs, and provides a sustainable source of value for the community. We look forward to taking the next steps in building a global business based on the broad deployment of this advanced technology.”

The BioEnergy Center is a joint venture project between INEOS Bio and New Planet Energy. The facility has already converted several types of waste biomass material into bioethanol, including vegetative and yard waste, and citrus, oak, pine, and pallet wood waste. It will have an annual output of eight million gallons (24kta) of cellulosic ethanol and six megawatts (gross) of renewable power. The Center is also permitted to utilize municipal solid waste (MSW), quantities of which will be used for bioethanol production at the Center during 2014.

advanced biofuels, Cellulosic, Ethanol

We’re Sticking With E15

Joanna Schroeder

The Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IRFA) has released the results of a survey of Iowa’s E15 retailers showing there were zero complaints, zero lawsuits and zero engine problems in regards to fueling with E15. Big Oil has been engaged in an active campaign against E15 and is using scare tactics in an attempt to ward people off using the ethanol blend.

Screen Shot 2013-07-31 at 10.00.51 AMThe survey also showed that from September 17, 2012 through May 31, 2013 Iowans successfully burned nearly 83,000 gallons of registered E15 (a gasoline blend containing 15 percent ethanol), enough to drive the equivalent of nearly seven trips to the moon with no complaints or engine problems.

“While Big Oil continues to try to scare retailers and consumers with hypothetical E15 horror stories, in reality E15 is being used all over Iowa with absolutely no issues,” said IRFA Executive Director Monte Shaw. “E15 is being sold at a significant discount to regular gasoline, and consumers are taking notice.”

The survey of E15 retailers showed:

  • On average, E15 was sold at nearly a 22-cent discount to regular (no ethanol) gasoline.
  • On average, E15 was sold at nearly an 11-cent discount to E10, a gasoline blend containing 10 percent ethanol.
  • There were zero known cases of misfueling with E15.
  • There were zero lawsuits or reported engine problems regarding E15.
  • There was no reported consumer confusion regarding E15 labeling.’
  • Every Iowa E15 retailer stated they plan to continue selling E15 to 2001 and newer vehicles on September 16, 2013, the start of the “winter” gasoline season.
biofuels, E15, Ethanol, Iowa RFA

Investigation Underway in Kansas Biodiesel Plant Fire

John Davis

biodieselfire1Fire destroyed a Kansas biodiesel plant, but thanks to quick work by firefighters on the scene, no injuries were reported. The Wichita Eagle reports the fire at the Green Energy Products plant in Sedgwick was particularly dangerous as fire crews from five jurisdictions faced possible burning biodiesel, corn oil and methanol.

Some cylinders and other vessels exploded initially, Sedgwick County Fire Chief Gary Curmode said.

“The first hour and a half was pretty dangerous,” he said. There were no injuries.

The cause is unknown, but the state fire marshal is investigating.

Fire sent flames and black smoke high in to the air at one point and collapsed the metal building’s roof.

Bernie Hoffman, vice president of WB Services — the parent company of Green Energy — said, “It started very small and burned very fast. It looks like it’s going to be a complete loss.”

About a dozen people were in the refinery when the fire broke out, but all escaped injury. Green Energy officials say the building is designed to contain a fire such as this.

A link to video of the fire is below:
biodieselfire

Biodiesel

Biodiesel Maker REG Posts Strongest Quarter Ever

John Davis

reg-logoThings are looking up for biodiesel producer Renewable Energy Group. The Iowa-based company says it sold 69.2 million gallons of biodiesel during the second quarter this year, up 28 percent from the same time a year ago. Revenues also increased 42 percent from a year ago, hitting $387.1 million and an adjusted EBITDA of $41.6 million during the second quarter 2013.

“This was our strongest quarter ever for production and gallons sold,” said Daniel J. Oh, President and Chief Executive Officer. “Market demand for biodiesel remained strong due, in part, to demand for biomass-based diesel RINs. REG’s substantial revenue growth this quarter can also be attributed to manufacturing and operational improvement at our biorefineries and gallons produced via a tolling agreement.”

REG officials also announced that the company’s acquisition of a 30-million gallon per year nameplate capacity biodiesel plant from Soy Energy, LLC in Mason City, Iowa, was approved by Soy Energy unit holders, and they intend to repair the refinery and start cranking out soybean-based biodiesel soon.

REG also reported major multifeedstock upgrades at the Albert Lea, Minn., biorefinery and repairs, upgrades and start-up at the company’s New Boston, Texas, biorefinery in the second quarter. Finally, construction on an Illinois River barge load-out at REG’s Seneca, Ill., location is underway.

Biodiesel, REG