MidAmerican to Invest $1.9 Billion in Iowa Wind Energy

John Davis

midamerican-energyMidwest-based MidAmerican Energy Co. is investing $1.9 billion in wind energy by adding up to 1,050 megawatts of wind generation, consisting of up to 656 new wind turbines, in Iowa by the end of 2015. This article from the Iowa City Press Citizen says the utility’s investment will create lots of green jobs in the state, without tapping any state tax dollars to do it:

MidAmerican Energy, a utility serving 714,000 customers in Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska and South Dakota, said the project would create 460 construction jobs over two years and 48 permanent jobs, primarily workers needed to maintain the 656 wind turbines the utility will build through 2015.

The permanent jobs will create $2.4 million annually in pay for workers, MidAmerican said. The construction workers will take home $30 million, said Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds. “That’s over 500 Iowa residents who will bring home a paycheck to provide for their families,” she said.

The project will add 1,050 megawatts of wind generation, pushing the utility’s total to 3,335 megawatts of energy. As a result, MidAmerican expects that about 40 percent of its power to Iowa customers will come from wind.

“That is marvelous news,” said Harold Prior, executive director of the Iowa Wind Energy Association. “MidAmerican is one of the top utilities in the country as far as embracing wind energy.”

In addition, the project is expected to lower consumer’s utility bills. Officials in the Hawkeye State also believe this sends a message to the rest of the country that Iowa is innovative, especially when it comes to wind energy. The state is on track to generate 10,000 megawatts of wind power by 2020.

While MidAmerican is not getting state aid for this project, it will receive federal wind production tax credits.

Wind

Governor Corbett Commits $9.6M to Clean Energy

Joanna Schroeder

Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett announced a commitment of more than $9.6 million for 13 clean and alternative energy projects in 11 counties. The Commonwealth Financing Authority (CFA) has approved 13 projects, through the state’s Alternative and Clean Energy Program, including five Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) fueling stations that, the agency says, have the benefits of reducing emissions, fuel savings and utilizing the large domestic CNG Station in PA Photo: Scott Detrow / StateImpact Pennsylvaniasource of natural gas available in Pennsylvania.

“The projects supported by the CFA will help businesses and school districts save collectively on their utility costs and reduce their environmental impact,” said Corbett. “They will also result in significant private economic investment throughout the commonwealth and the creation of 25 new jobs.”

Among the approved projects includes a $250,000 Alternative and Clean Energy Program grant for PMF Industries to aid in the company’s expansion of their manufacturing plant. The project will expand their precision metal forming facility to allow for the manufacturing of CNG cylinders.

“We have an available, abundant, domestic, economical and clean-burning supply of natural gas throughout Pennsylvania that can be used in a number of ways including to fuel our vehicles,” added Corbett. “Increasing the number of natural gas filling stations in the state will grow the industry, boost our economy and result in a better environment.”

In total, 13 projects were approved in Allegheny, Beaver, Bucks, Carbon, Cumberland, Dauphin, Erie, Lackawanna, Lycoming, Montgomery and Schuylkill counties. The state investments are projected to result in more than $109 million in additional economic investments.

Alternative energy, Clean Energy, Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), Liquefied natural gas (LNG)

Beef Ranches as Biodiesel Refineries

John Davis

humphreyThe next set of biodiesel refineries will probably continue to be in rural America, but they might be part of livestock operations. This article from BeefProducer.com says Arkansas State University researcher Kevin Humphrey sees real potential for ranchers to produce their own biodiesel from oil seed crops, waste oil or tallow:

“If all you want to do is extract oil and meal, you can do that. If you want to extract and produce meal and then also produce biodiesel, you can do that,” he says.

Humphrey is using waste oil and oil seed crops — soybeans, canola, and camelina — to make biodiesel. He adds he hasn’t used animal fats but that is a viable option.

Matt Roberts, vice president of marketing for Springboard Biodiesel, says if the oil is collected free, as might be beef tallow from rendering, the biodiesel will cost about 95 cents per gallon to make. That price includes the cost of the chemicals to make the biodiesel — methanol, lye, and sulfuric acid.

The article goes on to point out that with many of the biodiesel feedstock oilseeds, especially soybeans, the resulting meal from the crush is a high quality feed. Plus, the glycerin from biodiesel production can be a livestock feed and an ingredient in soaps, lotions and lubricants.

The author also spoke with Darrell Wood, cattle rancher and owner of Leavitt Lake Ranches in Vina, California, who believes a ranch-based biodiesel refinery might just make his place more sustainable.

“It just opens the door for all kinds of possibilities,” Wood says.

Pretty good article. Give it a read here.

Biodiesel, Farming, livestock, livestock feed

AEC Calls for End to Advanced Biofuel Delays

Cindy Zimmerman

aeclogoThe Advanced Ethanol Council (AEC) has sent a letter to the White House expressing concern about ongoing delays in the approval process for advanced biofuel pathways pursuant to the implementation of the federal Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). The letter calls for the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to prioritize and approve a number of these pathways to facilitate the program.

“While we understand that the White House and U.S. EPA must be thorough in their analysis when it comes to which advanced biofuels qualify for the RFS, we have gotten to the point where administrative delays are causing project developers to look to other countries to build their facilities,” said AEC Executive Director Brooke Coleman. “The private sector has stepped up to the plate when it comes to advanced biofuels and the RFS, but developers rightly expect resolution on the pathways to start construction on these projects. There is a point where too much delay and uncertainty drives these innovative projects to Brazil and China, and that’s where we are for some of the more critical pathways.”

The AEC points out that some pathway deliberations have been ongoing for three years without any clear timeframe for resolution. “It is absolutely critical for the private investment marketplace to have a transparent, expeditious and predictable resolution process for all proposed pathways, or we face the prospect of losing these projects to other countries, ” the letter states.

advanced biofuels, AEC, Ethanol, Ethanol News

Intertek Biodiesel Lab Earns BQ-9000 Certification

John Davis

IntertekThe Intertek biofuels lab in Romeoville, Illinois has earned an important designation from the National Biodiesel Board (NBB). This company news release says the Intertek lab is now listed as a testing facility on the BQ-9000® website and is a preferred lab for BQ-9000® producers and marketers by the National Biodiesel Accreditation Commission (NBAC):

NBAC, a committee of the NBB, reviews and approves laboratories interested in becoming a BQ-9000® Certified Laboratory. The laboratory must have a quality management system that meets the requirements of the NBAC, and analyze biodiesel following the ASTM D6751 Standard Specification for Biodiesel Fuel Blend Stock (B100) for Middle Distillate Fuels, and follows various ASTM, UOP and EN test methods referenced within the specification.

Jeff Kaylor, Regional Vice President for Inland Waterways, stated, “The award of the BQ-9000® certification for biodiesel testing is an honor for our staff and the biodiesel laboratory. Intertek is committed to providing our clients with reliable, high quality, biofuel testing and inspection services, in the USA and on a global basis.”

Intertek has a network of biofuel laboratories that test a wide range of renewable fuel products and blends, including biodiesel, ethanol, and biomass fuels.

Biodiesel, NBB

Corn Growers Comment on RFS White Paper

Cindy Zimmerman

ncga-logo-newThe National Corn Growers Association recently submitted comments on the impact of the Renewable Fuel Standard to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce in response to their second white paper, “Agricultural Sector Impacts.” In these comments, NCGA addressed how the RFS affects commodity products including corn, agricultural output and economics, RFS flexibility, food prices, cellulosic feedstock and global impacts.

The comments began by noting that corn farmers have responded to the increased demand of ethanol from the Renewable Fuel Standard by producing more corn and doing so in a more environmentally friendly manner. “In the last 30 years, corn production has improved on all measures of resource efficiency, by decreasing per bushel: land use by 30 percent, soil erosion by 67 percent, irrigation by 53 percent, energy use by 43 percent and greenhouse gas emissions by 36 percent.”

Comments also noted the energy security and environmental benefits attributable to the RFS. “RFS has increased national energy security by creating a market for renewable fuel as a substitute for non-renewable petroleum-based fuel, thereby accelerating the nation’s progress toward a low greenhouse gas emissions economy. In addition, the RFS has contributed to the reduction of petroleum imports.”

The remainder of the comments directly addressed questions posed by the House Committee on Energy and Commerce about impacts of the RFS. Topics of particular interest included impacts attributable to the RFS on corn prices, food prices, job creation, economic growth and land use change. NCGA comments provided a detailed look at the myriad of factors involved in each area that are often overlooked in discussions about this standard including: the impact of export demand for soy from China; the direct impact of the drought on beef production; alternative models and theories concerning the idea of indirect land use change; the impact of rising global labor and diesel costs on food cost; and the inherent flexibility of the standard.

corn, Ethanol, Ethanol News, NCGA, RFS

Most Readers Not Far From the Farm

Talia Goes

Our latest ZimmPoll asked the question, “How many generations are you removed from the farm?”

Our poll results: Thirty percent say they are “One Generation, My Parents are Farmers,” 23% are Two, My Grandparents Were Farmers, 22% say None, I’m a Farmer, nine percent are not farmers but work in the ag industry, seven percent have No Direct Farm Connection, and three percent say Three, My Great-Grandparents Were Farmers, More Than Three, or Other. It is safe to say that most of our followers are not far removed from the farm, if at all!

chart

Our new ZimmPoll is now live and asks the question, “Are so-called “ag gag” bills fair?” In the wake of undercover videos at animal agriculture operations that have shown abuse, and especially those that were compiled over a period of time, edited and then released to the public without doing anything to stop the abuse or take it to the proper authorities, several states have passed legislation making that illegal. Most of the laws simply require mandatory reporting of animal cruelty when it happens but opponents have labeled them “ag gag” laws that would suppress efforts to document and publicize animal abuse. Those in favor prefer to call them “See Something, Say Something” bills. Do you feel that the so-called “ag gag” bills are prohibitive? Will these laws hamper efforts to stop animal cruelty? Does this impede our efforts for transparency in the food systems? Let us know.

ZimmPoll is sponsored by New Holland Agriculture.

Farming, ZimmPoll

Wilks’ Biodiesel Analyzer to Meet ASTM Standards

John Davis

Meeting ASTM methods D7371 and EN 14078 for biodiesel standards usually requires FTIR spectrometers, an expensive proposition considering the equipment would be placed on a loading dock. This article in Biodiesel Magazine says Wilks Enterprises has something that could help producers meet those ASTM standards with a fast, easy-to-use and inexpensive infrared method:

wilksanalyzerThe InfraCal Biodiesel Blend Analyzer is a rugged, compact, specific-analysis fixed-filter infrared analyzer that is easy for fleet managers, distributors or regulators to use. It reads out directly in percent biodiesel and provides the user with the capability to measure the blend ratio on-site in 30 seconds. Its measurement range is zero to 100 percent with an accuracy of plus or minus 0.20 percent and can be operated by personnel having little or no knowledge of infrared analytical techniques.

The InfraSpec VFA-IR Spectrometer is a spectral range analyzer that contains a linear variable filter and a detector array covering the wavelength range of 5.4-10.8 μm (1850-925 cm-1). This provides the capability to not only measure biodiesel in diesel, but also ethanol in gasoline or water in ethanol. It is a compact, portable instrument with a simplified PC interface that provides nontechnical personnel with the ability to make measurements on-site at the blending terminal, as well as the manufacturing facility or laboratory.

The company touts the InfraCal Biodiesel Blend Analyzer and InfraSpec VFA-IR Spectrometer as ideal workhorses, specifically designed for use in the field. This ASTM method now goes before the full committee for voting and should be approved and accepted before the end of this year.

Biodiesel

Webinars Focus on Legal Issues For Ethanol Producers

Joanna Schroeder

The American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) along with Michael Best & Friedrich LLP (Michael Best) are hosting a webinar series focused on pressing legal issues facing ethanol producers. The first webinar focused on compliance issues with federal Health Care Reform in 2013. The 30 minute webinar, says ACE Executive Vice President Brian Jennings, will be a valuable resource for the ethanol industry.

ACE-Michael Best“With so many demands on our members’ time, we are pleased to team up with ACE member Michael Best to sponsor this series of webinars providing ethanol producers with useful and timely updates on important legal issues,” said Jennings.

Porter J. Martin, Michael Best partner, describes the webinar series as an approachable way to communicate information every ethanol producer needs in the most efficient way. “The webinars are based on our experience representing ethanol producers and other industry clients. The goal is to provide participants with a basic understanding of potential legal challenges they may face in their business and prepare them to make educated decisions in the future,” said Martin.

Future webinar topics include, long-term compliance with health care reform (2014 and beyond), intellectual property concerns, OSHA inspections, State and EPA enforcement activities, negotiating air permits, employee wage and hour matters, and others. You can access the first webinar here.

ACE, biofuels, Education, Ethanol

Kit Teaches Students Wonders of Soy Biodiesel

John Davis

BiodieselChemistryKit1Biodiesel made from soybeans is a clean fuel for many gas tanks, including the buses that haul kids to school. Now those same children hauled by the green fuel can also get a lesson in chemistry from it. The Indiana Soybean Alliance is offering a Soy Biodiesel Chemistry Kit, touted as a valuable educational science lab for high school students, free of charge to teachers in Indiana and just $225 to out-of-state teachers:

Developed by Purdue University researchers and public school teachers, the kit is an engaging way to apply the basic skills and principles of chemistry. It’s also useful for showing high schoolers real-world chemistry applications and the growing importance of the alternative fuel industry, which is primarily derived from renewable natural resources like soybean oil.

“The lessons offered in the kit are aligned with the National Science Education Standards, and we think that it is an important component to encourage teachers to incorporate these lessons into their classrooms,” said Don Wyss, chairman of ISA’s biofuels committee and a farmer from Ossian, Ind.

The kits have enough supplies for 20 students working in pairs to perform each of each of the six hands-on exercises and experiments. More information is available here.

Biodiesel, Soybeans