Wisconsin Opens 8 New E15 Pumps

Joanna Schroeder

Wisconsin is the home of eight new E15 pumps. The 15 percent ethanol 85 percent gasoline blend is now offered at SmartStation, 1290 Business Highway 151, Platteville, Wisconsin. The station is a wholly owned subsidiary of Badger State Ethanol.

smartStationLogo“We are honored to be Wisconsin’s first retailer to offer E15 to our customers who have been asking for it,” said Erik Hushitt of Badger State Ethanol. “We hope other retailers follow our lead so that consumers around the state have an opportunity to gain access to a cleaner burning fuel that contributes directly to the billion dollar ethanol industry in Wisconsin.”

E15 is approved for cars and light duty trucks model year 20o1 or newer. This represents a market of more than 75 percent of vehicles on the road today eligible to use E15. This market also represents 85 percent of the unleaded fuel sold across the country.

“We congratulate Badger State Ethanol and Wisconsin’s ethanol industry for working together to bring E15 to the Wisconsin market,” said Joshua Morby of the Wisconsin Ethanol Coalition, an organization that helps retailers interested in selling E85 navigate the process. “E15 offers retailers a chance to set themselves apart by offering a new, exciting fuel to their station that not only confirms their commitment to domestic renewable fuels but also offers them a competitive advantage.”

Morby added, “We expect retailers around the state to take notice of the demand by consumers for cheaper, cleaner, more homegrown E15.”

biofuels, E15, Ethanol

New Database Tracks Energy Legislation

Joanna Schroeder

Screen Shot 2013-05-07 at 8.02.27 PMColorado State University’s Center for the New Energy Economy (CNEE) has launched an Advanced Energy Legislation (AEL) Tracker, a database tracking energy-related state legislation pending in all 50 states. Types of energy include solar, wind, biofuels, natural gas and more. The AEL was created in partnership with Advanced Energy Economy (AEE) and the system will also enable CNEE to conduct analysis of trends in state energy legislation.

To date, there are more than 2,100 bills being considered in U.S. states and the energy tracker monitors the progress of each bill as they move forward. Of these bills, nearly 25 percent call for new financing tools, including tax incentives, for the installation of energy facilities. In addition, roughly 21 percent of the bills are promoting development of clean energy sources, and about 8 percent encourage the adoption of energy-efficient appliances, building codes and practices.

If we look at where the country is going on advanced energy policy, overwhelmingly that transition is being led by states,” said Bill Ritter, Jr., director of CNEE and former governor of Colorado.”To get the pulse of where the country is going we need to understand what the states are doing.”

Ritter continued, “AEL Tracker brings together information on energy-related legislation in all 50 states, in a form that is easily accessible not only to lawmakers at all levels of government, but to academics, analysts, environmentalists, funders, business leaders and the general public. It will allow our Center to conduct critical academic analysis of issues to energy legislation nationwide.”Read More

Alternative energy, energy efficiency, Legislation

New Natural Gas Partnership Announced

Joanna Schroeder

Clean Energy Fuels and Mansfield Energy have created a strategic partnership to offer customers a comprehensive solution in the compressed natural gas (CNG) fuel industry. The partners will offer Clean Energy’s natural gas fueling station construction and operational services. The services will be supported by Mansfield’s large-scale fuel supply capabilities and Gas-2-Gallons fuel management system.

Clean Energy logo“This agreement joins two leaders of fleet fueling into strategic partners that will provide the highest level of service and best value for customers in the rapidly-growing natural gas fuel market,” said Andrew J. Littlefair, president and CEO of Clean Energy. “No other company offers fuel customers the benefit of scale and expertise that Mansfield provides. Clean Energy has built and operated more CNG stations and fueled more natural gas vehicles than any company in the U.S. Together, we will be the best solution in the marketplace.”

Mansfield logoMansfield Gas Equipment Systems has ongoing CNG service and operations contracts with 43 locations as well as 20 new CNG sites currently under development in the waste, transit, and municipal fleet sectors. This portfolio will be combined with the 348 CNG and liquefied natural gas (LNG) fueling stations Clean Energy currently owns, operates or supplies. Clean Energy’s total strategic partnerships to-date represent over 11 billion gallons of gasoline and diesel delivered annually. The company also will become the Western distributor of Mansfield Gas Equipment Systems’ FuelMaker, a small scale business and home re-fueling system.

Michael Mansfield, CEO of Mansfield added, “We want our customers to have the best solution possible for fueling with natural gas. We bring scale in commodity supply, risk management, and transaction processing. Clean Energy has scale in design, engineering and operations. Bringing these strengths together for our customers provides the benefits of proven technology coupled with large scale operating efficiencies to provide the best value and simplest path to natural gas adoption in the market today.”

Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), Natural Gas

Ethanol Report on Current Events

Cindy Zimmerman

dinneen-capitolIn ethanol-related news over the past week or so we have seen senators request a probe into the European Union’s anti-dumping duties on ethanol, comments to the House energy committee on the RFS, and legislation introduced for an energy title in the next farm bill.

To find out more about all of those stories and more, we caught up with Renewable Fuels Association president and CEO Bob Dinneen to get his comments in this new edition of “The Ethanol Report.” We’ll be hearing more from him and others in the nation’s capitol next week when we attend the annual National Association of Farm Broadcasting Washington Watch.

Listen to or download the Ethanol Report here: Ethanol Report on Current Events

Subscribe to “The Ethanol Report” with this link.

Audio, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Ethanol Report, RFA

Farm Bill Energy Title Introduced in Senate

Cindy Zimmerman

Legislation to reauthorize the Farm Bill energy title was introduced in the Senate Monday.

harkinSenators Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Al Franken (D-MN) introduced the Rural Energy Investment Act to “help farmers, ranchers, and rural communities by encouraging the growth of agricultural energy technologies, including advanced biofuels, biogas, biomass, and renewable energies.”

“These energy programs are essential for expanding clean energy supplies, which also spur rural economic development and job creation,” said Harkin. “The tradition of providing strong support for an energy title in a farm bill must continue today, so for that reason I am hopeful that this measure will serve as a marker as the 2013 bill moves through the U.S. Senate.”

franken“Advancing our agricultural energy technologies is good for our farmers and economy, and it improves our overall energy independence and security,” added Franken. “This legislation will create jobs and play a critical role in cutting costs for our farmers and producers and will help them with the adoption of energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies.”

The Agriculture Energy Coalition supports the legislation and thanked the senators for introducing it. Last week, the coalition joined more than 100 national, state and regional organizations in a letter to the leaders of the House and Senate Agriculture Committees, urging them to adopt a new Farm Bill with robust mandatory funding for renewable energy and energy efficiency programs.

Energy, Ethanol, Ethanol News, farm bill, Government, Legislation

EV Connect Successfully Raises Funding

Joanna Schroeder

Basic CMYKEV Connect has closed its initial round of financing with funding coming from 37 Technology Ventures, Jackrel Ventures, Tech Coast Angels, Maverick Angels Keiretsu Forum, and other key individual investors. The company works with companies, government and transit agencies, hotels and consumers to install, operate and maintain electric vehicle charging stations. With this funding, EV Connect will expand its sales, marketing, and software development to capitalize on increasing customer demand. EV Connect will also build out its already-successful partnership program and fast-track strategic alliances with charge station manufacturers and network system providers.

“From 2011 to 2012, plug-in vehicle sales grew nearly 200 percent. I’m impressed with EV Connect’s market opportunity,” said Yuri Pikover, Tech Coast Angels. “EV Connect doesn’t make car charging hardware, rather, it focuses on its differentiated and defensible charge station deployment, management services, and proprietary cloud-based software platform. This unique combination of services allows EV Connect to offer customers their own branded or centrally-managed charge station network at all of their parking lots.”

Jordan Ramer, CEO of EV Connect added, “Our goal is to make EV infrastructure more accessible than ever for all companies and organizations.” We believe in the future, all parking spaces will offer EV charging–and EV Connect will be there to integrate, operate and maintain them, as well as customize their customer-facing features.”

Alternative energy, Electric Vehicles

New Wind Turbine for Low Wind Sites

Joanna Schroeder

Northern Power Systems has launched two new wind turbine models specifically designed for low wind sites. The NPS 60-23 and the NPS 100-24 are based on the NPS 100-21 platform, but according to the company, leverage product features that produce higher energy capture in low winds while reducing the noise profile of the turbine. To date, more than 20 of these turbines are operating in the U.S., United Kingdom and Italy.

“NPS is committed to delivering enhanced offerings that lower costs and increase performance for turbine owners,” said Troy Patton, President and CEO of Northern Power Systems. “We are increasing the value proposition of our already highly-capable NPS turbines through an integrated road-map of expanded product and services offerings, of which our proven low wind enhancements are just one example.”

NPS-100-24The NPS Low Wind turbine fleet has surpassed 50,000 operational hours with availability in excess of 97 percent, and has generated more than 1,500 MWh of energy, enough to power more than 150 U.S. (or 450 UK) homes for an entire year. The company says these improved models are optimized for low wind and yield comparatively more energy in low wind regimes.

The NPS 100-24 is based on the platform of the NPS 100-21, which was originally designed to service remote areas such as Alaska, where regular maintenance is not an option. The NPS 100 utilizes permanent magnet direct-drive technology and has fewer moving parts than a conventional gear-box based wind turbine. The larger rotor diameter, lower rpm and tip speed of the NPS 100-24 and 60-23 makes for quieter operation, while the longer blades capture more energy at lower wind speeds. The NPS 60 model generates 59.9kW rated power and is utilized in areas where grid connection capacity is a constraint.

Scottish farmer Mervyn Wallace recently installed an NPS 60 at his farm, his second Northern Power Systems wind turbine. “I’m excited that Northern Power came out with a new turbine that is designed specifically for lower wind speeds. I am very pleased with the revenue that both of my Northern Power turbines are now earning for me. NPS turbines are an excellent return on capital invested.”

Alternative energy, Electricity, Energy, Wind

Farmers Encouraged to Ask for Higher Biofuels Blends

John Davis

combine1While we talk a lot about using more biodiesel and ethanol, there’s no more fitting place to use the green fuels than the farms where it all starts. A Minnesota farmer took his own advice to use more biofuels to heart, and this article from the Rochester (MN) Post Bulletin explains most farmers should use higher blends because their equipment can handle it:

[Eyota, Minn. farmer Dan] Brandt, who is president of the Olmsted/South Wabasha County Corn and Soybean Growers, discussed his idea of encouraging more biodiesel use with directors and members of the group at their annual meeting. They liked it and encouraged him to proceed…

He’s asking farmers to fill up their farm tanks this spring with higher blends of biodiesel and ethanol. A Twin Cities fire department runs on B20 year-round, he said.

He talked to three fuel suppliers who said they would be ready to supply E20 or E30 or B20 to farms.

“And that’s what farmers don’t know,” Brandt said.

Call your fuel dealer, he said, and ask them to bring a higher blend. Prices should be comparable.

“Nobody’s asking for it (higher blends), and that’s what we have to change,” Brandt said.

The article goes on to quote Kaleb Little, communications and member specialist with the National Biodiesel Board, who says the majority of agricultural manufacturers design their engines to use at least B20, some even allow the use of higher blends. New Holland engines can run B100, Little said.

Biodiesel, biofuels, Ethanol, News

New Yeast Strain Could Cut Cellulosic Ethanol Costs

John Davis

Liu1Researchers at the U.S. Department of Agriculture have developed a new strain of yeast that could cut the costs of cellulosic ethanol production. This Agricultural Research Service (ARS) news release says the work is being done at the agency’s National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research in Peoria, Ill.

ARS molecular biologist Zonglin Lewis Liu and his colleagues determined that this yeast strain can break down and ferment the sugars in corn cobs left behind after the compound xylose—which is sometimes used for industrial activities—has been extracted. The new strain of yeast, Clavispora NRRL Y-50464 (Y-50464), can tolerate cob-derived compounds that interfere with yeast growth and fermentation rates.

It is able to grow rapidly at 98.6 °F, so it thrives at the higher temperatures needed to optimize simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) rates. SSF is a one-step process in cellulosic ethanol production that combines releasing and fermenting feedstock sugars…

The scientists added the enzymes cellulase and beta-glucosidase, which are often used to break down residues and extract sugars, and observed that Y-50464 reached its peak ethanol production rate of 25.7 grams per liter 5 days after the experiment began. But the yeast actually produced more ethanol, 26.6 grams per liter in 5 days, without the addition of beta-glucosidase.

Confirmation of beta-glucosidase in Y-50464 will eliminate the need to include the cost of that additional enzyme to the process.

advanced biofuels, Cellulosic, Ethanol, News, Research, USDA

Ethanol Helps Lower Farm Program Payments

Cindy Zimmerman

Since ethanol production has grown under the Renewable Fuel Standard over the past six years, government farm program payments for corn growers have declined to their lowest levels in recent history, which is saving taxpayer dollars.

In a new E-xchange Blog post, Renewable Fuels Association VP for Research and Analysis Geoff Cooper shows how the RFS has helped boost corn prices above cost of production since 2007, which decreases program payments. Prior to 2007, going back to 1990, the market price for corn exceeded the cost of production only once (1996) between 1990 and 2006. In some years (e.g., 1993, 1998-2000, 2005), the cost of production was nearly $1 per bushel higher than the harvest price paid to the farmer.

corn-payments

Between 1990 and 2006, producing corn was a losing business proposition. In all but one of those 17 years, the average farmer’s cost of producing corn was higher than the returns earned from selling the corn. In other words, corn cost more to produce than it was worth. As a result, U.S. grain farmers became increasingly reliant on government payments as a source of income—and as a means of survival. Due in part to the emergence of the ethanol industry and the certainty provided by the RFS, this dynamic has changed.

Cooper notes that since passage of the Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) and expansion of the RFS in 2007 corn prices have been above the cost of production, and government payments have fallen. “Though not reflected in the above figures (due to lack of 2012 cost of production data), government payments to corn farmers in 2012 are forecast to be their lowest in 18 years and less than one-quarter of 2006’s outlays,” Cooper writes. “As a consequence of the grain sector’s economic resurgence, Congress is now considering sweeping changes to the Farm Bill that would further reduce the program’s impact on taxpayers and the federal budget.”

corn, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Government, RFA