ACE Conference 2026

Linda DiVall with American Viewpoint to Keynote NEC

Joanna Schroeder

p-nec13-divallLinda DiVall, President and CEO of American Viewpoint will be the keynote speaker for the upcoming National Ethanol Conference: Driving Forward, taking place in Las Vegas February 5-7, 2013. She will discuss trends in public opinion related to ethanol in general, including its brand image as well as public support of the RFS, E15 and other mid-level blends, and other public policies. Her presentation will run the gambit from political analysis to the most effective consumer and grassroots messaging.

According to the Renewable Fuels Association, who hosts the annual ethanol conference, as American Viewpoint’s founder, DiVall has provided effective strategies to both political and corporate clients for 27 years. She has been a member of the polling team for every GOP Presidential candidate since 1988. Her strategic insight has been utilized on policy issues of energy, Social Security, Medicare, retirement security, and healthcare as well as providing guidance to the GOP on strategies to counter the gender gap. Linda frequently provides political commentary to CBS, NBC, ABC, CNN and PBS.

Registration is open. Click here to get more information about the conference agenda, speakers and to register.

biofuels, Ethanol, National Ethanol Conference, RFA

Last Call for Student Biofuels Campaign Ad

Joanna Schroeder

Lights. Camera. Action.

Cut.

That’s a take.

Directors ChairThis could be you at your video premier of your biofuels campaign ad debuted during the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association’s 7th Annual Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit and Trade Show being held on January 30, 2013. High school students can enter to win $2,000 in cash prizes for the best ad promoting the use of E15 or biodiesel at the pump.  The top three video entries will receive prizes in the amounts of $1,000, $600 and $400 respectively.

“The IRFA is asking Iowa high school students to keep renewable fuels in mind over  winter break, and submit a campaign ad video encouraging consumers to choose E15 and biodiesel at the pump in 2013,” said IRFA Communications Director T.J. Page.  “We can’t wait to see how Iowa high school students set the record straight on renewable fuels and we hope all Iowans will vote with their fuel tanks by asking for E15 and biodiesel in 2013.”

The “Fuel the Future” contest is limited to students currently attending high school (grades 9-12 in a public, private or home school) in Iowa. Campaigns should not exceed 2 minutes in length and must be received by January 18, 2013. More information about the contest and instructions on submission can be found here.

Alternative energy, Biodiesel, biofuels, Ethanol, Iowa RFA

Old No. 44 Still Truckin on Propane

Joanna Schroeder

Blue Star Gas customers have seen “Old No. 44” delivering propane fuel for 40 years. The classic bobtail truck was also fueled by propane autogas. The truck was originally purchased in 1966 by Bill Stewart, father of Jeff Stewart, who is now the company’s president. Old No. 44 traveled more than a million miles in Northern California and Oregon before retiring in 2006.

BlueStarbobtailtruckChristmaspicIn 2007, the bobtail was refurbished in 2007 by Jarco, who first designed the built the International Loadstar 1600 to run on a propane auto-gas. Now it is back on the road with a look and is being exhibited nationwide at trade shows to demonstrate the evolution of propane autogas technology.

“Old No. 44 has served us well, even in retirement,” said Jeff Stewart, a third-generation owner of Blue Star Gas. “The truck’s longevity and performance has been remarkable. It made deliveries for decades over rough terrain, providing the communities we serve with clean, efficient propane. Now an award-winning show truck we use in parades and display at car shows, this old beauty is still an important part of the Blue Star Gas legacy.”

Robert Hobson, a Blue Star Gas service technician based in Salem, and his son Kenny, have taken Old. No. 44 to shows across the country. “It’s interesting to see the 40-year evolution in technology when we display the classic bobtail truck side-by-side with an updated one,” said Hobson. “There have certainly been advances in convenience and safety, but not many vehicles today can match the durability and craftsmanship of this workhorse propane truck.”

Propane

UMaine’s Floating Wind Turbine Project Gets $4M

Joanna Schroeder

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has awarded the University of Maine’s Advanced Structures and Composites Center the first phase of a potential $93.2 million grant to develop an offshore floating wind demonstration project. The demonstration project will de-risk the UMaine’s VolturnUS floating platform so that more private capital can flow in to Maine to build larger commercial farms.

During the first phase, awarded $4 million, the engineering, design and permitting will be completed. The next year, DOE will select up to three of the offshore projects that received awards, for follow-up funding. During this phase, the focus will be on siting, construction and installation with the goal of commercial operation by 2017. The UMaine Composites Center’s partners have pledged nearly $40 million in additional funds for the project.

OFFSHORE_WIND“We are pleased that the DOE has selected our team’s program after a rigorous technical review,” said Dr. Habib Dagher, P.E., director of the Advanced Structures and Composites Center and principal investigator for the project. “This R&D program could be transformational for our state, and will help us demonstrate a unique, patent-pending floating wind turbine technology called VolturnUS.”

The program, known as “Aqua Ventus I,” will be a 12 MW demonstration wind park using the VolturnUS floating platform technology developed at the UMaine Composites Center over the last four years. This project builds on the success of the DeepCwind Consortium Research Program, spearheaded by UMaine Composites Center and its industry partners. In spring 2013, a 1:8-scale VolturnUS floating platform will be deployed by UMaine researchers at the UMaine Deepwater Offshore Wind Test Site near Monhegan Island, Maine.

According to UMaine, deepwater floating offshore wind farms could harness stronger and more consistent winds than traditional fixed-foundation offshore wind turbines. This type of wind turbine would also be out of sight of the shore, alleviating esthetic concerns.

The Gulf of Maine has 156.6 GW of offshore wind potential, the majority of which is in deepwater. Maine has a plan to build a 5,000 MW network of floating farms by 2030, which would attract $20 billion of private capital to our state, and create thousands of jobs.

Alternative energy, Electricity, offshore wind, Renewable Energy, Wind

Tom Buis to Give Keynote at IRFA Summit

Joanna Schroeder

Growth Energy CEO Tom Buis has been selected to give the keynote address during the 7th Annual Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit and Trade Show taking place on January 30, 2013. The summit is hosted by the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IRFA) and will be held at Meadows Conference Center at Prairie Meadows in Altoona, Iowa.

Tom Buis Growth EnergyAccording to IRFA, under Buis, Growth Energy has been a powerful voice for ethanol and the renewable fuel standard (RFS). In addition, Buis and Growth Energy have been instrumental in promoting E15 through public outreach and the “American Ethanol” NSACAR sponsorship.

“Iowa leads the nation in ethanol production, so needless to say, the IRFA is excited to have such a great voice for the industry at the 2013 Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit,” said IRFA President Rick Schwarck. “Growth Energy has been a tireless advocate for E15, and Tom’s leadership has spurred their commitment to bringing fuel choice to consumers around the nation.”

The 2013 Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit and Trade Show is FREE and open to the public. Click here to learn more about the event and to register.

Alternative energy, biofuels, Growth Energy, Iowa RFA, Renewable Energy

Solazyme Project in Iowa Achieves Milestone

Joanna Schroeder

Solazyme has confirmed they have completed several initial fermentation runs at ADM’s facility in Clinton, Iowa. According to the company, the runs achieved commercial scale production metrics, exhibited linear scalability of its process from laboratory scale, and demonstrated the ability to run at this scale without contamination. The fermentation process is one of the critical steps needed to convert feedstock to biofuels, biochemicals or biomaterials.

The fermentation tests were conducted in approximately 500,000-liter vessels, which are about four times the scale of the vessels in Solazyme’s Peoria facility. Solazyme is initially targeting annual production of 20,000 metric tons of oil starting in early 2014 at the ADM facility, with targeted expansion to 100,000 metric tons.

Solazyme said in a press statement that the achievements in Clinton were comparable to the fermentation equipment being installed in the Solazyme Bunge Renewable Oils facility in Brazil. The facility is targeted to begin production before the end of 2013 and will have a nameplate capacity of 100,000 metric tons.

“Working with ADM’s world class fermentation team to achieve commercial scale operations at the ADM facility shortly after announcing the partnership exhibits our ability to rapidly and successfully scale in large commercial fermentation facilities,” said Peter Licari, CTO, Solazyme. “Solazyme is currently developing commercial facilities in the US, France and Brazil, and with these runs we have now achieved linear scale-up of over 70,000-fold from our labs.”

advanced biofuels, algae, Renewable Energy

“Icebreaker” Offshore Wind Farm Wins $4M Grant

Joanna Schroeder

The country’s only fresh water offshore wind farm known as “Icebreaker” has been awarded $4 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The project is led by the Lake Erie Energy Development Corporation (LEEDC0). Through a one-year cooperative agreement, the DOE has committed $4 million to support the continued development of the project that will consist of five to nine wind turbines sited seven miles off the coast of Cleveland in Lake Erie. LEEDCo’s private partners have committed an additional $1 million to the project.

DOE awarded seven offshore wind projects funding. In addition to Icebreaker, projects in Maine, New Jersey,  Oregon, Texas and Virginia could receive up to $47 million over the next four years, for a combined total of nearly $180 million, subject to Congressional appropriations.

The selected demonstration projects will help address key challenges associated with installing utility-scale offshore wind turbines, connecting offshore turbines to the power grid, and navigating new permitting and approval processes.

“The DOE funding for ‘Icebreaker’ is a testament and vote of confidence for LEEDCo’s world-class team members and partners,” said LEEDCo President Dr. Lorry Wagner.  “After a highly-competitive evaluation process, I am excited and proud to say that ‘Icebreaker’ was selected for its innovation and expertise in wind energy development, paving the way for future financial support from the Department of Energy and private investors.”

Among LEEDCo’s winning development team for the project are Case Western Reserve University, McMahon DeGulis, Freshwater Wind, Siemens, and DNV KEMA.

Alternative energy, Electricity, offshore wind, Renewable Energy, Wind

Online Bioenergy Systems Class Set for Spring 2013

Joanna Schroeder

With the success of its online bioenergy classes, the Center for Advanced BioEnergy Research (CABER) in the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES) at the University of Illinois (U of I), is offering the online class Bioenergy Systems (ACES 409) for the Spring 2013 semester. The class begins on January 15, 2013 and ends on May 7, 2013 meeting Tuesday evenings from 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm CST.

ACES 409 Bioenergy Systems is an online introductory survey course of a wide range of bioenergy issues from the life cycle of biofuels to feedstock production to end-product utilization. Lectures will be presented by the course instructors as well as several experts from industry and academic research. Presentations will be delivered via an online virtual environment an online tool that enables students to interact with presenters and other classmates.

“We’re excited to offer this class in bioenergy online. We’ve been teaching it on campus for five years and have had students from around the world take the online version of the class. The diversity among students and countries provides rich opportunity for discussion of technology and policy in various countries,” said Dr. Hans Blaschek, Director of CABER. “Technology is changing so quickly in the bioenergy arena. This class should be beneficial to people throughout the world who are interested in learning more about bioenergy technology and research initiatives at the U of I.”

Students will learn about individual bioenergy issues as well as how each issue fits into the broader bioenergy context and the challenges that remain. This course was designed for students wanting to know more about the status of current bioenergy systems in the U.S. and the opportunities that lie ahead.

Click here to learn more and to register.

advanced biofuels, bioenergy, Education, Renewable Energy

SolarX Energy Unveils Hybrid Solar Energy System

Joanna Schroeder

SolarX Energy has launched the SolarX Hybrid – a solar system that combines thermal (hot water) production output of over 100,000 btus per day with electrical power production of up to 1.0 kilowatt per day.  The system combines the company’s SolarX-164 parabolic solar thermal collector with peripherally mounted photovoltaic (PV) panels. The stand-along system can be scaled to fit project needs and is designed to work in remote areas, such as off-the-grid agricultural operations and hospitals in emerging countries.

Using the SunHound tracking device, the system follows the path of the sun improving efficiency and output. According to SolarX Energy, the Hybrid PV panels have the ability to increase electrical production by more than 25 percent over traditional fixed PV tracking. The solar system produces enough energy to power the SunHound tracking system and the excess power production can be used or fed into the grid.

Edward Penson, SolarXEnergy chairman said, “The beauty of this system is that massive energy-consuming (and polluting) enterprises will be able to capture more of the sun’s power more consistently, more affordably and without any external power source, thereby increasing their ability to generate clean energy more easily and reduce their overall energy costs – wherever they operate in the world.”

A common question for companies or people considering the adoption of solar, is why now? Why shouldn’t I wait a few years until the technology gets better? According to David Matalon, the company’s chief technology officer, as PV technology evolves, the more advanced panels can be integrated into the system without affecting the main system.

Alternative energy, Electricity, Energy, Renewable Energy, Solar

eStorage Wins Wind Integration to Grid Grant

Joanna Schroeder

The European Commission has awarded a €13.3 million grant to eStorage, a group of European stakeholders representing the electric power value chain. The grant is to help develop a solution for cost-effective integration of renewable energy generation, such as wind or solar, to the electrical grid.

One challenge with renewable energy is that is can be intermittent – if the wind isn’t blowing, then wind turbines are not operating. Another challenge is that there is no great way to store renewable energy for later use. With this in mind, some forms of renewable energy technologies cannot be used as a sole source for generating power. This in the goal of eStorage – to develop energy storage technologies that are cost-effective and can be widely deployed.

The first phase of the project will focus on upgrading the Le Cheylas fixed speed Pumped Storage Hydroelectric Plant (PSP) to a variable speed PSP. Once complete, Le Cheylas will provide 70 MW of additional power at night that will allow the integration of several hundred MW of intermittent renewable generation. This will demonstrate that a significant portion of European PSP capacity can be upgraded to variable speed, providing up to 10 GW of additional power with no environmental impact and at a much lower cost than developing new plants.

The consortium will also develop and demonstrate solutions for coupling the dispatch of storage plants with renewable generation using advanced energy and market management systems. This will enable PSPs to maximise their value in the balancing markets.

Alternative energy, Electricity, Solar, Wind