Domestic Fuel

USDA announced Wednesday that 639 individuals and businesses in 43 states and the Virgin Islands have been selected to receive $35 million in grants and loan guarantees for renewable energy systems or to improve energy efficiency in farm and business operations. USDA Undersecretary for Rural Development Tom Dorr announced the funding at the 2008 Farm Progress Show in Iowa on Wednesday.

The program provides financial assistance to agricultural producers and rural small businesses to support renewable energy projects across a wide range of technologies encompassing biomass (including anaerobic digesters), geothermal, hydrogen, solar and wind energy. It also provides support for energy efficiency improvements, helping recipients reduce energy consumption and improve operations. Of the $35 million announced, $27.5 million are grants and $7.4 million are guaranteed loans.

You can listen to Sec. Dorr’s press conference here: fp-08-dorr.mp3

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (7.5MB)

As the Republican National Convention approaches the week of September 1, the state of Minnesota prepares for the crowd. Minnesota boasts the largest number of E85 fueling locations throughout the country, 354 to be exact, and they will flaunt it.

The American Lung Association of the Upper Midwest confirmed that when walking through the skyways in Saint Paul during next week and throughout the month of September, visitors are likely to see the ‘Addicted to Oil?’ E85 skyway signs in the US Bank Building and Town Square. Others driving to Saint Paul from Minneapolis and the western suburbs will also see a similar billboard beside I-94. In addition, E85/FFV :30 ads will be playing during coverage of the Republican National Convention on the local NBC affiliate.

Finally, a special E85 promotion will be available for flexible fuel vehicle owners in Eagan, Minnesota on Wednesday, Sept. 3. Holiday Station Stores and the MN Clean Air Choice Team will offer E85 for an extra $1.00 off the current posted price between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. at 2660 Eagan Woods Drive.

Three global agribusiness giants have teamed up to explore technologies and processes to turn crop residues into feed and bioenergy products.

Archer Daniels Midland Company, Deere & Company and Monsanto Company will work together to identify environmentally and economically sustainable methods for the harvest, storage and transport of corn stover that can be used as feed for animals, as biomass to generate steam and electricity or as a cellulosic feedstock for biofuel production.

The companies intend to address some of the challenges involved in utilizing corn stover for these multiple needs. For example, stover collection rates need to be adjusted on a field-by-field basis to ensure that sufficient stover is left on the soil to reduce erosion and maintain or improve soil quality for the next season’s crop. Also, the amount of moisture in the stover at harvest can present challenges in transportation and storage.

Right now, the U.S. gets just one percent of its energy needs from wind power, but experts say that could be increased 20-fold in a short time.

This story from the New York Times says the current electrical grid was thought up 100 years ago… designed to be kind of a system of “streets, avenues and country roads:”

“We need an interstate transmission superhighway system,” said Suedeen G. Kelly, a member of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

Achieving that would require moving large amounts of power over long distances, from the windy, lightly populated plains in the middle of the country to the coasts where many people live. Builders are also contemplating immense solar-power stations in the nation’s deserts that would pose the same transmission problems.

The article goes on to say that politicians in the nation’s capital have known about the grid’s limitations but don’t want to trample on states’ rights over the grid… although a 2005 energy law does allow the federal Energy Department to step in if states don’t act. But when the feds tried to do that, 14 U.S. senators signed a letter saying the department was being too aggressive.

I guess it’s back in Congress’ court as to whether this country moves forward with a clean energy source… and the infrastructure to support it.

If you’ve been watching any of the Democratic Convention you’ve been seeing plenty of windy people talking up a storm (hey, they’re politicians… Republicans will spew plenty of hot air next week!). But wind energy (the kind that turns turbines), along with solar and biodiesel, is helping behind the scenes.

National Geographic’s Green Guide blog has details:

This week’s Democratic Convention is boasting that it will be the greenest political convention ever. Hybrid, alternative fuel and biodiesel buses are transporting the delegates; the stage will be painted with low-VOC paints and solar power, wind energy and biodiesel generators will all be incorporated in running the event.

The post says it is the same thinking that has prompted many big-time concerts to adopt similar measures to reduce their carbon footprints.

As athletes were racing for the gold in Beijing last week, representatives from the United States and China were in Texas teaming up in the race to develop new feedstocks for ethanol.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Ministry of Science and Technology of the People’s Republic of China signed an agreement to collaborate on biofuels research during the International Conference on Sorghum for Biofuel in Houston.

The agreement establishes the intent to “cooperate in establishing processes and infrastructure for conversion of sweet sorghum and other feedstocks to ethanol.” It also encourages collaboration among scientists worldwide to contribute to alternative energy research through the development of alternative feedstocks. It was signed by USDA Undersecretary Dr. Gale Buchanan and Dr. Liu Yanhua, vice minister of science and technology for the Peoples’ Republic of China.

“I think that if we are going to achieve sustainable energy security in this country we have to consider all opportunities and sorghum is one of those that I think can make a contribution.” Buchanan said. He added that sorghum has potential because of its drought tolerance and ability to produce high yields on marginal lands.

National Sorghum Producers CEO Tim Lust said the conference was a major step for the sorghum industry. “The world is taking notice of this crop in a big way and this conference is a meeting of the minds, so to speak, of some of the finest scientists and entrepreneurs in the world. We will all need to work together to solve the energy crisis and this meeting moves us in the right direction.”

See more photos from the event on the NSP blog here.

Researchers at Virginia Tech have found a way to grow a compound important to human heart health using a plentiful by-product of biodiesel production.

This press release from the school says Zhiyou Wen, assistant professor of biological systems engineering in Virginia Tech’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, has found a way to grow omega-3 fatty acids, known for benefits but lacking in most Americans’ diets, using glycerol:

“High energy prices have led to an increase in biodiesel production, which in turn has led to an increase in the amount of crude glycerol in the market,” said Wen, who explained that biodiesel plants leave behind approximately 10 percent crude glycerol during the production process.

“We have shown that it is possible to use the crude glycerol byproduct from the biodiesel industry as a carbon source for microalgae that produce omega-3 fatty acids,” said Wen, who added that the impurities in crude glycerol may actually be beneficial to algal growth. “After thorough chemical analysis, we have also shown that the algae biomass composition has the same quality as the commercial algae product.”

The release goes on to say that the algae grown in the crude glycerol can be used as an animal feed, including fish and, possibly one day, poultry feed, giving the same omega-3 fatty acids to chicken that fish eaters enjoy.

Wen presented his findings at the recent at the 236th national meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

A Louisiana group wants to buy sugar cane from farmers for an ethanol plant they are constructing from an old sugar mill.

Louisiana Green Fuels Group, which purchased a mill that was closed two years ago, met last week with St. James area growers about plans to construct a facility capable of producing 25 million gallons of ethanol annually from sugar cane. According to the group, farmers who committed to deliver all or a portion of their crop to the plant received bonus checks.

South Louisiana Sugars Co-op president Wilbert Waguespack said, “Having another high-capacity mill in operation will shorten the grinding season for other mills, lengthen our growing season, and increase the value of our crop.”

Roddy Hulett, chief operations officer for LGFG, said bringing the St. James mill back into operation will serve to support and enhance the market for Louisiana sugar cane farmers.

A 20-year veteran of Madison, Wisconsin radio, talk show host Sly – Madison’s Mid-day Maverick, is promoting E85 to and from the Democratic National Convention. Sly is blogging his experience daily.

“People that know nothing about E85 chant that ridiculous slogan ‘No Food for Fuel’,” Sly said. “Seems to me that America has the space, energy, and talent to grow food and fuel responsibly and hopefully inthe process never have to go back to the Persian Gulf for our sustainability.”

Sly drove from Madison to Denver in his Chevy Suburban fueling up with E85 on the way. “My first fill-up was at Zarco 66. . . . This was the Rosetta Stone of gas stations. Not only did they have E85 but every other possible boutique fuel, even bio-diesel. I even used their environmentally conscience car wash, they probably don’t see many Suburbans venture through there. Again the fuel was much cheaper than standard petroleum. The E85 website has been a big help finding these great stations. Most of them are convenient to the interstates or major highways.”

Sly’s daily blog can be found at http://slystriptodenver.blogspot.com/. His radio show can be heard week days from 10 a.m. – 2p.m. on Madison 1670 The Pulse.

Wind turbine maker Vestas Wind Systems has launched a $100-million ad campaign.

But, as CNNMoney.com reports, the company isn’t trying to convince everyone in the country to pick up one of its 100-ton wind energy machines:

Instead, the world’s largest seller of wind turbines sees the need to raise Americans’ awareness of wind energy’s potential. To that end, Vestas budgeted $ 100 million for the next two years to bring its “Vestas, No. 1 in Modern Energy” campaign to U.S. living rooms, company Chief Executive Ditlev Engel told Clean Technology Insight.

“We want to show people: Here’s technology you have but don’t use,” Engel said.

The article goes on to point out that the marketing effort has political intentions, too, as the industry is still smarting from Congress not mandating more energy from renewable sources:
Read the rest of this post…

A group of students and a teacher from Ponaganset High School in Rhode Island has completed a cross-country trip running their 1997 GMC pickup truck, that had been donated by Con Edison Solutions, on recycled cooking oil made into biodiesel.

This story from the Providence (RI) Journal has details:

“The vehicle handled really great,” teacher Ross McCurdy said when the group marked its return to Rhode Island yesterday at Roger Williams Park.

“There were probably about 50 in ‘coolest things we saw,’ ” said Lewis.

Among the coolest things in the trip from Rhode Island to Los Angeles was a chance to see the Northern California coast and the opportunity to run the truck on the Bonneville Salt Flats.

So what did you do on your summer break?

GreenHunter Biofuels has announced that its Houston biodiesel refinery has hit 50 percent of its 105 million gallon per year capacity at the nation’s largest biodiesel refinery.

This company press release says the plant uses mostly animal fats, primarily poultry fat and beef tallow to make the green fuel:

GreenHunter BioFuels is currently contracting for sale its first 4000 metric ton parcel of B100, or 100% biodiesel, to a purchaser with an anticipated ultimate delivery into the international markets.

Commenting on GreenHunter BioFuels’ recent operational achievements, Bruce Baughman, Senior Vice President of Engineering and Technology, stated, “Successfully achieving 50% of nameplate capacity at such a highly technical refinery is a testimony not only to the quality of this unique asset, but to the outstanding work conducted by our plant personnel during this start-up period. By designing a refinery that has the ability to take a multitude of different feedstocks, GreenHunter has the ability to source and procure the least expensive raw materials possible around the world. This allows our Company to achieve the greatest possible operating margins within the business today. We believe the distilled, ‘water-white’ quality performance of the GreenHunter Biofuels facility will contribute to a new quality standard in the global biodiesel marketplace.”

GreenHunter Biofuels is a subsidiary of GreenHunter Energy, a company focused on renewable energy sources, such as wind, hydro, geothermal, solar, biofuels, and biomass power plants. It has plans for wind energy projects in Montana, New Mexico, Wyoming, California, Texas, and China.

According to the American Lung Association of Minnesota, gasoline sales have decreased 10 percent and E85 sales have increased 16 percent within the past year. The Minnesota Department of Commerce reports that motorists bought 211,982,582 gallons of gasoline in July 2008, compared to 233,081,981 gallons in July 2007. E85 sales are averaging an astonishing 2 – 2.5 million gallons a month. The state has approximately 200,000 E85 compatible vehicles and just over 350 out of the 1,735 E85 stations throughout the country.

“A year ago, I don’t think anyone would have predicted Minnesota could achieve a trifecta of fuel conservation, increased use of mass transit, and increased sales of cleaner-burning alternative fuels in the middle of what has historically been the peak driving season,” said Robert Moffitt, communications director for the American Lung Association of Minnesota. “Since vehicle exhaust is the single largest source of air pollution in Minnesota, the positive impact of these three elements coming together can’t help but improve air quality this summer.”

The American Lung Association of Minnesota is currently accepting grant applications from fuel retailers who wish to add an E85 or biodiesel pump to their station.

Doubts about commercial opportunities for cellulosic ethanol are evaporating:

“It is no longer a question of if we are able to produce cellulosic ethanol, but when,” POET CEO Jeff Broin said.

Jeff announced POET’s commitment to develop a commercial cellulosic ethanol plant in Elmersville, Iowa at the Ethanol Conference and Trade Show in Omaha, Nebraska earlier this month. Construction on what POET is calling “Project Liberty” will begin in 2009 and the company expects the facility to be online by 2011. But, POET promises to have a smaller pilot-scale facility up and running by the end of this year.

Jeff says now is an optimal time to take advantage of cellulosic energy because, as he sees it, the industry has sustained strong progress with investments from private industry and academia:

“The stars are beginning to align for cellulosic ethanol,” Jeff said.

POET’s commercial cellulosic plants will process feed stock corn cobs and corn fiber. But, corn isn’t the only source for cellulosic ethanol production that’s poised to go commercial. Bill Schafer, senior vice president of business development Range Fuels, says his company is investing in processing woody biomass for cellulosic ethanol production in Georgia.

In this DomesticFuel Cast, we hear from Jeff Broin, CEO of POET, and Bill Schafer, senior vice president of business development Range Fuels. Here is the Domestic Fuel Cast #8:
df-podcast-08.mp3

You can also subscribe to the DomesticFuel Cast using the following url/feed link: http://www.zimmcomm.biz/domesticfuel/domestic-fuel-cast.xml.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (1.4MB)

Hundreds of supporters have been “signing up for ethanol” on a website sponsored by the South Dakota Corn Utilization Council.

The website is tied in to an advertising campaign which started running in South Dakota at the beginning of August. The campaign highlights the role of ethanol in increased energy security, economic development and decreased gas prices.

The goal for the group is to get at least 4,000 state residents to register their support at the web site signupforethanol.com. However, the website is attracting ethanol supporters nationwide, not just South Dakota. Names of people from at least 25 other states are listed on the website ethanol supporter scroll. States from coast to coast are represented – including California, New York, Florida, New Hampshire, Washington, Arizona and more.

The site also offers links to information about ethanol and ideas for how supporters can take action.