Domestic Fuel

Natural gas is not just for cars and buses. Today, Freightliner Trucks introduced its first natural gas-powered truck tabbed the Freightliner Business Class® M2 112 NG. The truck was designed for use in port operations, natural gas utilities, and municipalities. The truck is powered by the Cummins Westport ISL G.

With the price of gas a continual challenge to profitability for truck companies, and companies requiring truck fleets, the natural gas technology found in the M2 112 could save an estimated $6,000 in annual fuel and operating costs per truck. While finding natural gas filling stations may be a bit of a challenge, for business in states such as California, this may not be so as they have been adding natural gas stations throughout the state for several years.

Melissa Clausen, director of product marketing for Freightliner Trucks said in press statement, “Natural gas technology has come a long way. Buses have been using it for years, but the next generation natural gas powertrains have more power because less air is needed for combustion. The technology simply burns cleaner.”

The Cummins Westport ISL G, an 8.9 liter stoichiometric cooled-exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) engine, offers the lowest emissions available in the industry. Available in rating up to 320 hp, the ISL G already meets EPA 2010 standards with 85 percent lower NOx emissions than the C Gas Plus engine, and features the highest power-to-weight ratio in class with an optimized turbocharger. The ISL G also features a maintenance-free exhaust system with a three-way catalyst. No further technology or after-treatment will be required to meet 2010 emissions.

In 2009, Freightliner Trucks will also offer a CNG version of the M2 112, followed by a CNG single axle tractor, 4×2 and 6×2 truck, and vocational configurations.

The U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee began debate on the so-called climate bill Tuesday with testimony from four top members of the Obama administration – U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson.

Secretary Vilsack testified discussed the importance of engaging farmers and ranchers in crafting the solution to this critical issue, and highlighted many potential economic benefits to rural communities in a cap and trade program.

“Rural landowners can benefit from incentives in climate and energy legislation that reward production of renewable energy such as wind and bioenergy,” said Vilsack. “A number of renewable energy technologies such as anaerobic digesters, geothermal, and wind power can reduce farmers’ reliance on fossil fuels. In cooperation with the Department of Energy, USDA will contribute to promoting these technologies and our outreach and extension networks will need to help make them available to farmers, ranchers, and land managers.”

One of the most contentious moments of today’s testimony came when Administrator Jackson confirmed an EPA analysis showing that unilateral action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions would have no effect on climate without action by China and India. Secretary Chu disagreed with EPA’s analysis.

Oxfam International released an interesting report yesterday called, “Suffering the Science: Climate Change, People and Poverty”. The crutch of the report is to demonstrate how the effects of climate change are impacting people in poor communities much harder then in developed regions. Issues that are linked to poverty and development include access to food and water as well as health and security. The report warns, “without immediate action 50 years of development gains in poor countries will be permanently lost.”

The study was released in tandem with the G8 Summit being held in Italy beginning tomorrow. Climate change and poverty issues are expected to be high on the list for discussion.

“Climate change is the central poverty issue of our times,” said Jeremy Hobbs, Oxfam International Executive Director. “Climate change is happening today and the world’s poorest people, who already face a daily struggle to survive, are being hit hardest. The evidence is right in front of our eyes. The human cost of climate change is as real as any redundancy or repossession notice.”

Another issue the report focuses on is the impact of erratic weather on agriculture. Without the ability for poor farmers to rely on seasons, they are losing multiple crops due to sudden heat waves or heavy rains. The report also accusess “rich countries” of creating the climate crisis. Oxfam wants these countries to fund more aid programs as well as adopt tougher climate policies. It will be interesting to see what “calls to action” come from the G8 Summit relating to climate change and poverty.

Don’t miss out on the 29th annual Alcohol School, being held in Montreal, Quebec September 13-18, 2009. The course is designed to educate students on proven technology and advances in fuel ethanol and distilled beverage production. Students have the opportunity to attend either Fuel or Distilled Beverage lectures taught by leading industry scientists and academics, as well as Ethanol Technology Institute experts.

The European and North American programs are designed for lab, plant, and management personnel and during the week classes will be taught in both the classroom and the lab. With a rapidly changing industry, Alcohol School can help you keep you apprised of the latest ethanol and distilled beverage technology. You also have the opportunity to network with other experts in your field.

There are early bird registration rates through Augusst 17. Register now and receive a free copy of  “The Alcohol Textbook, 5th edition” which is a detailed guide to fuel and distilled alcohol production . Can’t attend the school? You can order your copy of the textbook here.

Enerkem, a leading waste-to-biofuels and green chemicals technology company, today announced that it will jointly form an advanced energy research center with the City of Edmonton and the Alberta Energy Research Institute (AERI).

The research center will focus on the development and demonstration of novel catalytic conversion processes to produce advanced biofuels and green chemicals from non-hazardous industrial waste (generated by the oil and gas, agricultural, forestry and other industrial sectors), as well as from municipal waste. It will be adjacent to the planned commercial waste-to-biofuels production facility, which is ready for construction and has already been announced by Enerkem.

Billionaire oilman and energy activist T. Boone Pickens says propane is an important part of the “Pickens Plan”, citing propane’s environmentally friendly profile and ample production in the United States. Pickens made that announcement at a recent propane industry event in Washington with the Propane Education & Research Council (PERC).

“America has the opportunity today to reduce its dependence on foreign oil while protecting the environment by making the most of domestic energy sources,” said Pickens. “Propane is clean, it’s American-made, and it can be put to work right now.”

Ninety-seven percent of propane used in the United States is produced in North America, with much of it coming from the processing of natural gas originating in the United States. “As more American natural gas reserves are tapped, propane production becomes even more domestic,” said Pickens.

Introduced in July 2008 by Pickens, the Pickens Plan is a comprehensive approach to ending America’s growing dependence on foreign oil while reducing the environmental impact of foreign oil, gasoline and diesel. The environmental benefits of gaseous fuels, including propane and natural gas, was another factor in Pickens’ decision to highlight propane as part of his plan.

Many times when you think of wind turbines, you think of giant, white blades turning effortlessly in the breezes above a Midwestern farm field. But in order for wind energy to become better accepted, it’s got to be practical in the cities and suburban areas that don’t always have the winds you might see on the prairies and coastal areas.

This story from WKYC-TV in Cleveland says a 22-foot Wind Cube has made its debut in the Lake Erie Business Park in Port Clinton:

It was installed by Green Energy Technologies of Akron, which developed the device for urban areas and those in which traditional large wind turbines were not practical.

The device can operate at ambient wind speeds of as low as five miles per hour. Consultant David Spera, Ph.D., of DASCON Engineering says that can help keep a constant flow of power into the system.

Government officials at the ribbon-cutting ceremony say it’s because of local credits for this type of project that made it possible. One congressman even declared Northern Ohio to be the “Saudi Arabia of wind” energy.

Restaurant owners who want to get rid of their used cooking oil and biodiesel producers who want to turn that waste into the green fuel will get some help from a new Web-based tool.

Biodiesel Magazine has this story on how the Biodiesel Control Center software will help biodiesel makers identify potential customers, establish collection routes and conduct titration tests on samples of the greasy feedstock:

“The Biodiesel Control Center is web-based software that helps new or future producers manage their business,” [Jason Burroughs of DieselGreen Fuels] said. “When we needed software to help with our management needs, we found that there really wasn’t anything specifically for the biodiesel industry. And what was available was dated, and cost as much as $14,000.”

“If we have been taking oils to a producer who complains about the free-fatty-acid content of the feedstock for instance, we can trace where that particular batch of feedstock comes from,” Burroughs said. “If we discover it’s a Dairy Queen giving us grease that really isn’t suited for biodiesel production, we can eliminate them from our route…so this software helps us separate our good customers from the bad ones.”

The Biodiesel Control Center Web site is offering a free trial now through August 1. After that, commercial subscriptions will be available.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has extended its public comment period on its proposal to change the requirements to the Renewable Fuels Standard.

The National Biodiesel Board was already upset that the proposal would keep soy-based biodiesel from qualifying for the RFS, and now, this Des Moines Register story says the 60-day extension on comments on that proposal will delay the biodiesel mandate from going into effect:

“This will provide additional hardship to the U.S. biodiesel industry,” the board said. The mandate was to start at 500 million gallons this year and rise to a billion gallons by 2012.

“It’s important that the rule gets finished to provide market certainty because biodiesel is not in very good shape,” said Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Ia.

As you might remember from my post back on June 29, 2009 the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009… aka the Climate Bill… will exempt current biodiesel producers from meeting certain emission rules that might have sunk them. It passed the U.S. House and is now awaiting aciton in the Senate.

Two experienced Capitol Hill insiders have joined the staff of Growth Energy.

Anne Steckel will be Director of Government Affairs for the ethanol organization and Ted Monoson has been named Director of Legislative Affairs. Steckel is a former aide to Senator Richard Durbin (D-IL) and most recently served as the Director of Congressional Relations for the American Farm Bureau Federation. Monoson is a former aide to House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH).

According to a Growth Energy release, Monoson and Steckel will work to advance the organization’s policy priorities in the nation’s capitol, “which include increasing the blend of ethanol in our fuel supply to up to 15 percent and ensuring America’s farmers and ethanol producers can continue to provide alternative fuels to power our nation.”

According to Convenience Store News, Mansfield Oil, a downstream oil company that provides fuel services throughout the U.S. to convenience stores and other retailers, will be acquiring C&N Companies, a leading ethanol marketer based in Minneapolis.

Mansfield operates 650 bulk terminals and 900 supply points in 48 states and plans to immediately begin marketing C&N products to refiners and blenders.

C&N was founded by Jon Bjornstad, a former Cenex Petroleum unbranded fuel marketing manager who established C&N in 2000 to produce and market biofuels and ethanol. The company now accounts for more than 500 million gallons of ethanol production at 11 plants in the U.S. and Mexico and 150 million gallons of biodiesel. He will continue in his role as president. He believes selling to Mansfield will take the company to the “next level”.

“We’re going to be able to tap into 50-plus-year relationships with the blender customers that my ethanol plant customers have in North America,” he said. “And that’s really important to my ethanol plant clients as we efficiently and effectively bring their product to market. For our plants, at the end of the day, it’s all about transportation logistics and the ultimate netbacks that they can achieve.”

The deal greatly enhances the Georgia-based Mansfield’s geographic strength in the Midwest.

A recently exhausted rebate program in California is being credited with helping the state really increase its use of alternative fuels in vehicles.

From its inception in February 2008 to its end this past April, the Fueling Alternatives program handed out $2.6 million to encourage consumers to buy alternative fuel vehicles. And this article from the San Diego (CA) Daily Transcript says 948 rebates for as much as $5,000 were handed out to state residents who bought low- or zero-emission vehicles:

The program was funded by the California Air Resources Board with a portion of Assembly Bill 1811, which dedicated $25 million to promote alternative fuel infrastructure and vehicles. San Diego-based nonprofit, California Center for Sustainable Energies administered the program, which helped offset the cost of purchasing or leasing electric, compressed natural gas and fuel cell technologies.

Purchases of the Global Electric Motorcars’ line of neighborhood electric vehicles were awarded the second-largest number of rebates at 116. Other popular vehicles included the Vectrix electric scooter and the high-performance electric Tesla Roadster. Six owners of the hydrogen-powered fuel cell car, Honda FCX also received rebates.

If lawmakers in California approve more funds, there could be about $5 million available for low-emission cars and motorcycles.

Some farmers might be eligible for federal grants to cover the cost of putting in a wind energy turbine.

This ZDNet blog entry says farmers and ranchers in rural areas with fewer than 15 employees have until July 31, 2009 to apply for the USDA Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) grants:

The grants can be used to cover 25 percent of the total installed cost of a small wind turbine system, or another renewable energy system for that matter. They can be used in conjunction with the Federal Investment Tax Credit that applies to renewable energy technology investments. Caution, in the information I’m reading about this program, it could take up to two weeks to pull together an application, so you probably don’t want to wait until July 30 to start filling this out.

You can find more information at this USDA Web site.

Coal. Under the surface we seem to have a lot of it. It’s fairly inexpensive but this is changing as demand rises to meet increased energy needs especially in countries like China. So we have a lot, its cheap, let’s use it, what’s the problem? Right? Wrong!

Author Richard Heinberg writes in Blackout: Coal, Climate and the Last Energy Crisis, “In short: two of the defining trends of the emerging century–the development of the Asian economies and climate change–both center on coal. But coal is finite non-renewable resource. Thus, a discussion of the future of coal must also intersect with a third great trend of the new century: resource depletion.”

In the first part of the book, Heinberg takes the reader through a deep analysis of just how much coal is available throughout the world. Keep in mind, forecasts assume that current energy use stays the same, but it is increasing each year, making coal available for a shorter amount of time. Best estimates are that the world will see Peak Coal by 2025 and many believe that the world has already witnessed Peak Oil.

Now, you’re just waiting for me to say there is no such thing as clean coal. So there, it’s out in the open. In the second section of the book, Heinberg talks about the link between coal and greenhouse gas emissions and discusses the technologies to create “clean coal”. They are all challenged to say the least.

At the end of Blackout, Heinberg details three scenarios that involve coal, climate and energy. They are all very disturbing, but Heinberg has a way of tackling issues head on.

Read the rest of this post…

As Americans celebrate Independence Day this weekend, it is a good time to reflect on our need to increase our energy independence.

The good news is, we are becoming less dependent on foreign sources of oil for our transportation fuel needs. According to the Energy Information Administration (EIA), ethanol displaced almost 322 million barrels of oil in 2008. The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) notes that is the equivalent of eliminating oil imports from Venezuela for 10 months, or looked at another way, it would mean that the U.S. would not have to import ANY oil for 33 days. It also saved American consumers and taxpayers $32 billion, an average of more than $87 million a day.

Despite well-publicized cases of economic troubles in the ethanol industry, the production and use of ethanol continues to increase. The latest EIA figures show that American ethanol facilities produced 640,000 barrels per day in April 2009, up by 78,000 barrels from last year. Ethanol demand, as calculated by the RFA, continued to strengthen heading into the summer driving season, with demand at 673,000, up 29,000 from March.

Jay Hakes, author of “A Declaration of Energy Independence,” says American Energy Independence means energy security, energy abundance and energy self-sufficiency.

Energy Independence is a civilization changing idea, like freedom, one that should be thought of much like we think of our national independence—our liberty, which is both an ideal and a physical reality. Energy Independence can and should be pursued with the same patriotic spirit that fought for, won and sustains American democracy and freedom.

The phrase “Energy Independence” is a slogan embodying an idea that resonates with the character of America—it is a call for return to economic balance and protection from vulnerability created by over-dependence on petroleum to fuel our cars, trucks and airplanes—it is a public outcry voiced by citizens demanding government leadership in energy production, distribution, security and fuel choice.

God Bless America.