Domestic Fuel

POET announced a new alliance this week with The Earth Partners to develop “a sustainable supply of biomass that helps restore degraded land.” The project, called Conservation Biomass, will initially be used for heat and power generation and eventually liquid fuel production.

As part of their ongoing ecological restoration work, The Earth Partners will work with farmers and conservation property landowners to grow and sustainably harvest biomass from land with invasive vegetation or land where restorative plant species are grown. POET will then evaluate the best use of the biomass to generate heat, power or for liquid fuel production.

The initial project will deliver Conservation Biomass to POET Biorefining – Chancellor, a 100 million-gallon-per-year grain ethanol plant in Chancellor, S.D. that burns wood waste and landfill gas in a solid fuel boiler to generate all of its process steam. Burning biomass at the plant to generate power will allow the partnership to test the commercial viability of the Conservation Biomass business model at scale. POET and The Earth Partners will continue to research the potential for utilizing Conservation Biomass sources like prairie grasses for cellulosic ethanol production.

Read the story from POET here.

A CNN Money report this week offered some sobering statistics on the true cost of our addiction to oil.

According to the report, about 3,000 of the Army casualties reported in Iraq between 2003 and 2007 were protecting fuel convoys. That is one out of eight killed or wounded during that time period. The report notes, “Among the many incentives pushing the military to use less oil, reducing the number of casualties it takes to protect vulnerable fuel convoys is one of the most important.” The military used 5.5 billion gallons of fuel in 2010, or 3,555 for each active military member. That compares to less than 1,000 gallons for U.S. civilians. The military uses a full 80% of the energy consumed by the federal government.

That’s why initiatives like the one announced this week by the U.S. Departments of the Navy, Energy and Agriculture to develop more aviation and marine biofuels are so important. Thanks to Stephanie Dreyer of Growth Energy for the tip on the CNN Money report. Check out her blog post on “Measuring our oil addiction by more than just Dollars and Cents”, about our nation’s risky dependence on Middle East oil and the dangerous impact it has on the lives of our military.

General Motors has brought luxury and electricity together in an electric Cadillac ELR.

According to GM, the “Cadillac Converj Concept, a dramatic luxury coupe with extended-range electric vehicle technology, is moving forward as a production car that will be called the Cadillac ELR.”

Development of the ELR is just underway, so details on performance, price and timing will be announced later.

The Cadillac ELR will feature an electric propulsion system made up of a T-shaped lithium ion battery, an electric drive unit, and a four-cylinder engine-generator. It uses electricity as its primary source to drive the car without using gasoline or producing tailpipe emissions. When the battery’s energy is low, the ELR seamlessly switches to extended-range mode to enable driving for hundreds of additional miles.

Read more here from GM.

The U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack today announced a $75 million loan guarantee for a Florida bioprocessing facility to create fuel from citrus and yard waste.

The guarantee will support construction of the INEOS New Planet BioEnergy facility in Vero Beach, Florida that will produce up to 8 million gallons per year of cellulosic ethanol from citrus fruit, vegetable and yard wastes, and create an estimated 380 new jobs. Vilsack toured the facility last week, meeting construction workers and company and community officials to highlight the importance of helping our nation develop the next generation of biofuels.

“This cutting-edge facility in Florida, and others like it across America, represents the kind of innovation we need to continue to build a competitively-priced, American-made, homegrown biofuels industry that helps to break our dependence on foreign oil and moves our nation toward a clean energy economy,” said Vilsack.

The facility, estimated to be completed by the summer of 2012, will consume an estimated 300 dry tons per day of organic material and, in addition to ethanol, produce enough electricity to run the plant and provide for the power needs of 1,400 homes.

The 11-year-old grandson of a corn farmer and ethanol plant investor got to ask President Obama a question during a town hall meeting at the Wyffels Hybrids corn seed production plant in Atkinson, Illinois on Wednesday.

“My grandpa is a farmer, and he owns part of the local ethanol plant,” young Alex McAvoy said to the POTUS. “I was wondering, what are you going to do to keep the ethanol plant running?”

The president stressed his strong support for biofuels and told Alex that he is interested in diversification. “I will say that the more we see the science, the more we want to find ways to diversify our biofuels so that we’re not just reliant on corn-based ethanol,” said Obama. “Now, we can do more to make corn-based ethanol more efficient than it is, and that’s where the research comes in. And there are some wonderful research facilities in our own University of Illinois system that have done a lot to advance the science on this.”

Obama continued:

But the key going forward is going to be, can we create biofuels out of switchgrass and wood chips and other materials that right now are considered waste materials? And part of the reason that’s important is because, as I think most farmers here know, particularly if you’re in livestock farming, right now the costs of feed keep on going up and the costs of food as a consequence are also going up. Only about 4 percent of that is accounted for by corn being diverted into ethanol, but as you see more and more demand placed on our food supplies around the world — as folks in China and folks in India start wanting to eat more meat and commodity prices start going up, it’s going to be important for us to figure out how can we make biofuels out of things that don’t involve our food chain.

And so hopefully your grandfather, with his ethanol plant, is starting to work with our Department of Agriculture to find new approaches to the biofuel industry. But this is a huge area of support. This is another example of where we’ve got to make sure that our budget continues to invest in basic research, and that costs money. And if all we’re doing is cutting and we’re not thinking about investments, then over time we’re going to fall behind to countries like Brazil, where they’ve already got a third, I think, of their auto fleet operates on biofuels. Well, that’s — there’s no reason why we should fall behind a country like Brazil when it comes to developing alternative energy. I want to be number one in alternative energy, and that’s good for the farm economy.

Alex’s grandfather, by the way, is a farmer investor in Patriot Renewable Fuels, a 100 million gallon ethanol facility in Annawan, IL.

The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) proved once again this year that ethanol and motorcycles do mix well together.

This edition of “The Ethanol Report” features the 71st Annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally held August 8-14 in Sturgis, SD.

RFA Director of Market Development Robert White and his father Jere White, Executive Director of the Kansas Corn Growers, talk about the importance of reaching motorcycle lovers with information about ethanol. You’ll also hear comments about ethanol from Buffalo Chip Campground owner Rod “Woody” Woodruff, Mrs. South Dakota Lori Visker, Survivor star Rupert and a biker from Australia.

Pictured here giving away ethanol “Fueled with Pride” tee shirts at Sturgis are – from right to left – are Robert White, his fiancee Denita Elliss, and Doug Brandmahl, a biker from Virginia. Lots more photos from Sturgis can be viewed in the 2011 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally Photo Album.

Listen to or download the Ethanol Report here: Ethanol Report on 2011 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally

Once upon a time, an oil company used the slogan “Put a Tiger in Your Tank.” Someday, it could be “Put a Gator in Your Tank.”

Scientists have identified a new and unlikely raw material for biodiesel in alligator fat, according to a research published in the American Chemical Society’s Journal Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research.

Researchers at the University of Louisiana showed in laboratory experiments that oil extracted from alligator fat can easily be converted into biodiesel. They say the oil is actually more suitable for biodiesel production than oil produced from some other animal fats. The gator biodiesel is similar in composition to biodiesel from soybeans, and meets nearly all of the official standards for high quality biodiesel.

Alligator fat is a byproduct from the alligator meat processing industry, which each year disposes of about 15 million pounds of alligator fat in landfills. The alligators are harvested from the wild and from alligator farms for their skin and meat. Louisiana and Florida account for the highest populations of alligators in the United States.

Read more about the research here.

Our latest ZimmPoll asked the question, “What do you like best about farm radio?” You know that biofuels are certainly part of farm broadcast programming! You see farm broadcasters at many biofuel industry events.

So here’s what the results are in order of most responses. 39% said All of the Above, 18% said Markets, 16% said None of the Above, 11% said Policy News, 7% said Crop News and same for Interviews and only 2% said Weather. We also had a comment posted on AgWired that said, “The localization and attachment to the farm broadcaster who is most familiar with the area ag news beat.” So what do you think about these results?

Our new ZimmPoll is now live. We’re asking the question, “Which of these Fall Farm Shows Will You Attend?” I’m sure we’ll be seeing more new technology related to biofuels feedstock production at these shows. Thanks.

ZimmPoll is sponsored by Rhea+Kaiser, a full-service advertising/public relations agency.

The Obama Administration today announced a partnership between the private sector and the U.S. Departments of Agriculture, Energy and Navy to produce advanced drop-in aviation and marine biofuels to power military and commercial transportation.

President Obama made the announcement during a stop in Iowa, at the same time the three department secretaries held a telephone conference call with the press. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, Secretary of Energy Steven Chu, and Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus announced that they have developed a plan to jointly construct or retrofit several drop-in biofuel plants and refineries.

“America’s long-term national security depends upon a commercially viable domestic biofuels market that will benefit taxpayers while simultaneously giving Sailors and Marines tactical and strategic advantages,” said Navy Secretary Ray Mabus. “Today’s announcement not only leverages our home grown fuel sources to support our national security, but it also helps advance the biofuels market, which ultimately brings down the cost of biofuels for everyone.”

“These pioneer plants will demonstrate advanced technologies to produce infrastructure-compatible, drop-in renewable fuels from America’s abundant biomass resources,” said Energy Secretary Chu. “It will support development of a new, rural-focused industry that will replace imported crude oil with secure, renewable fuels made here in the U.S.”

The joint plan calls for the three Departments to invest a total of up to $510 million with at least a one to one match from private industry in an effort to reduce U.S. reliance on foreign oil and create jobs while positioning American companies and farmers to be global leaders in advanced biofuels production.

Listen to the entire press conference here: Navy, DOE, USDA Press Conference

During his Midwest bus tour this week, President Barack Obama is visiting three of the nation’s top four ethanol producing states, accounting for more than 42 percent of the country’s ethanol production.

The president’s first audience question today in Minnesota, the number four ethanol state, was “How are you going to use renewable energy to create jobs in the future?”

“One, obviously, is biofuels,” Obama responded. “And a lot of folks here are familiar with corn-based ethanol, but the fact of the matter is the technology is moving where we need to start taking advantage of a whole range of biofuels, using refuse, using stuff that we don’t use for food to create energy. And we are seeing incredible progress on that front, but it’s key to make sure that we continue to make the research and that we also use the incredible purchasing power of the federal government to encourage it.”

The president also noted progress in alternative fuels for aviation, as well as wind, solar and the next generation of electric vehicles. Read the entire transcript of his remarks and audience questions here on the White House website.

Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) president and CEO Bob Dinneen posted an open letter to President Obama on the E-xchange Blog, encouraging him to embrace his “record of support for ethanol and other domestic renewable fuels” as he travels through the ethanol producing countryside. “Ethanol production is offering jobs that provide a good wage, good benefits, and the opportunity for rural Americans to stay in rural America or move back home,” wrote Dinneen. “Ethanol and the policies that have helped support it are providing benefits to Americans all across the country. American ethanol production is the most successful, efficient, and cost-effective renewable fuel source the world has ever known.”

After his stop in Minnesota Monday morning, Obama visited a farm in the number one ethanol producing state, Iowa. On Tuesday, the president is scheduled to visit Peosta, Iowa and he will travel to number three state Illinois for two stops in the northwest corner of the state on Wednesday.

By the way – the number two ethanol producing state is Nebraska. No stops are scheduled there.

Growth Energy has added green energy design-builder Fagen, Inc. of Minnesota as an associate member.

“Fagen has worked on construction and design projects for a number of our plant members, so adding them to the team makes perfect sense,” said Growth Energy CEO Tom Buis.

Fagen has been a pioneer in the ethanol industry and is also heavily involved in local, agricultural grassroots initiatives.

“We look forward to working with the Growth Energy team to help educate Americans across the country about the benefits of ethanol,” said Ron Fagen, President and CEO of Fagen Inc.

Ethanol plant design-builder ICM, Inc. is partnering with National Biofuels Distribution (NBD) to supply and support the United States Auto Club (USAC) with the high-performance ethanol racing fuel called Ignite. The switch to Ignite was announced just recently by USAC.

The USAC includes more than 600 race teams and 250 annual USAC-sanctioned races, including the Silver Crown Series, National Sprint Car Series, National Midget Series, and Traxxas TORC Series. USAC racers are expected to use about 2.5 million gallons of the ethanol racing fuel annually. According to ICM, research this year on Ignite E90 ethanol fuel will provide performance data for a consistent ethanol blend, a standard expected by racing industry experts. ICM anticipates the expansion of Ignite Racing Fuel into additional racing series in 2012 and 2013.

Dan Schwartzkopf of ICM, former owner of Renova Racing’s six-car team, will be offering his past experiences, knowledge, and contacts to the effort. “ICM views the Ignite Fuel/USAC agreement as a valuable platform to provide education about the superior performance and low emissions of ethanol, both on track and off,” Schwartzkopf said.

Schwartzkopf has a 20-year, six-series racing background, including helping other racing series adopt the use ethanol, and he will lend his experience to the ICM team providing technical data and expertise to Ignite Fuel.

Domestic Fuel interviewed Schwartzkopf a couple of times in the early years of the Indy series switch to ethanol. You can listen to them here and here.

A leading advanced biofuels company has teamed up with a major automobile maker to speed up the production and use of cellulosic ethanol made from non-food feedstocks.

Chrysler Group and ZeaChem today announced the formation of a strategic alliance to “strengthen the credibility among regulators and American consumers of cellulosic ethanol as a cost-effective green transportation alternative; move away from the “food for fuel debate;” provide a leadership role to bring cellulosic ethanol through the production value chain to the consumer market; and build awareness of the potential environmental advantages of high yield, low carbon cellulosic ethanol.”

“Chrysler Group has long been committed to promoting the consumption of alternative fuels and to delivering flex-fuel vehicles to our customers,” said Reg Modlin, director, regulatory affairs, Chrysler Group LLC.

“ZeaChem is at the forefront of advanced cellulosic ethanol production,” said Jim Imbler, president and chief executive officer of ZeaChem. “Our process delivers a 40 percent higher yield in ethanol from non-food cellulosic feedstocks. Through strategic alliances we can fast-track the large-scale production of cellulosic ethanol. We look forward to collaborating with Chrysler Group to achieve our mutual goals and bring sustainable advanced cellulosic ethanol to consumers’ vehicles.”

The 2011 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally is over and that means a lot of bikers went home more aware of ethanol and hopefully better informed about how it performs in their bikes and what it does for our economy. To get a wrap up on how it went for the ethanol promotion sponsored by the Renewable Fuels Association I spoke with Robert White. Here’s Robert with a guitar that was given away during one of our t-shirt distribution sessions.

Robert has been on duty at Sturgis the past two years. He’s seen interest in ethanol grow each year. Bikers are very patriotic people and the fact that ethanol is an American made fuel resonates well with them. He also says, “We’re simply highlighting that fact that ethanol works well not only in these vehicles but all the ones they have back home.” That’s a lot of people back home to spread the word to since there are over a half million people who come to the rally!

You can listen to my interview with Robert here: Robert White Interview

2011 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally Photo Album

Can we clean up the environment and make money at the same time? The answer is yes according to L. Hunter Lovins and Boyd Cohen, the authors of “Climate Capitalism.” They write, “Two words define the current era: ‘climate’ and ‘capitalism.’ ” The authors begin by talking about America’s economic collapse and then reframe the argument around the environment from one of a moral or environmental issue to one of a “crisis of capitalism.”

The authors write, “What is little recognized is that the twin threats, to the climate and to the economy, are linked in both cause and cure. Unless nations move aggressively to implement energy efficiency and renewable energy, key elements of the transition away from fossil fuels and necessary to save the climate, it is difficult to see how our economy can lift itself from recession or avoid further crises. Solving the climate crisis IS THE WAY OUT of the economic crisis,” (authors’ emphasis).

Now that the stage is set, Lovins and Cohen begin providing case studies of sorts of different companies that have improved their bottom line by investing in energy efficiency and sustainable technologies. For example, Toyota became the largest auto maker in the world through the production of hybrid vehicles and fuel efficient cars while U.S. automakers continued to churn out oversized SUVs when a consumer green shift was taking place.

Conventional thinking around the issue of reducing green house gas emissions has held that averting climate catastrophe will cost the world trillions of dollars during a time countries can’t afford to invest due to the financial crisis. However, the authors argue that climate capitalists will seek out economic opportunities in the context of averting runaway climate chaos that will both mitigate climate change as well as offer profits.

Climate capitalists will be successful, the authors write, because they follow the principles of natural capitalism. The first principle is buying time by using all resources as efficiently as possible. The second principle is redesigning how we make and deliver all products and services using approaches such as cradle-to-cradle concepts, Biomimicry, the circular economy, Design for the Environment, and others.

While the information was interesting, and arguably relevant to supporting the authors’ argument, I found it to be a bit difficult to digest – the cause appeared to be information overload. But I still managed to grasp hold of the big takeaway – if you believe that the world is in fact threatened by climate crisis, then can you afford to not do anything? Lovins and Cohen say no. Those who choose not to plan and invest in a future based on sustainable practices will fail miserably.