Domestic Fuel

The award winning documentary, “Fuel” produced by Josh Tickell will be featured during the 2009 Farm to Fuel summit being held in Orlando, Florida July 29-31st. Tickell will be the keynote speaker during lunch on Thursday, July 30 and then later that evening summit participants can enjoy a private screening of the movie.

“Fuel” a documentary about “changing your fuel” fueled controversy. But controversy sells, and the film was awarded Best Documentary, audience award at last year’s Sundance Film Festival. The LA Times says about the film, “Fuel” is a vital, superbly assembled documentary that presents an insightful overview of America’s troubled relationship with oil and how alternative and sustainable energies can reduce our country’s — and the world’s — addictive dependence on fossil fuels.”

Fuel will be in selected theaters this fall.

Other speakers during the Farm to Fuel summit include Florida’s Commissioner of Agriculture, Charles H. Bronson and Florida Governor, Charlie Crist. To learn more about the event, visit www.floridafarmtofuel.com.

A team of students from Ohio State University are in the lead after the first phase of the three-year EcoCar: the NeXt Challenge that took place last week in Toronto, Canada. The actual challenge was to convert a Saturn VUE into an electric vehicle with increased fuel economy and lower tailpipe emissions.

The team from Ohio State utilized a battery pack and E85 to power a 1.8 liter Honda engine which a rechargeable battery pack. The team’s engineering achieved a 300 percent increase in fuel economy.

Launched in late 2008 by the Government of Canada, General Motors, the U.S. Department of Energy, and others, 17 university teams from the U.S. and Canada competed. Approximately half of the teams, including the Ohio State team, designed extended-range electric vehicles, six teams utilized plug-in hybrids, two teams experimented with fuel cell plug-in hybrids using renewable resources, and one team designed an all-electric vehicle. Every team used lithium-ion batteries and then retrofitted them to become plug-in batteries.

GM provided the vehicles, parts, seed money, mentoring, and operational support. The DOE’s Argonne National Laboratory research facility provided team evaluation, technical and logistical support, and competition management.

The first step in the challenge was to design the vehicles using advanced software and computer modeling tools given to the teams by GM. In years two and three, students translate their design into reality and develop a working vehicle that meets the competition’s goals. The teams come together at the end of each academic year to compete against the other university teams in more than a dozen static and dynamic events.

Summer is officially here and with it summer driving season (and high gas price season). As people pack their bags and head to the gas station to fill up for summer vacation,  EcoDriving USA, a campaign from the Auto Alliance, is encouraging people to become “EcoDrivers.” EcoDrivingUSA claims that practicing “green driving” produces the highest miles per gallon, regardless of size or age of your car–and can reduce gas use and carbon emissions by as much as 15 percent or more.

You can be on your way to better fuel-efficiency and a smaller carbon footprint by following three simple steps from EcoDrivingUSA and two simple steps from me.

1.  Turn off the engine when waiting at a curb. This can save more than half a gallon of fuel for every hour that the car would otherwise have been idling.

2. Maintain proper tire pressure. Tire pressure changes an average of one PSI for every 10 degrees Fahrenheit change in temp. By keeping your tires properly inflated, you can improve gas mileage by approximately 3 percent earning drivers a “free” tank of gas every year.

3. Avoid rapid starts and stops. This can save more than $1 per gallon according to the EPA while improving fuel economy by up to 33 percent.

4. Use biofuels such as ethanol and biodiesel when available. Not only are biofuels less expensive at the pump and can save an average family up to $500 per year, but using a 10 percent ethanol blend (E10) can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by nearly 20 percent over traditional gasoline and it can increase to more than 80 percent reduction if you use an 85 percent ethanol blend (E85).

5. When your travels require renting a car, choose a vehicle from the rental company’s “green collection.” The green collection features flex-fuel vehicles, hybrid vehicles and in some locations electric cars. These technologies help reduce your carbon footprint and can help increase your fuel economy.

And remember, by following the driving green tips, you can save also save some green.

The 2009/2010 Alternative Fuel Vehicle (AFV) buyer’s guide is now available from the Alternative Fuel Vehicle Institute (AFVi). This easy to use guide helps fleet managers who are looking for information on alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicles make informed decisions.

The Guide is divided by vehicle class, from Class 1 through Class 8. Other sections include Small Volume Manufacturers, Engine Manufacturers, OEM Contact Information, Industry Listings, a Cross Reference Directory and Industry Acronyms. The Guide includes basic specifications for all the known and commercially-available AFVs, engines and advanced transportation technologies.

“Oil prices are beginning to climb again and, every time that happens, AFVi is inundated with requests for information on non-petroleum vehicle options that will lower fuel costs,” said Annalloyd Thomason, Executive Director of AFVi. “The Buyers’ Guide is a direct response to requests from purchasers who want an easy to understand purchasing directory of currently available AFVs.”

The Guide is available for purchase exclusively through AFVi at www.afvi.org.

The Sudanese government celebrated a milestone today with the opening of its first ethanol plant. The facility will produce 65 million litres and will expand to 200 mlpy within two years. The government is an investor in the plant which is using products from the local sugar mill as its feedstock.

In addition to the launch of the ethanol refinery, the government has developed an aggressive plan to expand the country’s sugar production from 800,000 tons per year to over 10 million tons per year. The increased sugar production could support both increased sugar exports and approximately 18 new ethanol plants.

The Global Renewable Fuels Alliance praised the Sudanese government for their efforts to build a sustainable biofuels industry. “This is a sound sustainable model for energy security and economic development,” said Bliss Baker, Global Renewable Fuels Alliance spokesperson.“ The plan will require significant and scarce investment dollars and a continued commitment from the national government to be completely successful.”

The hope is that this plant will not only be a successful economic driver for Sudan, but that other countries will follow their model of developing sustainable biofuels.

Cows often get a bad rap for emitting methane – a global warming gas. Maybe we shouldn’t be so hard on Elsie the milk cow since her production of methane can be harnessed for energy.  Not sure how to go about converting animal waste to energy? Then consider attending the first National Biomethane Summit being held in Sacramento, CA on June 23, 2009.

The National Biomethane Summit will offer a full day’s focus on applications, equipment, and emerging technologies in the sciences of landfill gas, dairy waste methane recovery, and wastewater treatment. Speakers include representatives from the California Air Resources Board, U.S. Department of Agriculture and state and local politicians.

According to the conference’s website, the goal of NBS is, “to showcase fuels and technologies, policies and actions, and other ongoing efforts that will enable California to meet its goals to reduce Greenhouse Gas emissions, strengthen its transportation fuel supplies, and establish a long-term sustainable market for cleaner-burning fuels.”

The only thing they forgot is how to convert human waste to biomethane. Well maybe next year.

San Jose wants to become energy independent but they’re not going about it in a traditional fashion. Instead, they hope to be the first city in the U.S. to generate its electricity through an organics-to-energy biogas facility. Should this plant come to fruition, it would be sited on a 40-acre site near the San Jose/Santa Clara Water Pollution Control Plant and convert 150,000 tons of organic waste into energy. The plant will be constructed and operated by Zanker Road Biogas.

Once the project becomes “official” several partners will work together to replicate the technology that has already been used successfully in Europe. The partners will include Zero Waste Energy Development Company, Harvest Power, GreenWaste Recovery and Zanker Road Resource Management. The project is waiting approval from several city organizations.

As landfills become full and some cities across the country are having difficulty getting rid of their waste, this technology would help reduce the amount of waste going into the landfills. Once the waste in converted to energy, it will be sold to the regional electrical utility power grid.

“This project not only demonstrates San Jose’s leadership in the production of renewable energy but will help us meet the economic development, zero waste and energy goals of our city’s Green Vision,” said San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed.

The proposed facility could employ 30 to 40 during development and construction and is expected to create and retain 50 to 60 direct and supporting jobs when fully operational.

“Where has all the water gone?” Asks author Maude Barlow in her book, “Blue Covenant: The Global Water Crisis and the Coming Battle For the Right to Water“. Living in America, many people may not realize that water shortages are already occurring throughout the country and more are expected if we don’t modify our water footprint.

Barlow lays out three scenarios that “collude toward disaster”. Scenario one: The world is running our of freshwater. Scenario two: Every day more and more people are living without access to clean water. Scenario three: A powerful corporate water cartel has emerged to seize control of every aspect of water for its own profit.

Considering that water is essential to life, the realization that water is becoming a scare resource is quite disturbing. Barlow discusses water apartheid, which we’re seeing in third world countries; water wars which are happening throughout the world and even here in the states; virtual water trade, which describes the water used in the production of crops or manufactured goods that are then exported; and maybe most appalling, discusses whether water is a right to life. Most countries have determined that water is not a right to life but fortunately through grassroots activism, this is changing.

“Every day, the failure of our political leaders to address the global water crisis becomes more evident. Every day, the need for a comprehensive water crisis plan becomes more urgent.” says Barlow. The answer, she writes, is a Blue Covenant.
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Non-hydro sources of electricity continues to gain market share according to the latest statistics published by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) in its “Electric Power Monthly” report released on June 15, 2009. The even better news is while renewable energy is growing, coal and natural gas use in steadily decreasing (five and four percent respectively) while nuclear power has remained virtually stagnant.

When comparing the first quarter of 2009 to the first quarter of 2008, renewable energy sources used for electrical production increased by 7.2 percent and accounted for 10 percent of the nation’s electrical generation. Conventional hydroelectric power increased by 4.6 percent while all other renewables combined (biomass, wind, geothermal, and solar) increased by 12.4 percent. When comparing 2009 to 2008 renewable resources have been and continue to be on a steady uphill trajactory.

“Apologists for the nuclear and fossil fuel industries persist in trying to mislead the public by repeatedly spreading the myth that renewables account for only a tiny fraction of U.S. electricity production,” comments Ken Bossong, executive director of the SUN DAY Campaign.  “However, the hard numbers document the continuing dramatic growth in renewable energy’s already-significant contribution to the nation’s electricity supply – a contribution that will eventually leave coal and nuclear behind in the dust.”

As 2009 continues, the momenteum continues to gain traction as renewables accounted for nearly 10.9 percent of net U.S. electrical generation in March 2009. Conventional hydroelectric power provided more than 6.9 percent of total U.S. electrical generation while other renewables generated almost four percent of electric power. Most notably, net generation from wind sources was 38.5 percent higher in March 2009 than it had been in March 2008.

Biofuels has been compared with fossil fuels, blamed for worldwide starvation, linked to CO2 increases and decreases, and born the brunt of scrutiny for rainforest destruction (aka land use). However, until now, biofuels have yet to receive a real beating on water use. Well, that day may be on the horizon with the release of the new Rice University study, “The Water Footprint of Biofuels: A Drink or Drive Issue?”

The paper studies the relationship between agrofuels and water shortage issues. The study’s lead author was Pedro Alvarez, George R. Brown Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and was funded by Rice University’s Shell Center for Sustainability.

The WorldWatch Institute has declared, “Water scarcity may be the most under appreciated global environmental challenge of our time,” and the Environmental Protection Agency has predicted that in the U.S. 36 states will suffer water shortages within the next five years if water use continues unchecked.

The report states, “As biofuel production increases, a growing need exists to understand and mitigate potential impacts to water resources, primarily those associated with the agricultural stages of the biofuel life cycle (e.g. water shortages and water pollution)–herein referred to as the water footprint.”

The report recommends that specific biofuel crops should be grown in certain regions. For example, corn for ethanol should be grown in states like Iowa where only one percent of the crops are irrigated, whereas significantly less corn should be grown in Nebraska where 61 percent of corn is irrigated. The report ultimately calls for more attention to the water footprint of biofuels as policies and mandates are put into place. However, it also states that with careful water usage planning, sustainable agricultural practices and energy conservation we can, “have our drive and drink our water too.”

The industry is not taking the concern over water lying down. Advanced biofuels are being developed with the need to use significantly less water and seed companies are developing hybrids that will ultimately cut water needs in half per acre. Like the continual debate as to the reality of global warming, we may be on the verge of a long debate on whether the world really has water quality and shortage issues.

I’d like to take a poll to see how many people thought that gas prices would never get higher than last summer where some areas around the country nearly topped out at $5.00 a gallon and for several weeks consumers in the South couldn’t even get gas.

Can you say deja vu? According to the Nebraska Ethanol Board, nationally gas prices have risen almost every day for the last 42 days. Several analysts expect that a return to $100 oil and $4.00 gas isn’t too far behind. Extremists predict that we could see $200 barrel of oil before the end of the year.

By now, you’d think that people would realize that ethanol helps consumers save money at the pump. Last summer, an Iowa State University study demonstrated that ethanol helped consumers save on average $500 per year.

Todd Sneller, administrator of the Nebraska Ethanol Board, notes that Nebraska drivers have already saved over $4.5 million in 2009 by buying E10. “If all the fuel sold in Nebraska in the past five years was E85, Nebraskans would have saved $2.6 billion.”

Since energy is tied so closely to our economy many economists are speculating that this steady rise in oil prices could prolong America’s recession. At the beginning of the month, OPEC’s Abdullah al-Badri told attendees at the Global Energy Summit that the price of crude oil needed to be much higher. OPEC intends to do this through modifying production quotas and shutting down oil refineries “until the surplus is depleted”. Demand for oil and gas has dropped 2.6 million barrels per day worldwide.

As people begin to trim their budgets to offset the higher fuel prices, you’d think they would send Big Oil a message that, “we’re not going to take it”.

Nebraska Ethanol Board chair Mike Thede sums it up, “We can invest in alternative, renewable, inexpensive fuels like ethanol, or we can continue the billion-dollar giveaway to Big Oil.”

Okay, I just couldn’t resist this story. The citizens of Manchester are engaging in the green energy revolution by flushing the loo. Yes, you heard correctly. Simply flush your poo down the loo and generate renewable energy through biomethane.

In a UK first, United Utilities has teamed up with National Grid to convert a by-product of the wastewater treatment process into gas for injection into the local gas pipeline network and fuel for a fleet of sludge tankers. The ground-breaking initiative is centered on one of the country’s largest wastewater treatment plants at Davyhulme in Manchester. The program received funding from Defra’s Waste & Resources Action Programme.

Caroline Ashton, United Utilities biofuels manager, said, “The team is thrilled to have won this funding which will give the project a huge boost. It has been in development for some time, but now we can put our plans into action and the people of Manchester will soon be using ‘poo power’ to heat their homes.”

The biomethane that is produced from the ‘poo power’ program will either be injected into the gas grid as a substitute for natural gas or compressed for use in vehicles, also similar to compressed natural gas in cars. This “renewable resource” will help lower consumers’ energy bills as well as reduce the area’s carbon footprint. The pilot program will supply gas to about 500 homes with a goal of supplying gas to 5,000 homes.

To my knowledge there are no similar programs underway in the States. But if anyone knows of any, please leave a comment.

Come Clean America! This week I read “Coming Clean: Breaking America’s Addiction to Oil and Coal by Micheal Brune. I’m going to come clean for a moment and let you know that Brune is the Executive Director of the Rainforest Action Network and the book was published by Sierra Club Books. Ironically, last week I read Green Inc., and many organizations mentioned in this book, including Brune’s own, were called out by MacDonald for ethical and moral issues.

As controversy is a great prerequisite for fodder, I’ll point out that Brune is a huge advocate of global warming. He writes, “Let me be blunt: if we only take individual action and do nothing else to save our climate, we’re probably cooked. We need to aim higher by changing corporate America and challenging our political leaders.”

Brune highlights several issues in the book including Big Oil; King Coal; how banks are funding global climate change; how to jump-start Detroit; wind and solar; and as always one of my favorites, biofuels, which Brune calls agrofuels. I rarely read an energy book where the author is truly up to speed on biofuels and Brune is no exception. Like most everyone, he hates corn ethanol and writes that biofuels may have an important role to play if they meet five criteria. They must:

1. 1. reduce greenhouse gases
2. 2. not displace food crops and threaten food security for the world’s poor
3. 3. uphold the integrity of critical ecosystems, particularly in tropical forests
4. 4. strengthen the human rights of community farmers and indigenous people
5. 5. should be developed only as part of a broader strategy to reduce fuel consumption and redesign mobility

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The Iowa Corn Indy 250 is racing into Newton for the third year, and in celebration the Iowa Corn Promotion Board (ICPB) is offering drivers discounted ethanol through two pump promotions. The events will offer consumers the opportunity to register for $250 worth of free ethanol and the chance to win prizes including tickets to the race and the chance to win a ride in an Indy car. The events include radio remotes and an Indy show car will be on hand.

“We want consumers to celebrate with ethanol promotions prior to the Iowa Corn Indy 250. The race will be at the Iowa Speedway on Sunday, June 21,” says Shannon Textor, Iowa Corn marketing director. “We’re proud that 100 percent of locally produced Iowa ethanol is used in the race. We want all consumers to recognize the advantages of using corn ethanol.”

Ethanol promotions will take place at the following locations:

Friday, June 12, 2009
11:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Casey’s General Store
6630 Mills Civic Parkway
West Des Moines, Iowa

Friday, June 19, 2009
11:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Prairie Gas
4300 S. 22nd Avenue E
Newton, Iowa

For more information visit www.iowacorn.org. The race is Sunday, June 21 at 12:30 PM Central Time. It will be broadcast live on ABC.

Last year, the American Le Mans Series used both E10 and cellulosic E85 as a part of its fuel mix with the exception of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. This year, the gasoline based cars will be fueled with 10 percent cellulosic ethanol. This is the first time an advanced biofuel has been used in the gasoline at the 24 Hours of Le Mans race. The race will be held in France on June 13, 3009 and the cars will be fueled with Shell V-Power race fuel.

In addition, Shell is blending another advanced biofuel, BTL (Biomass to Liquid), into its Shell V-Power Diesel race fuel. A small amount of the biofuel is used in conjunction with the established, high-performance GTL (Gas to Liquid) component.

Daniel Poissenot, Sport Vice President from Automobile Club l’Ouest (ACO), the Le Mans governing body said, “The use of advanced biofuels in both Shell V-Power gasoline and diesel race fuels at Le Mans highlights the role of the racing series in demonstrating new technologies.”

The biofuel is produced at Iogen Energy Corporation’s demonstration plant in Ottawa, Canada where Iogen and Shell are parters. Earlier this week, Shell announced that its stations in Ottawa will be offering consumers a 10 percent cellulosic ethanol blend for the month of June. The fuel is produced from wheat straw.

“Shell is proud to be the offical fuel supplier for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. We see motorsport as a technical test bed and we are excited about demonstrating Iogen cellulosic ethanol in our Shell V-Power gasoline race fuel this year,” concluded Richard Karlsetter, Shell Global Technology Manager, Racing Fuels.