Domestic Fuel

Florida Governor Charlie Crist signed three Executive Orders Friday initiating Florida’s energy policy. The signing ceremony concluded the Serve to Preserve Florida Summit on Global Climate Change held in Miami this week.

According to the governor's press office, the Executive Orders carry out Governor Crist’s commitment to reducing Florida’s greenhouse gases and increasing energy efficiency. As a result, Florida will pursue renewable energy sources such as solar and wind energy, as well as alternative energy such as ethanol and hydrogen.

Governor Crist said, “During the next few months, Florida’s Action Team on Energy and Climate Change will develop further recommendations for our state’s long-term climate-friendly efforts.”

Among the provisions in the orders, any purchased state vehicles should be fuel efficient and use ethanol and biodiesel fuels when available. Florida will also adopt the California motor vehicle emission standards, pending approval of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency waiver.

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger joined Crist at the Summit in hosting a roundtable discussion among chief executive officers of business corporations and non-government organizations and also as the luncheon keynote speaker.

The 2nd Annual National Summit on Energy Security is taking place today at the National Press Club in Washington DC, presented by 2020 Vision.

This year’s summit has the theme of “National Security and America’s Addiction to Carbon: Solutions to Oil Dependence and Climate Change” and features Senator Richard Lugar (R-IN), Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), among many other distinguished speakers.

The event kicked off this morning with a presentation of the first annual Energy Security Leadership Award to Sen. Richard Lugar.

The day will wrap up with a reception for and presentation by Arctic explorer Will Steger. Mr. Steger has recently finished a four month journey across the Canadian Arctic’s Baffin Island to experience and document how the Inuit culture is coping with global warming. He will present photos and information about this trip, as well as three upcoming trips, at a special VIP reception.

The event has been organized by 2020 Vision, which was formed in 1986 to promote global security and protect the environment. I spoke with executive director Tom Collina about the summit.

Listen to that interview here: energy-summit-collina.mp3

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The growth of the ethanol industry was most obvious at the 2007 Fuel Ethanol Workshop last week in St. Louis on the expo floor. Some 700 exhibitors were there, an increase of 60 percent from last year alone.

Kathy Bryan, president of FEW organizer BBI International, says the trade show portion of the 23 year old event is a relatively new addition. “When the Fuel Ethanol Workshop started 23 years ago, we just had the workshop. There was no trade show, no exhibitors, nothing like that. And there were probably between 25 and 40 people who came to the first few years.” The trade show was first started in 1996 with just a few exhibitors.

To give you an idea of the array of exhibitors at the expo, watch this YouTube video walk-through and interview with Kathy Bryan.

Here is a Flickr Photo Album with pictures from FEW: 2007 Fuel Ethanol Workshop Photo Album

Thanks to the Renewable Fuels Association for sponsoring coverage on Domestic Fuel of the 2007 Fuel Ethanol Workshop.

US Farm Report was on location this week at the 2007 Fuel Ethanol Workshop in St. Louis.

Agribusiness Director Al Pell taped a segment of the weekly show on the trade show floor. His guests were ICM, Inc. president Dave Vander Griend, National Corn Growers Association chairman Gerald Tumbleson, and BBI International CEO Mike Bryan.

The segment will be part of the show that airs this weekend.

Thanks to the Renewable Fuels Association for sponsoring coverage on Domestic Fuel of the 2007 Fuel Ethanol Workshop.

The chief science officer for POET received the 2007 Award of Excellence at the Fuel Ethanol Workshop this week.

Steve Lewis accepted the award during Wednesday’s general session. The award was established in 2000 to recognize individuals who have made significant contributions to the fuel ethanol industry through their research, technical advisory and/or development activities.

Lewis has 22 years of experience in industrial biotechnology and his primary focus at POET is on continued production advances in dry grind ethanol plants. In addition to his role leading development in innovative processes for the starch to ethanol business, Lewis contributes to POET’s research in scientific process innovation and invention related to the company’s interests in cellulosic ethanol as well as new product and process development beyond ethanol.

Thanks to the Renewable Fuels Association for sponsoring coverage on Domestic Fuel of the 2007 Fuel Ethanol Workshop.

The administrator for Region 7 of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency told participants at the 2007 Fuel Ethanol Workshop in St. Louis this week that the partnership between EPA and agriculture is helping to find solutions to environmental challenges.

“We’ve had a major role in dealing with one of America’s top priorities – reducing dependency on foreign oil,” said John Askew, whose region includes Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska and Kansas. “We’re addressing our nation’s growing energy demand in a way that supports farmers, rural America, our goal for a clean environment and greater energy security.”

Askew also talked about the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS). “Under this program the annual amount of renewable fuel use will increase every year, so by the year 2012 over 7 and a half billion gallons of fuel being pumped in gas tanks across this country will be made from home grown crops and renewable resources,” he said. “But you’ve gone way beyond that and we expect you to keep working hard on that aspect.”

Askew concluded his remarks by presenting EPA’s Energy Star awards to Macon Municipal Utilities in Macon, Missouri and Adkins Energy, LLC in Lena, Illinois.

Listen to Askew’s remarks here: few-07-epa.mp3

Thanks to the Renewable Fuels Association for sponsoring coverage on Domestic Fuel of the 2007 Fuel Ethanol Workshop.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (7.1MB)

The 23rd International Fuel Ethanol Workshop is just a few days away now. It is being held next week in St. Louis and Domestic Fuel will be on-hand to cover the opening general session on Wednesday.

Highlights of the opening session include a national update on ethanol from Bob Dinneen with the Renewable Fuels Association, as well as presentations on ethanol industry drivers for agriculture from Gerald Tumbleson of the National Corn Growers Association and Thomas Dorr, USDA Under Secretary of Rural Development.

The keynote address will be on “Climate Change and the Global Energy Future,” featuring the Karen Coshof, producer of the global warming film “The Great Warming.” Coshof will address global warming, the potential consequences of a “business as usual” scenario, and some promising solutions – including the extraordinary opportunities opening up for the ethanol industry.

On-line registration for FEW is still available right now, but better hurry because rates go up June 23.

On a walk around my hotel last night here in Washington, DC I saw this building banner for that promoted the AAAS Annual Meeting. The American Association for the Advancement of Science had a news blog for the conference, something that we’re seeing more and more organizations doing these days. In fact, that’s a specialty of our company, ZimmComm New Media.

Hopefully the AAAS looks at ethanol as part of the solution to our energy needs here in America since they do want to advance real science and not the sensationalist pap we still see in some mainstream media outlets like last night’s ABC 2020 farce by John Stossel. I guess he needed a ratings boost and wanted to trash an industry quoting flawed science and relying on emotionalism. Unfortunately for him I think the only appeal he had was to a very small minority of people who are clueless on this issue.

The 48th Annual Corn Dry Milling Conference is coming up May 31 – June 1 at the National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research in Peoria, Illinois. The conference is jointly sponsored by the North American Millers’ Association and the National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research Agricultural Research Service, USDA.

Among the ethanol-related topics at the meeting will be the National Corn Growers Association and Biofuels; Cellulose Conversion Technology in a Dry Mill Pathway; and Economic Impacts of Fuel Ethanol for Agriculture.

Program and registration information are available on-line from the North American Millers’ Association.

BBI International’s 2007 Fuel Ethanol Workshop (FEW) Scholarship program is looking for a few good people pursuing higher education leading to careers or post-graduate studies related to the ethanol industry.

Three $5000 scholarships will be awarded at the FEW this June in St. Louis, sponsored by American Stainless & Supply, a supplier of industrial PVF materials. In business for over 40 years, American Stainless supplies the ethanol industry’s procurement needs on all items from the pump to the tank.

BBI International will cover travel, lodging and registration for the scholarship winners to attend the Fuel Ethanol Workshop in St. Louis June 26-29, 2007. BBI International provides valuable expertise to the biofuels industry with three areas of service: Conference and Event Planning, Project Development, and Media. Winners will attend an award ceremony at the Fuel Ethanol Workshop in St. Louis, where they will be congratulated by representatives from American Stainless & Supply and BBI International.

The application is available on-line and the registration deadline is May 18.

Top international experts meeting in Rome last week agreed that bioenergy could be a positive force for rural development

According to a news release from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) it was the first time that experts in bioenergy, food security and the environment came together to discuss the environmental and food security impact of the rapidly-expanding bioenergy industry.

Alexander Müller, head of FAO’s Natural Resources Management and Environment Department, said, ‘While there is legitimate concern among some groups that bioenergy could compromise food security and cause environmental damage, it can also be an important tool for improving the well-being of rural people if governments take into account environmental and food security concerns.”

During the meeting, Luiz Augusto Horta Nogueira is Professor at the ‘Universidade Federal de Itajubá’, Brazil said some crops are more productive than others when it comes to making ethanol and biodiesel.

“The conflict between food and fuel should be evaluated under this point of view,” he said. “If you are considering the good options you have in wet, tropical countries this conflict is not so serious.” He says that sugarcane for ethanol and palm oil for biodiesel are more efficient than corn and soybeans.

Listen to interview here: FAO Energy 1 (2 min MP3)

Seth Shames, Policy Program Manager of the Washington-based Ecoagriculture Partners says bioenergy could have great benefits for small farmers in countries such as Africa and Central America.

“We’re excited about potentials for growing biofuel crops, trees or even perennial grasses in the future, which could be used by small farmers for their own energy needs to integrate in the food landscape also so they don’t have to make this trade-off and also increases livelihood options for them,” he said.

Listen to interview here: FAO Energy (2 min MP3)

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (1.1MB)

The American Coalition for Ethanolhas announced the agenda for its upcoming Ethanol Conference & Trade Show to be held this summer in Minnesota.

The 2007 Ethanol Conference, the organization’s 20th annual, will take place August 7-9 at the River Centre in St. Paul, Minnesota.

The conference, which is hosted in a different Midwestern city each year, is expected to be ACE’s largest event. Nearly 1600 people attended last year’s conference in Kansas City, up from 1000 the previous year, and an even larger record crowd is anticipated this year due to the larger venue and the continually increasing interest in ethanol. A sold-out trade show will provide attendees the opportunity to network with 191 companies filling more than 230 exhibit spaces, ACE’s largest show to date.

Early sign-up is strongly encouraged due to the tremendous interest expected in the conference. Conference registration and other information is available on-line.

The Alternative Fuel Vehicle Institute (AFVi) recently recognized outstanding leadership in the alternative fuels and vehicles industry at the 13th Alternative Fuels & Vehicles National Conference & Expo 2007.

General Motors received the Green Award for the “Live Green Go Yellow” marketing and advertising campaign.

American Honda was honored with the Green Fleet Award for “leadership and consistency in manufacturing vehicles that provide fleets and customers with the greenest choices around.” Pictured, Dan Bonawitz, Vice President of Corporate Planning and Logistics for American Honda, accepted this award from actor Larry Hagman and AFVi Executive Director Annalloyd Thomason.

The Industry Innovation Award was presented to James Harger of Clean Energy, Westport Innovations CEO Mike Gallagher, Mark Zucker and Andy Douglas of Inland Kenworth.

The Industry Pioneer of the year was Anne Smith with the Southern California Gas Company, and philanthropist T. Boone Pickens was honored with the Industry Vision Award.

More information and photos available here.

The folks at the American Wind Energy Association remind you that Monday, April 9th is the deadline to sign up for early registration for the Wind Power 2007 Conference and Exhibition, June 3-6 in Los Angeles, CA.

Organizers promise the latest industry trends and information with more than 50 educational sessions featuring the new Scientific Track:

WINDPOWER 2007 Highlights:

- First Time Attendee Orientation – New! For those of you who have never attended WINDPOWER before, a new orientation session on Sunday afternoon will help you make the most out of your experience plus meet the AWEA Staff and Board of Directors.

More than 350 exhibitors are already confirmed and more are expected by the June conference.

Click here for registration and more information.

Biofuels and their impact on animal agriculture was the main topic at opening general session of the National Institute for Animal Agriculture annual meeting this week in Sacramento, California.

The keynote speaker was Bill Jones, chairman of Pacific Ethanol, whose topic was “Corn, Cattle and Carbon Credits – a California Perspective.”

“I appreciate the opportunity to speak at this conference because California does have a unique perspective on this issue dealing with biofuels and the relationship to animal agriculture,” Jones said in an interview. He cites two main reasons for that unique perspective: a localized dairy industry which allows them to feed distillers’ grains in the wet form instead of dried; and the state’s carbon credit program which allows biofuels producers to take an active role in reducing greenhouse gases.

Jones notes that higher prices for corn affect the ethanol producer just as much as the livestock producer, and he is just as anxious as any user of corn to see prices decline. “Being a farmer myself, being a person that raises cattle myself and feeds corn, I also appreciate the need to have this evolution take place very quickly,” he said. “Is it going to go back to $2 a bushel, I don’t think so.”

However, he adds that corn growers do have a hard time sustaining production at $2 a bushel, so he believes there is a middle ground that can be reached that can maintain profitability for both the crop and livestock sectors.

Listen to the entire interview with Bill Jones. Bill Jones (10:00 min MP3)

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (2.8MB)