Category Archives: NBB

Sustainable Biodiesel Meets Before NBB Conference

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PrintSustainable biodiesel will get its voice heard right before the National Biodiesel Board holds its annual conference and exhibition in Texas in just over a month.

The seventh annual Sustainable Biodiesel Summit is set for February 6th and 7th, in Grapevine, Texas … right before the NBB’s big gig, Feb. 7-10. This press release says community activists, backyard brewers, farmers, and those with a passion for sustainable biodiesel are coming together to discuss sustainable, community-based biodiesel:

“The SBS is one of the few conferences where real people get together to talk about real things,” said Lyle Estill, president of Piedmont Biofuels. “If we are ever going to differentiate ourselves from ‘business as usual,’ it will be thanks to undertakings like the SBS,” Estill said.

The keynote speaker for this year’s event will be Bill Holmberg, long time champion of biofuels and sustainable new wealth industry. In addition, attendees will also be able to visit Carl’s Corner, home of Willie Nelson’s Biodiesel Plant.

We’ll have more as we get closer to the date, and I hope to see you there!

NBB: No Long-Term Biodiesel Tax Extension this Year

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USCapitolThe National Biodiesel Board seems to be conceding defeat for a long-term extension of the the biodiesel blender tax credit … but the group seems to be holding out hope for a one-year extension of the incentive set to expire after Dec. 31, 2009.

The U.S. House has already passed the tax extender package in H.R. 4213, which included a one-year extension of the biodiesel blender tax credit. Biodiesel Magazine reports now they have to get the Senate to agree:

“In terms of the five-year tax extension that would also alter the credit from a production excise credit to a producer credit, it is clear that due to the legislative calendar and the priorities currently facing Congress—healthcare being front and center—that legislation (S.1589 and HR 4070) will not be voted on this year,” [Michael C. Frohlich, Director of Communications for the National Biodiesel Board’s Washington, D.C., office] said. “Therefore, the NBB has decided to endorse the one-year extension as to ensure that the tax credit does not expire, and will continue to work towards a multiyear producer credit in the future.”

So far, the measure has been referred to the U.S. Senate where it was received and read twice, then referred to the Committee on Finance.

Biodiesel Completes Capitol Christmas Tree Journey

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CapitolChristmasTree2Tomorrow (Tuesday) night will be a magical time in Washington, D.C., as the Capitol Christmas Tree is officially lit.

The National Biodiesel Board points out that the 85-foot blue spruce made the 4,000-mile cross-country trip from Arizona to the nation’s capital on a truck fueled with biodiesel … a first for the tradition of the Capitol Christmas Tree that goes back to 1964:

Two diesel trucks running on B5 (a 5 percent biodiesel fuel mix) were part of a caravan carrying the approximately 125-year-old tree from the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest.

NBB-logo“It is significant that the Capitol Christmas Tree was delivered with biodiesel because economic development, carbon reduction, and energy security continue to dominate national priorities,” said Joe Jobe, CEO of the National Biodiesel Board. “Biodiesel helps us achieve all of those things.”

The trucks carrying the tree and its accompanying 10,000 handmade ornaments and 80 companion trees that will be placed in offices throughout the Capitol Complex made their way across country, using the BioTrucker system going from biodiesel station to biodiesel station to pick up donated biodiesel along the way.

Growing Biodiesel Crops on the Road

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Roadsides and median strips may turn out to be the perfect place to grow crops for biodiesel.

freewayfuel“It’s a very non-traditional approach to utilizing some public lands that are not being utilized as well as they could be,” says Utah State University researcher Dallas Hanks. It is estimated that there are some 10 million available acres of land in roadsides, airports, military bases, railroad areas and more that currently require significant maintenance cost that could be used for producing biofuel crops such as safflower and canola which could be harvested a couple times a year. The benefits include a new source for biofuel feedstocks, as well as improved aesthetics and reduced roadside maintenance costs.

nafb dallas hanks“We’ve been lucky enough to get a national coalition with an executive committee and land grant universities all around the country involved in this,” Hanks said during a recent interview at the National Association of Farm Broadcasting annual meeting. “We are excited about their interest and we are excited to put some seeds in the ground.”

Other partners in the project include the National Biodiesel Board (NBB) and New Holland Ag. “New Holland has been wonderful from the get-go on this,” said Hanks. “They were very gracious in giving us some equipment to help us with our research costs and further this project.” NBB has been the main source of funding for the project, for which Hanks says they are very grateful.

Some of the states already moving on the project include Tennessee, Michigan, North Carolina and Washington.

Find out more about this initiative from biodieselsustainability.com and freewaystofuel.org. Listen to or download my interview with Dallas Hanks below.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (6.4MB)

Time to Register for Biodiesel Conference!

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2010NBBlogoIt’s that magical time of year when the mailman delivers those magical season cards that we all look forward to seeing. No, I’m not talking about Christmas cards. I mean those cards reminding us that the 2010 National Biodiesel Conference & Expo is just around the corner.

This year’s premier event for the biodiesel industry is being held Feb. 7-10, 2010 at the Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center in Grapevine, Texas, just a few minutes from the DFW airport. NBB officials say they have listened to past attendees and exhibitors to make the conference even better:

From our new Monday evening reception in the Exhibit Hall, the addition of a new Biodiesel Networking Center in the Exhibit Hall, a new and improved NBB Connections social networking system to the numerous open forum “round table sessions” that will be offered this year, NBB wants to assist in these efforts to connect and learn! We believe these additions and changes to the program will create boundless networking opportunities and allow you to meet new people with some of the same biodiesel interests. Where better to meet than the premier biodiesel conference in the country?

Make your reservations here. Hope I get to see you in Texas!

Biodiesel Board Asks for RFS2 Targets Implementation

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NBB-logoThe National Biodiesel Board is asking the U.S. EPA to implement targets for biomass-based biodiesel required under the expanded Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS2) … a standard already overdue by a year.

Biodiesel Magazine reports that the NBB has sent a letter to the EPA asking the agency early next year to put in the standards of 500 million gallons of biomass-based Diesel in 2009; 650 million gallons in 2010; 800 million gallons in 2011; and 1 billion gallons in 2012:

“We are rapidly approaching the end of 2009, a year beyond the statutory deadline for RFS2 implementation,” noted Manning Feraci, NBB’s Vice President of Federal Affairs. “The U.S. biodiesel industry has made vital business decisions based on the RFS2 renewable targets, and the nation’s ability to meet these modest renewable goals will be undermined if the EPA does not take immediate steps to implement the Biomass-based Diesel Program.”

In the letter to EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson, the NBB specifically explains the need for the EPA to use its existing authority to implement the 2009 and 2010 Biomass-based Diesel volumes as required by RFS2 no later than January 1, 2010. The letter further explains that the EPA can fulfill its non-discretionary duty to implement the Biomass-based Diesel program under the current RFS program by issuing an appropriate renewable volume obligation specifically for biodiesel.

“Further delay implementing the RFS2 volume requirements will prolong the severe economic hardship facing the domestic biodiesel industry, and we hope the EPA will take the common-sense steps called for in this letter,” concluded Feraci.

You can read Feraci’s letter to the EPA here.

Track the Capitol Christmas Tree’s Biodiesel Journey

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XMasTreeTrackerAs you might remember from my post earlier this month, this year’s Capitol Christmas tree is making its approximately 4,000-mile trip from Arizona to Washington, D.C. fueled with biodiesel.

Now you can track the trek of the two trucks (besides the 85-foot blue spruce, they’re also hauling nearly 10,000 handmade ornaments and 80 companion trees that will be placed in offices throughout the Capitol Complex) running on B5 on this Web site.

The National Biodiesel Board is pretty proud that the green fuel is part of this holiday event:

CapitolChristmasTree2“This is a wonderful opportunity to showcase how biodiesel is a green, sustainable part of the solution to meeting America’s energy needs,” said National Biodiesel Foundation Executive Director Tom Verry. The route was specially tailored to allow for easy refueling with biodiesel blends, and public education is planned along the way about the benefits of biodiesel…

“This is the first time Arizona has contributed the Capitol Christmas Tree, and it’s appropriate that we made this landmark trip with a biodiesel blend,” said Colleen Crowninshield, manager, Clean Cities Program of the Pima Association of Governments. “Using biodiesel reduces emissions at the same time it cuts dependence on foreign oil.”

The tree will be presented on Monday, December 30.

Biodiesel Board Selects Leadership

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NBB-logoMembers of the National Biodiesel have chosen who will represent the trade association on its governing board and leadership committee.

In this NBB press release, NBB vice chair Gary Haer of Iowa-based Renewable Energy Group said the green fuel “is one of our nation’s valuable tools to fight greenhouse gas and enhance energy security,” and the the board’s leadership reflects the diversity and wide spread benefits of the association:

Officers elected to lead the board are:

* Ed Hegland, chairman, Minnesota Soybean Promotion and Research Council (farmer)
* Gary Haer, vice chair, Renewable Energy Group, Inc. (producer)
* Ed Ulch, secretary, Iowa Soybean Association, (at large)
* Jim Conway, treasurer, Griffin Industries (renderer/producer)

Biodiesel board members also voted to fill eight board member spots. Board members elected to the Governing Board include officers and:

* Darryl Brinkmann, American Soybean Association (at large)
* Kris Kappenman, ADM (producer)
* Bob Metz, South Dakota Soybean Research and Promotion Council (at large)
* Ron Marr, Minnesota Soybean Processors (at large)

Greg Anderson, Denny Mauser, David Womack, Robert Stobaugh, Greg Hopkins, Doug Smith and Dave Lyons also serve on the Governing Board.

Biodiesel Board Asks Congress to Extend Tax Incentive

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NBB-logoAn important tax incentive on biodiesel is about to expire, and the National Biodiesel Board is scrambling to get it renewed.

Biodiesel Magazine reports that the NBB is lobbying lawmakers to renew the $1-per-gallon biodiesel tax incentive, which encourages biodiesel use by making it competitive with petroleum diesel fuel. NBB argues that if the incentive is allowed to expire on December 31, 2009, biodiesel will become cost prohibitive, and domestic production and use of the green fuel will end:

“The biodiesel tax incentive is working. Since its enactment in 2004, U.S. biodiesel production has reached commercial scale, and the nation has realized the job creation, environmental and energy security benefits that come with the expanded production and use of biodiesel,” stated Manning Feraci, NBB’s vice president of federal affairs. “These benefits will simply be lost if the credit lapses.”

During visits with lawmakers, biodiesel industry leaders expressed strong support for S. 1589, the Biodiesel Tax Incentive Reform and Extension of Act, introduced by Senators Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Charles Grassley (R-IA), and H.R. 4070, companion legislation introduced yesterday by Representatives Earl Pomeroy (D-ND) and John Shimkus (R-IL). This legislation would reform the biodiesel tax incentive by changing the current blenders excise tax credit to a production excise tax credit. This will improve administration of the incentive, eliminate potential abuses and improve tax compliance. The proposals would also extend the biodiesel tax incentive for five years, providing the certainty entrepreneurs need to create jobs and expand the use of biodiesel.

The NBB also points out that biodiesel fits with the Obama Administration’s policy of creating green jobs, while cutting carbon emissions.

DF Cast: Study Shows Biodiesel’s Energy Balance

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df-logoLast week, we told you new research shows how green biodiesel is. I finally got a chance to catch up with National Biodiesel Board CEO Joe Jobe to talk a little bit about this important study… and what it will mean as the Environmental Protection Agency considers a new Renewable Fuels Standard, RFS-2.

joe-jobethumbnailIn this edition of the Domestic Fuel Cast, you’ll hear how Jobe believes the information that biodiesel now produces 4.5 units of energy for every unit of energy spent on it will prove to the EPA and skeptics that biodiesel is truly one of the greenest fuels out there. He says the information couldn’t come at a better time and was included with the NBB’s comments about the RFS-2.

JCGreenfestJobe adds that the NBB will be showing off biodiesel’s green, sustainable nature with a Greenfest in the board’s hometown of Jefferson, Missouri at Riverside/Ellis Porter Park this Thursday evening, October 22nd from 4-8. He says Jefferson City boasts several users of biodiesel, including the Missouri Department of Transportation, which uses a blend of 20 percent biodiesel (B20) in all of its diesel vehicles. Plus, the city itself burns B20 in its city buses. Fire trucks, ambulances, and hybrid and flex-fuel vehicles will also be on hand for the JC Greenfest, as well as demonstrations from Linn State Technical College and Lincoln University. They’ll even have live music from national recording artist Emily Richards

To hear more of my conversation with Jobe, listen to the latest DF Cast here: DFCast-10-19-09.mp3

You can also subscribe to the DomesticFuel Cast here.

Biodiesel Could Be Ultimate Solar Power

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NBB-logoA new study shows that the ultimate form of solar power could be biodiesel.

Researchers at the University of Idaho and the U.S. Department of Agriculture have released a study that shows that for every unit of fossil energy needed to produce biodiesel, the return is 4.5 units of energy. And the National Biodiesel Board points out that soybean-based biodiesel has a high ratio of energy-in to energy-out… a high “energy balance”…. because the main source of energy to grow soybeans is the sun:

“This gives Americans even more reason to put their faith in the environmental and societal benefits of biodiesel,” said Joe Jobe, CEO of the National Biodiesel Board. “The Environmental Protection Agency should take this into account when considering biodiesel’s greenhouse gas reductions,” he said.

Jobe was referring to EPA’s proposed rule to implement the expanded Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS2). EPA used 2005 baseline numbers for petroleum and biodiesel to project carbon impact 22 years in the future. That stacks the deck in favor of petroleum.

“In its rulemaking, EPA should recognize that biodiesel production is growing more efficient, while oil exploration and drilling becomes more intensive each day,” Jobe said.

Biodiesel is also a source of valuable co-products, like glycerin, for which EPA did not credit biodiesel. The USDA/Idaho study finds key drivers that continue to make biodiesel an efficient fuel choice:

* New seed varieties and management practices are upping soybean yields.
* Farmers have minimized cultivation of the soil. These reduced tillage practices have cut how much fuel they need to grow soybeans.
* Modern soybean varieties have reduced the need for pesticides.
* Today’s soybean processing and biodiesel plants are more energy efficient.

The study goes on to say that farmers, soybean processors and biodiesel producers are getting better at using renewable energy resources, as well as more efficient energy practices.

DF Cast: RFA, NBB Submit RFS-2 Comments

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df-logoBack in May, the EPA put out its proposal for the new Renewable Fuels Standard… aka RFS-2… that got a lot of people talking about what is in the new standard.

Some of the biggest backers of some of the greenest fuels, ethanol and biodiesel, are worried RFS-2 will actually keep these mainstays of the renewables out of the program designed to promote those very same green energy sources.

NBB-logoDuring this edition of the Domestic Fuel Cast, we get comments from National Biodiesel Board CEO Joe Jobe and Renewable Fuels Association president and CEO Bob Dinneen about the comments they have just submitted to the EPA.

rfa-logo-09The biggest sticking point is the Indirect Land Use issue, which could charge American renewable fuels makers, especially biodiesel producers, with greenhouse gas emissions for something going on in another part of the world. Plus, Jobe and Dinneen say there are some issues with the baseline numbers and assumptions the EPA is using.

They believe that the RFS-2 can be corrected before it becomes law… if the EPA reads the thousands of comments the two organizations have submitted and heed what is being called common sense advice.

It’s a fascinating discussion, and you can hear more of it here: DFCast-10-02-09.mp3

You can also subscribe to the DomesticFuel Cast here.

NBB, RFA Submit Biodiesel, Ethanol Comments to EPA

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The comment period for the EPA’s proposed Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS2) has come and gone, and the leaders in the biodiesel and ethanol industries have turned in the comments they’ve collected from their members and interested parties.

The National Biodiesel Board’s main contention is that the proposal contains several significant flaws:

NBB-logo• EPA’s GHG [Greenhouse Gas] methodology relies on outdated data that artificially penalizes U.S. biodiesel. GHG emission reductions associated with biodiesel produced from vegetable oils compared to petroleum will significantly exceed the 22 percent assumed by EPA in its proposed rule if the agency relies on scientifically valid analysis and practices. Even with EPA’s assumptions and methodology, correcting the outdated data pertaining to nitrogen fixation, energy balance and co-product allocations would give biodiesel produced from vegetable oil a 62 percent GHG reduction compared to baseline petroleum. When just some of the major flawed assumptions from EPA’s indirect analysis are corrected, the GHG emissions lifecycle reduction for biodiesel from vegetable oils is 99% percent lower than diesel fuel. This number includes penalties to biodiesel for international indirect land use change.

NBB also took issue with the international Indirect Land Use provisions of the RFS2… a stance echoed by Bob Dinneen, RFA president and CEO:
rfa-logo
“International indirect land use change simply should not be included,” Dinneen said. “Congress did not intend to penalize America’s ethanol producers for decisions made by farmers and governments in other countries.”

Now, we’ll have to wait to see if anyone at EPA is paying attention.

ASA, Biodiesel Board Call for RFS2 Comments

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ASANBBThe deadline for getting in your two cents’ worth on the U.S. EPA’s proposed Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS2) is rapidly approaching, as this Friday, Sept. 25th will mark the end of the comment period.

This article in Biodiesel Magazine says the American Soybean Association and the National Biodiesel Board are making a last-minute appeal to their members and biodiesel supporters to get their comments in:

Both organizations have made it easy to access information at their Web sites, providing background information, sample comments, links to the EPA Web site and instructions on emailing comments. The ASA form is available at www.soygrowers.com/policy/RFS2.htm. The NBB’s action center is available at http://biodiesel.org/news/RFS/. The NBB provides an express comment that features a condense message and only requires a name, city, state and email address. “it takes less than 20 seconds to fill out and submit,” the NBB says. The NBB also offers long and short versions of sample comments to make, and provides information for an individual to craft a unique response.

The stakes are high for the biodiesel industry. “As EPA’s proposed rule is written, soy biodiesel would no longer qualify under the specific federal mandate for biomass-based diesel use,” ASA President Johnny Dodson explained. “With the future of the U.S. biodiesel industry at stake, farmers need to get involved right now by voicing their opposition to the proposed rule.” The ASA has reached out to U.S. soybean farmers in their campaign, as have several state soybean associations and corn grower associations as well to comment on the impact on corn ethanol.

The main sticking point the ASA and NBB (and the Renewable Fuels Association, for that matter) have with the proposal is the inclusion of international indirect land use impacts into the calculations of greenhouse gas emissions.

If you haven’t commented yet, better get your thoughts in now.

Early Bird Registration Looms for Biodiesel Conference

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NBB10 logoIt’s that time of year again… time to start talking about the National Biodiesel Conference and Expo!

Now, if you’re looking at your calendar, you’ll notice that the National Biodiesel Board’s premier event is still about five months off, scheduled to take place February 7-10 at the Gaylord Texan hotel, just a few minutes from the Dallas-Ft. Worth Airport. But now is the time to start making plans, and, in fact, Sept. 18th is an early bird deadline for exhibitors to take advantage of the best savings and to reserve the best booth space. Click here to register and for more information.

Meanwhile, our friends at the NBB say by listening to previous attendees and exhibitors, they are improving the networking possibilities for the numerous biodiesel marketers, feedstock growers, fuel distributors, government leaders and other biodiesel stakeholders.

From our new Monday evening reception in the Exhibit Hall, the addition of a new Biodiesel Networking Center in the Exhibit Hall, a new and improved NBB Connections social networking system to the numerous open forum “round table sessions” that will be offered this year, NBB wants to assist in these efforts to connect and learn! We believe these additions and changes to the program will create boundless networking opportunities and allow you to meet new people with some of the same biodiesel interests. Where better to meet than the premier biodiesel conference in the country?

For more information contact the NBB Conference Office at 303-798-3664 or e-mail at nbb@kinsleymeetings.com.