Katrina Targets Oil, Refinery Operations - Yahoo! News

Katrina Targets Oil, Refinery Operations - Yahoo! News:
by Justin Bachman, AP Business Writer -- Aug 29, 2005
"The Category 4 storm was on a path to hit New Orleans early Monday, shutting down an estimated 1 million barrels of refining capacity and sharply curbing offshore production in the region.
'This is the big one,' said Peter Beutel, an oil analyst with Cameron Hanover. 'This is unmitigated, bad news for consumers.'
Light, sweet crude for October delivery climbed as much as $4.67 a barrel to hit a high of $70.80 in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The price had slipped back to $68.95 by midday in Europe. That was still up $2.08 from its close on Friday in New York. Gasoline traded at $2.12 a gallon, up 19 cents, or nearly 12 percent, while heating oil rose nearly 14 cents to $1.98 a gallon."

Suburbia's Adaptability to Life After Cheap Oil

Suburban development is usually looked at as detrimental to the environment and energy conservation, but David Holmgren envisions suburbia's adapdability to life after cheap oil.
EnergyBulletin.net | Peak Oil and Permaculture: David Holmgren on Energy Descent | Energy and Peak Oil News:
by Adam Fenderson -- June 7, 2004

...we can look at our suburbs and say they are an infrastructure. Our cities water system has the biggest articulated agricultural landscapes in Australia. So the water is there. We have an infrastructure of hard surfaces that actually harvests storm water, which is seen as a problem at the moment, which allows augmentation of natural rainfall to direct that water into the remaining areas that are potentially productive. We've got mostly individual houses that can be retrofitted to have solar access because they're generally set far enough back from neighboring houses to get that. Now that might involve cutting down a lot of gum trees in those leafy suburbs, but there's a lot of ways in which the suburbs can be incrementally retrofitted in an energy-descent world.

One of the things I think a lot of the urban planners miss is that they assume that any future framework will be driven by public policy and forward planning and design. Whereas, I think, given the speed with which we are approaching this energy-descent world, and the paucity of any serious consideration of planning or even awareness of it, we have to take as part of the equation that the adaptive strategies will not happen by some big, sensible, long range planning approach, but will happen just organically and incrementally by people just doing things in response to immediate conditions. So if you live in an apartment in a multistory building, and you've got to work out how to try and retrofit that in an energy-descent context, there's a lot of complex, technical infrastructure and organization involved. In the suburbs people can actually just start changing houses and doing things—give or take planning regulations—without the whole of society agreeing on some plan. The suburbs are amenable to this organic, incremental, adaptive strategy.

In practical terms, what that really means is that big suburban houses that have one to three people living in them, mostly not present, will actually re-adapt to have people work from home based businesses and retrofitted garages with workshops and people making things, even with food production in them, will increase. The street, which is a dead place at the moment in suburbia, will again become an active space because people will be present rather than commuting away. Now that re-creation of active urban life will be not that much different to what existed prior to and even into my childhood in the 1950s. It's not really a radical a thing to envisage suburban life where there are larger households—whether that's a family or shared households where people are taking in borders to help pay the rent or mortgage or whatever, and help share the tasks that need to be done in larger, more self-reliant households. So I'm quite optimistic about how the suburbs can be retrofitted.

Why ethanol-blended (E10) petrol is a good thing

William J. Wells explains why ethanol-blended petrol is a good thing - On Line Opinion:
by William Wells -- 5/3/2003

The Australian press for the past few months has printed many articles about low-percentage blends of ethanol and petrol. The public has been left with the feeling that something is 'wrong' with these fuels, and that the parties promoting ethanol in fuel are trying to foist something on an unsuspecting public that is somehow bad for them.
This article seeks to lay out the truth about ethanol, and as well tell the rest of the story: that it is fuels without ethanol that should give us cause for concern, because of the levels of toxic chemicals that they contain or emit during incomplete combustion.

Scientists Try to Harness Wave Energy

Scientists Try to Harness Wave Energy - Yahoo! News:
Aug 25, 2005

Gardiner, OR -- 'There is tremendous potential in the oceans to supply energy for the world,' Annette von Jouanne, an Oregon State electrical engineering professor told the crowd. 'A 10-square-mile wave power plant could supply the entire state of Oregon.'
The electric institute and the Bonneville Power Administration identified the Gardiner site as the ideal place for the project in their feasibility study.
The former mill has an outflow pipe already in place -- a structure that could reduce the cost of building a power plant. Electricity from the Gardiner site could be transmitted to other stations up and down the coast.
Money is the biggest obstacle. It will take about $5 million to complete the project's initial phases. But the recently passed federal energy bill could reduce much of that burden.

Avoiding ethanol will raise gas prices

Avoiding ethanol will raise gas prices:
by Ron V. Lamberty -- Detroit News -- 6-25-04
"Contrary to the advice offered in the May 19 Detroit News, "Get the most at the pump," choosing gasoline without ethanol will not save motorists money. In fact, using less ethanol would likely lead to even higher prices at the pump.
The 10 percent ethanol blend (E10) used by many motorists contains almost the same energy content as unleaded gasoline (111,000 btu per gallon compared with 114,000 btu per gallon). However, because other properties of ethanol help gasoline burn more completely, that variance does not translate directly to gas mileage."

ACE Study shows minimal mileage drop for E10

Grainnet - News & Information for the Grain, Milling, Feed & Seed Industries:
by Susan Reidy, Biofuels Journal Editor -- Aug 19, 2005

During a live broadcast of AgriTalk Wednesday morning, Ron Lamberty, ACE vice president/market development, shared the results of a pilot study ACE commissioned on the fuel economy of ethanol.
The study involved researching the fuel economy, cost per mile, and driveability of various blends of fuel including unleaded gasoline, E10, E20, E30, and a specially denatued blend.
Three late-model, non flex-fuel vehicles were tested using each type of fuel.
E10 was less expensive per mile than unleaded gasoline, according to the study.
The higher the concentration of ethanol, the lower the cost per mile.
Simply put, on $20 worth of gasoline, a drive can go up to 15 miles farther on ethanol-blended fuel than on straight unleaded.
The vehicles averaged only 1.5% lower mileage with E10, 2.2% lower mileage with E20, 5.1% lower mileage with E30, and increased mileage of 1.7% with the specially denatured blend.
If drivers want to save money at the pump as gas prices reach new record highs, this pilot study confirms that ethanol is the fuel of choice, Jennings said.

Queen bores hole to heat palace

Queen bores hole to heat palace - Sunday Times - Times Online:
by Lois Rogers, Social Affairs Editor -- Aug 21, 2005

THE Queen is planning to create an underground network to extract heat from the earth's natural warmth and cut energy bills at Buckingham Palace.

Researchers evaluate ethanol as energy option

Researchers evaluate ethanol as energy option - Ohio Farm Bureau Federation:
Aug 23, 2005

According to Dale and Sheehan, Pimentel and Patzek routinely inflate the energy inputs of both farming and fuel production. Their estimates of fossil inputs for farm production are twice as high as those estimated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and their grain processing input estimate is 40 percent higher, Sheehan said.
'Their analyses are simply wrong in many important details,' said Dale. 'They really need to update their information.'
'Pimentel and Patzek ignore the huge benefits of petroleum savings for all biofuels,' Sheehan said. 'For every unit of petroleum energy consumed in corn ethanol production, more than six units of fuel energy are produced.'

Simulated Oil Crisis Raises Eyebrows

FOXNews.com - Politics - Simulated Oil Crisis Raises Eyebrows:
June 24, 2005

The message in the exercise: If consumers don't like spending $2 per gallon for gasoline, they will probably like $5 per gallon even less.
In a sobering reminder of the need for a long-term energy strategy, a nonpartisan group forming the National Commission on Energy Policy held a simulated National Security Council meeting to grapple with a frightening sequence of events.

Cogeneration Facility to Feature Biodiesel, Ethanol, Coal Electric

RedNova News - Science - Investors to Build Biodiesel, Ethanol Plants:
The Salina Journal -- July 6

GOODLAND KS ...'The reason it's so feasible is because the power plant is co-generational,' said Jerry Fairbanks, vice president of First National Bank in Goodland, which is an investor in the project.
'There are a lot of products from each plant that can be recycled and used by the others.'
That keeps costs lower and is better for the environment, he said.
He said he's not sure anything like it has been done in the same compound.
The 20 to 28 megawatt coal-fired power plant will produce electricity and steam. Steam is required to run the ethanol plant, which will produce a molasses-like substance needed to create fuel at the biodiesel plant.

The Oil Supply and Demand Situation

One of the most comprehensive discussions of energy issues I have seen.
The Oil Supply and Demand Situation. An ATSNN Outlook:
April 1, 2004

80 million barrels a day (b/d). That?s how much oil the world consumes to meet its energy needs. The United States alone uses 20 million b/d. To put this in perspective, if Bill Gates spent $80 million a day he would be bankrupt in just over a year. Of course the world has more oil than Bill Gates has money, but one advantage that Bill Gates has is that he can earn more. Oil is a finite resource than cannot be replenished. Once we run out we must find other means to move our cars, trains, and airplanes. How much oil do we have, and how long will production keep up with the growing demand? What other energy sources can we use when oil is too expensive or not easily obtained?

Friendlier Fuel

The Hawk Eye Newspaper:
by Aimee Tabor -- Aug 21, 2005

The high-octane, high-performance fuel, which can only be used in certain flex-fuel vehicles, is designed to reduce greenhouse gases and the country's reliance on foreign fuels. Ethanol is an oxygenate, meaning it adds oxygen to gasoline so it burns cleaner, according to the American Coalition for Ethanol.

P-Series fuels from ethanol, waste products

This new renewable fuel utilizes waste products from natural gas refining, as well as biomass sources normally sent to landfills, in addition to ethanol. This fuel is meant for the flex fuel vehicles designed for E85.
P-Series fuels:
Institute for the Analysis of Global Security

P-Series is a family of renewable, non-petroleum, liquid fuels that can substitute for gasoline. They are a blend of 25 or so domestically produced ingredients. About 35% of P-Series comes from liquid by-products, known as 'C5 ' or 'pentanes-plus', which are left over when natural gas is processed for transport and marketing. Ethanol, fermented from corn, comprises about 45%, and the remaining 20% is MeTHF, an ether derived from lignocelullosic biomass -- paper sludge, wastepaper, food waste, yard and wood waste, agricultural waste, and so on...

Bacteria Purify Ethanol Plant Wastewater

Farming for Energy: Araerobic Digesters -- bur boost for ethanol; manure to methane - does it pay; for digester farmer wannabes.:
by E.M. Morrison -- Ag Innovations News -- July 2001

Wastewater from the plant flows into a 30,000-gallon bioreactor, which looks like a tall, silver silo. Inside the reactor is a floating bed of hardworking bacteria. These "methanator bugs" break down chemical wastes in the water, removing more than 90 percent of the impurities that interfere with ethanol processing. The water is left clean enough to be reused in fermentation, Coler says.

Nebraska Ethanol Plant Powered by Manure

WOWT | Ethanol With A Twist:

Critics of ethanol say it takes too much energy to produce but the people behind Nebraska Bioclean say that's not the case with the new facility near Mead.
Hallberg says a feedlot packed with 27,000 head of cattle will fuel production with cow manure.
'We won't purchase fossil fuels,' Hallberg says. 'We'll make our own energy inputs and the manure will be converted to biogas. We patented the technology and it's the first time we're using it at this scale.'

Ethanol Plant Powered by Manure, Cotton Waste

Analysis: Ethanol industry growing - (United Press International):
by Phil Magers -- The Washington Times -- May 4, 2005

Panda said its plant will be one of the most energy efficient ethanol facilities ever built because it will convert cattle manure -- which is readily available in the Panhandle -- and cotton-gin waste into bio-gas to power the plant instead of natural gas, saving the equivalent of 1,000 barrels of oil per day.

Canadian Petroleum Companies Want Ethanol Mandate Delayed

National Post:
by Gillian Livingston, Canadian Press -- Aug 18, 2005

...Teneycke noted that cars built since the 1970s are equipped to handle the fuel, and gas producers such as Suncor already mix ethanol with their gasoline.
He said there's no reason why Ontario can't reach its ethanol target by 2007, considering larger markets such as California, New York and Connecticut were able to implement similar policies within two years without major problems....

The Cost of Oil And Hubbert's Peak

RIGZONE - The Cost of Oil And Hubbert's Peak:
The Record, Bergen County, NJ -- August 16, 2005

There is now a theory that world oil production is approaching the same 'Hubbert's Peak.' Kenneth Deffeyes of Princeton, author of 'Hubbert's Peak: The Impending World Oil Shortage,' is one of the principle proponents. Applying Hubbert's techniques to world oil, Deffeyes found that non-OPEC discoveries peaked in 1975. That means we should be approaching peak production right about now.
As for OPEC production - who knows? The Saudis are still highly secretive about both their reserves and their production capacity - as are all OPEC nations. OPEC parcels out its production quotas on the basis of reserves - which prompts all OPEC members to exaggerate their capacity.

Phoenix firm to build huge solar farm

This solar instalation is expected to produce electricity at a cost similar to electricity from fossil fuels -- a huge breakthrough in large scale solar electricity.
Phoenix firm to build huge solar farm - Phoenix - MSNBC.com:

'This is a breakthrough event for solar energy,' said Stirling Chief Executive Bruce Osborn. 'This is the world's most efficient solar technology.'
Stirling's concentrated solar dish -- unlike photovoltaic panels that collect sunlight on a much smaller scale -- harnesses heat from the sun with 82 mirrors and reflects it toward a series of hydrogen-filled tubes that expand when heated. The expanding gas cycles back and forth from cold to hot, and its movement powers a piston that creates up to 25 kilowatts of power.

Cellulose ethanol critical to Canada's green future

Iogen, a Canadian Ethanol company, expects to open the first commercial scale cellulose ethanol plant in 2007The Globe and Mail: Cellulose ethanol critical to Canada's green future:
by MICHAEL VAUGHAN -- Aug 18, 2005

"Vaughan: In the United States you get ethanol made from corn in the gasoline; in Brazil you get ethanol that's made from sugar. But Iogen uses straw?
Passmore: That's correct. Iogen is not in the business of making ethanol from grains such as corn. We are in the business of making ethanol from agriculture residues such as straw or corn cobs and stalks.
By using enzymes, we turn the cellulose material in this residue into sugars and then turn the sugars into alcohol. This alcohol (ethanol) can be used in today's cars just like grain-based ethanol. In fact, all car manufacturers warrant ethanol blended up to 10 per cent with gasoline.
Cellulose ethanol, as it is known, is not commercially available at this time, but Iogen has the world's largest demonstration plant converting wheat straw into ethanol fuel.

Ethanol Producers will Unite to Make Biodiesel

DesMoinesRegister.com:
by Jerry Perkins -- June 24, 2005

The technology will make it possible for ethanol producers to extract oil from distillers dry grain, a co-product of the ethanol-making process.
Using the new technology will allow processors to turn corn oil into biodiesel, said Matt Janes, vice president of technology at VeraSun Energy in Brookings, S.D.

Janes said the new technology gives ethanol plants another product to sell and improves the handling characteristics of distillers dry grain, which is used mostly as a high-protein livestock feed.

VeraSun will make the new technology available to other ethanol producers at no cost and buy the oil that is extracted from the distillers dry grain, Janes said.

Ethanol's fuel additive benefits continue to spark debate

mcall.com - Ethanol's fuel additive benefits continue to spark debate:
By Robert Manor -- August 12, 2005

And the ethanol industry is growing more efficient.

The plant in Lena, built in 2002, sometimes extracts as much as 2.8 gallons of ethanol from a bushel of corn. An output of 2.5 gallons used to be considered good.

The plant is highly automated, which holds down the cost of the ethanol it makes.

Meanwhile seed companies are developing new corn varieties that will yield more ethanol, which would cut prices and make it more competitive with gasoline.

John Urbanchuk, an agricultural economist with the LECG consulting firm, said if gasoline prices remain high and ethanol continues to grow cheaper, it will some day need no government money.

''That time is on its way,'' Urbanchuk said.

2005 Saab 9-5 Flex Fuel: More Horsepower, Better Fuel Economy with E85

2005 Saab 9-5 Ethanol Preview - Automobile.com:
by Justin Couture -- Nov 26, 2004

The added kick in E85s octane number allows the small, turbocharged motor to produce 180 horsepower, an improvement of 20 percent over the regular Euro-spec models 150 horsepower output. Saab claims that the extra 30 horses wont come at the expense of fuel consumption either. At low speeds there is unlikely to be any impact of the flex-fuel, however, its a totally different story at higher speeds. During testing runs, the 9-5 EFF posted a welcome 15 percent gain in fuel economy, as fuel-enrichment for motor cooling is no longer necessary when a vehicle is run on ethanol.

'Clean' diesel fuel in works for 2006

This new mandate for lower sulfur will allow the development of diesel engines that get eeven better miles per gallon than they do now. It will also be very good for biodiesel demand.
'Clean' diesel fuel in works for 2006:
by Bob Golfen -- The Arizona Republic -- Aug. 13, 2005

Clean diesel fuel may sound like an oxymoron, but a fundamental change starting next year will help clear the air and possibly bring diesel engines into the mainstream.

Under a federal mandate, oil producers must reduce the amount of sulfur in diesel fuel by September 2006, bringing it down from an average of 500 parts per million to a nearly non-existent 15 parts per million.

The changeover to ultralow-sulfur diesel fuel will allow the nation's fleet of trucks and buses to run cleaner, emitting less nitrous oxides and fewer particulates.

It's also expected to spawn a new generation of clean-diesel cars and trucks that still get 25 to 30 percent better mileage than comparable gasoline-powered vehicles.

Henry Ford and Fuel Ethanol

Why Henry's plans were delayed for more than a half century - Canadian Renewable Fuels Association:

But gasoline had many disadvantages as an automotive source. The "new" fuel had a lower octane rating than ethanol, was much more toxic (particularly when blended with tetra-ethyl lead and other compounds to enhance octane), was generally more dangerous, and contained threatening air pollutants. Petroleum was more likely to explode and burn accidentally, gum would form on storage surfaces, and carbon deposits would form in combustion chambers of engines. Pipelines were needed for distribution from "area found" to "area needed". Petroleum was much more physically and chemically diverse than ethanol, necessitating complex refining procedures to ensure the manufacture of a consistent gasoline product.
Because of its lower octane rating relative to ethanol, the use of gasoline meant the use of lower compression engines and larger cooling systems.

Ethanol and Gasoline

Institute for Local Self-Reliance - Media Coverage - Ethanol and Gasoline:
by David Morris -- April 22, 1997

Back in the early 1920s car companies were designing more powerful, higher compression cars. They needed an additive to boost octane and eliminate engine knocking. With an octane rating of 110 ethanol was a perfect choice. But ethanol displaces about 10 percent of the gasoline. The oil companies were determined not to give that business to America's farmers.
Instead, the industry chose to mix a small amount of lead into the gas. By 1940 leaded gasoline was the norm. Thirty years later the evidence of the resulting damage to human health from lead in the air and soil had become so compelling the federal government banned leaded gasoline.
Did the oil companies then choose ethanol? Nope. They reformulated gasoline, a chemical stew of over 200 noxious ingredients. To achieve higher octane they increased the proportion of toxic and carcinogenic chemicals like benzene, toluene and xylene to 30, 40 even 60 percent of the gasoline.

American Coalition for Ethanol to Host U.S. Debut of Saab 9-5 2.0 BioPower (Flex Fuel)

Press Release 8.3.05:
American Coalition for Ethanol -- Aug 3, 2005

Sioux Falls, SD ...This will be the first chance for people to see the Saab 9-5 BioPower in the United States, and ACE is excited that Saab will introduce the new technology at our conference this month, said Ron Lamberty, ACE Vice President / Market Development. Saab is committed to the environmental benefits of ethanol-blended fuel, and their new technology shows that E85 can also offer significant benefits in power and performance.

Saab reports that the 9-5 BioPower produces more power and performance when running on E85 than on conventional gasoline. The engine delivers 180 brake horsepower (bhp) with E85 and 150 bhp with gasoline. In addition to this 20% increase in maximum power, 16% more torque is offered with E85 over gasoline.

The North American debut of the Saab 9-5 BioPower will take place the morning of Wednesday, August 17 at the Qwest Center Omaha, located at 455 North 10th Street. Jan-Willem Vester, Saab USA Corporate Communications, will introduce the new technology and be available for interviews...

History of Ethanol Fuel in America

Fuel's Paradise? - Popular Science:
by Matthew Phenix -- July 2005

Mistrusted and misunderstood, ethanol has time and again enjoyed surges of popularity, only to stumble and fall before hitting the big time. Championed by the auto industry, bashed by the oil industry, and never able to separate itself from its intoxicating alter ego, ethanol has never been more than an also-ran at the American pump.

New SAAB Turbocharger Gets More Mileage, Performance from E85

The New turbocharged SAAB gets more power out of E85 without lowering miles per gallon by taking advantage of a high octane rating, increasing the comression when using E85. This kind of technology, if widely implimented by car makers, could improve the economic viability and net energy balance of Ethanol.
Liquor Does It Quicker - Popular Science:
by Matthew Phenix -- July 2005

E85 typically delivers inferior fuel economy; it has about 75 percent of the potential energy of gasoline, so it takes up to 20 percent more hooch to keep horsepower on par. But E85 also has a high octane rating (around 110), and Saab realized that a turbocharger could harness it. Turbos push extra air into the cylinder, and higher octane allows a fuel to better endure the increased pressure. So Saab cranked up its fans and created the BioPower engine, the first commercially available ethanol turbo. A computer samples the fuel mixture and adjusts boost pressure -- from 5.8 psi for pure gasoline to 13.8 psi for E85. Running straight gasoline, the engine produces 148 horsepower, but E85 jacks it up to 184, with no penalty in fuel economy.

New SAAB Flex Fuel Car Performs Better on E85

It's only available in Sweden, but a new SAAB flex fuel car is optimized for E85. This means it takes advantage of the unique qualities to deliver more power and better mileage at high speeds than a similar car running on regular gasoline. This capability would make E85 cars much more competitive in the US market. Car makers would do well to develope more flexible fuel vehicles optimized for running on E85.
Saabnet.com Press: BioPower Flex-Fuel 9-5:

On the road, the 180-hp Saab 9-5 BioPower running on E85 delivers sportier performance due to a significant 30-hp boost in maximum power and 30 lb.-ft. more torque, for a maximum of 206 lb.-ft., compared to its gasoline-powered equivalent. While fuel economy in city and mixed driving conditions is unlikely to show an improvement, preliminary testing indicates that up to a 15 percent gain can be expected at cruising speeds because of better combustion with higher efficiency.

Breakthrough Energy Cell Captures Vibration To Produce Electricity

gizmag Article: Breakthrough Energy Cell Captures Vibration To Produce Electricity:
February 28, 2005

A renewable energy device that captures vibration to produce electricity looks set to replace or complement small conventional batteries for a range of every day applications and enable the reliable powering of new technologies. The Kinetic Energy Cell is a micro renewable energy source able to generate electricity from vibration or motion such as from cars, trucks and even people. This means that so long as there is access to movement or vibration the cell produces energy. Because the cell can replace standard and alkaline batteries in some applications, it is a non-polluting solution to small power requirements. Six billion dry cell batteries are produced annually by the world's largest manufacturer.

Diesel Hybrid Electric Cars Now!

Biodiesel-Electric and Ethanol-Electric Hybrids appear to be the best approach for our transportation system in the next 50 years, with the addition of a plug-in option for charging batteries off the grid. These technologies are already developed and need only be made available to the motorist.
WorldChanging: Another World Is Here: Diesel Hybrid Electric Cars Now!:
June 3, 2004

The irony is that diesel hybrids could be far more efficient and clean than anything now on the market, without any leaps in technology. The combination of modern clean diesel engines, Prius-style serial hybrid-electric systems, and biodiesel/vegetable oil fuels could provide amazing mileage, cleaner air, and vastly reduced petroleum dependency. Comfortable, powerful sedans could get upwards of 80 miles per gallon and be carbon-neutral.

Energy executives: Oil prices are expected to remain high

Energy executives: Oil prices are expected to remain high - Denver - MSNBC.com:
By Cathy Proctor, The Denver Business Journal -- Aug. 7, 2005

Oil and gas industry executives meeting in Denver recently have a gloomy message for business: Get used to high energy prices -- and don't be surprised to see them climb even higher.
Oil is expected to remain in the range of $50 to $70 per barrel for two years, said Mark Rodekohr, director of energy markets and contingency information for the federal Energy Information Administration. He spoke at the opening session of the Colorado Oil and Gas Association's annual conference held Aug. 1-3 at the Colorado Convention Center.

Dirty Oil: the West's Saviour, the Greens' Worst Nightmare

RedNova News - Dirty Oil: the West's Saviour, the Greens' Worst Nightmare:
August 1, 2005

All the auto manufacturers have hydrogen prototypes and all the oil companies - Royal Dutch/Shell, Chevron, and even Exxon Mobil - have hydrogen programmes.
But even with the best will in the world, the hydrogen age is probably more than half a century away. Bjorn Skulason, managing director of Iceland New Energy, a Shell-sponsored project to turn Iceland into a hydrogen-only economy, says: 'It will take at least 40-50 years before you replace everything with hydrogen,' he says.
That means what powers the car of the future may not be hydrogen, as Honda predicts, nor biofuels, nor electricity generated from unsightly wind turbines, but yet more fossil fuels - and dirtier ones at that. The world's never ending need for energy is about to send the global oil companies in search of a whole new barrel of nastier hydrocarbons.

Midwest Sustainable Agriculture Working Group Supports Biofuels

MSAWG, A coalition of sustainable agriculture, environmental, food, religious and rural organizations in the midwest, developed this position paper supporting sustainable agriculture for the production of biofuels, wind energy, and other farm energy options. These groups are convinced that biofuels can be part of the energy solution if farmed in a sustainable manner. These sustainable methods are already proven in food farming, and farming in general is growing progressively more energy efficient.
Midwest Sustainable Agriculture Working Group | Sustainable Energy Position Paper:

We envision a transformation of our energy system from a fossil and nuclear-based system to a renewable, clean system. Aging coal plants and nuclear plants will gradually be phased out in favor of wind, biomass, solar and other renewable technologies. In the coming years, biofuels will increasingly replace petroleum fuels. We also see hydrogen-based fuel cells powering our transportation network, virtually eliminating our current dependency on petroleum.
This clean energy transformation will drastically reduce air emissions, mitigate global warming impacts, and significantly improve public health and the environment. Energy crops will be grown in a way that improves soil quality and reduces the need for fertilizer, pesticide and herbicide applications.
The ownership of renewable generation technologies will be in the hands of multiple individuals and local entities, such as farmer cooperatives. But even under utility ownership, renewable energy projects will benefit local economies, such as through lease payments to farmers for wind turbines on their land. The scale of the renewable projects will be suitable for the local circumstances.

Energy and agriculture: Making it work

Agriculture can be a big part of the energy solution, but only if it becomes less reliant on imported energy inputs through sustainable farming practices.
Leopold Center - Energy and agriculture: Making it work - Spring 2005 Leopold Letter:

'A typical community spends 20 percent of its gross annual income on energy and 80 percent of that leaves the community,' Lovins explained. 'If you're looking for ways to ways to revitalize your community, look no further than your light switch.'

Farms can provide both alternative means of power -- wind, solar, biomass fuel -- and become a source of on-farm income, all within the local economy. Lovins added that wind energy is growing rapidly in the Midwest 'for very good economic reasons.'

'Around the world, wind power is the fast growing electric supply, delivering over 5 gigawatts of new energy every year,' she said. 'Wind is one of the cheapest sources of new electricity -- very competitive with natural gas turbines.'

She noted that although Iowa leads the nation in the production of ethanol at a million gallons annually, there's still room for growth. Germany produces 750 million gallons of ethanol each year, she said.

'What's going on in Iowa with the production of ethanol and other bio-based fuels for the production of energy and other products is really exciting but we need to do it sustainably,' she warned. 'If not, we can easily substitute one problem for another.'

Weighing Transportation Fuel Options

This article proposes biodiesel from algae powering hybrid plug in electric cars as a better option than hydrogen fuel cells. This is one of the most comprehensive comparisons of these technologies available.
UNH Biodiesel Group:
by Michael Briggs, University of New Hampshire -- Aug 2004

One of the biggest advantages of biodiesel compared to many other alternative transportation fuels is that it can be used in existing diesel engines without modification, and can be blended in at any ratio with petroleum diesel. This completely eliminates the 'chicken-and-egg' dilemma that other alternatives have, such as hydrogen powered fuel cells. For hydrogen vehicles, even when (and if) vehicle manufacturers eventually have production stage vehicles ready (which currently cost around $1 million each to make), nobody would buy them unless there was already a wide scale hydrogen fuel production and distribution system in place. But, no companies would be interested in building that wide scale hydrogen fuel production and distribution system until a significant number of fuel cell vehicles are on the road, so that consumers are ready to start using it. With a single hydrogen fuel pump costing roughly $1 million, installing just one at each of the 176,000 fuel stations across the US would cost $176 billion - a cost that can be completely avoided with liquid biofuels that can use our current infrastructure.
With biodiesel, since the same engines can run on conventional petroleum diesel, manufacturers can comfortably produce diesel vehicles before biodiesel is available on a wide scale - as some manufacturers already are (the same can be said for flex-fuel vehicles capable of running on ethanol, gasoline, or any blend of the two). As biodiesel production continues to ramp up, it can go into the same fuel distribution infrastructure, just replacing petroleum diesel either wholly (as B100, or 100% biodiesel), or blended in with diesel. Not only does this eliminate the chicken-and-egg problem, making biodiesel a much more feasible alternative than hydrogen, but also eliminates the huge cost of revamping the nationwide fue

Start-up drills for oil in algae

GreenFuel Technologies aims to produce biodiesel from algae fed by power plant emissions, resulting in cleaner air.
Start-up drills for oil in algae | CNET News.com:
by Martin LaMonica -- May 20, 2005

Berzin is the founder and chief technology officer of GreenFuel Technologies, a Cambridge, Mass.-based start-up that has a novel approach to energy and pollution control.
Using technology licensed from a NASA project, GreenFuel builds bioreactors--in the shape of 3-meter-high glass tubes fashioned as a triangle--to grow algae. The algae are fed with sunlight, water and carbon-carrying emissions from power plants. The algae are then harvested and turned into biodiesel fuel.

New technology turns corn into biodiesel

Rapid City Journal: New technology turns corn into biodiesel:
June 15, 2005

SIOUX FALLS (AP) ...The new technology extracts oil from corn through a mechanical process that can be installed at any dry-mill ethanol plant within 30 days, Endres said.

'They'll get more money for the oil than they're receiving today,' Endres said. 'We then have a secure source, too, for our plant.'

Endres said using corn will help the whole biodiesel industry, which is largely based on soybean oil.

'If there are shortages of soybeans or it becomes too expensive, the corn will be able to continue to supply the market and industry,' Endres said.

Until now, chemical extraction was the only way to remove oil from corn. The chemical process only extracts food-grade oil, which is not suitable for biodiesel...

Ethanol from Waste Sweet Potatoes in Canada

I would love to see a net energy balance study on this one -- looks quite promising. This could make Sweet Potatoes a perfect replacement crop for tobacco.
Sweet potato alliance pushing ahead with ethanol project -- Tillsonburg News:
by Jeff Helsdon -- August 5, 2005

...Tillsonburg, ON -- Traditionally with sweet potatoes, there is a 40 to 50 per cent waste rate of product that never makes it to market. The proposal is to use the waste to produce ethanol at a plant built in either Tillsonburg, Aylmer or in Norfolk County.
Murray cited figures that show the crop will produce 6,000 litres of ethanol per acre, as compared to the 1,420 produced by corn. The end result is the farmer can net $1,500-plus per acre, dependent on his/her growing skills and the market...

Lack of pumps limiting E85's appeal

The News-Gazette Online:
by CHRISTINE DES GARENNES, Aug 3, 2005

"It's almost a Catch-22 situation, people say. Gas station owners are hesitant to spend the money to install pumps because not many people know or ask about flexible fuel vehicles. But people won't buy flexible fuel vehicles if there are no gas stations near them that carry E85.
'My greatest concern is not on the supply side of ethanol, but the demand side. Consumers are not demanding ethanol. Unless there's a demand for flexible fuel vehicles and E85 pumps, the future of ethanol is limited,' said Martha Schlicher, director of National Corn-to-Ethanol Research Center at Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville.

Big Oil warns of coming energy crunch

Big Oil warns of coming energy crunch - Yahoo! News:
by Carola Hoyos in London -- Aug 4, 2005

The world's five largest energy groups generally maintain that oil projects are viable with the price at around $20 a barrel. But their advertising and some of their own statistics appear to tell a different story.

Technology Breakthrough Enables Biodiesel Production from Ethanol Plants

This technology allows the extraction of corn oil for biodiesel in addition to ethanol production. Perhaps this could be a path toward improving the net energy balance in addition to improving the bottom line for ethanol producers.
VeraSun Energy, Press Releases:
Contact: Bill Honnef, Vice President of Sales and Marketing

...The technology enables ethanol producers to extract crude oil from the dry mill process. By extracting the oil, producers have the opportunity to increase plant income and improve handling characteristics of distillers dry grains.
'This is exciting new technology. We believe this breakthrough will improve the economics of ethanol production by creating another product revenue stream,' explains Don Endres, CEO of VeraSun Energy.
SunSource BioEnergy hopes to extend the benefits industry-wide by offering producers extraction units and oil purchase agreements. The company plans to build a 50 million gallon biodiesel production facility that will purify the corn oil and convert it to biodiesel fuel...

EthanolFacts.com

Facts about Ethanol from the National Corn Growers AssociationEthanolFacts.com

Ethanol's Potential: Looking Beyond Corn

Analysis: Ethanol's Potential: Looking Beyond Corn:
by Danielle Murray, Environmental News Service -- organicconsumers.org -- July 1, 2005

WASHINGTON, DC, (ENS) - At the fuel pumps in Sao Paulo, customers have a choice: gas or alcohol? Since the mid-1970s, Brazil has worked to replace imported gasoline with ethanol, an alcohol distilled from locally grown sugarcane. Today ethanol accounts for 40 percent of the fuel sold in Brazil. Ethanol can be produced from a wide variety of plant-based feedstocks, most commonly grain or sugar crops...

...Biofuel production also can improve rural economies by creating new jobs and raising farm incomes. As a locally produced, renewable fuel, ethanol has the potential to diversify energy portfolios, lower dependence on foreign oil, and improve trade balances in oil-importing nations...

The MDI Air Car adds bi-energy, increases range

The revolutionary "air car" will be available with dual engines -- the compressed air engine and an internal combustion engine working in tandem. In the city at slower speeds, it will run totally on compressed air, producing zero emmissions. The fuel engine will increase range, operating at higher speeds and recharging the air tanks. If this engine could be flex-fuel, it could easily run on Ethanol or Biodiesel.
The MDI Air Car - the world's cleanest car.:
MDI -- 2005

After twelve years of reserch and development, Guy Negre has developed an engine that could become one of the biggest technological advances of this century. Its application to CAT vehicles gives them significant economical and environmental advantages. With the incorporation of bi-energy (compressed air fuel) the CAT Vehicles have increased their driving range to close to 2000 km with zero pollution in cities and considerably reduced pollution outside urban areas.

Additive firms try to derail ethanol drive in Thailand

Bangkok Post Monday 01 August 2005 - Additive firms try to derail ethanol drive: "Additive firms try to derail ethanol drive
by SOONRUTH BUNYAMANEE -- Bangkok Post -- August 1, 2005

Lobbying effort already in motion

Gasoline additive producers are lobbying Thailand and other developing countries to give up their efforts to develop ethanol for use in automobile fuel, according to a senior local official involved in the promotion of ethanol.

Thailand has embarked on an ambitious programme to promote the production of ethanol to replace imports of methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE), a gasoline additive, which currently total 300 million litres worth up to four billion baht annually. Specifically, it aims to replace MTBE with ethanol in octane 95 gasoline by January 2007 and in octane 91 gasoline in 2009.