National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition - FYI Newsletter, Volume 7, Issue 6, March 19, 2002
On March 13, 2002 the Renewable Fuel Standard was introduced in the United States Senate by Senator Nelson of Nebraska and Majority Leader Tom Daschle of South Dakota. While the RFS will expand the use of ethanol across the nation, one of the most important aspects of this landmark energy bill is the establishment of a 2-billion-gallon renewable fuel standard in 2004 that gradually grows to 5 billion gallons by 2012.
During the introduction of this amendment to S517, the Senate Energy Bill, Senator Nelson commented,
“In the early days of the automobile, Henry Ford believed at first that the best source of power for the automobile was with ethanol made from farm crops and other renewable materials. It is interesting to note, after a century of domination by oil, that we have now come perhaps full circle to recognizing there is a place for ethanol and renewable fuels as part of the fuel standard in order to power the automobiles that we continue to drive some 100 years later. Ultimately, the power of oil interests led to policies that made oil king, with depletion allowances, foreign tax credits, and naval convoys and armies dispatched to protect oilfields around the world. Of course, the direct or indirect control of oil remains an American economic, diplomatic, political, and military priority.”
“Today we have a historic opportunity to begin the process of swinging back full circle, at least to some degree, in our national energy policy. The energy policy today embodied in this bill offers us a chance to realize the potential that Henry Ford saw even then, and that his successors managing Ford, GM, and Chrysler are making possible every time they produce an E-85 automobile capable of running on 85-percent ethanol. More than 2 million of these so-called flexible fuel vehicles are on the road at this time. Additionally, essentially all automakers in the world produce cars that run well on blends of ethanol, up to 10 percent, as well as those that will run up to 85 percent. We have the cars. Now we need the fuel. This bill provides the means in order to get it. The Energy Policy Act of 2002 will boost biofuels and biorefinery concepts to realistically address oil import levels that have now surpassed the 56-percent mark, with ever higher levels ahead of us if we do not do something significant now to change the direction in which we have been heading.”
Senator Daschle added that:
“…this agreement (RFS) could not have been fashioned without the leadership of Bruce Knight, National Corn Growers Association……and the valuable contribution of Todd Sneller, Nebraska Ethanol Board, and Larry Pearce, Nebraska Energy Office…..” The National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition is proud that the National Corn Growers Association, Nebraska Ethanol Board, and Nebraska Energy Office are members of our Board of Director’s and we salute the valuable contributions that Mr. Knight, Sneller, and Pearce played in the development of the RFS!
Also speaking on the floor of the U.S. Senate on March 13, 2002 in support of the adoption of a Renewable Fuel Standard were Senators Durbin (IL), Hagel (NE), Voinovich and DeWine (OH), Lugar (IN), Craig (ID), Harkin and Grassley (IA), Dorgan (ND), Carnahan (MO), Johnson (SD), Burns (MT), and Lincoln (AR).
During the first three months of 2002, Phil Lampert has driven approximately 4,000 miles with his 2002 5.3 liter FFV Tahoe. This vehicle has not been driven one mile on anything but E85, (actually E70 during the winter.) During this time, Lampert has consumed approximately 155 gallons of neat ethanol (4,000 mi./18 mpg * .70). If this vehicle were only operated on 10% ethanol, less than 23 gallons of neat ethanol would have been consumed during the same 4,000 miles of driving.
Think about the tremendous impact to domestic energy security, agricultural profitability, and environmental stewardship that is generated by the use of E85. Next time you have the chance to fill up your FFV with E85, DO IT! If your local fuel retailers don’t offer E85, contact the NEVC for assistance in encouraging the installation of E85 fueling systems in your neighborhood.
As this edition of the FYI is being written, March 18, 2002, the Senate is returning to Washington, D.C. for the last week of congressional action prior to the Easter recess. The Senate will adjourn March 22 and not return to Washington until April 9, 2002. As reported in today’s political press, Senator Daschle may postpone energy debate until a return from the recess and concentrate this week’s floor action on Campaign Finance Reform.
For the past two weeks, the primary floor action in the Senate has been taken up with debate on the Energy Bill. As noted elsewhere in the FYI, an amendment has been adopted to establish a Renewable Energy Standard that, among other requirements, would establish 2 billion gallons of ethanol as the “minimum” that would be used in the United States in 2004 with this number increasing to 5 billion gallons by 2012. This amendment also addresses the phase-out of MTBE, oxygen requirements of the 1990 Clean Act Amendments, and many other provisions. This important addition to the Senate Energy Bill is supported by a broad coalition of advocates ranging from the Governors’ Ethanol Coalition to the American Petroleum Institute.
Additionally, in the past week the Senate adopted the “Levin-Bond Amendment” which calls for a scientific analysis of the impact and potential of increased Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards, addresses the need to provide incentives to advance the use of alternative transportation fuels, and also extends until 2012 the credits automakers are provided to produce alternative fuel vehicles. Some aspects dealing with electric transmission, distribution, and use of renewables to generate electricity were also addressed last week. Presently, it appears that debate on the Senate Energy bill will clearly extend into at least mid-April.
-by Kate Jaimet of Ottawa Citizen, March 12, 2002
Like federal cabinet
ministers, Edmonton drag racer Jim Low enjoys power.
But unlike cabinet ministers, who cruise around in gas-guzzling vehicles, Mr.
Low gets his power from greener, grain-based
ethanol.
"It's more economical than racing fuel and it's a renewable resource," said the
Edmonton speedster. "We can buy it right here in Red Deer." Two weeks ago,
opposition politicians trashed federal cabinet ministers for their fleet of 90
large vehicles. Only four of the ministerial cars run on cleaner alternative
fuels like ethanol and
natural gas. The other 86 are large, gas-guzzlers like Ford Crown Victorias and
Chevrolet Impalas, whose polluting emissions give them an
environmental-friendliness rating of only a six of ten from the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency.
(Ottawa’s) Environment Minister David Anderson -- whose efficient, gas-electric
Toyota Prius emits just a fraction of the Crown Victorias' smoggy chemicals --
has lamented some of his colleagues just don't consider small, efficient cars
dignified.
But dignity is no problem for Mr. Low's snazzy 1966 Chevy II -- which covers a
quarter-mile drag strip in just less than 11 seconds, showing that green power
can command respect.
"A 66 Chevy II is a sought-after streetcar," he said. "As a race car, they're
out of this world."
Mr. Low and his son Jamie have been racing their Chevy for eight years. Until
this year, they used top-grade gasoline with a lead additive. But concerned with
the high fuel price and the toxicity of lead, Mr. Low went looking for an
alternative. Last summer, he met some American racers who were using
ethanol.
As the NEVC promotes, smoggy chemicals like carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides
and volatile organic carbons are reduced by this grain-based fuel.
Also, because
ethanol
has a high oxygen content, it increases
performance, said Dan Schwartzkopf, who races an
ethanol-powered
dragster and is plant manager for Wyoming
Ethanol.
"These engines are big air pumps. The more oxygen we can get into that motor,
the more power you can produce."
Mr. Low said he had to make some modifications to his car's injection system and
carburation system to switch over to
ethanol.
As well, he had to make arrangements with API Industries in Red Deer -- which
manufactures the grain alcohol to sell to distilleries -- to provide him the
fuel at nearly 100-per-cent purity.
"They taint it a little with gasoline, because otherwise it's moonshine. If you
have a bad day at the racetrack, you may end up drinking out of your gas tank."
(Not recommended by the NEVC!)
Although Mr. Low is probably the only drag racer in Canada using
ethanol,
he said others are watching him and if he is successful, he believes the
alternative fuel will catch on.
And asked if his Chevy -- nicknamed Desperado -- would be appropriate for
cabinet ministers, the Albertan pondered the nature of politicians, then
replied:
"For a bandito, yeah."
- by Frederic J.
Frommer, Associated Press Writer
Senator Mark Dayton, MN introduced an amendment to the Senate energy bill on
March 13, 2002 that would require the federal government to make greater use of
biodiesel and ethanol in its vehicles.
The measure, introduced with Senator Charles Grassley from Iowa, is aimed at
helping farmers get a bigger share of the fuel market. Ethanol is made
principally from corn and used primarily as a gasoline additive, while biodiesel
is a product of soybeans. The amendment would require federal vehicles that run
on gasoline to use 10 percent ethanol-blended gasoline where supplies are
available. Vehicles that run on diesel would be required to use two percent
biodiesel by 2007, and twenty percent biodiesel by 2012.
The nation's federal fleet is about 600,000 vehicles. In 1999, government
vehicles consumed 275 million gallons of gasoline and 64 million gallons of
diesel fuel.
"This will boost the farm economy and will reduce our reliance on foreign oil,"
Dayton from Minnesota said in a conference call with reporters. "It will enhance
the energy security of this country."
Dayton said the idea for the legislation came from his meetings with Minnesota
farmers.
Last year, the General Accounting Office, Congress' investigative arm, said that
federal agencies have done little to switch to alternative fuels. The
Agriculture Department was cited for being slow to publish a list of biobased
products for agencies to consider buying.
Biodiesel and ethanol got a verbal boost last fall from President Bush, who
called them "fuels of our future" and linked their production to national
security.
"These fuels are made right here in America, so they can't be threatened by any
foreign power," Bush told farmers and agribusiness officials.
Even though this amendment is directed toward ten percent ethanol in fuel, this is a step in decreasing the nation’s dependence on foreign oil. It is also a step towards making E85 mandated for government use.
- by Rachel Gantz, Oxy-Fuel New, March 11, 2002
New Jersey is looking to build the East Coast's first ethanol plant and is hopeful to begin construction by the end of the year, according to the director of the proposed plant.
The 40 million gallon year plant, to be run by Garden State Ethanol, LLC (GSE), would be situated somewhere within Salem County and corn and grain sorghum would serve as its primary feedstock, explained GSE Director Ed Stahl. "But the timeline is a little iffy," at the moment, he said.
"We are anxiously waiting to see what happens and hope to have the details we need to submit for the permitting process in the next thirty days," he noted, with construction slated to begin at the end of the year. Additionally, the Delaware River and Bay Authority (DRBA) has offered to help finance the plant, Stahl said, but said he's sure "they are waiting on the same kind of information we are," before making a final decision.
"We have had preliminary discussions with GSE, but no decision has been made," confirmed DRBA spokesman Jim Salmon, and there is no timeline. The DRBA was given authority by Congress in 1990 to use its resources to participate in economic development ventures in Delaware and the four southern counties of New Jersey, he noted.
Building an ethanol plant in New Jersey has been explored before, but never more thoroughly than with the GSE project, according to a company statement. Over the past two years, a number of agriculture and academic groups have conducted pre-feasibility and feasibility studies, industry investigation of processes and success stories and many meetings with corn growers in the state and surrounding states. "This due diligence has led to the conclusion that the timing is quite good and New Jersey is an excellent place for a regional, East Coast production facility," the GSE statement said. An ethanol plant would help boost corn production in the state and help areas in the Northeast with meeting a renewable fuels standard, if one is required as part of whatever U.S. energy bill passes this year.
Although no specific location within Salem County has been decided, GSE has retained Memphis, Tennessee-based Lurgi PSI to design and build the plant, Stahl said. Additionally, meetings throughout New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware and eastern Pennsylvania are scheduled for late spring and early summer to discuss the project.
April 9, 2002
FREE Alternative Fuels Workshops at 9 a.m. at Salt Lake City State Library and 12 p.m. at National Guard Armory. For more information or to obtain a registration form, contact Michelle Saab at info@e85.com.
April 10, 2002 (tentative)
Media Event at Christensen Oil at 595 South 200 East in Provo, Utah. For more information, contact Michelle Saab at info@e85.com.
April 11, 2002 (tentative)
Grand Opening at Texaco, 1350 East 700 South in Clearfield, Utah. For more information, contact Michelle Saab at info@e85.com.
April 11, 2002
Sixty-seven organizations at forty-nine separate sites nationwide are holding National AFV Odyssey Day activities to spread the exciting news that alternative fuel vehicles offer a powerful choice for transportation for all American motorists. For more information go to www.NationalAFVDayOdyssey.org
April 24, 2002
Grand Opening of E85 pump at Acorn Petroleum at 305 South 8th Street in Colorado Springs, Colorado. For more information, contact Michelle Saab at info@e85.com.
May 12-15, 2002
8th National Clean Cities Conference and Expo at the Myriad Convention Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. For more information, visit http://www.ccities.doe.gov/okconference.shtml
June 4-5, 2002
First Annual Pacific Ethanol Conference & Expo: Developing Renewable Energy Through Ethanol at the Hilton Brisbane in Brisbane, Australia. For more information, visit http://www.pacificethanol.com
June 9-11
12th Annual EPAC sponsored Ethanol Conference in Whitefish, MT. A Golf Tournament will take place June 9 and the conference will be held June 10-11. Visit www.ethanolmt.org for more information.
June 25-28, 2002
18th Annual International Fuel Ethanol Workshop and Trade Show at the Crowne Plaza Springfield in Springfield, Illinois. For more information and to register, go to http://www.bbiethanol.com/few.
July 23-25
FedFleet 2002 at the Kansas City Convention Center in Kansas City, Missouri. For more information, visit http://www.fedfleet.org.
Please feel free to e-mail your story suggestions to us at info@e85fuel.com or call us anytime.
Phillip J. Lampert, Executive Director info@e85.com
Michelle Saab, Director of Communications saab@e85fuel.com
Randa Barker, Director of Administration info@e85.com