Growth Energy Partners with Sharber Oil Company to Offer High Level Blends of Ethanol in Georgia

WASHINGTON, DC — Growth Energy has joined forces with Sharber Oil Company to introduce higher level blends of ethanol in the state of Georgia. Sharber Oil Company is located at 250 Whigham Dairy Road in Bainbridge and has opened an E85 pump with assistance from Growth Energy’s 2010 E85 and Blender Pump Program.

“It’s exciting to see more retailers across the country install high level ethanol fueling equipment that will provide flex fuel vehicle owners greater access to E85 fuel,” said Growth Energy CEO Tom Buis. “We commend Sharber Oil Company for their efforts and are pleased to assist them in adding this fueling facility.”

Greg Waddell, General Manager of Sharber Oil Company said, “Growth Energy has been an excellent group to work with. They helped us provide a product that we believe will be the future of automotive alternative fuel.”

The Bainbridge station began selling E85 in late May. It is the 39th station in the state of Georgia to offer E85. For a complete listing of E85 stations, visit http://www.E85Refueling.com

For more information on the 2010 Growth Energy E85 and Blender Pump Grant Program, contact the Growth Energy Market Development office at 1-877-485-8595 or at scourter@growthenergy.org.

Flex Fuel US Receives Federal GSA Award to Deliver E85 Conversion Technology to Federal Fleets

Flex Fuel US has developed a new Technology that Transforms Fleet and Passenger Automobiles Into Flex Fuel Vehicles that Facilitate Fleet and Consumer Incentives, Cut Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Support Domestically-Produced Energy

GSA Award #GS-30F-0040W enables low cost compliance with Executive Order 13514

CHICAGO, Ill. – Flex Fuel U.S. ®, has just been awarded approval to sell and install E85 Flex Fuel conversion systems to Federal Government Fleets through the Federal GSA schedule. The system is the first EPA certified product enabling existing cars and light duty trucks to be legally converted to run any blend of gasoline and ethanol up to E85.

To date we have the capability to convert Chrysler Charger/300, Ford Crown Victoria/Grand Marquis/Town Car vehicles and will soon announce a light duty truck. The product can be installed on the vehicle in 2 hours, requires only moderate technical expertise and doesn’t void the warranty on the vehicle. The system is designed and manufactured to the highest quality standards by a team that builds some of the world’s best performing cars. The product is backed by a 24 month warranty covering defects in parts and materials. The owner is fully protected when using higher concentrations of ethanol in the vehicle.

“We believe this new technology provides a valuable tool for fleet managers because it allows vehicles to be retrofitted into alternative fuel at a very low cost. Also if you need a vehicle that’s not offered from the OEM as flex fuel capable, our system can be used.” says Don Althoff, CEO of Flex Fuel US.

Flex Fuel US has a proven track record of success converting vehicles over the last three years. This includes successful fleet demonstration project at the City of Chicago and one underway through the State of Iowa’s DOE Energy Independence Grant. We have proven we can reliably develop, install, and operate E85 conversion systems across multiple vehicle manufactures and engine platforms.”

Flex Fuel US is rolling out conversion systems to federal, state, and municipal fleets to accelerate conversion of legacy vehicles. “We look forward to developing E85 conversion products on vehicles that are not available in Flex Fuel models such as fuel efficient compacts, hybrids and high performance vehicles.” Says Mitch Sremac, founder and inventor.

About Flex Fuel U.S. LLC
Based in Chicago and founded in 2006, Flex Fuel U.S.® is dedicated to the development of future fuel solutions and alternative fuel conversion systems. The company was established by a team of leading experts in digital fuel injection, custom automotive engineering, and automotive aftermarket distribution. Business Week recognized Flex Fuel US as one of “America’s Most Promising Start-ups” because development of this innovative technology.

The company exclusively produces Federal certified, approved and legal conversion systems that do not void original manufacturer warrantees. For more information about Flex Fuel U.S.® or the Flex-Box Smart KitTM, please visit www.flexfuelus.com or contact the company directly at 773-763-7900.

Good News for Owners of Flex Fuel Vehicles

Source: Business Wire

DENVER — TransMontaigne Inc. announced today that E85 will soon become available at seven of its busiest refined petroleum product terminals. E85 is a fuel blend composed of 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline by volume and is designed for use in Flex-Fuel vehicles.

Until recently, E85 has been available mostly in Midwestern states that are closer to ethanol manufacturing sites. Owners of Flex-Fuel vehicles have been vocal that this environmentally friendly fuel has not been available on a widespread basis. TransMontaigne's move into E85 product supply will quickly help change that, as many more retail chains will now have a reliable local wholesale supply for this fuel from Florida through the Mid-Atlantic states.

TransMontaigne continues to invest in its comprehensive terminal infrastructure to facilitate the growth of renewable fuels. Initially, TransMontaigne terminals offering E85 will include Port Everglades and Tampa in Florida, Bainbridge and Doraville in Georgia, Greensboro and Selma in North Carolina and Norfolk in Virginia.

Ethanol, the primary component of E85, is mostly transported by rail and by vessel. TransMontaigne, a large petroleum and renewable fuel logistics and distribution company, has invested in the rail and marine infrastructure within its large terminal network to facilitate this offering. To date, TransMontaigne, which holds a BQ 9000 marketing accreditation, has been an early and progressive leader in the distribution and blending of Biodiesel, another major renewable fuel consumed in the transportation industry within the United States.

About TransMontaigne
The Company's principal activities consist of (i) terminal and pipeline operations (ii) marketing and distribution of petroleum products, (iii) renewable fuels marketing and distribution and (iv) managing the activities of TransMontaigne Partners L.P. The Company's customers include refiners, wholesalers, distributors, marketers, and industrial and commercial end-users of refined petroleum products and renewable fuels. Corporate news and additional information about TransMontaigne Inc. is available on the Company's web site: www.transmontaigne.com

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Ethanol Gets Iowa Football Fans Pumped Up

Source: DomesticFuel.com

By Joanna Schroeder

Did you know that 60 cents of each gallon of E85 purchased stays in the state of Iowa? I didn’t know that until I participated in the Iowa Corn Fed Game Day pump rally at Riverside, Iowa to get people “pumped up” for the upcoming Iowa State versus Iowa football game. Another way to look at this is for each gallon of E85 you purchase, 85 cents stays in America; whereas if you purchase E10, only 10 cents stays in America while 90 cents heads out of our borders.

Here are two more interesting facts. Did you know that Iowa is ranked #9 in the country; yet non-ranked Iowa State has the most difficult schedule this year?

And one more…Did you know that Iowa is the leading producer of corn and ethanol in the country? Iowa boasts 40 ethanol plants that produce more than 3 billion gallons of ethanol each year saving consumers money at the pump with each mile they drive.

So where did I learn these nifty facts? From an actual corn farmer, Dick Gallagher, who was on hand to educate consumers about ethanol blended fuels as well as educate consumers about all the products that have corn in them..shirts, biodegradable plastics, carpet, tires, and more. They all use corn as one of their ingredients and whether you realize it or not, our lives would not, and could not, be the same without our corn farmers.

Speaking of our corn farmers, they are growing enough corn to meet all of our needs for food, feed and fuel, both here in America as well as overseas and they are doing it each year using less land.

But let’s hope that Iowa State doesn’t score less than Iowa but scores more than Iowa, but I digress.

Kum & Go was a sponsor of today’s pump rallies and they have been a long-time ethanol supporter. Matt Chase, with Kum & Go told me that 31 of their stores in Iowa sell E85, more than any other retailer, and all of their stations sell E10 blended fuels.

The Iowa Corn Fed Game Day promotion is sponsored by Iowa Corn Growers Association and continues all week long leading up to game day on Saturday. The game begins at 2:30 pm CST but come early. Iowa Corn will have a booth set up at Cross Family Plaza at 10:00 am where they will hosting some fun games as well as the chance to win $5,000 in free food and $2,500 in free ethanol-blended fuel. You can also sign up online at www.iacornfed.com.

And one last cool fact to leave you with….Herky the Hawk is a HUGE fan of ethanol.

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Iowa Corn Fed Game Day Highlights Food and Fuel

Source: DomesticFuel.com

By Joanna Schroeder — DomesticFuel.com

Did you know that Iowa is leading the way in both corn production and ethanol production but corn is not only used for ethanol? It is also an ingredient in more than 4,000 products including toothpaste, pizza, tires, drywall, bubblegum and more. The Iowa Corn Growers realized that many people don’t know this so they have developed a consumer promotion to educate Iowans about corn. It’s called the Iowa Corn Fed Game Day promotion and entails a sponsorship of the Iowa State vs. Iowa football, wrestling and basketball games.

I spoke with Mindy Williamson, the Iowa Corn Growers Director of Communications, to learn more about the benefits of their Iowa Corn Fed Game Day sponsorship. “We like to call it the Super Bowl of Iowa because Iowa and Iowa State is our biggest rivalry here,” said Williamson.

“The Iowa Corn Growers in Iowa wanted to get together and talk about things other than ethanol,” continued Williamson. “We love ethanol as corn growers but we know there are also 4,000 other products made from corn. We want Iowans to know what those are and how those affect their life.”

Williamson said that one benefit of the sponsorship is that it gives them a venue to educate people about how many products use corn. Another benefit is that they want to bridge the gap between food and fuel and this is a way to do that. “There’s not a competition there. There is plenty of corn. We are excellent at growing corn for both markets,” explained Williamson.

Iowa Corn Growers have launched a promotion to bridge that gap along with the Iowa Corn Fed Game Day. They are giving away $5,000 in groceries and $2,500 in ethanol. You can sign up multiple times online at www.iacornfed.comor at the upcoming football game or even during some of the pump rallies leading up to the game which are being held September 7, in and around Iowa City, Iowa.

Flex-fuel vehicle drivers can fill up their tank with E85 for .85 cents and any driver can sign up to win food and fuel. Herky the Hawk will also be there to get everyone jazzed up for the game. If you miss the pump rallies, then come on over to the Cross Family Plaza Friday, September 11 starting at 10:00 am. CT.

Can’t wait to see you there!

You can learn more about the Iowa Corn Fed Game Day events by listening to my interview with Mindy here. Iowa Corn Fed Game Day

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Valero Is Expanding The Availability Of E85 Throughout Its System

Source: Houston Chronicle

Taxi driver Dwight "Barron" Jones zipped into a Valero Corner Store in San Antonio last week when he saw fuel was selling for $2.199 a gallon.

The startling price — 27 cents cheaper than regular gasoline - was for E85, a blend of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent conventional gasoline.

Jones has used the blend in the past at other E85 pumps in San Antonio, and said he was glad to see a new one.

"I think this will save me a little bit of money," said Jones, who owns his taxi, a 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan, and often fills up twice a day.

The use of E85 is about to get more exposure, as San Antonio-based Valero Energy Corp. recently announced it will add E85 pumps to all of its new Valero Corner Stores as they're built throughout its system, as well as at some existing stores when they undergo major renovations.

Houston stores will be affected, but Valero spokesman Bill Day did not have a timeframe for rolling out E85 in the area. Valero doesn't plan to introduce E85 at all existing stores because of the cost of adding new underground storage tanks and dispensers, Day said.

Several Kroger locations and at least two H-E-B stores sell E85 in the Houston area, according to the website of Growth Energy, an association of ethanol producers.

Ethanol is a renewable fuel made from corn or grain products that helps reduce polluting emissions.

Vehicles burning E85 get lower fuel mileage than with gasoline because ethanol has a lower energy density. Yet E85 has a higher octane rating than premium gasoline, and that can boost horsepower.

Many motorists don't realize that conventional gasoline may contain up to 10 percent ethanol, although pumps clearly display that information.

Many auto manufacturers produce flex-fuel vehicles that can run on E85 or conventional gasoline. On-board diagnostic equipment detects which fuel is in the tank so the driver can fill up with gasoline one time and E85 the next without causing a problem - even if the tank still has conventional gasoline in it.

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Help Gulf Coast Move Beyond Oil

Source: DomesticFuel.com

A Florida company is trying to win a $250,000 grant from Pepsi to bring alternative fuels to the Gulf Coast region.

Pura-Vida-Ventures is an independent company based in Sarasota that has a proposal in to Pepsi for a share in $1.3 million they are offering to fund ideas that “refresh the Gulf.” Their concept is to convert a closed gas station into a community resource center, offer biodiesel and ethanol blends, then add electric, hydrogen, or CNG/LPG and offset energy consumption by using solar panels and wind.

We will create an Alternative (to petroleum) Oasis. It becomes a “community center” by offering information and access to a product mix that is unavailable in the marketplace. It will become the local resource for green/eco products and services. It will utilize solar panels to decrease energy consumption, harvest rainwater to diminish its use onsite, and be surrounded by lush native landscaping. The market will engage its customers by offering services such as local volunteer information, educational presentations, and encourage local buying habits.

You can vote for the Pura-Vida plan here and find out more on their Facebook page.

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E15 discussed at 2010 Farm Progress Show

Source: Ethanol Producer Magazine

BOONE, Iowa – Sept. 1, at the 2010 Farm Progress Show, Growth Energy CEO Tom Buis and Iowa Agriculture Secretary Bill Northey held a panel discussion to talk about Growth Energy’s Fueling Freedom Plan, the upcoming energy bill and EPA’s pending decision on the E15 waiver.

At the panel, Buis and Northey discussed the critical need for the EPA to approve E15 and open the market for ethanol in order to revitalize our rural economies, clean our skies and support the continued innovation in the ethanol industry.

Approval of the E15 waiver would create 136,000 new green jobs, reduce green house gas emissions equivalent to removing 10.5 million cars off the road and open the market for cellulosic ethanol.

“We don’t have a production problem, we have an access to the market problem,” Buis said. “By moving to E15 and eliminating the artificial barriers to the fuel market we can create a market for all ethanol to reduce our dependence on oil, strengthen our economy and improve our environment.”

“It is vital that Congress and the EPA move forward and approve these needed long-term policy proposals,” Northey said. “It is important that we send a signal to the industry and investors that support structures that will remain in place and allow the industry to continue to advance and adopt new technologies including eventually cellulosic ethanol.”

EPA has announced that they will complete testing on cars 2007 and newer in September and cars 2001 and newer in November.

In order to open the market for ethanol we need to build out the ethanol fueling structure in this country – a proposal outlined in Growth Energy’s Fueling Freedom Plan. The plan, introduced on July 15th, calls for the installation of 200,000 blender pumps and production of as many as 120 million flex fuel vehicles to help open the transportation fuel market and give consumers a choice at the pump.

Growth Energy’s Fueling Freedom plan, once implemented, would create a genuinely free market where consumers can choose between gasoline and renewable, homegrown ethanol.

“No one thought that we could produce this much ethanol, but just like farmers, we have figured out a way to overproduce. Now we need the opportunity to put that ethanol in the market. We have our challenges but we are confident that in an open market, we can succeed,” Buis added.

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E85 Promotion in Waseca, MN

The Sportsman Stop at 1818 State Street North in Waseca, MN will be offering E85 Frenquent Fuel Cards beginning tomorrow, Sept. 1. The first 50 flexible fuel vehicle (FFV) owners will receive the card where, if they purchase E85 four times, they will receive $10 off their 5th E85 purchase.

Recently, Kelly Marczak, director for the American Lung Association in Minnesota’s clean fuel and vehicle technologies stated, “The State of Minnesota is serious about its stated goal to reduce its petroleum consumption. In [the first six months of the year], the state’s use of E85 in 2010 prevented more than 1,745 tons of lifecycle carbon dioxide emissions and harmful pollutants from entering our air.”

This promotion is supported by: the Waseca County Corn & Soybean Growers,Minnesota Corn Growers Association, American Lung Association in Minnesota, and members of the Minnesota Clean Air Choice team.

Minnesota is the home of 358 E85 fueling sites — this is more than any other state in the nation.

Propel Opening More Ethanol Pumps in California

Source: DomesticFuel.com

Propel Fuels is opening more pumps with 85 percent ethanol for California flex fuel vehicle (FFV) drivers.

The company held a grand opening event in Oakland this week to formally launch a network of renewable fuel stations for the Bay Area, which will include more than 20 stations across the Bay, with up to half opening by the end of this year. The event also announced a $10.9 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and California Energy Commission (CEC) to build and operate 75 retail renewable fuel stations throughout California over the next two years.

At the grand opening, California Energy Commissioner Anthony Eggert (pictured) said the station development project, known as the Low Carbon Fuel Infrastructure Investment Initiative (LCFI3), will help the state with the development and deployment of low carbon fuels and clean vehicles. “The Energy Commission is proud to team up with Propel Fuels and the partner agencies to bring next generation low carbon biofuels, including cellulosic ethanol, to the nearly half a million flex fuel vehicle customers in California, while creating hundreds of green jobs, and continuing to lead the way in our nation’s battle against climate change,” said Eggert.

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Member Spotlight – GROWMARK

GROWMARK recently renewed its membership within Growth Energy Market Development. GROWMARK is a regional cooperative providing agriculture-related products and services , as well as grain marketing in 21 states and Ontario, Canada.

GROWMARK owns the FS trademark, which is used by affiliated member cooperatives. The FS brand represents knowledgeable, experienced professionals acting with integrity and dedication to serve more than 100,000 customers. This Agricultural supply cooperative started over 86 years ago as a viable source or supplier for fuel in the Midwest. GROWMARK operates in four main territories, which started in WI, IL and IA, they have since branched out into OH, MI, IN, OK, AR, NE, SD and. ND. More information is available at www.growmark.com

According to Mark Dehner, Marketing Manager for Refined and Renewable Fuels for GROWMARK, it was a natural progression to support and market renewable products, including E85, to members and customers. Currently they have 39 stations with E85 and 2 facilities that will be installing blender pumps. The blender pumps will be located in the Southern part of IL and Central Iowa. “ I expect more blender pumps to come. They make a lot of sense in today’s marketplace,”

Their primary interest in joining Growth Energy Market Development was to gain technical information and marketing tools. “We started populating retail facilities with E85 and got a lot of information from the National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition (NEVC).As the NEVC merged into Growth Energy we became members. There is a learning curve for equipment and material compatibility, hoses and nozzles. Technical expertise was available from start to finish and that was very helpful in making the transition” noted Dehner.

According to Dehner an obstacle challenging the growth of alternative fuels and FFVs is having E85 available at the terminal level. When GROWMARK began distributing E85 they were one of the first jobbers. The product was delivered by a tank wagon truck based in Central IL and went as far as Omaha, Kansas City, Cincinnati, etc. Not a real efficient distribution model, but felt it was their obligation as a renewable fuel marketer to make sure E85 was available. Over time this has changed and become more readily available at terminals.

“I think the industry and Growth Energy are doing their part with consumer education, but we should all have conversations with retailers, gas station owners and the consuming public, as face to face conversations on biofuels are beneficial. There is a lot of misinformation out there and we need to do our part to tell the right story. Our efforts for GROWMARK are to build ethanol infrastructure and continue to aggressively market ethanol. Ethanol is good for our culture, good for our environment, lessens dependence on foreign oil and good for national security” noted Dehner.

New E85 and Blender Pump Stations

There are currently a total of 2,235 E85 stations and 208 blender pump stations

New E85 and blender pumps as of the last newsletter:

** Represents blender pumps

New and Renewed Growth Energy Market Development Members

Aurora Cooperative
Frontier Travel Plaza

Growth Energy Partners With Rocky Point Citgo to Offer High Level Blends of Ethanol in New York

WASHINGTON, DC — Growth Energy has joined forces with Rocky Point Citgo to introduce another E85 fueling facility in the state of New York. Rocky Point Citgo is located at 557 RTE 25 A, in Rocky Point, NY and has opened an E85 pump with assistance from Growth Energy’s 2010 E85 and Blender Pump Program.

“It’s exciting to see more retailers in the Northeast installing high level ethanol fueling pumps,” said Growth Energy CEO Tom Buis. “We are pleased to assist Rocky Point Citgo in their efforts to provide motorists with greater fuel choice at the pump.”

When asked why he installed E85, Tom Campbell, the owner of Rocky Point Citgo said it was simple. “I felt with the high cost of regular gasoline and with more and more vehicles being made that are flex fuel, the significant price difference would sway customers to switch over to E85.”

Rocky Point Citgo started selling E85 in June of this year, but also offers E10, regular unleaded, midgrade and diesel.

Rocky Point is the 66th E85 fueling station in the state of New York and is a member of Growth Energy’s Market Development. To date, Growth Energy has issued grants to support a total of 90 ethanol fueling sites across the country, including 50 E85 pumps and 40 blender pumps. To find a listing of all E85 sites throughout New York and across the nation, go to www.E85Refueling.com.

For more information on the 2010 Growth Energy E85 and Blender Pump Grant Program, contact the Growth Energy Market Development office at 1-877-485-8595 or at scourter@growthenergy.org.

Valero Corner Store Begins Selling E-85 Fuel

Source: CSP

SAN ANTONIO — Valero Energy Corp. has announced today that one of its company-owned Valero Corner Stores in San Antonio has begun selling E-85, a blend of fuel consisting of up to 85% ethanol blended with unleaded gasoline. E-85 is approved for use in flex-fuel vehicles (FFVs), which continue to grow in popularity with buyers of new cars and light-duty trucks.

Valero also announced plans to continue introducing sales of E-85 at new Valero Corner Stores as they're built. The stores will continue selling all grades of gasoline and diesel fuel at its locations.

The first San Antonio store launching the sale of E-85 is offering the fuel in a separate and clearly marked dispenser.

The new addition to the fuels offered at Valero Corner Stores builds on increased use of ethanol throughout the United States, as mandated by the federal government. Nearly all gasoline sold at Valero Corner Stores—and all gasoline sold at the company's San Antonio locations—already contains up to 10% ethanol. The new E-85 offering will meet the needs of new FFVs, which are designed to run on either conventional gasoline or E-85.

"There are already millions of Flex Fuel vehicles on the road, and there's a growing market for E-85," said Gary Arthur,president of Valero's Retail Division. "As Valero builds new Corner Stores, we will continue to introduce E-85 sales to satisfy this growing demand."

Valero owns and operates nearly 1,000 Corner Stores in Texas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Wyoming.

San Antonio-based Valero owns or operates 15 refineries with a combined throughput capacity of approximately 2.8 million barrels per day. Valero is also a leading ethanol producer with 10 ethanol plants in the Midwest with a combined capacity of 1.1 billion gallons per year, and is one of the nation's largest retail operators with approximately 5,800 retail and branded wholesale outlets in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean under the Valero, Diamond Shamrock, Shamrock, Ultramar and Beacon brands.

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Op-Ed: Ethanol for America

Source: The Hill

For more than two years, a coalition of strange political bedfellows has done all it can to derail the advancement of the U.S. ethanol industry. These opponents of ethanol have engineered a well-orchestrated campaign that has misled and misinformed the American public about ethanol and its impacts and benefits – particularly when it comes to the American farmer’s ability to grow enough corn for food, feed and fiber.

With recently published reports from the World Bank and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, it’s important to remind our friends in the media, policymakers and the public about those facts and the overall importance and benefits of ethanol. These new reports definitively and absolutely demolish the distortion that there is some sort of “food-versus-fuel” debate; these new reports conclusively state there is no competition between grain for ethanol, and grain for food.

Year to year, consistent and substantial increases in crop yields and harvest volumes have proven time and again that America’s farmers will continue to produce more than enough corn to meet demand for ethanol as well as meet domestic demand for food, for livestock feed, and for export – with ample corn supplies leftover for storage.

In mid-August, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that corn farmers are again on track for yet another record corn crop and yield per acre for this year – a crop estimated to surpass the records set in 2009—without adding a single additional acre of land into agriculture production.

Moreover, in late July, the World Bank disproved the biggest criticism of ethanol once and for all, by showing that the skyrocketing grocery bills of two years ago were not caused by ethanol, but rather, by rampant market speculation and record fossil fuel prices. It’s no wonder that ethanol’s foes – many of whom enjoyed record profits in the food and petroleum industry during that same period – concocted that myth as a convenient slight-of-hand to distract attention away from the real culprits.

Make no mistake. There is a well-funded attempt to disrupt and marginalize the U.S. ethanol industry, concocted by those with vested interests, particularly the food-manufacturers who keep grocery prices high, and global oil companies. But that cannot diminish the fact that America’s ethanol producers contribute greatly to the betterment of the nation.

Ethanol production is revitalizing America’s rural areas – some of the hardest hit by the economic downturn – creating and supporting the growth of more than 400,000 jobs across the country, contributing $53.3 billion to the nation’s GDP and generating $8.4 billion in federal tax revenues in 2009 alone. And ethanol delivers better value for the U.S. consumer on a dollar-for-dollar basis compared to gasoline.

Beyond its contributions to getting our economy back on track, ethanol is also improving our air and enhancing our security. In 2009 alone, U.S. production and use of ethanol reduced CO2-equivalent greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 16.5 million tons in the U.S. -- that’s the equivalent of removing more than 2.7 million cars from America’s roadways -- and it eliminated the need to import at least 364 million barrels of oil, keeping $21.3 billion in the U.S. economy.

Add to this the promise of cellulosic ethanol which will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 86 percent compared to gasoline and can be made from a variety of feedstocks – from wood waste in Maine to citrus pulp in Florida – stimulating job growth and diversifying our energy supplies across the country.

Significant progress has been made in moving cellulosic ethanol to the marketplace, with multiple pilot and commercial-scale plants in various stages of planning, construction and operation around the country.

Ethanol’s positive impact on our economy, our energy independence and our environment is undeniable.

But ethanol can play an even bigger role as the cornerstone of a cleaner and more secure energy future for America if policymakers in Washington take decisive action when it resumes debate about comprehensive energy legislation this fall.

The Fueling Freedom Plan (available online at www.growthenergy.org/fuelingfreedom), proposed by Growth Energy – the coalition of U.S. ethanol supporters – would do just that. If adopted, this plan would culminate in the ending of the industry’s federal subsidies, the investment in a national ethanol infrastructure including “blender pumps,” a U.S. fleet of “flex-fuel” vehicles, and a fair and open marketplace for fuel competition.

As a result, consumers would have real choices. Our air would be cleaner. Our prosperity would be enhanced. And our security would be strengthened.

Ethanol represents America’s best renewable, affordable, and reliable fuel. With Congress poised to again debate new energy legislation and with the consequences of our oil addiction so disturbingly and destructively clear, now is the time for Washington to enact policies that support the use and consumption of ethanol to ensure a cleaner, brighter future for our country.

The American people deserve nothing less.

Jim Nussle is a special advisor to the Growth Energy Board of Directors

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Iowa Station Owner Outlines Experiences with Installation of a Blender Pump

Jim Harskamp believes in ethanol fuel and believes in blender pumps. He installed a blender pump that sells 20, 30, 40 and 85 percent ethanol fuel about a year and a half ago at his gas station, Coop Gas & Oil at153 N Main Ave. in Sioux Center, IA. Harskamp has no regrets.

“Having a blender pump gives consumers a choice at the pump,” noted Harskamp. “Installing this pump was a no brainer.”

Coop Gas & Oil is selling the fuels at a reduced price to unleaded gasoline. Harskamp stated that he sold more E30 than the other fuels within the past month with 3,315 gallons. He said that consumers see E30 as being the best option at the pump or “sweet spot” for consumers as they don’t experience as much reduction in fuel mileage than when fueling up with regular gasoline. However, he noted that he has aslo had enhanced sales of E85 within the past year as well.

At first Harskamp was concerned that motorists would mis-fuel their conventional gasoline powered vehicles with the mid or higher blends of ethanol. To prevent the misfueling, Coop Gas and Oil would turn off the pump when a station attendant was not present. After being open for over a year, however, they no longer turn off the pump. “People now are educated enough and the pump is very well labeled, and we haven’t had any problems,” said Harskamp.

Coop Gas & Oil receives their ethanol fuel from Siouxland Energy and Livestock, a member of Growth Energy. Siouxland Energy and Livestock CEO/ General Manager Bernie Punt is also a member of the Growth Energy Board of Directors. The 60,000,000 million gallon per year ethanol plant is owned by 391 local farmers and is very close to the station. Harskamp noted, “Why not go four miles down the road to get the fuel instead of transporting it half-way around the world.”

Biofuel station opens in Oakland

Source: San Jose Mercury News

OAKLAND — The first day of a free alternative fuel giveaway started Tuesday with a trickle of motorists lured in by curiosity and the promise of a bargain: Five free gallons of biodiesel or an ethanol-based blend called Flex Fuel.

"It's an incentive for drivers to stop," said Emily Shellabarger, a spokeswoman for Propel, the Sacramento-based fuel company that opened a self-serve fueling dock at a Chevron station at 350 Grand Avenue.

The opening came amid the BP oil-drilling disaster and on the second Spare the Air day in the Bay Area.

"People are excited to have another choice," Shellabarger said.

Propel's Flex Fuel is 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent petroleum.

The biodiesel is almost all petroleum-based, with 5 percent coming from biofuels.

"Our pumps are a little bit different looking and it's a bit confusing, but we're an independent company," Shellabarger told a gray-haired woman who pulled up in a Chrysler Sebring.

The Sebring was not equipped for Flex Fuel although there are about a million cars on the road that are, including the 2009 Hummer H2.

Propel provides a list of Flex Fuel-ready vehicles at the pump. Motorists can also tell by the manufacturer's yellow gas cap.

They can check the website www.propelfuels.com/driveE85.

The regular per-gallon price for the Flex Fuel is $2.49; the biodiesel is $3.19 and comes from a supplier

called Western States Petroleum in San Jose. Mileage is comparable, Shellabarger said. Customers pay at the Propel pump with a credit or debit card, or an employee fleet card.

The pace of cars at the pump quickened by noon: A shiny Chevrolet Suburban, a 1982 GMC Sierra Classic pickup, a new model Volkswagen Golf.

But a woman returning a Zipcar was unable to take advantage of the deal because the Toyota Matrix she rented was not equipped for alternative fuels. No Hondas are Flex Fuel equipped.

The pump is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The promotion ends Thursday.

The Oakland location is Propel's third in the East Bay. Other sites include Fremont and San Jose, where a second location is slated to open soon.

A Berkeley location also is in the works.

Shellabarger said Propel would like to use non-corn-based ethanol, as well as less petroleum in the diesel blend.

But 5 percent is the maximum amount in a blend that California allows to be stored underground at filling stations, she said. The other roadblock, she added, comes from vehicle manufacturers that recommend no more than a 5 percent blend and will not honor warranties otherwise.

"We're working with what we have," she said "It's not a silver bullet. But it's a step in the right direction."

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Grand Forks Latest N.D. Location With Mid- and High-Level Blends of Ethanol

Grand Forks, North Dakota is now offering flexible fuel vehicle (FFV) owners the choice at the pump. The Valley Dairy station at 2401 S. Columbia Road is offering the ethanol blends of E20, E30, and E85.

According to the American Lung Assn. of North Dakota, a grand opening celebration will be held Aug. 24 and 25 at the Grand Forks facility. A ribbon cutting will take place at 10 a.m. on Aug. 24 and ethanol-blend fuel discounts on Aug. 25 from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. During the promotion, E85 will be priced at $1.85 a gallon, the price of E30 will be discounted by 30 cents, and the price of E20 will be discounted by 20 cents. There will also be in-store specials throughout the week.

“Only flex fuel vehicles should use E85 or high-blend ethanol fuels, because they are specifically designed for them,” said Lisa Thurstin, a manager for the American Lung Association of the Upper Midwest’s Clean Air Choice program. “There are more than 41,000 flex fuel vehicles already on the road in North Dakota, and more models that can use cleaner-burning E85 as well as gasoline are coming out every year. If you are driving one, we hope you will come out to Valley Dairy on Wednesday and try one of these new fuel choices.”

The fuel promotion is sponsored by Valley Dairy and members of the North Dakota Clean Air Choice Team including the North Dakota Corn Council, North Dakota Renewable Energy Council, North Dakota Department of Commerce, North Dakota Ethanol Council, North Dakota Ethanol Producers Association, General Motors Corporation, U.S. Department of Energy, Clean Cities and American Lung Association in North Dakota.

Currently, the state of ND has 67 E85 outlets including 44 ethanol mid-blend pumps. For a complete listing, go to EthanolRetailer.com/findethanol.

Growth Energy to Participate in Shaping Texas’ Fuel Ethanol Policy this Sept.

The Texas Renewable Energy Industries Association (TREIA) has been bringing decision makers and industry leaders together in Texas for more than 26 years to build the foundation for developing renewable energy.

TREIA has long believed that renewable fuels could be a major economic development play in Texas – The Energy State. Gasoline sold in the highly populated areas of the state is already blended with up to 10% ethanol as an oxygenate. That blending requirement alone consumes millions of gallons per year. Is Texas producing that ethanol in-state? Or are we sending money outside to acquire it? What are the E-85 opportunities? What new technologies are on the horizon? These questions and many others will be addressed when the Texas Renewable Energy Industries Association presents

Shaping Texas’ Fuel Ethanol Policy

Omni Austin Downtown Hotel

September 10, 2010.

“This conference offers a clear picture of today’s realities and opportunities in a growing renewable energy sector that some may have written off,” said Russel Smith, Executive Director of TREIA. “The nation’s use of ethanol will continue to increase, and Texas has huge production possibilities and more flex-fuel vehicles capable of running on E85 than any other state. Our current approach to this important industry may leave money on the table.”

The conference features national, state and local leaders providing an update of the ethanol industry, developing and serving the market, the future of production technologies, Texas feedstock opportunities, and policy experiences in other states.

The draft agenda follows:

Shaping Texas’ Fuel Ethanol Policy

September 10, 2010

Austin, Texas

8:00 – 8:30 Registration and Continental Breakfast

8:30 – Welcome and Reopen the Discussion

Texas Renewable Energy Industries Association: Russel E. Smith, Executive Director – Austin, TX

Texas Department of Agriculture: Judy Fort – Austin, TX

Ethanol Production and Usage in Texas

Agri-Energy Solutions: Tim Snyder, President– Lubbock, TX

9:15 AM Keynote Session - National Ethanol Policy & Industry Update

Moderated by Steve Wiese, Clean Energy Associates & 2010 TREIA President

Renewable Fuels Association: Bob Dinneen, President & CEO – Washington, D. C.

Ethanol Industry Update, Meeting RFS2, the E10 Blend Wall

EPA/Office of Transportation and Air Quality: TBD - Washington, D.C.

Meeting the Goals of RFS2

10:15 AM Break

10:30 AM – Developing and Serving the Market

Panel Moderator:

Burl Haigwood, Clean Fuels Development Coalition –

College Station, TX

The National FFV Awareness Campaign

General Motors: Candace Wheeler, GM Technical Fellow – Warren, MI

General Motors’ Perspective on Future of Ethanol and Flex Fuel Vehicle Manufacture

Growth Energy: Phil Lampert, Vice President Market Development – Jefferson City, MO

National E85 Infrastructure, Issues, and Policy

CleanFuel USA: Curtis Donaldson, Founder & CEO – Georgetown, TX

E-85 Marketing and Alternative Fuel Infrastructure Development in Texas

12:00 PM LUNCHEON - Sarah Bittleman, United States Department of Agriculture – Washington, D.C. (Invited)

1:00 PM - Ethanol Production Technologies and Co-products –

Viewpoints on their Near, Mid, and Long-term Adoption

Panel Moderator: Brent Bailey, 25X’25, Canton, MS

ICM, Inc: Greg Krissek, Director of Governmental Affairs – Colwich, KS

Dried Distillers Grains

U. S. Department of Energy: Zia Haq, EERE/Office of the Biomass Program – Washington, D.C.

Overview - Cellulosic Ethanol Conversion Technologies

Abengoa Bioenergy: Chris Standlee, Executive Vice President – Chesterfield, MO

The Bridge From Grain to Cellulosic

BP/ Verenium Corporation: (Invited)

Projections for Cellulosic Ethanol Production

2:30 PM - Break

2:45 PM Feedstock Opportunities for Texas

Panel Moderator: George Caldwell, Texas Farm Bureau - Waco, TX

Texas Corn Producers Board: David Gibson, Executive Director – Lubbock, TX

Producing Food, Feed and Fuel for Texas

Texas Grain Sorghum Producers Board: Wayne Cleveland, Executive Director – Salado, TX

Sorghum’s Role in Achieving Advanced Biofuel Production Goals

Cellulosic Ethanol Development Company: Lesley Matthews Carey,

President – Eagle Lake, TX

Landowner/Producer Perspective

Ceres, Inc: Spencer Swayze, Director of Business Development – Thousand Oaks, CA

Biofuel Feedstock Development in Texas

4:00 PM - Policy Experiences in Other States

Nebraska Ethanol Board: Todd Sneller, Administrator – Lincoln, NE

Nebraska Polices, Education and Market Development Programs

Tennessee Clean Cities Program: Jonathan Overly, Director – Knoxville, TN

Tennessee E85 Infrastructure and Cellulosic Ethanol Project Development Programs

Florida Biofuels Association: Jeremy Susac, Executive Director – Tallahassee, FL

Impact of Florida Biofuel Polices on Ethanol/Biofuels Project Development

4:45 PM – Wrap-Up and Call for Texas Policy Ideas Going Forward

Russel E. Smith:

Discussion summary, gathering of new data and feedback, inventory of suggestions and ideas to move forward, and developing plans for additional discussions in the future.

Registration and sponsorships are available here.

Growth Energy Partners with Russell Oil Company to Offer High Level Blends of Ethanol in Marion

WASHINGTON, DC — Growth Energy has joined forces with Russell Oil Company to offer E85 fuel at ROC One Stop in Marion, Ill. ROC One Stop, located at 309 Deyoung Street, installed the pump with funding through Growth Energy’s 2010 E85 and Blender Pump program.

“We are pleased to work with Russell Oil to build out ethanol fueling infrastructure to give more Flex Fuel Vehicle owners access to high levels of ethanol,” said Growth Energy CEO Tom Buis. “There are Flex Fuel Vehicles out there that have never run on anything but conventional gasoline because they don’t have access to mid and high level ethanol. Through our grant program we are working to change that reality by giving consumers a choice at the pump that includes clean, renewable ethanol.”

Jonathan Russell, Manager of ROC One Stop noted, “We appreciate the support of Growth Energy, the availability of informational materials, signs and the advice we have been given to promote the sale of E85. We believe the use of E85 will continue to increase and we plan to offer it in our new locations as our company continues to grow. We wanted to provide a quality fuel that is better for the environment, supports our local farmers, as well as help us to increase sales and fuel margins.”

ROC One Stop in Marion began offering E85 in May 2010.

Roc One Stop has become part of Growth Energy’s 2010 E85 and Blender Pump Program, offering funds to retailers for the alternative fuel infrastructure. Growth Energy is also assisting retailers with the technical aspects of installation and marketing of both mid and high level blends of ethanol. A complete list of all sites offering both mid and high level blends of ethanol may be found at http://www.e85refueling.com/

For more information on the 2010 Growth Energy E85 and Blender Pump Grant Program, contact the Growth Energy Market Development office at 1-877-485-8595 or at scourter@growthenergy.org.

$17K in Free E85 Fuel to be Offered at Kentucky State Fair

WASHINGTON, DC — Thorntons, Inc., a leading, independent gasoline/convenience-chain retailer carrying E85 fuel throughout the Midwest, is teaming up with the Kentucky Corn Growers Association (KyCGA) and the Kentucky Clean Fuels Coalition (KCFC) to give away $17,000 in free E85 fuel at the 2010 Kentucky State Fair.

From August 19 until August 29, flex fuel vehicle owners can visit the Kentucky corn Shack, under the Great Kentucky Cookout Tent, to pick up free E85 fuel gift cards. The first 106 who stop by the shack each day will receive a $5, $20 or $100 promotional card. These cards can be used at any of the 11 Thornton’s E85 fueling facilities in Kentucky and Southern Indiana – including the nine in the state of Kentucky, two of which will be open by the end of August. You can find the listing of these stations at www.E85Refueling.com.

Growth Energy recently partnered with Thorntons to open 20 E85 stations within five states through their 2010 E85 and Blender Pump program.

“We commend these groups for their efforts to encourage the increased consumption of clean, renewable, ethanol,” said Tom Buis, CEO of Growth Energy. “Ethanol cleans the air, strengthens our national security and provides an economic boost to our local communities in Kentucky and across the country.”

“We are very excited about the expansion of E85 fuel in our stores,” said Matt Thornton, Chief Executive Officer of Thorntons. “We support the use of ethanol, wherever it is economically available”.

“Not only are corn farmers feeding the world’s people and livestock, they are producing enough corn for all-American fuel ethanol. While ethanol can be found in 10 percent blends in all of Louisville’s gasoline, KyCGA, Thorntons, and KCFC have partnered to increase awareness about E85, a blend of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline,” said Executive Director of KyCGA, Laura Knoth. “This fuel can only be used in Flexible Fuel Vehicles, but there are nearly 100,000 of these vehicles on Kentucky’s highways today, and vehicle manufacturers continue to make more.”

Growth Energy Partners with Bridgehampton Service Station to Offer High Level Blends of Ethanol

WASHINGTON, DC — Growth Energy has joined forces with Bridgehampton Service Station to introduce another E85 fueling facility in the state of New York. Bridgehampton Service Station at 2148 Montauk Highway in Bridgehampton has opened an E85 pump with assistance from Growth Energy’s 2010 E85 and Blender Pump Program. Earlier this month, Growth Energy assisted with the installment of four other E85 stations in Long Island.

“We are pleased to partner with Bridgehampton Service Station to provide greater access to high level blends of ethanol for New York drivers,” said Growth Energy CEO Tom Buis. “Increased consumption of ethanol will reduce our dependence on foreign oil, clean our air and help create jobs in Bridgehampton and across the country.”

Albert McCoy, sole shareholder of Bridgehampton Service Station LLC said, “One of the main reasons we decided to install E85 was because we have hundreds of FFV’s in our surrounding cities that can fuel up. We built a station that offers E85 because we recognize the local demand to do things ‘green’. An added incentive is that there was funding available to assist with infrastructure.”

The Bridgehampton station started selling E85 on June 5, 2010, but also offers E10 among other fuels. Since the installation of the E85 pump, Bridgehampton has been pumping 300-400 gallons of E85 fuel daily.

Bridgehampton has become part of Growth Energy’s 2010 E85 and Blender Pump Program, offering funds to retailers for the alternative fuel infrastructure. Growth Energy is also assisting retailers with the technical aspects of installation and marketing of both mid and high level blends of ethanol. A complete list of all sites offering both mid and high level blends of ethanol may be found at http://www.e85refueling.com/

For more information on the 2010 Growth Energy E85 and Blender Pump Grant Program, contact the Growth Energy Market Development office at 1-877-485-8595 or at scourter@growthenergy.org.

Member Spotlight — Gate Petroleum

Gate Petroleum recently renewed its membership within Growth Energy Market Development. The group has three E85 stations in the state of Florida.

Gate Petroleum was established in 1960 by Herbert Peyton, who opened the first Gate Service station in Jacksonville, FL. The name “Gate” was derived from the 1960’s chamber of commerce slogan “Jacksonville” or Gateway to Florida. Gate is a privately held company and this year marks the company’s 50^th anniversary.

According to Buzz Hoover, Vice President of Petroleum Supply for Gate Petroleum, their primary interest in joining Growth Energy Market Development was because they wanted to be able to take part in an organization that supports alternative fuels and believes in what Growth Energy’s initiatives are. Previously, Gate petroleum was a member of the NEVC, in which Hoover worked closely.

“Ethanol is a way to ease our current situation in Florida. Every drop of gasoline comes by water so if we use ethanol that is home grown, it is a step in increasing our energy security and cleaning our air,” noted Hoover.

Currently, Gate Petroleum has 3 retail fueling sites that offer E85, they are located at:

• Gate 3210 US Highway 17 South Orange Park, Florida
• Gate Post 2946 SR 136 White Springs, Fl. 32096
• Gate 463779 State Road 200 Yulee, Florida

New E85 and Blender Pump Stations

There are currently a total of 2,212 E85 stations and 204 blender pump stations. New E85 and blender pumps as of the last newsletter include:

** Blender pump available at this facility

New and Renewed Growth Energy Market Development Members

Triple L Ag
Country Partners Cooperative
Get Green Energy, LLC
Bob Haskins Racing
 

Growth Energy Partners with Gulf Oil to Offer High Level Blends of Ethanol at Four Stations in N.Y.

Source: Growth Energy

WASHINGTON, DC — Growth Energy has joined forces with Gulf Oil to provide high level blends of ethanol in Long Island. Gulf has opened four E85 stations, a combination of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline, in cooperation with Growth Energy as part of their 2010 E85 and blender pump program.

"We are pleased to partner with Gulf Oil to provide greater access to high level blends of ethanol for consumers," said Growth Energy CEO Tom Buis. "Increased consumption of ethanol will reduce our dependence on foreign oil, clean our air and help create jobs in Long Island and across the country."

Gulf’s new E85 pumps are located at the following sites:

• 660 Islip Avenue in Brentwood, NY
• 1395 Veterans Memorial Highway in Hauppauge, NY
• 2 Sunrise Highway in Rockville Centre, NY
• 4560 Express Drive South in Ronkonkoma, NY

"We are proud to be among the first to offer E85 in Long Island and we look forward to the day when many more fuel choices form the foundation of a new energy future," said Laura Scott, Senior Vice President Finance and Strategy for Gulf Oil. "We think it is important to offer our customers choices. E85 is an option customers can choose today to address our nation’s energy security. We would like to thank Growth Energy, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority and the Department of Energy for making this project financially feasible."

Gulf Oil is a member of Growth Energy’s Market Development and has taken part in the program in which funds are offered to retailers for the alternative fuel infrastructure. Growth Energy is also assisting retailers with the technical aspects of installation and marketing of both mid and high level blends of ethanol. A complete list of all sites offering both mid and high level blends of ethanol may be found at http://www.e85refueling.com/.

For more information on the 2010 Growth Energy E85 and Blender Pump Grant Program, contact the Growth Energy Market Development office at 1-877-485-8595 or at scourter@growthenergy.org.
  

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Growth Energy Partners to Open Blender Pumps in Kensington and Kirwin

Source: Growth Energy

WASHINGTON, DC — Growth Energy has joined forces with Pro Ag Marketing to install two blender pumps in Kirwin and Kensington, Kan. The Kirwin Blender pump station, branded Pro Ag Marketing, is located at 222 NE 4th St and the Kensington facility, named Corner Corral Cenex, is located at 108 U.S. 36.

On Friday, August 13 from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m, Growth Energy member plant Prairie Horizon will sponsor a grand opening event at the Corner Corral Cenex. State Sen. Janis Lee and Kansas Secretary of Agriculture Josh Svalty will be in attendance and speakers will include Steve Seabrook from POET Ethanol Products and Mike Erhart, General Manager of Prairie Horizon.

“We are proud to help Pro Ag Marketing provide Kansans with greater access to mid and high level blends of ethanol,” said CEO of Growth Energy, Tom Buis. “Fuel dispensing equipment that can deliver higher blends of ethanol will help make our country more energy independent and more secure, all while giving consumers a choice at the pump that includes domestic, renewable ethanol.”

James Jirak, General Manager of Pro Ag Marketing and station owner said, “Selling ethanol blended fuels in our communities makes sense, as there is great synergy between what we do in producing the crops that are used in making ethanol and putting that ethanol fuel right back into our cars and trucks that we use every day. In a way, we are supporting our own local economy as we create demand for our crops by using ethanol. I would highly recommend getting in contact with Growth Energy if you are working on a project to install E85 or blender pumps at your fueling locations.”

Promotions held during Friday’s grand opening will include discounts on the ethanol blended fuels: E85 for 85 cents per gallon and 25 cents discounts on E10, E20 and E30. The station will also host a live radio remote and free giveaways including hats and t-shirts. Lunch will be provided.

“As an ethanol plant, blender pump infrastructure further promotes ethanol as America’s fuel,” said General Manager of Prairie Horizon, Mike Erhart. “It’s homegrown, lessens our dependence on foreign oil, is cleaner, greener, better for the environment and reaps all the benefits of supporting our local communities.”

The new pumps installed will bring the total number of blender pumps in the state to 14. The blender pumps were also provided funding from the Kansas Corn Commission.

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Denton Builds Alternative Fuel Station Thanks to Grant

Source: Pegasus News

The station will be equipped to dispense 85% Ethanol (E85), 20% Bio-Diesel (B20), unleaded, and diesel fuels.

The City of Denton Fleet Services Division has been awarded a $599,860 grant of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds by the North Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG). This grant was part of the North Central Texas Alternative Fuel and Advanced Technology Investments Agreement. The City of Denton will construct and operate a Fuel Island that provides alternative fuels for the city equipment to help reduce the ozone levels within the North Texas nonattainment counties.

The funds will be used towards the construction of an Alternative Fuel Station, which will be located at 1251 South Mayhill Rd. The station will be equipped to dispense 85% Ethanol (E85), 20% Bio-Diesel (B20), unleaded, and diesel fuels. The station will be used by the city fleet vehicles, including 37 alternative fuel vehicles and 18 hybrid vehicles currently owned and operated by the city. The station is scheduled for completion in September 2010.

The Dallas Fort Worth area has significant problems with ground level ozone, and continues to be in “non-attainment” status. Volatile organic compounds, nitrogen oxides, small particulate matter, sulfur oxides, and a host of other air quality concerns continue to present challenges for the region. The City of Denton recognizes the impacts that these air quality issues have on human health, economic vitality and the overall environment of both our region and our planet.

“Because many air quality issues are intricately linked to energy consumption, strategies for increasing energy efficiency often have the dual benefit of reducing operational costs while simultaneously improving air quality,” said Denton Mayor Mark Burroughs. “This Alternative Fuel Station is just the latest initiative taken by the City to continue to do what we can improve our air quality and sustain our environment.”

The City of Denton has long been committed to the goals of energy efficiency and environmental protection. The city has undertaken many sustainability initiatives in the last several years aimed at minimizing energy consumption, reducing our municipal emissions, and facilitating green building initiatives, including:

• Construction of a Multimodal Transit Station and investments in the Denton County Transportation Authority (DCTA)
• Denton Municipal Electric’s 40% from renewable energy has positioned Denton as an environmental leader with more wind energy per capita than any other city in the nation.
• Added an “Energy Depot” web page that provides citizens with a personalized energy consumption profile, home and business energy audits, and recommendations for reducing energy consumption.
• Constructed a Materials Recovery Facility at our landfill that will help expand commercial recycling, increase energy and cost efficiencies with collection, and provide new jobs
• Added 63 gas wells to our municipal landfill to capture methane gas and sell back to the grid as electrical power.
• Established the Denton Municipal Electric Energy Save Program, which provides rebates for energy efficiency measures in existing homes as well as new construction.
• Constructed a fire station that receive a gold LEED designation, and expressed the intent to enact LEED standards for future municipal buildings.

All of these initiatives and actions are designed to provide a city that has energy efficient municipal operations and improve air quality while simultaneously making Denton a better place to live.

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Letter – The Benefits of Ethanol

Source: New York Times

To the Editor:

Re “Energy Subsidies — Good and Bad” (editorial, July 29):

For years, the government has needed to support renewable fuels like ethanol because they are competing against a heavily entrenched petroleum industry. This country has spent trillions of public and private dollars building a fueling infrastructure that benefits oil and effectively shuts out competitors. The consequences include not only huge environmental risks, but a $300 billion-a-year drain from our economy to pay for imported petroleum.

Growth Energy’s Fueling Freedom plan would redirect the ethanol tax credit away from oil companies — where it is currently used as an incentive to blend ethanol with gasoline — and instead use the funds to build the infrastructure that would allow renewable fuels to compete with oil on a level playing field. By installing 200,000 ethanol pumps at gas stations across the country and putting 120 million flexible-fuel vehicles on the road, our plan would create an open market where ethanol could compete with gasoline without government support.

To clarify your editorial, Growth Energy proposes phasing out the ethanol tax credit once the market is opened — and domestic ethanol has the level playing field to compete with oil.

Given a chance, domestic ethanol can strengthen our national security, reduce our carbon emissions and create more jobs by keeping American money invested in our own economy instead of sending it overseas.

Wesley K. Clark
Washington, July 29, 2010

The writer, the retired general, is co-chairman of Growth Energy.

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New Ethanol Fuel Station Opens In Phoenix

Source: KPHO Phoenix (CBS)

PHOENIX — AAA Yellow Cab is opening a new 24-hour E85 Ethanol public fueling station on Friday.

The new station is located a quarter mile from Sky Harbor at 3030 S. 45th St. The first 50 customers in line between 10 and 11 a.m. will fill their cars up for just $1.99 per gallon. After the Grand Opening special, the ethanol fuel is still a deal at $2.35 per gallon.

The new station has a 12,000 gallon tank, and the projected volume of the station is 1,000,000 gallons per year. AAA Yellow Cab said the station was built in a record 41 days.

Along with the opening of this station, AAA will put 140 E85-powered taxis on the road. These taxis will service Sky Harbor as well as the greater Phoenix area and are designed to run on Clean Burning Ethanol. One hundred twenty-six of the new taxis are the new Chevy HHR High Roof four-door vans, and 14 are new Dodge Caravans; both vehicles will easily accommodate passengers and their luggage.

To complement AAA Yellow cab's new airport location, other public E85 fueling stations can be found at the following locations: Arizona Department of Administration 1501 West Madison, Phoenix; Western States Petroleum, 450 S. 15th Ave Phoenix; Apache Sands Service Center, 7602 E. Main, Mesa; Classic Car Spa, 22111 Scottsdale Rd, Scottsdale; Toor Chevron 9080 W. Olive, Peoria; Super Star Car Wash, 21695 N. Lake Pleasant Parkway, Peoria; and Z's West Olive, 5905 W. Olive, Glendale

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Growth Energy Teams Up With Country Partners Cooperative to Install First Blender Pump in Ord, Neb.

WASHINGTON, DC — Growth Energy has joined forces with Country Partners Cooperative in Ord, NE to install the town’s first blender pump. The station offers E20, E30 and is located at 424 North 14th Street in Ord, Nebraska — on the corner of Highway 70 and Highway 11.

“If we want to put Americans back to work, strengthen our national security and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, we need to provide more motorists with the choice of fueling their automobile with renewable, homegrown ethanol,” said Growth Energy CEO Tom Buis. “We are thrilled to have been able to help Country Partners Cooperative install this blender pump to provide consumers with mid and high level blends of ethanol to clean our skies and decrease our dependence on oil.”

The new blender pump in Ord was open for business on Saturday, July 10 where sales were more than 1,300 gallons.

Scott Haller, Petroleum Manager for Country Partners Cooperative said, “We took advantage of Growth Energy’s funding to install a blender pump. We needed to upgrade our pumps and we believe that ethanol is a huge part of our sales and our community. We are a farmer based cooperative so we wanted to get in the structure of burning something we are producing. We have seen a lot more FFV’s out there so it’s great to give the consumer a choice at the pump.”

"The expansion of blender pumps in Nebraska offers consumers additional fuel choices at the pump,” said Todd Sneller, Administrator for the Nebraska Ethanol Board. “The increased use of higher ethanol fuel blends helps to retain energy dollars in the Nebraska economy and support the investment in ethanol plants. The Nebraska Ethanol Board applauds this partnership and continues to encourage fuel marketers to offer additional ethanol fuel choices at locations across the state.”

Country Partners Cooperative has become part of Growth Energy’s 2010 E85 and Blender Pump Program, offering funds to retailers for the alternative fuel infrastructure. Growth Energy is also assisting retailers with the technical aspects of installation and marketing of both mid and high level blends of ethanol. A complete list of all sites offering both mid and high level blends of ethanol may be found at http://www.e85refueling.com/

For more information on the 2010 Growth Energy E85 and Blender Pump Grant Program, contact the Growth Energy Market Development office at 1-877-485-8595 or at scourter@growthenergy.org.

Growth Energy Partners with Edwards Oil to Offer High Level Blends of Ethanol

Source: Growth Energy

WASHINGTON, DC — Growth Energy has joined forces with Edwards Oil to offer high level blends of ethanol at the Quik Mart Convenience Store at 358 Cox Creek Parkway located in Florence, Ala. The store will now offer E85 (a combination of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline) as a fueling option for consumers.

“We are pleased to offer assistance to Edwards Oil on the installation of this clean, alternative fuel in Alabama,” said Growth Energy CEO Tom Buis. “Greater access to ethanol will help decrease our dependence on oil, improve our environment and strengthen our national security.”

Edwards Oil Company owns and operates 41 Quik Mart Convenience Stores, 14 of which are located in Northwest Alabama.

Jonathan Edwards, President of Edwards Oil said, “We appreciate Growth Energy’s assistance in helping us to fund this infrastructure. Alabama has not seen much investment or sales demand for E85, we are hoping to have a role in changing that.”

“We congratulate and commend Quik Mart Convenience Stores and the people of the Shoals for making the second station possible. E85 has increased dramatically across the state,” said Mark Bentley, Executive Director of the Alabama Clean Fuels Coalition. “In 2006, there were no public stations pumping E85 in the state. Last year, considering both public and private stations, E85 displaced over 700,000 gallons of traditional gasoline in the state of Alabama. There are now 13 public stations making E85 available to the general public.”

Edwards Oil has become part of Growth Energy’s 2010 E85 and Blender Pump Program, offering funds to retailers for the alternative fuel infrastructure. Growth Energy is also assisting retailers with the technical aspects of installation and marketing of both mid and high level blends of ethanol. A complete list of all sites offering both mid and high level blends of ethanol may be found at http://www.e85refueling.com/

For more information on the 2010 Growth Energy E85 and Blender Pump Grant Program, contact the Growth Energy Market Development office at 1-877-485-8595 or at scourter@growthenergy.org.

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Victoria Rolls Out New High Blend Ethanol Fuel

Source: GOV Monitor

Industry and Trade Minister Jacinta Allan today joined Caltex and GM Holden to announce a rollout of fuel containing up to 85 per cent ethanol across Caltex’s network, including Victoria, by end of October this year.

Ms Allan said Caltex’s Bio E-Flex fuel was the latest alternative fuel initiative to reach Victoria in a bid to help the State reach its goal of cutting carbon emissions by 20 per cent in 2020.

“The introduction of this high-ethanol fuel will not only deliver lower carbon emissions but introduces a renewable and a more sustainable fuel to drive us into the future,” she said.

“The fact that this fuel can be home grown will improve Victoria’s fuel security and further stimulate investment in local supply.”

Known overseas as E85, Bio E-Flex has the capacity to reduce overall carbon emissions by up to 50 percent when compared with traditional fossil fuels.

Ms Allan said that reducing Victoria’s carbon emissions by at least 20 per cent by 2020 was one of the key objectives of the recently released Victorian Climate Change White Paper Action Plan.

“Our Government is rising to the challenge of climate change, supporting new initiatives like biofuels to cut emissions and create a climate of new economic opportunity,” Ms Allan said.

“As part of the joint initiative, Holden is set to introduce flex-fuel vehicles across its product lines, including its top-selling Holden Commodore.

“These vehicles will be optimised to run on this high-ethanol fuel, which will be available at 11 Caltex sites in Victoria by end of October this year.

“It is no surprise that Victoria, as the centre of Australia’s automotive industry, is assembling the engine for this advanced and environmentally-friendly vehicle.”

Ms Allan said supporting the introduction of alternative fuels was also a key action in the Brumby Labor Government’s $175 million Jobs for the Future Economy Action Plan, which promoted green jobs and opportunities that capitalize on Victoria’s traditional strengths in agriculture, manufacturing, services and resources.

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Fossil Fuel Subsidies Are 12 Times Support for Renewables, Study Shows

Source: Bloomberg

Global subsidies for fossil fuels dwarf support given to renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power and biofuels, Bloomberg New Energy Finance said.

Governments last year gave $43 billion to $46 billion of support to renewable energy through tax credits, guaranteed electricity prices known as feed-in tariffs and alternative energy credits, the London-based research group said today in a statement. That compares with the $557 billion that the International Energy Agency last month said was spent to subsidize fossil fuels in 2008.

“One of the reasons the clean energy sector is starved of funding is because mainstream investors worry that renewable energy only works with direct government support,” said Michael Liebreich, chief executive of New Energy Finance. “This analysis shows that the global direct subsidy for fossil fuels is around ten times the subsidy for renewables.”

Countries from the U.S. and Germany to Brazil and China are trying to boost power derived from crops, the wind and the sun in order to lower emissions of greenhouse gases while increasing the security of energy supplies. The Group of 20 nations a month ago renewed a commitment to phase out fossil fuel subsidies “over the medium term.” No target date was set.

The single most expensive clean energy subsidy last year was Germany’s feed-in tariff, which cost ratepayers $9.6 billion, New Energy Finance said. Across Europe, such tariffs amounted to $19.5 billion.

The U.S. in 2009 provided the most clean energy subsidies, at $18.2 billion, according to New Energy Finance. China provided about $2 billion of support, a “deceptive” figure because the country’s state-owned banks also provide “much crucial support” through low-interest loans, the group said.

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Member Spotlight — Gerstner Oil Company

Gerstner Oil Company has recently joined the Growth Energy Market Development team as new members. Family owned and operated by Rudy Gerstner and his wife Kathie, Gerstner Oil was first established in 1976. Gerstner Oil has changed distributors many times since 1979 and today they are branded Valero and Cenex.

Gerstner Oil currently has two convenient stores that it owns and operates, along with a cardtrol and 2 bulk plants. They have a total of 20 employees and 300 customers. Gerstner Oil is a supplier of fuels that has around 22 dealers. They are located at 300 East Highway 50 in Yankton, SD.

According to Rudy Gerstner their primary interest in joining Growth Energy Market Development was because they wanted to be able to take advantage of the technical assistance available, such as the blending economics handouts and other valuable information.

“One of the main reasons we decided to install blender pumps was because we have several dealers that sell E85. We also wanted to take advantage of the South Dakota state incentives for promoting mid level blends, along with selling a local, renewable product that helps support our local farm communities. It felt like now is a good time to take advantage of the opportunity,” noted Gerstner.

Currently Gerstner Oil is in the process of installing a blender pump at a dealer location in Yankton, SD at the Cork and Bottle at 1500 Broadway Street.

According to Gerstner, there are some big obstacles challenging the growth of alternative fuels, E85 and flexible fuel vehicles, “Give consumers what they are looking for, more choices at the pump. It’s important to educate consumers and advertise inventive so that people know about the benefits of alternative fuels.”

New and Renewed Growth Energy Market Development Members

Country Mark
Brabham Oil
Appel Oil
Midway Services, Inc.
Drum Oil & Propane
Skyline Petroleum  

New E85 and Blender Pump Stations

There are currently a total of 2,164 E85 stations and 162 blender pump stations.

Below are the new E85 and blender pumps as of the last newsletter. 

Growth Energy Partners to Open First Blender Pump With Mid and High Level Ethanol West of the Rockie

Source: Growth Energy

Jefferson City, MO — Growth Energy has joined forces with Get Green LLC, Lucky Stop to offer the first blender pump offering mid and high levels of ethanol in the Southwest. Located at 8816 S Eastern in Las Vegas, NV, the site offers ethanol blends of E30 and E85.

Tom Buis, CEO of Growth Energy noted that the recent certification of Dresser Wayne and Gilbarco blender pumps by Underwriters Laboratory will help promote the installation of blender pumps across the country to help decrease our dependence on oil.

“We are pleased to assist Lucky Stop with the opening of the first blender pump west of the Rockies,” said Buis. “Every blender pump we install will help make our country more energy independent and more secure, all while giving consumers a choice at the pump that includes domestic, renewable ethanol. Growth Energy is pleased to have been able to assist in Lucky Stop’s efforts and we remain committed to assist with additional blender pumps across the nation.”

Mike Maalouf, owner of the Lucky Stop station said, “Everyone is struggling with the way the economy is right now. By installing E30 and E85 this creates more choices for the consumer, but also assists with lessening our dependency on foreign oil. Ethanol is greener, cleaner and better for the environment.”

The new blender pump opened for business on Monday, July 12 and has increased sales by 30 percent since they started offering the blended fuels.

Growth Energy provided Lucky’s a grant through their 2010 E85 and Blender Pump Program. Along with the funding to offset the cost of infrastructure, Growth Energy has supplied retailer assistance with the technical aspects of installation and marketing of both mid and high level blends of ethanol. A complete list of all sites offering both mid and high level blends of ethanol may be found at http://www.e85refueling.com/

For more information on the 2010 Growth Energy E85 and Blender Pump Grant Program, contact the Growth Energy Market Development office at 1-877-485-8595 or at scourter@growthenergy.org.

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About Growth Energy
Growth Energy is a group committed to the promise of agriculture and growing America’s economy through cleaner, greener energy. Growth Energy members recognize America needs a new ethanol approach. Through smart policy reform and a proactive grassroots campaign, Growth Energy promotes reducing greenhouse gas emissions, expanding the use of ethanol in gasoline, decreasing our dependence on foreign oil, and creating American jobs at home. More information can be found at GrowthEnergy.org.

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Minnesota Uses More E85 In State-Owned Vehicles

Source: American Lung Association

Saint Paul, Minn. — Minnesota’s state agencies continue to make steady progress in their effort to reduce the amount of petroleum consumed by publically-owned vehicles. During the first two quarters of the year, state agencies used 437,063 gallons of E85, a cleaner burning fuel consisting of up to 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline. That represents a nearly 25 percent increase over the amount used during the same period in 2009, according to Tim Morse, chair of the SmartFleet Committee, a group tasked with helping agencies comply with Executive Order 04-10, issued by Gov. Tim Pawlenty.

The Faribault Academies, a campus of educational facilities serving deaf and blind Minnesotans, topped all others in the SmartFleet quarterly report, using E85 75 percent of the time they bought fuel. Another standout was the Minnesota Office of Higher Education, which reported 73 percent E85 use during the first half of the calendar year. In terms of sheer volume of E85 used, the state Department of Transportation used 170,617 gallons of cleaner-burning E85 in six months, compared to 376,312 gallons of gasoline and 690,798 gallons of B5 biodiesel blend fuel.

“This continued progress shows that the State of Minnesota is serious about its stated goal to reduce its petroleum consumption,” said Kelly Marczak, director for the American Lung Association in Minnesota’s clean fuel and vehicle technologies program and a member of the SmartFleet Committee. “In just six months, the state’s use of E85 in 2010 prevented more than 1,745 tons of lifecycle carbon dioxide emissions and harmful pollutants from entering our air.” In addition, the 5% biodiesel blend prevented 290 lbs of particulate matter, 400 lbs of hydrocarbons, 3,000 lbs of carbon monoxide and 700,000 lbs of carbon dioxide emissions.

The American Lung Association in Minnesota supports the use of E85 and biodiesel fuels in both public and private vehicles, as part of an overall strategy to reduce and prevent air pollution. For a complete listing of all 355 E85 stations in Minnesota, as well as a list of all flex fuel vehicles that can use the ethanol-based fuel, see www.CleanAirChoice.org

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Growth Energy: Dresser Wayne Blender Pumps Receive Final Safety Certification

WASHINGTON, DC – Growth Energy, the coalition of U.S. ethanol supporters, along with Dresser Wayne today announced that Underwriters Laboratory (UL) has issued certification to the dual hose ethanol blender available in Dresser Wayne Ovation eco fuel dispensers. This certification will help fuel retailers meet increasing demand for renewable fuel by dispensing mid to high ethanol blends along with conventional gasoline.

Growth Energy CEO Tom Buis noted that the final certification for this fuel dispensing equipment is an important step toward providing higher level blends of ethanol directly to consumers to help decrease our dependence on oil.

“Achieving this UL certification for the Dresser Wayne flexible fuel dispensers is another step forward as we work to create a new energy future in this country,” said Buis. “Every blender pump we install will help make our country more energy independent and more secure, all while giving consumers a choice at the pump that includes domestic, renewable ethanol.”

The Dresser Wayne dual hose ethanol blender blends gasoline and ethanol in both dispenser hoses enabling it to offer low blends on one hose for conventional vehicles and mid- to high-level blends on the other hose for flexible fuel vehicles.

“We want to simplify alternative fuel adoption so retailers can feel more confident about embracing this developing energy segment,” said Scott Negley, Dresser Wayne director of Alternative Energy Products. “With this approval, our entire eco fuel product portfolio is now UL certified. This helps our customers achieve and maintain regulatory compliance as they add eco fuels to their product offerings.”

UL has also extended certification to include Gilbarco Encore blenders with the flexible fuel option.

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About Growth Energy
Growth Energy is a group committed to the promise of agriculture and growing America’s economy through cleaner, greener energy. Growth Energy members recognize America needs a new ethanol approach. Through smart policy reform and a proactive grassroots campaign, Growth Energy promotes reducing greenhouse gas emissions, expanding the use of ethanol in gasoline, decreasing our dependence on foreign oil, and creating American jobs at home. More information can be found at GrowthEnergy.org.

Growth Energy Partners with Retailer in Las Vegas to Offer Higher Ethanol Blends

Jefferson City, MO -- Growth Energy has joined forces with CJW Petroleum to offer E85 at 3870 Craig Road in North Las Vegas, NV. The station is located in close proximity to Nellis Air Force Base where numerous flexible fuel vehicles are stationed.

“There are tens of thousands of federal flex fuel vehicles that have never run on anything but conventional gasoline because they don’t have access to mid and high level blends of ethanol,” said Phil Lampert, V.P. of Market Development for Growth Energy. “We are working with partners across the nation to build out the infrastructure so flex fuel vehicle owners have a choice at the pump.”

The new E85 pump was open for business on Tuesday, July 13 and sold over 1,400 gallons of the alternative fuel in a short time.

Phillipe Savigard, owner of the Nevada station said, “The reason I offered the fuel was I feel it is the right time. We need to make consumers more aware of the product and educate them so there is less confusion in the marketplace.”

CJW Petroleum has become part of Growth Energy’s 2010 E85 and Blender Pump Program, offering funds to retailers for the alternative fuel infrastructure. Growth Energy is also assisting retailers with the technical aspects of installation and marketing of both mid and high level blends of ethanol. A complete list of all sites offering both mid and high level blends of ethanol may be found at http://www.e85refueling.com/.

For more information on the 2010 Growth Energy E85 and Blender Pump Grant Program, contact the Growth Energy Market Development office at 1-877-485-8595 or at scourter@growthenergy.org.

Dresser Wayne Reliance E-Series Dispensers Receive UL Certification for E85 Fuel

Source: DresserWayne

Dresser Wayne, a global innovator of fuel dispensers and technologies, announced today that its Reliance® E-Series fuel dispensers for retail and fleet applications received Underwriters Laboratories (UL) certification for dispensing ethanol up to E85. The Reliance E-Series dispenser's UL certification follows the recent UL certification of the Dresser Wayne Ovation® Eco Fuel retail dispenser, and expands Dresser Wayne's portfolio of compliant alternative-fuel offerings for both retail and fleet customers.

Underwriters Laboratories sets safety standards and conducts compliance-testing on a wide range of products. Complete ethanol-dispenser systems must meet strict requirements for materials compatibility and safety. In order to dispense ethanol up to and including E85, the equipment must be designed to address ethanol's corrosive properties. The UL certification for the Reliance E-Series dispenser offers customers an effective, compliant solution for the delivery of alternative fuels.

"There are a large number of flex-fuel vehicles in government fleets with renewable fuel requirements, but they often lack the supporting local infrastructure for E85 fueling," says Scott Negley, director of Alternative Energy Products for Dresser Wayne. "UL certification of our E85 Reliance E-Series dispensers can make it easier for government and business fleet customers to gain approval from local authorities for the installation of E85 fleet-fueling facilities."

Reliance E-Series fuel dispensers are available in several configurations for application versatility. The Reliance E/G6200 dispenser series includes heavy-duty features for general private-fleet fueling, while the rugged Reliance E/G5200 dispenser series has a mechanical volume- and price-register for economical retail fueling. The Reliance S1 E/G6101 shelf-mounted dispenser is specially designed for fleet-fueling from above-ground storage tanks.

UL's certification of the Reliance E-Series dispenser for E85 expands upon its interim approval of the dispenser for E25 ethanol blends earlier this year.

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Ethanol Frequent Fuel Card Available

This week, with support of the American Lung Association and other sponsors, three fueling facilities in the state of Minnesota are offering a Frequent Fuel Card in exchange for ethanol fuel discounts. These retail sites include those in Truman, Lyle and Austin, Minnesota.

The NuMart C-Store at 302 North 5th Street in Truman began giving away the fuel cards today. The first 50 flexible fuel vehicles (FFVs) to fill up at the site received the card where after 4 E85 purchases, they will receive a $10 discount off their next purchase of E85.

Freeborn County Coops are also offering the frequent fuel cards to the first 100 FFV owners to fuel up at their facilities at 301 1st St. in Lyle on July 22 and at Hwys 56 and 90 in Austin, MN. A $10 discount will be given on E85, E20, E30 or E40 after a customer’s fourth fuel up.

Also, the participants at each location will be entered into a drawing for a $50 fuel card.

For more information on these events, go to www.CleanAirChoice.org.

US Automakers on Track for More Ethanol Vehicles

Source: CNBC

DETROIT - U.S. automakers say they're on track to increase the number of vehicles that can run on fuel-saving ethanol, even as the ethanol industry falters and other technologies like electric vehicles capture the public's attention.

Most gasoline in the U.S. contains a low percentage of ethanol, which is a kind of alcohol made from corn, sugar and other substances. But only some vehicles can run on either gasoline or E85, a blend of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent fuel. There are around 8 million flex-fuel vehicles on the road right now. Regular gasoline vehicles can't run on E85.

Although not as efficient as gasoline, E85 reduces dependence on oil because of the low percentage of gas it contains. It's typically cheaper than gas because of federal subsidies of around $6 billion per year.

Automakers benefit, too, because they get federal fuel economy credits for making flex-fuel vehicles.

General Motors Co., Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler Group LLC say they expect to meet a 2006 pledge to double their production of flex-fuel vehicles by the end of this year. In 2006, they produced 700,000 vehicles, so that means making more than 1.4 million flex-fuel vehicles by the end of this year.

U.S. automakers also expect to meet a goal of making half their vehicle production flex-fuel by 2012, up from around 30 percent now. But they warn that they could pull back if there aren't enough gas stations with ethanol pumps.

Availability of ethanol varies widely. There are more than 2,000 U.S. gas stations with E85 pumps or blender pumps that allow drivers to specify the percentage of ethanol they want in their fuel. But that's less than one in five gas stations in the country, and the vast majority are in the Midwest.

"We haven't changed the commitment because we really do believe that biofuels need to be a piece of it," Ford spokeswoman Jennifer Moore says. "But it may turn out to be a more regional solution."

Ethanol lobbying group Growth Energy says the number of stations with ethanol pumps grew 11 percent last year, but that was far slower than the triple-digit growth they saw earlier in the decade. Sales slumped last year in Minnesota, which has the most ethanol-equipped gas stations in the country, as low gas prices narrowed the cost advantage enjoyed by E85.

When prices are low, buyers are more likely to choose regular gasoline because it's more efficient. GM spokesman Alan Adler says E85 needs to be 20 to 25 percent cheaper than gasoline to make up for the fact that you have to fill up more often.

E85 is now around 20 percent cheaper nationwide, at $2.17 per gallon versus $2.72 per gallon for gasoline, according to E85prices.com. But in some states, the difference is as little as 16 percent.

The ethanol industry also has been hurt by high corn prices, low wholesale ethanol prices and the overall economy. Several major producers have gone bankrupt, and the industry is uncertain as it waits for the federal government to decide whether to renew its incentives at the end of this year.

Last week, Growth Energy called for a gradual end to the government payments that oil producers get for blending ethanol. The group wants the money used to install blender pumps at gas stations. It also wants the auto industry to make all its vehicles flex-fuel capable, although it didn't give a timeline.

"It doesn't matter how quickly automakers move if there are no blender pumps," says Growth Energy spokeswoman Stephanie Dreyer.

A rival ethanol group, the Renewable Fuels Association, doesn't support that plan and wants to keep the incentives in place.

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Kansas City Clean Cities Holds Ethanol Workshop

The Kansas City Regional Clean Cites held a workshop on July 9 in which Growth Energy participated, geared toward ethanol fuel. The speakers focused on where ethanol fits in the world today, fleet and retail success stories, and funding available for retail facilities.

“There are 4,560 flexible fuel vehicles in region 6 of GSA. . . We purchased 3.2 million gallons of gasoline in fiscal year 2009 and we’re on our way on purchasing more in fiscal year 2010,” said U.S. General Services Administration’s (GSA) Region VI Represenative Don Gard. “As a success, we’ve worked with the Army installing the E85 tank in Ft. Leonard Wood, MO. But we are still having the challenges of driver’s reluctance to use E85, educating consumers and there is a lack of E85 stations.”

“Three years ago, I began putting together green gas stations. . . We were the first in Kansas to put in a blender dispenser,” noted Zarco 66, Inc. owner (shown right). “Being able to get out and explain what I do is the key to moving this forward.”

Market Development Manager Michelle Kautz advised the group on Growth Energy’s commitment of promoting mid and high level blends of ethanol and the direct grants the group is offering to offset the price of infrastructure.

Growth Energy Proposes Fundamental Shift in America’s National Fuel Policy

Fueling Freedom Plan Will Redirect Government Support to Create Open Fuels Market

WASHINGTON, DC – Growth Energy, a coalition of U.S. ethanol supporters, today called for the redirection and eventual phasing out of government support for ethanol in return for a level playing field – infrastructure investments that will create competition in the fuels market and give consumers true freedom to choose their fuel.

"We are confident that in a fair and open market, ethanol can and will compete successfully against oil,” said Tom Buis, CEO of Growth Energy. “Creating that competitive market will save money for both taxpayers and motorists, since it takes the control out of the hands of Big Oil and puts it into the hands of the consumer.”

The “Fueling Freedom” plan calls for the phasing out of current ethanol supports over time, by redirecting a portion of those funds to build out the infrastructure for the distribution and use of ethanol, and shifting the remaining portion away from the oil companies to opening the market. The primary elements of the plan include:

• Funds currently going to the oil industry as an incentive for blending ethanol into gasoline (the VEETC) would be redirected to provide backing for the build out of distribution infrastructure for ethanol – such as tax credits for retailers to install 200,000 blender pumps and federal backing of ethanol pipelines. This will provide Americans the access to choose ethanol in an open and free market, and would allow for the elimination of the tax supports over time in exchange for that level playing field.
• Requiring that all automobiles sold in the U.S. be flex-fuel vehicles – as many as 120 million. This requires no additional cost to taxpayers and a minimal cost (about $120 per vehicle) to vehicle manufacturers.

Growth Energy’s Fueling Freedom plan, once implemented, would build out the infrastructure in the United States to create a path that leads to a genuinely free market – an open market that is free of government supports. Redirecting monies currently paid to oil companies to blend ethanol into gasoline toward infrastructure improvements would enable consumers to choose between gasoline and renewable, homegrown ethanol.

“Fifty five years ago, President Eisenhower, himself a former general, proposed an Interstate Highway System to give Americans the freedom to travel our country,” said Growth Energy Co-Chair Gen. Wesley K. Clark (Ret.). “Today, Growth Energy is proposing to give Americans the freedom to choose an American fuel to travel those highways. By creating an open fuel market, we can break OPEC’s monopoly, improve our national security and create jobs here at home.”

Federal Fleet Conference 2010

Growth Energy participated in the 2010 Federal Fleet Conference in Phoenix, Arizona July 12 - 15. The group sponsored a booth where both a Gilbarco Veeder Root and Dresser Wayne blender pump were displayed.  President of Clean Fuels Consulting and Growth Energy Market Advisory Committee member, Rhea Courtney Bozic stopped by to visit the booth.

Along with over 180 additional booth vendors, several automobile manufacturers spotlighted many of their FFV fleet vehicles available in 2010 and 2011.

Clean Cities Coordinator for Clean Communities of Central NY Barry Carr attended the conference noted, “It is exciting that the Federal Government seems to be making an effort to integrate alternative fuels and alternative fueled vehicles into Federal fleets. This is exactly the leadership that the government should practice consistently, because government funded by the people should be doing things in the best interest economically and environmentally. Anytime the Federal government promotes the use of alternative fuels we lessen our dependence on petroleum products. It is exciting to see the products produced in the United States, it is important because its creating jobs and its reducing greenhouse emissions in the United States.

Along with the conference, there were many educational workshops and sessions. A short discussion, “Meet the E85 Experts” included CEO of DMC Green, Inc. Dianna Morgan . Morgan discussed the strategies and goals of DMC Green and the infrastructure that is available. “The Federal Government has a $50,000 tax credit available to install infrastructure and through our grant provided by the Department of Energy, DMC Green also has a $50,000 cash incentive available to install infrastructure.” DMC Green assists with building infrastructure in solar, hydrogen, ethanol, biodiesel and electric.

Throughout the convention there were breakout sessions, educational sessions, fleet management classes, aviation workshops and automotive procurement classes. Other sessions included “Meet the Propane Experts, Meet the Clean Cities Experts and Meet the Biodiesel experts.” The conference also included U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) vendor presentations.

Member Spotlight – Bridgehampton Service Station, LLC

Bridgehampton Service Station, LLC has recently joined the Growth Energy Market Development team as new members. Established in 1928, by William McCoy. the company was then passed down to Albert McCoy Sr and then to the current owner, Albert McCoy Jr. The owner of the property is Bridgehampton Service Station, LLC in which Albert McCoy Jr is the sole owner. McCoy Petroleum has a total staff of approximately 20 employees.

According to Albert McCoy Jr., President of McCoy Petroleum, their primary interest in joining Growth Energy Market Development was because they wanted to be immersed within the ethanol industry and to receive informational updates regarding biofuels.

In 2004, McCoy purchased the location of Bridgehampton Service station. At the time the station was purchased it was very old, McCoy Petroleum knocked down the station and began construction on it. In February 2010, they started construction on the new site and as of June 2010 the construction was complete. Initially McCoy decided to install E85 because of marketing opportunities, but also because there were many state and federal incentives to take advantage of.

“One of the main reasons we decided to install E85 was because we have hundreds of FFV’s in our surrounding cities that can fuel up, We built the station with E-85 because we recognized the local demand to do things "green,”noted McCoy.

McCoy Petroleum currently has one fueling location that offers E85: Bridgehampton Service Station, LLC, is located at 2148 Montauk HWY inBridgehampton, NY. They currently have two other fueling sites that offer only E10 and super unleaded that are located in Amagansett, NY and Southampton Village, NY

According to McCoy, the biggest obstacle challenging the growth of alternative fuels and FFV’s from an operator’s stand point is that it is a challenge to retrofit and costly to install piping. Another challenge from a customer’s perspective is loss of mileage per gallon.

“It’s important to educate consumers on the importance of alternative fuels today” noted McCoy.

New and Renewed Growth Energy Market Development Members

New E85 and Blender Pump Stations

There are currently a total of 2,165 E85 stations and 161 blender pump stations.

Below are the new E85 and blender pumps as of the last newsletter. 

** indicates blender pump available

2011 Chevrolet Caprice Police Package to Be E85 Compatible

Chevrolet has released the technical manual for the Holden-based 2011 Chevrolet Caprice PPV (Police Patrol Vehicle) and it includes an E85 compatible platform.

The new 2011 Caprice will be powered by a 265kW/521Nm 6.0-litre V8 and include Active Fuel Management. General Motors (GM) says its 0-100km/h time of less than 6.0 seconds will make it the police service’s fastest-accelerating and highest-top speed vehicle. This FFV will be included in GM’s extensive line of E85 compatible vehicles available in 2012, but this vehicle will not be offered at the retail level.

In 2010, GM offers as flexible fuel:
Buick Lucerne
Buick Terraza
Cadillac Escalade
Chevrolet Avalanche
Chevrolet Express
Chevrolet HHR
Chevrolet Impala
Chevrolet Malibu
Chevrolet Silverado
Chevrolet Tahoe
GMC Savana
GMC Sierra Pickup
GMC Sierra Denali

Recently, the 2011 Buick Regal was announced to be flexible fuel.

For a complete listing of flexible fuel vehicles, go to http://www.ethanolretailer.com/flexible-fuel-vehicles/. 

Growth Energy: Bill Will Help Our Nation Achieve Energy Security

Source: Growth Energy

WASHINGTON, DC – A new bill introduced by Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tim Johnson (D-SD) today includes provisions that will help our nation wean itself off of oil and secure our energy independence, according to Growth Energy, the coalition of U.S. ethanol supporters.

The Securing America’s Future with Energy and Sustainable Technologies Act (SAFEST) includes provisions to promote the production and use of renewable fuels like ethanol through an investment in ethanol infrastructure –blender pumps and pipelines—and Flex Fuel Vehicles, which are capable of operating on any combination of conventional and renewable fuels.

“In these tough economic times, we need a national energy policy that creates jobs in the United States, improves our environment and strengthens our national security by reducing our reliance on foreign oil,” said CEO Tom Buis. “Legislation that requires automakers to produce flex fuel vehicles and retailers to install blender pumps would provide more drivers with a choice of mid- and high-level ethanol blends and create thousands of good-paying green collar jobs that can’t be outsourced.”

The legislation also addresses the controversial concept of Indirect Land Use Change and provides equity by allowing all feedstocks that meet the 50 percent Green House Gas reduction requirements to qualify as an advanced biofuel. Buis noted that grain ethanol is 59 percent cleaner than gasoline refined from oil and can play a significant role in cleaning our air.

“We commend Sens. Klobuchar and Johnson for their efforts to ensure a cleaner, more secure energy future for America.”

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Ethanol Producers Want To Expand Market

Source: Channel 3000

MONROE, Wis. — Ethanol producers in the state are calling on the federal government to help their industry. They want a piece of a clean energy jobs bill in Congress, but they said that, more importantly, they want to save what they feel is an important green industry.

While the Badger State Ethanol plant in Monroe is doing well, others in the state haven't been so lucky, WISC-TV reported. The industry said it's because of limits on its market, but others said there might not be a great enough demand for ethanol yet.

At Badger State Ethanol in Monroe, people can find pumps with ethanol blends of 85, 25 or 10 percent, but these so-called "blender pumps" aren't found everywhere, WISC-TV reported.

"We need to continue to expand the market for ethanol and right now as an industry, not just here in Wisconsin, but as a country, we now have pretty much totally saturated the 10 percent market," said Gary Kramer, president of Badger State Ethanol.

Incentives for stations to install blender pumps are only part of what the state ethanol industry would like to see the federal government do. Right now, only 10 percent of regular gasoline can be ethanol, and ethanol producers said they would like to see 15 percent.

"It's the difference between us treading water and being very profitable going into the future, and if we're treading water we're not creating any new jobs," said Kramer.

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Ethanol Leaders Say The time For Action on Energy is Now

Source: Hoosier Ag Today

While it is another hot July day in Indiana, the heat is a bit more intense in Washington where Congress and the Obama administration are feeling the heat to adopt a new energy policy for this nation. Tom Buis, with Growth Energy, says it is time for the US to adopt a plan that moves the nation away from petroleum. Buis says the recent renewable energy plan unveiled by Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack is a good start, “What the Secretary has articulated here is a plan to move forward, and that is what we need, a plan.” He told HAT that without a plan the U S will slip backwards like we have done during all the other energy crises over the past 40 years.

Bius says election year politics must take a back seat to solving our long outstanding energy issues, “What we need are leaders who are willing to put politics aside and work for a policy that is right for this nation.” He said the mood in Washington is very partisan right now and that is what is delaying action on energy issues.

Growth Energy‘s Co-Chairman General Wesley Clark says there is bipartisan support for renewable fuels in the Midwest but not in other parts of the nation, “There is good support among the delegations from Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, and Iowa.” Secretary of Agriculture Vilsack concurred, telling HAT, lawmakers from the east and west coast states need to understand that renewable fuels will benefit their states, too.

MP3 of Tom Buis and General Clark at Hoosier Ag Today. 

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Race Cars Run Faster, Cleaner On Ethanol

Source: Laboratory Equipment

A fuel-injected racing car engine powered by E-85, an ethanol-based fuel, outperforms the same engine with a carburetor and leaded racing fuel.

That’s the finding by a team—dubbed Project Green—that includes a group of automotive researchers from the Dept. of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory.

They demonstrated during benchmark testing a 7 percent improvement in the torque and speed of a General Motors’ CT525 LS3 fuel-injected engine with a catalytic converter attached to the exhaust system and renewable E-85 in the fuel tank, says Forrest Jehlik, principal mechanical engineer at Argonne’s Center for Transportation Technology. 

The General Motors engine is a popular choice among circle track racers.

“The testing disproves two widely and firmly held beliefs in the circle track racing community: that carbureted engines are inherently more powerful than engines equipped with a fuel injection system; and that E-85, which is less expensive than leaded racing fuel, is not well-suited as a fuel for race cars,” says Jehlik, who leads the benchmark testing for Project Green.

Aside from the garages of classic and vintage car collectors, race tracks are about the only venues these days where engines with carburetors are in active use. Fuel injection systems began replacing carburetors in the early 1980s because they allow for greater fuel efficiency as a result of precise and even fuel distribution to each cylinder.

Moreover, tailpipe emissions from cars with fuel injection engines are lowered because of the precise metering of fuel, thereby reducing the amount of oxides of nitrogen, hydrocarbon and carbon monoxide combustion byproducts.

Catalytic converters, which further reduce the amount of emissions generated by internal combustion engines, are not normally part of the exhaust systems of racing cars. But Project Green’s dynamometer testing of the GM engine utilizing catalytic converters resulted in a 50 to 60 percent decrease in nitrogen oxide, one of the main ingredients involved in the formation of ground-level ozone.

However, there was not an appreciable decrease in carbon monoxide and hydrocarbon emissions.

After analyzing the test data to determine why the decrease was so slight, the team developed a secondary air-injection system that will increase the level of oxygen in the exhaust stream and thereby allow oxidation of those by-products.

Results from on-track testing set for the week of July 12th at the New Smyrna Speedway in New Smyrna Beach, Fla., are expected to validate that new approach.

Professional circle track racing series have been reluctant to require racing teams to use today’s cleaner and more efficient automotive technologies and fuels in their vehicles.

But Project Green is optimistic that these technologies will eventually be adopted by the sport, just as the American Le Mans Series’ Green Challenge has adopted green racing principles established by the DOE, the EPA and the Society of Automotive Engineers.

“If you start getting the racing community to see that cars can run just as fast and more efficiently with fuel-injected engines and domestically produced biofuels that are more environmentally friendly and less expensive, it has the potential to really catch on with race car drivers and their large fan base,” Jehlik says.

“The bottom line is that we have shown that modern fuel-injection technology, renewable E-85 fuel and catalytic converters provide better performance and increased efficiency while reducing emissions; it is a reality today. Truly, there are no compromises. It’s a win-win for everyone, and we believe it is the future of racing and a step towards sustainability in the transportation fuels we use as a country.”
 

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The Ethanol Blend Wall

Source: The Cattle Network

Fuel ethanol is a renewable fuel made from grain or other biomass sources that is blended into motor gasoline. Ethanol blending into gasoline in the United States has been rising strongly since 2002, initially driven by action taken in several States to ban the use of methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE), a competing gasoline additive. At the Federal level, the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPACT2005) made changes in the requirements for reformulated gasoline that precipitated a Nation-wide phase out of MTBE beginning in 2006. Soon thereafter, the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA) further boosted fuel ethanol demand by accelerating and extending the federal Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program that was first established by EPACT2005. The revised RFS requires the use of about 15.2 billion gallons of renewable fuel by 2012 and 36 billion gallons by 2022. EIA expects that 13.2 billion gallons of the 2012 requirement will be met using corn-based fuel ethanol.

Under current Federal regulations, ethanol blends of up to 10 percent (E10) may be sold for use in all gasoline-powered vehicles. E85, a fuel blend with 70 percent to 85 percent ethanol content, may also be sold, but only for use in vehicles that have been specifically designed to accommodate E85. To date, however, E85 is presently consumed in very limited volumes (5,644 barrels per day (bbl/d) in 2008) with only about 1,900 E85 pumps nationwide in 2009, and it is not expected to show significant growth over the short term.

In an environment where nearly all fuel ethanol is sold as E10, saturation of the E10 market creates a barrier to accommodating additional ethanol supply, commonly referred to as the “blend wall”. During April 2010 an estimated 834,000 bbl/d (12.8 billion gallons per year [BGY]) of fuel ethanol was blended into gasoline, representing an average 9.2 percent of total gasoline product supplied by volume. The July EIA Short-Term Energy Outlook projects that the ethanol share of the gasoline pool could reach 10 percent in the first quarter next year when total gasoline consumption is expected to average about 8.8 million bbl/d (135 BGY).

There are 4 primary factors that will influence the ethanol blend wall constraint:

1. E10 sales volume
2. E85 sales volume
3. Ethanol-blending infrastructure constraints that limit the ability to blend and deliver E10 and E85 to local markets
4. Possible relaxation of the 10 percent ethanol blending limit on fuels used in vehicles not specifically designed to accommodate E85.

Absent a relaxation of the 10 percent limit on ethanol blending in the general gasoline pool, and with still increasing ethanol production capacity, there will likely be downward pressure on ethanol prices as the blend wall is approached, which could contribute to an increase in E85 sales within the constraints of its limited infrastructure, an increase in ethanol exports, and lower capacity utilization rates. Over the past year, and especially at the start of 2010, the ethanol price (after deducting the 45 cents per gallon ethanol blender’s excise tax credit) has remained at a discount to reformulated gasoline blendstock for oxygenate blending (RBOB) (Figure 1).

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Growth Energy: Ethanol Not Responsible for Gulf of Mexico Dead Zone

Source: BioFuels Journal

There have been numerous new — and erroneous — attacks on domestic ethanol for contributing to the "Dead Zone" in the Gulf of Mexico.

Big Oil, notably BP, would love nothing more than to change the subject away from the catastrophic results of policies that rely on drilling for oil.

We need to respond to these attacks with the facts about domestic ethanol, and the facts about the Dead Zone, and some perspective.

You can find your local news media outlet — and write a letter to the editor — by clicking here.

You can also write a letter to your Member of Congress; find their address by clicking here.

This graph is from the USGS and charts the total size of the area in the Gulf where dissolved oxygen is less than 2 mg/L.

As you can see, the levels measured from the summer of 2009 are considerably smaller than those from the early part of the decade despite the fact that ethanol production has been on the rise over the same time period and corn yields are up.

Finally, don't forget to turn to these facts any time you see someone in the press or on a blog misstate the facts about ethanol and the opportunities domestic ethanol provides. — this piece on the San Francisco Chronicle website.

There have been other wildly inaccurate portrayals of U.S. ethanol from our critics; we urge you to engage whenever and where ever you can.

• Last year the dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico was estimated to be about 3,000 square miles. Last year, the U.S. produced 10.8 billion gallons of ethanol. In 2001, the dead zone was 8,006 square miles, and ethanol production in the U.S. was 1.8 billion gallons. How do critics of ethanol explain how the dead zone shrunk while ethanol production increased by more than 6 times in the U.S.? (Read more here)
• As of today, the Deepwater Horizon spill could be 12 times the size of the Exxon-Valdez spill in Alaska's Prince William Sound. The Deepwater spill will be much larger before BP is able to cap the well. (see map here)
• Biofuels like ethanol can actually help prevent runoff, according to a recent study of the Chesapeake Bay watershed by the Chesapeake Bay Commission and the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture. The study found that production of biomass can reduce erosion, absorb excess fertilizer from idle farm fields and capture carbon dioxide as they grow. (read report here)

We've got a longer list of facts about the Gulf on our web site and I encourage you to take a look.

Thanks for your help. And check back to our Growth Energy blog, or follow us on Twitter and Facebook, to join the conversation.

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The Truth About the Gulf of Mexico Dead Zone

Source: Renewable Energy World

There have been numerous new – and erroneous – attacks on domestic ethanol for contributing to the “Dead Zone” in the Gulf of Mexico. Big Oil, notably BP, would love nothing more than to change the subject away from the catastrophic results of policies that rely on drilling for oil. Growth Energy wants you to know the truth behind these attacks, so here are some facts about domestic ethanol, and the facts about the Dead Zone, and some perspective.

• As of today, the Deepwater Horizon spill could be 12 times the size of the Exxon-Valdez spill in Alaska’s Prince William Sound. The Deepwater spill will be much larger before BP is able to cap the well. (see map here)
• The people in Washington, DC, should know that the spill is so big, that if it were layered over the nation’s capital city, it would stretch from deep inside of Virginia, encompass all of the District of Columbia, and stretch to Delaware. (see map here)
• Last year the dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico was estimated to be about 3,000 square miles. Last year, the U.S. produced 10.8 billion gallons of ethanol. In 2001, the dead zone was 8,006 square miles, and ethanol production in the U.S. was 1.8 billion gallons. How do critics of ethanol explain how the dead zone shrunk while ethanol production increased by more than 6 times in the U.S.? (Read more here)
• Everyone focuses on the Gulf of Mexico’s dead zone, but in fact there are dead zones in other bays and lakes that are nowhere near corn ethanol production, including Vermont’s Lake Champlain, and rivers in Oregon and Washington State. So there must be other contributors to the dead zone besides corn ethanol…
• And in fact, the Sierra Club pinpoints many major contributors, including runoff from golf courses and urban centers, livestock manure, dumping from boaters, sewer overflows, lawn fertilizer, atmospheric deposits from power plants and vehicles, and industrial runoff. (read more here)
• Nitrogen and phosphorous come from many sources other than crop fertilizer. And today’s farmers are growing more corn than ever in ways that do not contribute to the dead zone – through the use of precision farming and smart farming techniques, such as buffer strips that collect inputs instead of letting them run into streams that feed the Gulf waters.
• The size of the dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico has varied every year, depending more on weather patterns than anything else. The Gulf’s dead zone was discovered in the 1970s, but it may have existed for a century.
• A 2007 study by Argonne National Laboratory looking at crop years between 1970 and 2005 found corn yields increased by 90 percent. But nitrogen loads to the Gulf of Mexico, tracked from 2001 to 2005, showed a 21 percent decline.
• Farmers in the Mississippi River Basin, which feeds the Gulf of Mexico, are using conservation and residue management plans on 20.8 million acres. Nutrient management plans were applied to 18.3 million acres. Farmers restored, enhanced or created an additional 1.4 million acres of wetlands, according to the USDA, and installed as much as 2.3 million acres of conservation buffers.
• Biofuels like ethanol can actually help prevent runoff, according to a recent study of the Chesapeake Bay watershed by the Chesapeake Bay Commission and the Pennsyl¬vania Department of Agriculture. The study found that production of biomass can reduce erosion, absorb excess fertilizer from idle farm fields and capture carbon dioxide as they grow. (read report here)

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USDA Produces Short Video on Ethanol, E85

Source: Ethanol Producer Magazine

Just two weeks after USDA released its “Regional Roadmap to Meeting the Biofuels Goals of the Renewable Fuels Standard,” it now has a short video, touting the importance of ethanol and other biofuels in reducing U.S. dependence on fossil fuels.

The ethanol industry needs to go national, said Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, in the video. To build the 527 biorefineries the USDA estimates will be needed to meet the goal of 36 billion gallons by 2022, a variety of feedstocks will need to be used, depending on the strengths of that region. “It’s an opportunity for us to make sure that … ethanol is more readily available to folks in all parts of the country and all four corners of the country,” he said in the video.

USDA has also indicated that infrastructure is an important part of the success of biofuels. “There are a number of potential barriers and bottlenecks in the current ethanol use supply chain,” the report said. “While we expect the market to respond to the infrastructure needs of a growing industry, we recognize that the path from production to actual consumption presents challenges that will need to be anticipated and addressed.”

Besides additional blender pumps, the U.S. needs infrastructure to distribute ethanol by rail or truck as well as blending terminals and storage facilities. The report also singled out California, Texas and Florida as possible primary targets for more blender pumps and flex-fuel vehicles. 

You can view this video on Growth Energy's multimedia page.

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Growth Energy Announces Winners of Fuel on the Fourth Promotion

Source: Growth Energy

WASHINGTON, DC – Growth Energy, the coalition of U.S. ethanol supporters, today announced the winners of their one month “Fuel on the Fourth” contest offering nearly $300 in flex fuel cards to Flex Fuel Vehicle (FFV) owners. Contestants had one month to submit a photo of themselves with their FFV along with a caption describing why they choose to buy flex fuel for their vehicle.

Two winners were selected from the submissions. First place winner Jane Marie Connell of Granite Falls, Minn. and second place winner Harvey Fliehs III of Groton, S.D. will receive flex fuel cards worth $185 and $85 respectively, to be used for the purchase of flex fuel for their vehicles. Both winners will receive their cards in time for the Independence Day weekend.

Connell’s name was chosen through a random drawing for the first place prize while second place winner Fliehs was selected for his creative submission and photo (please see attached). In his submission, Fliehs, a farmer in South Dakota, wrote, “Using flex fuel is an everyday reminder that the corn we produce is making a positive impact on our community, environment and country. Our family is a 3rd generation farm, where not only the farm is passed down but the name as well. We're proud to provide a sustainable fuel source that we can pass down to generations to come.”

The Fuel on the Fourth promotion was designed to show the benefits of Flex Fuel Vehicles – which are capable of operating on any combination of conventional and renewable fuels – and recruit additional members to Growth Force, a group that believes in a cleaner, greener America through the use of biofuels. All contestants who submitted photos joined Growth Force’s free membership.

“As we celebrate our nation’s independence, we are proud to provide these Flex Fuel Vehicle owners with America’s independent fuel,” said Growth Energy CEO Tom Buis. “Using flex fuel in our vehicles will help reduce our nation’s dependence on foreign oil, clean the air we breathe and strengthen our national security.”

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Vilsack Urges Swift EPA Approval Of E15 Blend

Source: E&E (Subscription Required)

The Obama administration should approve higher blends of ethanol in gasoline as quickly and broadly as possible, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack told a Senate panel today.

Raising the amount of ethanol blended in gasoline to 15 percent from 10 percent would support the industry, meet the U.S. biofuels mandate and revitalize rural economies, Vilsack said.

"We are very, very close to hitting the E10 wall, which is why this is important," Vilsack told the Agriculture Committee. "The sooner it is made, the better, the more expansive it is made, the better."

All signs point to EPA approving the higher blends, according to Vilsack, although it may exclude older cars or certain types of automobiles.

"They have indicated that they are prepared in the fall to authorize E15; the question is, what level?" he said.

Without higher ethanol blends, the United States will struggle to meet mandates for renewable fuels, Vilsack said.

The national renewable fuel standard, which goes into effect next month, mandates that the United States produce 36 billion gallons of renewable fuel by 2022 -- with 15 billion gallons of that coming from ethanol.

Biofuels trade group Growth Energy petitioned EPA for the waiver in March 2009. The agency officially had 270 days to decide.

EPA officials had said they would have a decision this summer, after the Energy Department completes more tests on vehicle safety. But agency officials said this month that the decision would not come until fall -- inciting the ire of biofuels advocates and lawmakers from Midwestern states.

EPA said last December that cars from 2001 or newer can accommodate E15 but raised questions about whether older engines can handle the mix.

Bill would support blender pumps

In a bid to expand the market for ethanol-rich fuels, two Midwestern lawmakers introduced legislation today that would offer incentives to help increase the number of pumps that offer higher blends of ethanol.

The bill from Reps. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (D-S.D.) and Adrian Smith (R-Neb.) would subsidize half the cost of installing blender pumps and storage tanks.

Gen. Clark Says Renewable Energy The ‘Peace’ Fuel Of The Future

Source: Farm & Ranch

As a four-star general who served as NATO Supreme Allied Commander from 1997 to 2000, Gen. Wesley Clark has been in a unique position to see how vital energy independence is.

“Is there any doubt about what America's dependence on foreign oil has meant?” said Clark at the 2010 Renewable Energy Action Summit held in Bismarck, N.D.

He said Secretary of State Baker “was real clear” that the 1990 war with Kuwait was about protecting foreign oil supplies.

“In 2002 in the runup to the second war with Iraq, we were a lot hedgier. Couldn't get anybody to admit the war was about oil,” Clark said. “But the truth was, it was about oil. And today Iraq is sitting on the world's greatest, undiscovered and undeveloped reserves of hydrocarbons. It is there, protected by Saddam all these years and that was what these last few years have been all about.” As co-chair of Growth Energy, Clark is involved in all kinds of renewables:, including ethanol with Poet in South Dakota, wind, solar - while still working on boards that deal with oil.

He ran for U.S. president in 2004, then became a businessman. U.S. Sen. Byron Dorgan, who organizes the summit each year, said the U.S. needs to develop domestic energy strategies that are a mix of renewables - wind, biomass, biofuels, solar - along with drilling domestically.

“The new, big thing here is the Bakken shale (an oil formation in western North Dakota) for sure, but it's not the only new thing. I'm a big fan of doing it all,” Dorgan said at the summit.

He said he expects an energy bill with a renewable energy and carbon credit component to be out of the Senate by the end of summer.

“We need a renewable fuel standard, higher blends for ethanol, and new technology in renewables applied to it,” Dorgan added.

Clark said there is no way the U.S. will survive without developing ethanol, biodiesel and other domestic, renewable energies.

“We cannot move forward as a nation paying $300 billion a year out of our economy to other countries to support our energy consumption,” Clark said. “Can't do it - won't be able to make it. That is more than the health bill; that's your children's education.”

Clark said before the late 1960s, the U.S. actually used to export oil, not import oil.

He began in the energy business by studying nuclear engineering and Middle Eastern policy at West Point.

“I came back from Vietnam and I was teaching economics at West Point. Suddenly it occurred to all of us up there that we were no longer an oil exporting nation.”

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U.S. Rep. Introduces Blender Pump, FFV Mandate Bills

Source: OPIS (Subscription Required)

U.S. Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (D-S.D.) introduced two bills yesterday in an effort to beef up both infrastructure and vehicles to handle higher blends of ethanol.

The bills, H.R. 5632 and 5633, are essentially splits of S. 1627, the Consumers Fuels and Vehicles Choice Act that Sens. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) and Richard Lugar (R-Ind.) introduced in August 2009.

H.R. 5632, the Consumer Fuels Choice Act of 2010, would authorize grants of 50% of the cost of installing blender pumps and storage tanks for the sale of ethanol fuel blends. The spread of blender pumps around the country would allow a much larger group of consumers to access varying ethanol blends, Herseth Sandlin explained, noting that most of the approximately 165 stations which have blender pumps are located in the Midwest.

That bill is co-sponsored by Rep. Adrian Smith (R-Neb.).

Herseth also introduced H.R. 5633 yesterday, the Consumer Vehicle Choice Act of 2010, which mandates more flexible fuel vehicles (FFVs), which can handle higher ethanol blends. Under the bill, 50% of all cars and light-duty vehicles in model years 2011 and 2012 must be FFVs, rising to 90% in model year 2013 and years after.

"Americans need more choices at the pump, and those choices can begin with the cars and trucks they drive," said Herseth Sandlin. "By requiring that auto manufacturers produce vehicles that give Americans greater choice of fuels, we will help reduce costs for consumers and bring the nation closer to energy independence," she added.

H.R. 5633 did not have any co-sponsors.

Both bills introduced were referred to the House Energy and Commerce Committee, although it was unclear why Herseth Sandlin chose to split Harkin and Lugar's bill and introduce them as two separate provisions.

The American Coalition for Ethanol, the Renewable Fuels Association and Growth Energy all offered support for Herseth Sandlin's bills.

However, U.S. automakers are still against any FFV-related mandates.

New E85 and Blender Pump Stations

There are currently a total of 2,160 E85 stations and 160 blender pump stations

New E85 and blender pumps as of the last newsletter:

** indicates blender pump available

New and Renewed Growth Energy Market Development Members

365 Christian Realty Corp: Spirit Gas

Member Spotlight – Farmers Union Oil Company of Moorhead, MN

Farmers Union Oil Company of Moorhead, MN has recently renewed its membership with Growth Energy Market Development. The cooperative also has a retail business, Petro Serve USA. Formed in 1934, it now owns and operates 12 convenience stores in Red River Valley of North Dakota and Minnesota. They also operate a large LP Gas and Bulk Fuels business serving residential, commercial and agricultural customers. They serve approximately 4,000 customers and have a total staff of approximately 150 employees.

According to Kent Satrang, CEO and General Manager of the cooperative, their primary interest in joining Growth Energy Market Development was because they wanted to lessen their dependence on foreign oil imports and help rural communities and family farmers that they call neighbors. “We sell propane, ethanol, soy diesel and traditional petroleum products to our farm customers/owners. We hope to add value by increasing the market share of farm gown renewable fuels through our growing network of retail Petro Serve USA Convenience Stores. We are hoping to partner the abundant Bakken oil fields of western North Dakota with the productive corn fields of eastern North Dakota to create rural economic growth for everyone that works and lives in our state.”

Petro Serve USA has been an avid supporter of ethanol fuels, first offering ethanol in 1985. They have offered E85 since 1999 and more recently have begun offering E30. They initially installed the pumps and started offering blended fuel to offer consumers choices at the pump and also to allow a change in everyone’s pocket books.

Petro Serve currently has one operated and unbranded station that offers three ethanol blender pumps that dispenses regular gasoline, E10, E20, E30 and E85. The station also offers biodisel with blends of B2, B5, B10 and B20. In addition to the unbranded stations, Petro Serve also operates 6 Cenex branded stations that exclusively offer blender pumps and 5 Tesoro branded stations. The Tesoro branded stations will soon offer E10, premium, E30 and E85.

According to Satrang, the biggest obstacle Petro Serve has faced is the lack of biofuels and blender pumps in the mainstream infrastructure of fueling stations. Grand Forks, ND has about 4,000 FFV’s registered inside the city limits and no E85 or blender pump. “Blender pumps are like an ethanol pipeline that runs right from the corn field through the ethanol production plant and right to the FFV’s,” noted Satrang.

Satrang said that it is important to educate consumers about energy independence, about the environmental and economic reasons to promote American green jobs. Petro Serve uses the advertising slogan “Helping America Fuel Better.” However, the slogan serves more of a mission.

“Station owners should entice retailers by installing blender pumps and offering biofuels or it will be impossible to sell significant volumes of renewable fuels, Satrang said. “North Dakota has been an innovative leader of ethanol production, marketing and per capita volume sales over the past ten years. We are proud that our small Congressional Delegation are the lead sponsors on both the Senate and House VEETC bills. ND Governor John Hoeven recently brought farmers, station owners and oil industry to the table to collectively promote Blender Pump Legislation that passed the 2009 State Legislature with a 90% plus positive vote. Ten years ago we had 2 E85 pumps in ND. Two years ago we had 10. Today we have 125+ blender pumps in the pipeline being installed today. The goal by the end of 2010 is that North Dakota will be at about 250 blenders. I believe that within three years every pump in every large city in North Dakota will be a bio-blender pump.”

EPAC’s 20th Annual Conference Kicks Off

Ethanol Producers and Consumers (EPAC), an educational outreach non-profit organization who supports the production and use of biofuels as a renewable alternative fuel, kicked off their 20th annual conference today in Missoula, MT. “The Biofuel Journey” conference held a number of sessions focusing on ethanol, biodiesel and small grains.

“Twenty years! Who would have thought it?” noted Chairman of the EPAC board, Shirley Ball in her welcome. “Thanks for being here in 2010 to help us celebrate!”

Montana’s Director of Agriculture Ron De Yong presented opening remarks this morning followed by a video greeting from Senator Max Baucus, Senator Jon Tester and Representative Dennis Rehberg. The session that followed, The Journey Begins . . . “The OFEC (Old Fogie Ethanol Coalition) Perspective” included presentations from Shirley Ball, Larry Johnson of LLJ Consulting and Business Development, Dave Hallberg of PRIME BioSolutions, Patsy Reimche of EPAC, and Todd Sneller of the Nebraska Ethanol Board.

Sessions following included speakers on the topics of: Early Years – Early Support – The Industry Grows, Air Quality, Biodiesel, and Small Grains.

Growth Energy Market Development Manager Michelle Kautz also spoke at the event on mid to high level blend opportunities. “EPAC has been a value to the industry as an informative resource in the industry. We look forward to working with the group more in the future.”

General Motors Statement on Flex-Fuel Vehicle Pledge

Source: GM

DETROIT – General Motors is a leader in the production of flex-fuel vehicles and has increased annual production of flex-fuel vehicles to more than 850,000 annually, an increase of 55 percent from 2006 volumes.

More than 5 million of the 7.5 million flex-fuel vehicles on the road in North America are GM cars and trucks. GM offers 17 models in its 2010 lineup with flex-fuel capability, allowing them to run on E85 ethanol, gasoline, or any combination of the two. This is more than any other manufacturer.

With the introduction of the 2011 Buick Regal this summer, GM will be the first manufacturer to offer fuel-fuel capability on a four-cylinder direct injection turbocharged engine. GM is strongly committed to biofuels and has pledged to make more than half our vehicle production flex-fuel capable by 2012.

“We continue to believe that biofuels are the best near-term solution to reduce dependence on petroleum, expand our nation’s energy portfolio and reduce the carbon footprint of driving,” said Mike Robinson, GM vice president, environment, energy and safety policy. “We anticipate more than 8.5 million flex-fuel vehicles on the road by 2012, exceeding our pledge made in 2006 and the potential to reduce the CO2 footprint of driving more than 6.8 million tons per year.”

GM is a leader in research and development of advanced biofuels and has invested in two companies, Coskata Inc. and Mascoma Corp. that produce ethanol from non-food sources.

GM’s lineup for 2011 includes:
Chevrolet Equinox
GMC Terrain
Buick Regal
Buick Lucerne
Chevrolet Impala
Chevrolet Malibu
Chevrolet HHR
Chevrolet Tahoe
Chevrolet Suburban
Chevrolet Avalanche
Chevrolet Silverado 1500
Chevrolet Caprice – Patrol/Detective
Chevrolet Impala – Patrol/Undercover
Chevrolet Tahoe – Patrol/Special Service
Chevrolet Express
GMC Savana
GMC Yukon/Denali/XL/Denali XL
GMC Sierra 1500
Cadillac Escalade
Cadillac EXT

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Propel Fuels, Growth Energy Offer Free Biodiesel Fuel, Ethanol

Source: Sacramento Business Journal

Ethanol and biodiesel retailer Propel Fuels and Growth Energy aim to get more Sacramento-area drivers to use homegrown renewable fuels with a promotion announced Monday.

Through July 4, consumers can obtain a pre-paid fuel card for five free gallons of E-85, an ethanol blend, or biodiesel, to be used any time at one of Propel’s five area stations. To register for the card, visit the Propel Fuels site. Once registered, Propel will mail free fuel cards to customers while supplies last.

“There are more than 40,000 flex fuel drivers in the Sacramento area and we want to make sure they know that homegrown fuels, like Propel’s E85 and biodiesel, are locally available alternatives to the foreign oil used in gasoline,” Growth Energy chief executive officer Tom Buis said in a news release. “With our country’s own Independence Day right around the corner, we want to encourage flex fuel vehicle owners to also demonstrate their independence from foreign oil at the pump.”

“Drivers now have a choice, they can break free from imported oil,” Propel Fuels CEO Matt Horton said. “Together with Growth Energy, we are increasing awareness and use of alternative fuels which will create jobs, improve our environment and decreasing our nation’s dependence on oil.”

Propel Fuels installed E-85 and B-5 biodiesel pumps at five gas stations in Sacramento, Rocklin, Citrus Heights and Elk Grove. It also has biofuels pumps at six stations in Washington state, and it plans to put hundreds more in California.

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Herseth Sandlin, Thune slam EPA on E15

Source: The Daily Republic

Two South Dakota congressional delegates from opposite parties are unhappy — to say the least — with a delay by the Environmental Protection Agency in its consideration of increasing the maximum ethanol blend in gasoline from 10 to 15 percent.

“We’re very frustrated, and we’re making as much noise as we can about it,” said Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., on a Thursday conference call with reporters. “We just need to get this done.”

The EPA announced last week that it will wait until this fall to decide whether standard vehicle engines can handle higher concentrations of ethanol in gasoline, although the EPA said initial tests “look good.” The current maximum blend is often referred to as “E10.” It’s the maximum for vehicles that are not specially equipped to handle E85.

A decision is expected to come after the Energy Department completes testing of the higher blend on vehicles built after 2007.

The delay doesn’t sit well with Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin, D-S.D., who was clearly angered with the delay Thursday.

“This delay isn’t just disappointing, it’s inexcusable,” she said on her conference call with reporters.

Herseth Sandlin said approval of the waiver for a higher blend would create more than 136,000 new jobs in the United States, reduce dependence on foreign oil by 7 billion gallons, reduce greenhouse gas emissions by an amount equivalent to removing 10.5 million cars from the road, and revitalize rural communities.

“I support all of these steps,” she said. “That’s why I’m going to be asking a lot of questions to the Department of Energy directly.”

Thune said the issue has been “studied to death” and blamed special-interest groups and members of the current administration for the decision’s delay.

“The energy secretary (Steven Chu) is a critic of corn-based ethanol, and he would have a lot, obviously, to say about whether or not this gets approved,” Thune said. “There’s just way too much political resistance to making the necessary changes.”

Herseth Sandlin said “pressures” were applied to DOE employees by the automobile and oil industries.

“It is a well worn-out tactic in Washington to call out for more studies when you want inaction,” she said. “I believe that same kind of pressure may be coming to bear.”

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Ethanol Dispensers Receive Final Safety Certification

Source: Growth Energy

WASHINGTON, DC – Growth Energy today announced that Underwriters Laboratory (UL) has simultaneously issued certifications to both the Gilbarco Veeder-Root Encore® E85 fueling dispenser and the Dresser Wayne Ovation ®Eco fueling E85 dispenser. These fuel pumps are now completely certified and approved for dispensing any range of fuel ethanol from E0 through E85.

“The final UL certification of both the Gilbarco and Dresser Wayne fuel dispensers represents a significant step in expanding our national effort to provide higher level blends of ethanol directly to consumers,” said Growth Energy CEO, Tom Buis. “Now that these two outstanding domestically based pump manufacturers have received all the final approvals and certifications, we anticipate a more rapid expansion in the number of higher blend fueling facilities across the nation.”

“This UL approval will have an extremely positive impact on our customers, motorists and the entire alternative fuels industry. Consumers are increasingly demanding renewable fuel options for their vehicles, and car manufacturers are steadily increasing the number of vehicle models that use eco-friendly fuels. Now, fuel retailers dispensing E85 with Dresser Wayne Ovation Eco Fuel E85 dispensers can meet consumer demands and also be in compliance with industry standards. This UL approval helps Dresser Wayne further its commitment to the development of green refueling technologies,” said Scott Negley, Director of Alternative Energy Products for Dresser Wayne. http://www.dresserwayne.com/index.cfm/go/content-detail/dresserpage/Press-Releases/

“We are pleased to be leading the development of the infrastructure required for alternative fuels, including increased use of ethanol,” said Chad Johnson, marketing manager for Encore dispensers at Gilbarco Veeder-Root. “The Encore S Flexible Fuel dispensers for E85 provide our customers with the same innovative, money-making features and durability they enjoy with the gasoline models.” http://www.gilbarco.com/page/Press_Archives

Regarding blender pumps, Buis noted, “Growth Energy salutes both manufacturers for their persistence in addressing the new and robust standards which have been established for certification of E85 dispensing equipment and we look forward to the completion of the process that will allow the certification of blender pumps in the near future.”

The impact of the approval enables the industry to build much-needed infrastructure to support renewable fuels and allows retailers to install ethanol equipment that is legal to operate. It also knocks down a significant barrier that impeded the growth of alternative fuels from becoming more of a mainstream product offering in the marketplace.

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Corn Ethanol Goes From ‘Energy Sink’ To ‘substantial Net Energy Gain’ — USDA

Source: E&E (subscription required)

Katherine Ling, E&E reporter

Corn ethanol supplies twice the amount of energy that is required to make it, the Agriculture Department said in a report released today.

For every British thermal unit (Btu) of energy required to make corn ethanol, 2.3 Btu is produced, the report says. The ratio is higher, it adds, if companies use biomass energy in ethanol production.

"Ethanol has made the transition from an energy sink, to a moderate net energy gain in the 1990s, to a substantial net energy gain in the present," the report says. "And there are still prospects for improvement."

It takes less corn to make an equal amount of ethanol, the report says. Greater use of starch in corn and higher corn crop yields per acre of land have helped ethanol yields increase by 10 percent in the past two decades, the report says.

USDA's Office of Energy Policy and New Uses gathered data for the report from a survey of corn growers in 2005 and ethanol production plants in fall 2008 and winter 2009.

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ANALYSIS-Higher US Ethanol Blend May Revive Auto Industry

Source: Reuters

By Roberto Samora and Reese Ewing

SAO PAULO, June 21 (Reuters) - U.S. automakers oppose raising the blend of ethanol in gasoline from the current 10 percent, saying cars won't run as well on higher blends, but Brazil's experience shows their arguments are weak.

Brazil, a model in the biofuels industry, began its ethanol program in 1975 after the world oil crisis sent its economy into a nose dive. The country was importing about 80 percent of its crude at the time.

It now mandates 20 to 25 percent ethanol in all gasoline and its auto industry adapted engines to the more corrosive fuel in 1979. Ethanol now holds equal market share as gasoline and sales of cars that run on it are booming.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Energy Department are studying the potential impact of an increase of ethanol in gasoline to 15 percent. 

U.S. ethanol producers say this would expand demand and improve the health of the industry, suffering from a glut of the biofuel typically made from corn in the United States.

But the U.S. Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers has lobbied against raising the blend, saying it would affect vehicle emissions, performance and durability.

Emissions are complicated as there are many gasses and particulates produced to varying degrees depending on the blend and the quality of gasoline and type of ethanol. Some are worse than others for humans and the environment.

But as for performance and durability, Brazilian engineers say local cars that run on E20-E25 gasoline are in no way inferior to their North American counterparts.

"From the technical point of view, this could be done without any difficulty (in the United States)," former Brazil Chief Executive for Ford (F.N) and current Director of the Center for Automotive Studies Luiz Carlos Mello said.

He noted that U.S. automakers were instrumental in designing the 100 percent ethanol car that started rolling off Brazilian factory floors three decades ago.

"But it's not an easy decision, for if it were just a matter of economics, they would have already made it," he said, adding that there were broad political implications with the U.S. economy, which is heavily geared toward petroleum.

For years, some car manufacturers have been producing parts and vehicles in the United States with more corrosion-resistant metal alloys, such as stainless steel to handle higher blends of ethanol.

"I'd say that some manufacturers already can handle 15 percent ethanol, so I think they would have to do very little," said Fernando Barata, an engineer who was instrumental in the development of Brazil's flex-fuel car that runs on any mixture of ethanol or gasoline.

But the U.S. industry overall is likely to have to invest in the reworking their production lines, parts and testing.

"It would be impossible to speak of costs, beyond a true shot in the dark, but it could be something more or less significant," Heymann Leite, an engineering professor at various universities in Brazil.

The necessary part design and technologies for E15, however, are already being used in Brazil by the very same automakers operating in the United States, such as General Motors [GM.UL], Fiat (FIA.MI), Volkswagen (VOWG.DE) and Ford.

Mello added that the U.S. auto industry's additional costs of modifying their production lines for higher blends would be diluted by the massive scale of U.S. production.

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Blender Pump Program Boosts South Dakota to Lead Nation

Source: The Madison Leader

The Flandreau lawmaker who sponsored ethanol blender pump legislation during the 2010 session believes the state's $1 million grant program will put South Dakota in the lead among the entire nation.

Mitch Fargen, D-Dist. 8, said he and other ethanol supporters have stayed busy since last winter's legislative session ended trying to coordinate efforts to have fuel stations install more blender pumps in the state.

"We're trying to maximize the money that was put into the program," Fargen said. "Our organizations have done our best to educate people -- to sit down with the operators of gasoline stations and explain the benefits that blender pumps offer."

Fargen noted that gas stations in Watertown and Britton were the first two in the nation to operate blender pumps.

"This grant program places us back into the lead for the entire country," he said.

Blender pumps allow motorists to select the amount of ethanol in their fuel -- from 10 percent up to 20, 30 and 85 percent ethanol.

The $1 million program, which was signed into law by Gov. Mike Rounds, offers grants of up to $10,000 per pump to help retail fuel dealers defray the cost of installing the equipment. The new pumps can cost up to $25,000 each.

Lt. Gov. Dennis Daugaard announced on Wednesday that the program will help install up to 100 blender pumps at 49 more fuel stations in 40 South Dakota communities. Daugaard said the additions will put the state at the front of the pack for number of blender pumps.

"As of June 1, there were 157 service stations with blender pumps in 14 states," Daugaard said. "Minnesota was in the lead with 49, and South Dakota had 42 of them."

Howard, Flandreau and Arlington are on the list of communities that will have blender pumps installed through the grant program.

Typically, fuel stations operating blender pumps use two underground tanks -- one for unleaded gasoline and another for E85 -- which dispense the E10, E20, E30 and other blends.

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Growth Energy to Participate in KC Clean Cities Ethanol Workshop

The Kansas City Regional Clean Cities will be hosting a workshop titled Exploring Ethanol on Friday, July 9. The workshop will be held at the Johnson County Community College at 12345 College Blvd. in Overland Park, Kansas.

Best Practices on ethanol: distribution, handling and use, vehicles and fleet success stories, incentives and resources will be discussed during the workshop. Speakers expected to attend are:

Rich Cregar, Wake Tech Community College
Kelly Gilbert, Kansas City Regional Clean Cities
Cindy Dixon, State of Missouri 
Don Gard, US General Services, Region VI 
Bryan Fox, KCP&L 
Scott Zaremba, Zarco 66, Inc. 
Michelle Kautz, Growth Energy Market Development

Growth Energy will be discussing funding opportunities for E85 and blender pump infrastructure through their and MO Corn Growers Blender Pump Program.

RSVP prior to July 1 by emailing Sierra Mathis at sierra@kcenergy.org.  

Member Spotlight – Deuel County Cenex

Deuel County Cenex of Toronto, South Daktoa recently renewed its membership with Growth Energy. Formed in 1936, the farm supply cooperative has five locations in three different towns. Petroleum, agronomy, feed and grain are their main products sold.

According to the General Manager Harry Mewherter, Deuel County Cenex’s primary interest in joining Growth Energy Market Development was to develop and sell the products farmers are growing in the United States. “We need to be more self-sufficient on energy. I believe Growth Energy Market Development will achieve this goal,” noted Mewherter.

Deuel County Cenex decided to initially install blender pumps because their customers were asking for E85. They wanted to offer more choice for ethanol blends, so instead of just offering E85, they decided to offer consumers exactly what they were looking for -- more choices. Deuel County Cenex was among the first blender pumps offered in the state of South Dakota .

The group voiced their concerns on the challenges the ethanol industry has is consumer education. They noted that the public needs to be more educated on the value of burning ethanol and the environmental benefits. “We need more refueling sites that carry E85 and mid level blends in more states,” said Mewherter.

Mewherter recognizes the importance of maintaining the connections between fuel providers, farmers, and the ethanol industry, “We want to support the farmers who are growing this product. We are located relatively close to an ethanol plant, so blender pumps are a great way to support our local communities. Our customers were looking for more choices and now that they have them, they appreciate those choices.”

Deuel County Cenex has two blender pump fueling locations in South Dakota. The Cenex located at 375 Main Avenue in Toronto offers blends of E10, E15, E20, E30 E40 and E85. The blender pump in Clear Lake located at 222 3rd Ave S offers blends of E 10, E20, E30, E40 and E85.

New E85 and Blender Pump Stations

There are currently 2,153 total E85 locations and 157 blender pumps.
Below are the new E85 and blender pumps as of the last newsletter.

New and Renewed Growth Energy Market Development Members

ROC One Stop – Russell Oil Company

Jeff Broin Wins High Octane Award at FEW

Source: POET

POET CEO Jeff Broin received the High Octane Award from BBI International in St. Louis at the Fuel Ethanol Workshop (FEW) on June 15 for his role in helping develop the ethanol industry into a significant force in the national transportation fuel market. The award recognizes a person whose passion and unstoppable pursuits have significantly benefited the ethanol industry. Broin is just that.

Through vision, leadership and a strong commitment to the industry, POET CEO and President Jeff Broin took one ethanol production facility in Scotland, S.D. to a billion-gallon enterprise that includes 21 ethanol plants in operation by POET and six additional plants currently under construction or in the midst of an expansion. POET, located in Sioux Falls, S.D., became the top producer of ethanol in the world with the completion of POET Biorefining - Portland, Ind. in September, 2007. POET now has 26 plants in seven states and produces more than 1.6 billion gallons of ethanol annually. POET also is one of the founders of Growth Energy.

“I’m humbled and honored to receive this award,” Broin noted during the presentation of the award. “Although this award was given to me, I really need to give the credit … to the team at POET who make me look good every day,” Broin said.

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Letter to the White House from Growth Energy

Source: Growth Energy

In response to recent developments related to Growth Energy’s Green Jobs Waiver, Growth Energy CEO Tom Buis wrote the following letter to President Obama. View a PDF version.

June 17, 2010

President Barack H. Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20500

Dear Mr. President:

I am writing on behalf of Growth Energy, which represents 58 ethanol plant members, 38 associated industry members and more than 18,000 individuals to express our disappointment that the federal agencies involved in making a decision on Growth Energy’s Green Jobs Waiver have delayed action yet again on allowing an increase in the amount of ethanol that can be blended with gasoline. As you have said yourself, Mr. President, accelerating the production of domestic ethanol would create U.S. jobs, help clean our environment, and strengthen our national security. Every day we delay the decision on the Green Jobs Waiver for E15 is another day we continue our addiction to foreign oil.

Mr. President, in March of 2009 Growth Energy filed a waiver with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to raise the amount of ethanol that can be blended with gasoline from 10 percent to 15 percent. Accompanying our waiver was a significant body of data which we believe demonstrates that raising the blend to 15 percent ethanol meets all the requirements of the Clean Air Act.

The waiver process requires a decision on a waiver within 270 days. However, instead of making a decision, EPA informed us on Dec. 1, 2009 that they were delaying the decision until the U.S. Department of Energy completed their own studies on the impact of moving from E10 to E15. EPA made a promise in writing that the decision would be made by the middle of this year. We are hearing that the decision on the waiver will again be delayed because the DOE tests would not be completed until this fall.

As you would expect, we find this further delay unacceptable. The fact that the federal agencies involved here cannot meet their own deadlines – on a decision that means so much to our nation – reinforces a public perception that government bureaucracy does not work in the best interests of the public. Approval of our waiver would create more than 136,000 new jobs in the U.S., reduce our dependence on foreign oil by 7 billion gallons, reduce greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to removing 10.5 million cars from the road, and revitalize our rural communities.

We urge you to direct the federal agencies involved in this waiver to expedite the testing process, add extra staff, additional shifts, or whatever other steps necessary to accelerate the completion of the testing. Again, the waiver decision should have been made in December 2009; when that deadline was not met, we were promised a decision in mid June of this year. Now we are again being told to wait for testing that we believe was unnecessary in the first place to make a decision.

Again, we recognize your leadership and support for renewable fuels and for your efforts to reduce our nation’s addiction to foreign oil. We want to help. The U.S. ethanol industry currently provides almost 10 percent of our nation’s blended gasoline use, but we can do much more if the barriers that have been erected by the federal government are removed.

We certainly understand that there many vested interests that do not share our belief that we should reduce our dependence on foreign oil. One well-worn tactic for delaying action in Washington, D.C., is to continually study or demand further testing. But as the data submitted with our waiver shows, the science already proves the benefits of ethanol as a transportation fuel; the demands for testing beyond the requirements of the Clean Air Act will do nothing to meet our nation’s objective of energy independence, and in fact will also delay the development of cellulosic ethanol. We also stand with you in pursuing energy legislation in Congress to create a national energy policy that creates jobs in the United States, improves our environment and strengthens our national security by reducing our reliance on foreign oil. As you have said yourself, “Inaction is unacceptable.”

We believe that can be accomplished with legislation requiring automakers to produce flex fuel vehicles and retailers to install blender pumps nationwide so that we create an open market that will allow consumers to choose their fuel at the pump – whether that be domestic ethanol or gas refined from foreign oil. We ask you for your support of that legislation to expand the infrastructure for delivering domestic ethanol to consumers through the installation of 200,000 blender pumps and the mandate that all automobiles sold in America be flex fuel vehicles.

With fossil fuels getting dirtier, costlier and riskier to extract, as we are witnessing with the epic catastrophe in the Gulf of Mexico, now is the time we should move on expanding the production and consumption of clean, renewable fuels like ethanol. As you have said yourself, if Brazil can become energy independent with the use of domestic renewable fuels such as ethanol, so can the United States. The obstacles that we face are our own federal regulations limiting the amount of ethanol that can be blended, and the lack of a coherent national energy policy that would remove the infrastructure and market barriers that prevent consumers from having a choice of fuels. We urge you to move quickly and end any further delay on E15, as well as support our effort to open the transportation fuels market – with FFVs and blender pumps – to give consumers more choice at the pump.

Mr. President, we look forward to working with you as we take immediate action to move this country forward on developing clean, renewable fuels.

Sincerely,

Tom Buis
CEO, Growth Energy

cc: Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack
Energy Secretary Stephen Chu
EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson

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EPA Decision on Ethanol Blend Put Off Until Fall

Source: AP

By MARY CLARE JALONICK and MATTHEW DALY (AP)

WASHINGTON — The Environmental Protection Agency says it will wait until this fall to decide whether car engines can handle higher concentrations of ethanol in gasoline.

The agency had been expected to decide by this month whether to increase the maximum blend from 10 to 15 percent.

The EPA said Thursday that initial tests "look good" and should be completed by the end of September. A decision will come after the Energy Department completes the testing of the higher blend on vehicles built after 2007.

The ethanol industry has maintained that there is sufficient evidence to show that a 15 percent ethanol blend in motor fuel will not harm the performance of car engines. But the refining industry, small engine manufacturers and some environmental groups have argued against an increase.

The EPA has indicated in the past that they will raise the blend, saying a congressional mandate for increased ethanol use can't be achieved without allowing higher blends of the renewable fuel, most of which comes from corn. Congress has required refiners to blend 12.9 billion gallons of biofuels in 2010, of which 12 billion gallons would be ethanol. The mandate soars to 36 billion gallons, mostly ethanol, by 2022.

Ethanol groups immediately expressed disappointment with the delay. Tom Buis, president of Growth Energy, the ethanol group that filed the original petition for the increase, used the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico as an argument in a letter to President Barack Obama on Thursday.

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Growth Energy Pushes For Infrastructure Improvements

Source: BrownField

President Obama is using the Gulf oil spill to renew his push for clean energy investments. Growth Energy CEO Tom Buis was on Capitol Hill this week outlining the ethanol industry’s priorities in that area, which include improvements to the renewable fuels infrastructure.

“We want to see mandatory flex-fuel vehicle production in this country. We want to see blender pumps installed around the country,” Buis says, “and that gives the power to the consumers and you don’t have to worry about whether or not they can utilize it in their vehicles in the future, if they’re all flex-fuel vehicles.”

Growth Energy is also pushing for legislation that would provide federal loan guarantees to build an ethanol pipeline from the Midwest to the Northeast. “That will lower our carbon footprint by moving ethanol by pipeline, as opposed to using fossil fuel-powered vehicles to move it—and also lowers the cost to the consumers,” Buis says.

Buis says extension of the ethanol blender’s tax credit and the secondary tariff on ethanol is also essential. And he eagerly awaits the EPA’s decision on a higher ethanol blend rate.

“We’re up against the blend wall—and everyone knew it. That’s why we filed the waiver a year ago last winter,” says Buis. “We don’t have a problem producing it. We just have these artificial barriers that keep us from producing and contributing more to our nation’s energy needs.”

Speculation is that the EPA will compromise with an E12 or E13 blend, but Buis still holds out hope that they will make the jump for E10 to E15.

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Lifecycle Analysis Shows POET Cellulosic Ethanol Cuts Greenhouse Gas Emissions 111% Over Gasoline

Source: BioFuels Journal

Sioux Falls, SD — Ethanol produced by Project LIBERTY, POET's first planned commercial cellulosic ethanol plant, will reduce carbon emissions by 111 percent over gasoline, an independent lifecycle analysis shows.

This means POET's cellulosic ethanol actually has negative emissions; it will offset more greenhouse gas emissions than it produces.

"Not only is cellulosic ethanol a clean and safe alternative fuel, in cases such as Project LIBERTY, it can literally reverse some of the effects of our nation's dependence on fossil energy such as oil," POET CEO Jeff Broinsaid.

"By expanding the number of sources for ethanol production, the entire nation can contribute to helping our nation's economy, security and environment through alternative fuel production."

Broin presented the results to reporters today at the Fuel Ethanol Workshop & Expo in St. Louis, MO.

A lifecycle analysis tracks the emissions of ethanol production from "field to tank."

It includes emissions from planting and harvest, feedstock transportation, conversion to ethanol, waste products, co-products and transportation of the ethanol.

It also includes Environmental Protection Agency calculations for changes in land use and effects on agriculture inputs.

The analysis, compiled by Air Improvement Resource, Inc. out of Novi, MI, highlights a number of characteristics of POET's process that lead to this large emissions reduction.

• Project LIBERTY produces ethanol from agriculture waste. Because it uses a waste product from an existing crop, there are no additional inputs for planting and growing the feedstock.
• The disputed theory of Indirect Land Use Change, which creates an emissions penalty for grain-based ethanol, does not have any penalty associated with POET's cellulosic ethanol.
• The waste stream from POET's process is fed into two anaerobic digesters to create biogas. Enough biogas is produced to completely power both Project LIBERTY and the adjacent grain-based ethanol plant. The natural gas that is displaced in this process is credited to the cellulosic ethanol plant.

"The production of biogas as a co-product is an exciting aspect of this process," Broin said.

"We will use renewable energy to produce renewable energy."

The analysis found that all the inputs into Project LIBERTY will emit 41.8 grams of carbon dioxide equivalent units per megajoule of energy produced.

The biogas exported as a co-product will offset 49.8 gCO2eq/MJ. EPA estimates for land use and agriculture changes offset an additional 1.7 gCO2eq/MJ, bringing Project LIBERTY's total emissions to -9.7 gCO2eq/MJ.

EPA's standard for gasoline emissions is 92.9 gCO2eq/MJ.

The Project LIBERTY lifecycle analysis was conducted using the most current design elements available.

However, POET will continue to learn from laboratory work and its pilot cellulosic ethanol plant currently operating in Scotland, S.D. As changes occur, the analysis will be updated.

For more information, call 605-965-2200.

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Wesley Clark: The Lesson Is, It’s Time to Diversify

Source: Tallahassee Democrat

The world is holding its breath, waiting for a resolution to an ecological disaster now seen as the worst of our time. We can only hope BP will soon find a solution, even as thousands work to protect fragile beaches and wetlands, and Gulf Coast residents begin to confront the devastating economic fallout.

In a speech the day before he visited the region, President Obama emphasized one key lesson from the terrible situation: "More than anything else, this economic and environmental tragedy — and it's a tragedy — underscores the urgent need for this nation to develop clean, renewable sources of energy."

Indeed, the tragedy is a forceful reminder of the cost of our excessive dependence on petroleum and compels us to consider alternatives. With world oil supplies increasingly hard to find, expensive to develop and requiring greater risk to exploit, this accident won't be the last. Even without accidents, the "fixed costs" of our petroleum addiction are enormous and, over time, untenable: up to $500 billion each year sent to oil-producing nations, some of which are opposed to America's best interests; the "oil curse" of petro-dollars fueling corruption in developing nations; and hundreds of millions of tons of carbon released each year into the atmosphere that contribute to climate change.

Following the disastrous Exxon Valdez spill in Alaska in 1989, we did not have a viable alternative to oil. The ethanol industry was in its infancy. Electric automobiles were decades away. Demand for change quieted because the price of oil actually declined from levels reached during the earlier oil-shock years.

Today, much has changed. Demand for oil has increased dramatically, as India and China clamor for their right to live as energy-rich as we Americans. World oil production has risen by 40 percent, and price has jumped from around $18 to around $80 per barrel. Electric cars are again in vogue. But even though significant investments are being made in battery technology, and optimists believe we could see millions of electric cars within the next two decades, in truth, the vast majority of all cars is expected to be liquid-fueled for the foreseeable future — and that would seem to mean an unceasing demand for oil.

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Blender Pumps Could Put SD In Ethanol Lead

Source: KELOLAND Television

By Erica Johnson

YANKTON, SD — South Dakota could soon lead the way in ethanol distribution in the country. That's thanks to stimulus funds that would put more blender pumps at gas stations across South Dakota.

The next time you make a trip to the pumps you might notice you have more choices. That's because more blender pumps are expected to be put in at 40 communities across the state thanks to a federal grant.

The $1 million is part of the state's stimulus money. Terry Stucky owns Double T Truck Stop and applied for a grant. Today, his station has one of 49 blender pumps planned across the state.

“I had a lot of people asking for E-85 and there are some people who use 30 which is 30 percent ethanol. I had a big call for that. That's what stirred my interest,” Stucky said.

Those blender pumps will allow drivers to fill up with the traditional E-10 mixture or E-20, E-30 and E-85. Most of these mixtures are safe with cars and compatible with flex fuel vehicles. And for customers like Callie Aune, the options will increase ethanol production which will help drivers help the state.  

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Growth Energy Partners With Thorntons To Establish 20 New E85 Stations In Five States

Jefferson City, MO -- Growth Energy has joined forces with Thorntons Inc., a leading, independent gasoline/convenience-chain retailer, to establish 20 new E85 stations throughout five states. Growth Energy will provide funds to support the installation of new equipment to dispense high level blends of ethanol. Thorntons has become a part of Growth Energy’s 2010 E85 and Blender Pump Program, where funds are provided to retailers to establish mid and high level blend infrastructure throughout the country. Over 60 new mid and high level blend sites have been provided financial support in 2010.

“It’s exciting to know that Thorntons, one of the largest gasoline retailers, is working to establish such a large network of E85 fueling stations,” said CEO of Growth Energy, Tom Buis. “We are delighted to collaborate with them and commend Thorntons on their leadership of promoting this clean burning, alternative fuel.”

 “We are very excited about the expansion of E85 fuel in our stores,” said Matt Thornton, Chief Executive Officer of Thorntons. “We support the use of ethanol, wherever it is economically available.”

E85 locations working to be established within the next few months at Thorntons Convenience Stores in the following areas:

Island Lake, IL
Volo, IL
Lakemoor, IL
Third Lake, IL
Woodale, IL
Terre Haute, IN
Evansville, IN
Greenwood, IN
Lexington, KY
2 in Louisville, KY
Galloway, OH
2 in Columbus, OH
Canal Winchester, OH
Cincinatti, OH
Hamilton, OH
Cincinatti, OH
Fairefield, OH
Lebanon, TN

“We are pleased to partner with Growth Energy on the expansion and promotion, and appreciate their financial support of the expansion of our E85 fuel offerings,” noted Thornton.Growth Energy continues to encourage fuel retailers which have an interest in establishing mid and high level blend ethanol dispensing facilities to contact our offices to determine eligibility for support.

For more information on the 2010 Growth Energy E85 and Blender Pump Program, contact the Growth Energy Market Development office at 1-877-485-8595 or at scourter@growthenergy.org.

Growth Energy: New Energy-Climate Bill Includes Initiatives to Help Break Our Addiction to Oil

Source: Growth Energy

A new energy bill that has been introduced by Sen. Richard Lugar (R-Ind.) will help our nation realize its energy independence because it includes stronger vehicle fuel standards and a mandate for Flex Fuel Vehicles, according to Growth Energy, the coalition of U.S. ethanol supporters.

“An energy bill that supports the expanded production and use of Flex Fuel Vehicles is the only way that our nation will be able to kick our addiction to oil and decrease the impact it has on our economy, our environment and our national security,” said Growth Energy CEO Tom Buis.

Today, almost eight million vehicles on U.S. highways are flexible fuel vehicles, out of over 246 million vehicles on the road. The Lugar bill requires that up to 90 percent of all new vehicles sold in the United States be flex-fuel capable. This commitment will help ensure that we meet Congress’ goal of 36 billion gallons of biofuel production by 2022 as enacted in the 2007 Energy Independence and Security Act, Buis said.

“If we are truly going to meet our nation’s renewable fuel goals and substantially reduce our dependence on foreign oil, we need to invest in policies like these that will bring our entire vehicle fleet up to modern engine standards, and open the market to more ethanol.

“We commend Senator Lugar for introducing this legislation and we will continue to work with congress to pass a bill that includes an investment in clean, renewable transportation fuels to make our nation more energy independent and strengthen our economic security,” Buis added.

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Growth Energy, Veyance Announce UL Approval Of E85 Compatible Hose

Source: Growth Energy

Certified Ethanol Blender Pumps Available Soon

Growth Energy, the nation’s primary advocate of the use of ethanol, and Veyance Technologies, a manufacturer of liquid fuel dispenser hoses, today announced Underwriters Laboratory (UL) certification of the Veyance Flexsteel® Futura liquid fuel dispenser hose for use with mid- and high-level blends of ethanol.

This is the last equipment part requiring UL certification for mid- and high-level blend dispensing equipment, following a 2006 decision by UL to rescind previous certification and revise equipment standards for this type of dispenser. This announcement concludes the final series of UL testing for the “hanging hardware” which is attached to the basic fuel dispenser.

Growth Energy had partnered with Veyance and provided financial support necessary to accelerate the submission of the hose for UL testing and, ultimately, certification.

“We have been pleased to work with Veyance on this project in order to facilitate the testing and certification of the hose needed to dispense mid- and high-level blends of ethanol in blender pumps,” said Growth Energy CEO, Tom Buis. “Veyance’s certification on their liquid fuel hose represents a significant step in acquiring the complete certification of a mid- and high-level blend dispenser.”

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Farmers union: Ethanol blends should be labeled accurately at the pump

Source: Alexandria Echo Press

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is working on a label for ethanol blends at the pump. Minnesota Farmers Union is urging the FTC to use labels that are accurate, descriptive, and not harmful to the ethanol blends so that consumers who drive flex-fuel vehicles can have a real, home-grown, domestic fuel choice.

“Currently, the ethanol industry replaces 364 million barrels of imported oil each and every year,” said Doug Peterson, Minnesota Farmers Union President. “A major study by the Windmill Group identifies 645,000 jobs created by ethanol, and $92 billion to our country’s Gross Domestic Product.”

A study by Yale University’s Journal of Industrial Ecology states that grain ethanol has 59 percent fewer Greenhouse Gas Emissions when compared to conventional gasoline, and the use of ethanol reduces carbon emissions by 16.5 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions. Cellulosic ethanol, the second generation of renewable fuels, is 90 percent cleaner than gasoline, and with the current feed stock of biomass, there is enough biomass in the country to produce 85 billion gallons of cellulosic ethanol annually!

“The fact is - ethanol works – it makes us less dependent on foreign oil, contributes to this country’s economy and is better for the environment, so lets help consumers choose cleaner, home-grown energy by putting a factual label on ethanol blend pumps,” said Peterson.

Minnesota Farmers Union (www.mfu.org) is a nonprofit membership-based organization working to protect and enhance the economic interests and quality of life of family farmers and ranchers, as well as rural communities.

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Member Spotlight – Farmers Union Oil

Farmers Union Oil of Portland, ND recently renewed its membership with Growth Energy. Formed in 1930, the locally owned cooperative has been providing bulk fuel, propane, and farm supply services to Portland and neighboring communities for the past eighty years. Besides these services, the Portland Farmers Union Oil also maintains a 24-hour convenience store in neighboring Mayville and cardtrol sites in Galesburg and Clifford.

According to the manager of Farmers Union Oil of Portland, Ken Kornkven, their primary interest in joining Growth Energy Market Development was to continue supporting ethanol. “We’ve been avid supporters of ethanol since the 70’s and we have been selling ethanol enhanced gas for over 40 years. About five years ago, we put in E85 and a year and a half ago decided to offer more choices at the pump, by installing blenders that offer E20, E30, E40 and E85.”

As part of a Midwestern cooperative, Kornkven recognizes the importance of maintaining the connections between fuel providers, farmers, and the ethanol industry, “We want to support the organizations that support us.” They were the second in the state to install blender pumps.

As more flexible fuel vehicles appeared on the road, Farmers Union of Portland wanted to support local farmers and continue their support of ethanol. They decided to switch over to blender pumps and put in a product that the farmers were growing.

The transition to Ethanol blended product has not been an easy one over the years as Kornkven can attest. “Unfortunately, there are a few obstacles, challenging the growth of alternative fuels and E85. There is a loss in mileage with E85. However, when we installed the blender pumps we were pleasantly surprised; E30 doesn’t affect mileage and is very close to the mileage from E10. Sometimes it is challenging when big oil and big ranchers lash out at ethanol, it can be hard to overcome the negative feedback nationally.”

In light of the challenges with ethanol, Kornkven sees promise for the future. “I think we’ve overcome a lot with consumer education. Over the past ten years we’ve been able to address consumer backlash by dispelling many of the myths surrounding Ethanol. When you are producing your own fuel it’s easier to sell and to support local communities. As FFV vehicles become more widespread, we need to continue to educate the public about the benefits of ethanol.”

Mansfield Oil Acquires Western Ethanol

Source: Convenience Store News

ATLANTA -- Mansfield Oil Co. acquired all of Western Ethanol's assets and added Doug Vind, the company's president, to the Mansfield team.

In addition to providing bulk deliveries of ethanol, Western Ethanol specializes in the distribution of E85 for use in Flex Fuel Vehicles and is a leading distributor of E85 in the western United States.

"Our acquisition of Western Ethanol is an important addition to our renewable fuels strategy and provides Western's customers and suppliers with long-term stability in a partner they have valued for many years," said Douglas Haugh, executive vice president of Mansfield Oil. "We are also excited to add Doug Vind to our management team. He has been an innovator in the ethanol industry over the past two decades and we look forward to integrating his vision and experience into our long-term strategy for our renewable fuels business."

Western Ethanol's customers include major gasoline refiners and large gasoline blenders for bulk ethanol sales, as well as independent gasoline retailers and federal, state and municipal automotive fleets for E85 sales throughout California, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Nevada, Arizona and Hawaii.

"We look forward to offering our customers the additional supply chain management capabilities provided by Mansfield being able to grow both our wholesaling efforts and proprietary ethanol transloading services business with their support," said Doug Vind, president of Western Ethanol. 

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New E85 and Blender Pump Stations

We currently have 2149 total locations and 157 blender pumps as of the last FYI Newsletter.

New and Renewed Growth Energy Market Development Members

Rocky Point Citgo
Gerstner Oil Companies

Ethanol Teams with Veterans to Highlight Energy Security on Memorial Day

Source: Ethanol Across America

Washington, DC — The Clean Fuels Development Coalition, the Ethanol Across America education campaign, and the FlexFuel Vehicle (FFV) Club once again teamed with Volunteers of Underage Military Service (VUMS) yesterday with a procession of ethanol and hybrid vehicles in the national Memorial Day parade to highlight the role of energy and national security.

Capping a weekend of national remembrance for America's fallen soldiers, the parade through the streets of the nation's capitol featured hundreds of veterans with a crowd of more than 200,000 in attendance. The VUMS group represents the highest degree of dedication as it is comprised of veterans who enlisted despite being underage. Marine Lt. Col. (ret) William C. Holmberg, a VUM and a nationally recognized environmentalist and proponent of renewable energy like ethanol, conceived the idea several years ago to team the VUMS with groups promoting domestic alternatives to imported petroleum.

"Our slogan is There is no National Security without Energy Security," said Holmberg, a board member of the American Council On Renewable Energy. "Groups like CFDC, Ethanol Across America, the Flexible Fuel Vehicle Club, the Renewable Fuels Association, and ACORE work every day to increase that awareness. Marching together in the shadow of the WashingtonMonument, the Capitol, and the memorials helps people get the connection that much of the unrest around the globe has links to oil. Increasing our supply of domestic fuels makes our nation safer and more secure, plain and simple," he said.

The procession included the CFDC/Ethanol Across America FlexFuel Chevy Avalanche and the Flexible Fuel Vehicle Club's Chevy Tahoe, the Renewable Fuels Association’s Ford E85-Electric Hybrid Escape, and several electric hybrid vehicles.

"Under any circumstances it would be an honor for us to be part of the salute to all those who have served. Our generation sees the loss of jobs, wealth, and military cost of importing more than 60% of our oil, and we have an opportunity to do something about it," said Douglas A. Durante, Director of the Ethanol Across America program. "If reducing our dependence on oil keeps us out of one less conflict, and keeps young Americans from having to be memorialized, then we should all be working toward that goal."

According to FlexFuel Vehicle Club President Burl Haigwood, the parade provided an opportunity to increase public awareness that we can do something about it, right now. "With nearly 8 million flex fuel vehicles on the road today, if we ran those vehicles on clean, domestic fuels like ethanol we could reduce our reliance on unstable regimes and reduce the military costs of protecting our oil interests. Consumers can utilize the flex fuel vehicles they already own and look at the flex fuel vehicle option for future purchases," said Haigwood.

Col. Holmberg concluded the day’s events stating “Alternative fuel, high-mileage vehicles and ethanol are our front lines in securing a more secure energy future for America, and, by the way, major artillery in our climate change battles.” .

For more information on the Ethanol Across America campaign, the FlexFuel Vehicle Club, or issues relating to ethanol and biofuels, please visit http://www.ethanolacrossamerica.org. For information on the Veterans of Underage Military Service please contact William C. Holmberg at biorefiner@aol.com.

Everyone Wins in Ethanol Border Battle

Source: Domestic Fuel

Everyone was declared a winner in a Minnesota-Wisconsin border battle this week between two fuel retailers on opposite sides of the St. Croix River.

The promotional event on Thursday featured a rush-hour special where both stations sold E85 (85 percent ethanol fuel) at an 85 cents per gallon discount from 4-6 pm. The promotion was supported by the Minnesota Corn Growers Association, Wisconsin Corn Growers Association, Holiday Companies, Erickson Oil, American Lung Association of the Upper Midwest and MN & WI Clean Air Choice Teams.

It was all in good fun as Alice in Dairyland (aka Cheryl O’Brien), Wisconsin’s official agricultural ambassador, squared off with the University of Minnesota mascot Goldy Gopher. However, when it came right down to it, Bob Moffit with the American Lung Association of the Upper Midwest reports that the Wisconsin station ultimately won the border battle, selling 589 gallons of E85 during the two-hour promotion, while the Minnesota station sold 447 gallons.

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Ethanol Production Methods More Efficient Now: Study

Source: PhysOrg.com

A new University of Illinois at Chicago study of facilities that produce most of the nation's ethanol found that the energy needed to make a gallon of the corn-based fuel decreased on average by about 30 percent within the past decade.

Steffen Mueller, principal research economist at UIC's Energy Resources Center, surveyed the nation's 150 "dry mill" ethanol plants -- the type that produce about 85 percent of the ethanol for energy use -- between November 2009 and January 2010.

The findings may prove useful to state and federal energy policy makers studying the pros and cons of fuels based on their "full life-cycle" -- the total energy needed to create a fuel compared to its energy output, the greenhouse gases emitted during production, the water used in production, and other factors.

"Policy makers rightfully pay attention to life cycle greenhouse gas emissions of fuels," said Mueller. "Biofuel refineries, including corn ethanol plants, are in a rapid innovation phase."

He said his survey shows that adoption of new technologies reduces energy production needs.

"The challenge for policy makers will be to keep up with these developments so that regulations are meaningful and reflect state-of-the-art industry practices," he said.

Mueller received 90 responses -- about 60 percent of the plants contacted. But those responding produce about 66 percent of the 35 billion or so liters of ethanol distilled yearly in the U.S.

Mueller said the high response should provide a sound statistical basis for policy makers, environmental groups, and researchers who will help design new energy-efficient and eco-friendly fuel production methods.

Mueller found plants use 28 percent less thermal energy -- mostly natural gas, but some coal, biomass and landfill gas -- and 32 percent less electricity to turn corn into ethanol. The savings may be due to more efficient equipment being used by new plants and older ones undergoing energy efficiency retrofits, he said.

The 24-question survey was developed with ethanol industry input. Senior or operations plant managers at all 150 U.S. dry mill plants operating during 2008 were contacted. The web-based survey was created by the University of Illinois Survey Research Laboratory, which also collected the data.

Mueller's findings were compared to the last comprehensive survey taken in 2001, commissioned by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Since that time there has been a nearly 10-fold increase in the number of U.S. ethanol plants.

The findings are published online in the May 15 issue of Biotechnology Letters.

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Iowa Corn and Chevy Promote Ethanol

Source: Domestic Fuel

Iowa corn growers have teamed up with two Chevy dealerships to promote ethanol and the vehicles that it fuels.

Holmes Chevrolet in Norwalk and Karl Chevrolet in Ankeny are partnering with the Iowa Corn Promotion Board (ICPB) to promote flexible fuel vehicles (FFVs) and the use of E85 in Iowa. Consumers who purchase a FFV at either dealership between now and June 15, 2010 are eligible for $250 in ethanol/E85 certificates from a participating fuel station.

“One out of every 10 vehicles in Iowa are Flex-fuel vehicles and can use E85,” said Shannon Textor, Iowa Corn Director of Market Development. “Our goal is to get more FFVs on the road and to sell more ethanol blended fuel.”

Both Holmes Chevrolet and Karl Chevrolet will be able to give away up to forty $250 gift certificates that consumers can use to purchase E85 for their new or used FFV.

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Growth Energy Announces Independence Day Promotion For Flex Fuel Vehicle Owners

Attention all Flex Fuel Vehicle Owners: Growth Energy is offering a one month promotion geared toward flex fuel vehicle owners who use E85 fuel. Between June 1 and July 1, FFV owners can submit a photo of themselves with their FFV, along with an explanation about why they use E85 fuel. On July 1, Growth Energy will select a winner, at random, to receive a $185 E85 fuel card that can be used at any E85 fueling station. Photos and submissions will be featured on Growthenergy.org and Growthforce.org. There will also be a second place prize of $85 in E85 fuel awarded to the most creative photo.

FFV owners wishing to participate will be asked to join Growth Energy’s Growth Force, a group that believes in a cleaner, greener America through the use of biofuels.

Visit Growthenergy.org/fuelonthefourth or Growthforce.org/fuelonthefourth starting June 1 to participate in the promotion. For questions, please contact Casey Schlechter at 605-965-2344 or email him at cschlechter@growthenergy.org.

Ag Secretaries: Renew Blenders’ Credit

Source: The Progressive Farmer

Iowa's Northey Says Lesson Should be Learned From Biodiesel

OMAHA (DTN) — Secretaries of agriculture in eight states have asked Congressional leaders to renew ethanol's volumetric ethanol excise tax credit, or the 45-cent-per-gallon blenders' credit, which is set to expire at the end of 2010.

Legislation has been introduced in both the Senate and House to extend the current ethanol tax policies to 2015. (DTN file photo)In a letter to leaders in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate, the ag secretaries said the tax credit was important to their states.

"As representatives of rural America, we strongly urge you to support the extension of these important policies that allow us to successfully produce domestic fuel," the letter said. "America's farmers stand ready to continue their role as providers of food and feed, and are eager to continue to provide renewable fuel as well."

The letter is signed by secretaries of agriculture Bill Northey of Iowa; Jon Farris of South Dakota; Robert J. Boggs of Ohio; Doug Goehring of North Dakota; Tom Jennings of Illinois; Jon Hagler of Missouri; Rod Nilsestuen of Wisconsin; and Greg Ibach of Nebraska.

The ethanol industry is fighting to keep the credit in place, as many in the industry believe that without it they will not be profitable.

That is what has happened to the U.S. biodiesel industry, which has virtually shut down after federal lawmakers let that industry's $1 blenders' tax credit expire at the end of 2009.

In a statement, Northey said he's concerned ethanol would face the same fate without its tax credit.

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