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Energy Literacy Advocates (ELA) is a non-partisan, non-profit, public education and advocacy group dedicated to improving the energy literacy of all sectors of our democracy in order to empower a comprehensive national energy policy that is responsible and sustainable. Stay tuned for updated energy news!

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Ethanol Conversion Untruths

Whether or not ethanol should be embraced at any level is an argument worth having (although ELA generally sees it as a small contributor to a mix of fuel alternatives where it is logical and cost effective to produce - especially if cost breakthroughs can be obtained for cellulosic based ethanol production). Regardless one of the complaints is that vehicles must be equipped to burn higher concentrations of ethanol since it can be more corrosive than regular fuel. While there is some expense, more often than not the actual cost of ethanol ready components is in the hundreds of dollars at best, not thousands as some have claimed. In addition, mass production of these parts in all vehicles would surely drive the price down to insignificant levels.


By Bob Gordon
President and Co-publisher
The Auto Channel

http://www.theautochannel.com/news/2009/05/25/462650.html

Originally published May 25, 2009

There are a growing number of automotive aftermarket companies offering E85 Flex-fuel conversion kits for many of the U.S.’s 192 million EFI equipped cars and trucks. Vehicles that if converted to run on Ethanol would save American drivers billions of dollars each year and stop our support of the Oil Cartel that has been strangling our country for the past 50 years while also making Mother Earth a lot happier.

Be aware that it is illegal and against federal law to install these devices EXCEPT for a certain make and year that Flex Fuel U.S. has gotten EPA certification on. Doing so carries a $10K fine for "Fuel System Tampering".

So what’s the problem you ask.

There seems to be a concerted campaign to slow up or prevent the support of converting existing gasoline powered vehicles into cars and trucks that run on Ethanol. The next generation Ethanol made from U.S. farmer grown switchgrass or as most of us know it as plain old hay. We believe that E85 could be our best stopgap in the, must happen, move away from gasoline powered vehicles into a EV-Motoring sustainable future.

As a good example of misinformation, some of you may have watched Pat Goss the in house mechanic and “expert” on Motor Week, the long running PBS TV car show and pass on what we have now discovered is just GM propaganda.(See Complete Story Below)

The premise of the Motor Week story was to illustrate the enormity of a Flex Fuel retrofit conversion of a GM/Chevy’s 5.3L engine & fuel system, an engine available as both a gasoline and flex fuel version to power the Tahoe, Silverado and Suburban would be. The gist of the story was to show how different most of the main parts of the Flex Fuel version was from the gasoline powered version.

Well what was shown and discussed just wasn't accurate or even true!

Just today I have been made aware of a presentation that the Ohio BioSystems Cooperative has put together to show some of the misconceptions and untruths about E85 can hurt our nation.

A section in the Ohio BioSystems presentation contains side by side part numbers for both the Flex Fuel and Gasoline versions of the 5.3L engine, they show a comparison of the part numbers of these OE parts as listed in the GM inventory... and folks, over 85% carry the SAME PART NUMBER for both the gasoline powered version and Flex Fuel Version…85% are the exact same part.

Below you will can see the parts, which are linked to the appropriate page in the Ohio BioSystems presentation, the red highlights show the part numbers that are different but in fact may be the exact same part.

Fuel Caps, Fuel Pump, Fuel Tank(Plastic), Vapor Canister, Fuel Tank Sender, Fuel Filler Hose, Fuel Rail, Engine Control Module, Intake Valve, Exhaust Valve, Piston Rings, Intake Manifold Gasket, Intake Valve Seal.

As you saw, over 85% of the part numbers were EXACTLY THE SAME, leading to our conclusion that maybe the conversion of certain gasoline engines to flex fuel is really not such a big deal...it's the only way to take our existing fleet and make it green and fuzzy.

The Motor Week misinformation example is just an easy one for me to point to,(and I like easy) but there are many, many others.

I have talked with manufactures of Ethanol conversion kits and other bright smart engineers, inventors and entrepreneurs who want to do what’s right for their customers, our country and the ecology and instead of getting support and encouragement from our government they are getting roadblocks from the EPA…roadblocks, while our nation is losing our most precious asset, our children in the defense of our need for oil to power our cars and trucks to maintain the freedom of mobility that our country is proud of...road blocks, huh?

You can read the complete presentation here for your self (but don't forget the Rolaids and your anger control breathing): http://www.ohiobiosystems.org/OBSC-NTEP_files/frame.htm

Let me know what you think; bgordon@theautochannel.com

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posted by Jamie Lang at 1:13 PM 0 comments

Thursday, September 17, 2009

New Renewables Project to Evaluate More Viable Biofuel


Researchers in Oklahoma's panhandle are keeping watch over 1,000 acres of switchgrass - a crop they hope will yield commercially viable biofuel.


The $2.2 million project, managed by Oklahoma Bioenergy Center and the Noble Foundation, is unique in its scope. While switchgrass-based fuels have given promising results, until this research, no real evaluation had been conducted on its viability.


Gasoline made from switchgrass offers several benefits over corn ethanol. Switchgrass does not require annual replantings, nor does it need heavy amounts of fertilizer or water. The crop can be grown on marginal soil. Most importantly, researchers cite that switchgrass is not a food crop, and will not drive up food prices or cause shortages.


The current US federal renewable fuels standard insures demand for biofuels. A recent Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) analysis projected that switchgrass alone may produce 900 million gallons of ethanol by 2022.

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posted by Amanda Voss at 10:16 AM 0 comments

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

British Show Demonstrates Biodiesel

Curious about how biodiesel is actually made? This video from Top Gear, a British automotive television program, briefly demonstrates one way to convert used vegetable oil into diesel fuel.

If video appears as unavailable, click here to find it online.

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posted by Amanda Voss at 12:17 PM 0 comments

Thursday, July 30, 2009

New Federal Loans Released for Renewable Energy


To continue bolstering renewable energy and modernization of America's electrical grid, the Department of Energy has opened $36 billion for loan guarantees.


Of the $36 billion, $2 billion is specifically aimed at biofuels and $6 billion at revamping the electrical grid. The rest is aimed at promoting general renewable energy projects.


Recepients of federal loan guarantees are insured against the failure of the project, and are helped with some initial subsidy costs.
For more information, click here.

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posted by Amanda Voss at 11:51 AM 0 comments

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Some Big Oil Companies to Experiment with Biofuels


While Exxon-Mobil's announcement last week of a $600 million investment in biofuels may be the most dramatic, many "big oil" companies are starting to turn toward alternative fuels.


U.S. based Valero Energy began the year by purchasing seven ethanol plants. Shell is partnering with Prometheus Energy to convert waste methane into natural gas. Conoco opened an ethanol blending plant in Kansas this year, and is reportedly planning on opening a biofuels plant.


The recession and falling prices have meant good deals are up for grabs on purchasing renewable energy assets, and have driven much of the big oil investment in alternative energy. Oil companies are also investing now to meet future renewable energy requirements.


Going against the trend is oil giant British Petroleum (BP), which shut down a majority of its alternative energy budget in June.


To read more, click here.

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posted by Amanda Voss at 10:26 AM 0 comments

Friday, April 17, 2009

Government Releases New Report on Biofuels

The National Commission on Energy Policy released a new report today, urging that better infrastructure and more aggressive policies necessary if the nation is to meet its mandates for ethanol and other alternative fuels.

The renewable fuel standard calls for Americans to use 36 billion gallons of biofuel by 2022, up from the current 9 billion today.

The biofuels report argues that the nation needs to increase the amount of ethanol blended into gasoline, as well as make it easier for biofuels plants and pipelines to get government permits and make it easier to transport ethanol.

To read the full article in the New York Times, click here.

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posted by Amanda Voss at 8:08 AM 0 comments

Thursday, March 19, 2009

Largest Independent Oil Refiner Buys Up Ethanol Plants

Valero Energy, the nation's largest independent oil refiner, announced the purchase of seven ethanol plants from VeraSun, the nation's second largest ethanol producer.

The purchase comes as a boost for the ethanol market. VeraSun filed for Chaper 11 bankruptcy in the fall of 2008, amidst economic woes. Valero plans for the plants include using the ethanol produced there to blend with traditional gasoline, satisfying the 10 percent blend requirement.

The Valero purchase of an ethanol plant is the first in the U.S. by a traditional refiner, pumping cash into the industry at a time of tight credit. It also signals a new alignment of traditional and renewable energy industries.

Given the economic travails facing renewable energy industries, the ethanol industry is additionally pressing the Obama administration to raise the 10 percent blend limit in most gasoline blends to as high as 15 percent to bolster demand for biofuels.

To read the full article, click here.

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posted by Amanda Voss at 7:34 AM 0 comments

Monday, March 2, 2009

USDA Signals Support for Domestic Biofuels

Today, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will issue loan guarantees to promote domestic biofuel development, specifically ethanol.

Vilsack also highlighted the cooperation between the USDA and the Department of Energy to forward research efforts and identify new feedstocks for biofuels. The two agencies are parterning in hopes to identify valuable fuel stocks which can alleviate the pressue on foodstocks. Last year, corn-based ethanol received heightened scrutiny, as it drove up food prices and presented ethical debates on food versus fuel production.

“My view is that we have the capacity and the ability to do both and need to do both. If we’re to meet the President’s instruction that he wants more energy production out of our farm fields and ranches, and if we are going to turn this economy around and become less reliant on fossil fuels, we’ve got to create more biofuel,” Vilsack remarked.

To read the entire article, click here.

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posted by Amanda Voss at 11:12 AM 0 comments

Thursday, January 8, 2009

Practical Applications in Our New Energy Future: Continental Runs Biofuel-Powered Flight

Thursday, January 8, 2009 - (Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

"HOUSTON (AP) - Continental Airlines is the first U.S. commercial carrier to conduct a demonstration flight powered in part by alternative fuels.

The Houston-based company, the nation's fourth-largest airline, made the flight Wednesday with a Boeing 737-800 that left from Bush Intercontinental Airport, its large hub. The flight was expected to last about two hours and return to the airport around 3 p.m. EST.

Continental chairman and chief executive Larry Kellner said the goal of Wednesday's flight was to analyze technical aspects of using biofuels, including effects on the plane's engines. But he and others acknowledged it's likely several years, a decade perhaps, before biofuels make up a significant percentage of the fuel used by Continental and other major carriers."

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posted by Amanda Voss at 8:41 AM 0 comments

Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Year in Review: Bumpy Road to Market for Renewables

As 2008 closes, renewable energy companies are faced with a complex economic and political environment. While many federal and international incentives and credits have been extended for their products, the economic downturn and low price of oil have forced several large renewable companies into Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

Fairing best in 2008, wind and solar companies will enjoy extended benefits in 2009, thanks to an extension package tied to the $700 billion Congressional financial bailout. The real economic squeeze has caught biofuel companies, particularly those with publicly traded stocks, which lost up to 95% of their value in 2008.

Despite a sober market forecast, renewable companies continue to enjoy set market shares for 2009, due to government mandates on renewable energy usage. Joseph Muscat, Ernst & Young's Americas director of cleantech and venture capital, predicts that clean energy and renewables will be the first economic segment to experience significant rebound.

To read the full Associated Press synopsis, click here.

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posted by Amanda Voss at 8:12 AM 0 comments

Friday, December 12, 2008

Thwarting the U.S. Oil Addiction: Falling Gas Prices & Consumer Behavior

December 11, 2008 - Could a fundamental change in U.S. domestic transportation habits already be under way? In reports released Thursday, December 10, the U.S. Department of Transportation stated that Americans drove 100 billion fewer miles between November 2007 and October 2008. Despite falling gas prices, miles driven fell 3.5 percent in October 2008 as compared to October 2007, according to preliminary figures.

This is positive news in the face of dire reports fearing low gas prices would bring about America's return to inefficient SUVs and high gasoline consumption.

Falling gas prices still concern industry experts, who fear a 1970's repeat, wherein alternative fuels and technologies were abandoned after the drop in price at the pump. President-elect Barack Obama emphasized these concerns in his November 60 Minutes interview, stating that despite the drop in price, the urgency to diversify energy sources and provide a more stable supply remains.

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posted by Amanda Voss at 9:58 AM 0 comments

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Practical Applications in Our New Energy Future: Colorado Colleges Embracing Alternative Fueled Fleets

According to the US Department of Energy, the University of Denver has become the first Colorado university campus to feature a compressed natural gas (CNG) fueling station. Since 2007, the university has run several fleet vehicles on CNG, earning an estimated savings of $12,000 over gasoline. Additionally, use of CNG has kept more than 9.5 tons of carbon out of the atmosphere.

In Boulder, the University of Colorado (CU) boasts the CU Biodiesel program, a non-profit student organization dedicated to advancing the use and knowledge of biodiesel, a vegetable based and clean-burning alternative to petroleum diesel. Many of CU's fleet vehicles have been converted to biodiesel, again earning monetary and environmental savings as compared to the use of traditional fossil fuels.

Fort Collins, home of Colorado State University, offers biodiesel, electric and hybrid electric vehicles for on-campus use, as well as a test track for alternative fueled vehicles.

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posted by Amanda Voss at 8:44 AM 0 comments

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Radical Change in Energy Department Predicted

CNN reports that President-elect Barack Obama's pick to head the Department of Energy - whomever that may be - will likely initiate a new era of change in US energy policy and spending priorities.

Currently, the bulk of the $24 billion Deparment budget goes to mitigating issues surrounding nuclear weapons: maintaining the nation's nuclear weapons stockpiles, cleaning up sites used to produce those weapons, or dealing with non-proliferation issues. Only $4 billion is allocated for energy research and development, with only $650 million put towards renewable fuels.

While its role in supervising nuclear affairs will never be abandoned, the new agency is likely to reverse current spending trends, expanding the R&D budget, with particular focus on renewable fuels, while also focusing on greater conservation efforts. Additional agenda items will likely be laying out a role for the Department in curtailing greenhouse gas emissions.

To read the full article, click here.

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posted by Amanda Voss at 9:44 AM 0 comments

Monday, December 8, 2008

Practical Applications in Our New Energy Future: Pond Scum for Fuel?

There is a growing buzz generating from research utilizing algae to produce fuel. Companies such as Solazyme, based out of California, and Hi-Tech Labs, headquartered in Texas, tout algae's ability to produce biodiesel, food-grade oils, and other products. Uniquely among current biofuel applications, algae-based biodiesel does not require conversion of an existing vehicle's system, allowing for easy consumer adoption.

While many questions surrounding this technology remain, including how well this science functions in full-scale production, algae-based fuels avoid the moral dillemma that corn and foodstock-based fuels face.

To visit Solazyme's website, click here.

To explore the scientific theory behind algae fuels, click here.

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posted by Amanda Voss at 8:19 AM 0 comments

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

What a Depression Means for Alternative Energy

With falling oil prices and a slumping economy, what does the once-rosy future hold for alternative energy?

While alternative energy meant big business in the first half of 2008, with over $13 billion invested, investments and large-scale projects have dwindled in the final quarters, according to New Energy Finance, a market research firm based in London. Some fear that the decline in oil prices, coupled with a staggering economy, could doom alternative energy in a way reminiscent of the 1970s.

Yet observers say there are strong reasons for optimism about the alternative energy industry. Geopolitics has made clean energy and energy security a national priority in many countries, including the United States. The government has a host of support mechanisms for the nascent industry, including state and federal mandates for alternative-energy use, as well as subsidies and tax credits. Alternative-energy technologies are now much better, and hold more demonstrable promise, than in the 1970s. Alternative energy also has the support of science and agencies, demonstrated by the latest World Energy Outlook report from the International Energy Agency (IEA), which suggests that oil production could decline more rapidly than previously thought.

In the end, alternative energy groups are facing the same challenges as other businesses during this tough economy, but unlike the 1970s, this time the experts are betting on green.

To read the full MIT Technology Review article, click here.

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posted by Amanda Voss at 1:43 PM 0 comments

Developments in the Markets: Economy & Oil

December 2, 2008 - On the heels of the U.S. recession announcement, oil fell to $48.31 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Oil prices have dropped by 68 percent since reaching a record $147.27 on July 11.

Despite the precipitous decline in prices, OPEC leaders tabled an additional production cut at the November 29 summit, delaying the decision until the next meeting. Not all OPEC members have complied with recent cuts, as indicated by the United Arab Emirates’ state-owned producer statement that it would provide full contractual volumes to Asian refiners.

Additionally, the drop in crude oil prices has forced demand and prices for biofuel components, such as palm oil, down.

To read more from Bloomberg's summary of oil market activity, click here.

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posted by Amanda Voss at 1:33 PM 0 comments

Thursday, March 20, 2008

EPA Accepting Proposals for Clean Diesel Project

Five million is up for grabs as part of the National Clean Diesel Campaign, authorized by the Energy Policy Act of 2005. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will target appropriated funds toward five Midwestern states: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin. How to qualify? Innovators can receive grants for their proposals aimed at diesel emission reduction.

The EPA estimates that projects will likely include engine upgrades, cleaner fuel use, and vehicle or equipment replacement. To learn more about this campaign, click here.

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posted by Amanda Voss at 1:13 PM 0 comments

Friday, March 7, 2008

GM Aims at More Efficient Ethanol in New Partnership

General Motor's partnership with biology-based renewable energy firm Coskata Inc, first announced at the January 2008 North American International Auto Show, seeks to revolutionize ethanol fuels. Coskata's production scheme boasts not only $1/per gallon production costs, but minimal water use and greater energy efficiency during ethanol generation.

While cheaper than gasoline, ethanol currently available to drivers is also 25 to 30 percent less efficient than the fossil fuel. To overcome this limitation, Coskata's bioreformer method utilizes a refined microbial blend to produce a 99.7 pure ethanol end product, avoiding additional end costs which plague catalytic production systems.

GM and Coskata plan to open a 40,000 gallon capacity demonstration facility later this year, with a 100 million gallon production facility slated for 2011.

The full article is available on page 37 in the April 2008 edition of "Motor Trend," Volume 60, Number 4.

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posted by Amanda Voss at 3:37 PM 0 comments

Wednesday, February 27, 2008

The Problem with Biofuels

The following article points out some of the pitfalls of biofuels, all of which help frame the need for a far greater diversity in transportation energy sources (i.e. biofuels are no silver bullet). However biofuels should also not be ruled out, as the US has idle and unfarmed lands that could provide cellulosic derived biofuels at small but meaningful levels. This is paritcularly true in the arid great plains region, where biofuel production could literally create new local economies. For more facts and figures on biofuels see our previous post here, or visit the energy comparison section of our website here.



Feb 27, 2008
Washington Post
The Problem With Biofuels
More proof that there are no easy solutions to climate change
Wednesday, February 27, 2008; A16
As the United States searches for alternative ways to feed its addiction to petroleum, ethanol and other biofuels derived from organic material have been considered a miracle motor vehicle elixir. The energy bill signed by President Bush in December mandates that at least 36 billion gallons of biofuels a year be used by 2020. Yet separate studies released this month by Princeton University and the Nature Conservancy reveal that biofuels are not a silver bullet in the battle against global warming. In fact, they could make things worse.
Corn and sugar cane are common sources of ethanol. Aside from emitting fewer greenhouse gases than coal or oil when burned as fuel, these biofuel crops remove carbon from the atmosphere while they are growing -- thus making them nearly carbon-neutral. But the studies show that ethanol may be even more dangerous for the environment than fossil fuels are. As the Princeton study points out, clearing previously untouched land to grow biofuel crops releases long-sequestered carbon into the atmosphere. While planting corn and sugar cane in already tilled land is fine, a problem arises when farmers churn up new land to grow more fuel or the food and feed displaced by biofuel crops.
The impact of these land-use changes is enormous. As the study from the Nature Conservancy warns, "converting rainforests, peatlands, savannas, or grasslands to produce biofuels in Brazil, Southeast Asia and the United States creates a 'biofuel carbon debt' by releasing 17 to 420 times more carbon dioxide than the fossil fuels they replace." There are other negative effects. Massive amounts of water are needed to irrigate cornfields, setting up potential competition between farms and homes. The runoff of pesticides and nitrogen-based fertilizers used by farmers could lead to increased pollution and oxygen-depleted waterways. The natural gas used to make the fertilizer adds to the carbon deficit created by biofuels.
An essay in the May-June 2007 issue of Foreign Affairs by two professors from the University of Minnesota highlighted still another problem: The biofuels craze could starve people. "By putting pressure on global supplies of edible crops, the surge in ethanol production will translate into higher prices for both processed and staple foods around the world," they wrote. "If oil prices remain high -- which is likely -- the people most vulnerable to the price hikes brought on by the biofuel boom will be those in countries that both suffer food deficits and import petroleum."
The problems with corn-based ethanol, long regarded as a transitional fuel source, have been debated for years. One alternative is to squeeze ethanol out of cellulose from switch grass, cornhusks and other biomass sources. But because cellulosic ethanol remains experimental, it might be years before it makes it from the laboratory to the gas tank. It all adds up to another example that there is no quick, cheap and easy way to confront the menace of global warming.

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posted by Jamie Lang at 12:01 PM 0 comments

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Green Dreams

This article, by National Geographic, does an excellent job of laying out a balanced case for and against biofuels use, and also provides baseline facts and figures for each potential source.

Read the article here.

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posted by Jamie Lang at 1:32 PM 0 comments

Friday, February 22, 2008

End of the Oil Age

This article, from Bloomberg, provides accurate and interesting facts and figures and also discusses the oil issue from the car makers perspective.

Read the article here.

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posted by Jamie Lang at 2:32 PM 0 comments

Friday, February 8, 2008

Study: Ethanol Worse for Climate Than Gasoline?

The answer this article proposes for the current production process of biofuels - yes. While I haven't seen the research in Science yet, this is the first study to take into account land use change as a factor in determining the environmental friendliness of biofuels. But before we throw out the notion of biofuels pay particular attention to the end of this piece, which states, "... [the] focus of the biofuels industry needs a rapid change of direction, away from using cropland — which is where most U.S. biofuels come from today — and toward other sources of starting material. " And, "Environmentally friendly biofuels could also be made from agricultural waste or grasses grown on land that's not suitable for crops. "

This is where the future of biofuels likely rests. On lands that are not currently used for farming (such as a huge swath of the great plains in the US) and where a net carbon gain could be realized by planting cellulosic type crops for biofuels production.

Read the article here.

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posted by Jamie Lang at 3:59 PM 1 comments

Thursday, January 31, 2008

Biofuels May Threaten Environment, UN Warns

There has been a lot of talk lately about the environmental impact of biofuel production from a food and water supply standpoint, not to mention the impacts of changing over land use patterns to accommodate biofuel crops. All points are worthy of serious discussion, and while biofuels will likely play a role in our future energy mix it must be implemented carefully to ensure the environmental impact is positive. For the US a good example of this would be growing cellulosic crops on otherwise unused arid land in the great plains region. This could be done without irrigation and with little or no fertilizer used. The catch - how to transport either the biomass or the processed fuel to consumers.

Read the article here.

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posted by Jamie Lang at 6:09 AM 0 comments

Friday, January 11, 2008

The Price of Biofuels

This article, recently published in the MIT Technology Review magazine, provides a balanced perspective on the biofuels boom. It includes possibilities for future development and is fairly accurate - containing and commenting only on credible information.

Access the article here (you will need to register for free to view this article - but its worth it!)

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posted by Jamie Lang at 2:57 PM 0 comments

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