Representatives from the U.S. Department of Energy and the USDA were present at the Platts Cellulosic Ethanol conference in Chicago last week and put the national government's biofuel efforts into perspective. Valri Lightner, of the Biomass Program at the DOE, and William Hagy III, deputy administrator of business programs USDA Rural Development, each spoke for about 20 minutes and

Lightner said the DOE's Biomass Program mission statement is to find ways to use biomass to produce fuel, products and power. The short term goal is to have cost-competitive cellulosic ethanol (i.e., a cost of $1.33 to make a gallon by 2012), while the mid-term goal is to have sustainable biofuel production by 2017. There are a lot of bioenergy crop trials going on right now – switchgrass, sorghum, and more – as you can see in the map above and in this map. The DOE plans to help push down the cost of feedstock logistics from $60/dry ton to $46/dry ton by 2012. Meanwhile, the DOE also wants to lower the cost of biochemical conversion from $1.60 a gallon in FY 2007 to $0.82 in 2012. The department also announced last week that it will soon focus on pyrolysis.

This post continues after the jump.

It's not all li-ion battery tech that the federal government is givng support to these days; biofuels are getting some tax dollars as well. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) recently announced that six biofuel projects at universities around the U.S. will be getting up to $4.4 million in funding. The good news is that the money is for work in non-food cellulosic ethanol research. Full details are available after the jump, but here are some snippets:

• University of Toledo: For "development of cost-effective biocatalysts capable of increasing product yield in the biological conversion of lignocellulosic biomass."
• Steven's Institute of Technology: "To evaluate and demonstrate a novel microchannel reactor to reform pyrolysis oil to synthesis gas (syngas)."
• Montana State University: "To evaluate the oil content of algae cultures available to the universities and identify populations that naturally have higher rates of oil production."
• University of Georgia: "To develop novel approaches to supply nutrients to oil-producing algal systems resulting in cost-effective algae-biofuel production systems.
• University of Maine: "To determine the optimal yield and productivity of high potential bacteria at moderate to high temperatures.
• Georgia Tech Research Corporation: "To evaluate and model the reaction kinetics in two experimental gasifiers using forest residues under different processing conditions."

[Source: DOE]

If all you know about Sweden is ABBA and those little red gummi fish, read no further. We wouldn't want to confuse you with news that the U.S. Department of Energy and the Swedish Energy Agency are partnering to work on plug-in hybrids. The two agencies signed a Memorandum of Understanding two days ago that will allow staff from the Argonne National Laboratory to "work with Test Site Sweden to investigate PHEV instrumentation and smart charging systems, and how they interact with the electrical grid; track and evaluate consumer behavior while testing the vehicles in the field; quantify national, utility, and customer benefits; and plan and develop convenient public charging stations." This is a one year program that will cost $1m, to be split evenly between the DOE and the SEA.

Last year, the DOE began working with Sweden on biomass production and other green vehicle technologies. There is a list of other DOE partnerships with European countries here and you can download a PDF of the agreement with Sweden.

[Source: DOE]

The U.S. Department of Energy today took the wraps off of an online Alternative Fuel Station Locator that should make it a bit easier to find the right fuel if you need something other than gasoline or diesel. Just put in your address, the fuel you're looking for, how wide a radius you'd like the database to include and presto. Instant results. As I still drive a gasoline-powered car (an efficient one, mind you), I can't personally judge the accuracy of the information for local pumps, but if you're knowledgeable about these sorts of things, give the online station locator a test and see how it does.

The DOE's map includes pumps/stations that offer:

• Biodiesel (B20 and above)
• Compressed Natural Gas
• Electric
• Ethanol (E85)
• Hydrogen
• Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG)
• Liquefied Petroleum Gas (Propane)

The database should be fairy accurate, as the DOE gathers it's information "from trade media, Clean Cities coordinators, and the submittal form on the AFDC Web site." Then, each station is contacted twice a year to make sure the fuel listed is still available at the site. Happy hunting.

[Source: DOE]

General Electric has been building hybrids for many years. Its Evolution Series of locomotives are some of the most efficient currently on the market, and the giant company has plans for a replacement model using its own batteries soon. Also planned by GE is a move into the large truck market, where diesel hybrids are expected to become increasingly popular in the coming years. With all of this research and development already done for hybrid systems and the growing interest in the technology in the auto realm, Chrysler is looking to tap into some of that knowledge for an upcoming project for a "dual-battery energy storage system."

Though we're not entirely sure what this technology entails, we just reported that GE and Chrysler have gotten a bit of funding from the Department of Energy for further developments of the system. Considering the deep pockets that GE has, Chrysler seems wise to partner up with them, and the auto company already has ties to the energy conglomerate, as current Chrysler CEO Bob Nardelli has served as a GE executive in the past. We anxious to see what "good things" this tie-in can bring to life.

[Sources: Automotive News, DOE]

Just yesterday, Ford's Mark Fields gave a speech in Washington, D.C. asking for U.S. government help in developing plug-in hybrids. Today, the Department Of Energy announced a $30m, three-year, three-project PHEV funding program that is intended to help create vehicles that can drive 40 miles on battery power. ETA of these vehicles is "cost-competitive by 2014 and ready for commercialization by 2016."

The three PHEV projects are:

• General Motors has been selected for negotiation of an award for a project aimed at enhancement of Lithium-Ion battery packs, charging systems, powertrain development, vehicle integration, and vehicle validation. Following development, the PHEVs will be deployed over a three year period into a demonstration fleet in three regions of the U.S. Other team members include Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute, and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation.
• Ford Motor Company has been selected for negotiation of an award for a project to identify a pathway that accelerates commercial mass-production of PHEVs. The project will focus on development of battery systems and deployment of prototype PHEVs. The project will test and demonstrate the propulsion system design, controls, and communications necessary to develop a viable PHEV production program. Team members include Southern California Edison, Electric Power Research Institute, and Johnson Controls-Saft, Inc.
• General Electric has been selected for negotiation of an award for a demonstration of PHEVs that relies upon an innovative dual-battery energy storage system capable of 40 miles accumulated electric driving range. The project will focus on developing the dual-battery energy storage system in parallel with vehicle integration. GE is partnering with Chrysler for this project.

Read the details from the DOE. While plug-in advocates will certainly welcome this news, the DOE isn't funding PHEVs the same way as other gasoline alternatives. For comparison, the DOE recently announced $130m for fuel cells and $86m for cellulosic biofuels.

[Source: DOE via Green Car Congress]

The U.S. Department of Energy has found some money behind the grant funding couch - $130 million to be exact - and wants to hand it over to people working on developing advanced fuel cell technologies. The couch in this case is the President's Hydrogen Fuel Initiative which, unsurprisingly given the name, is charged with helping research hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. The $130m could also go to stationary fuel cell projects "to support market transformation that provide real-world operation data." The DOE said in a statement (available after the jump), that it expects the $130m to be split by up to 50 awardees like universities, national laboratories and industry players. Interested parties have until August 27 of this year to submit proposals. For more information, click here.

Also, the DOE is now using a fuel cell-powered Chevrolet Equinox in its fleet. The Equinox will be used by DOE employees in the Washington, D.C. area.

Late last week, the U.S. Department of Energy picked three cellulosic ethanol projects as recipients of up to $86m in federal funding for fiscal years 2008-2011. These "small-scale biorefinery projects" are located in Maine, Tennessee and Kentucky and are intended to bring "cost-competitive" second-generation ethanol to market by 2012 (the plants will also make other bio-based chemicals and products). DOE Secretary Samuel Bodman said the projects would help President Bush reach his goal of stopping greenhouse gas emissions growth by 2025. The three winners are:

• RSE Pulp & Chemical of Old Town, Maine. (DOE share: up to $30 million.) This plant will use a wood extract made at an existing pulp mill.
  
• Mascoma Corporation of Boston, Massachusetts Proposed Plant in Vonore, Tennessee. (DOE share: up to $26 million.) The source here will be switchgrass and will be the largest cellulosic ethanol plant in Tennessee.
  
• Ecofin, LLC, of Nicholasville, Kentucky. (DOE share: up to $30 million.) Ecofin will use a variety of feedstocks, including corncobs, in this plant.
  

You can read more about the awards at the DOE website.

[Source: DOE]

Photo by MikeGroft. Licensed under Creative Commons license 2.0.

The weekly email from the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) arrived today and it contains one important number: 6.48 billion gallons. That's how much ethanol - almost all of it from corn - was made in the U.S. last year, a total that comes to an average of 423,000 barrels per day. Compared to 2006, this is an increase of 34 percent. Still, more corn will be needed to reach the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007's new Renewable Fuel Standard for 2008: eight billion gallons. A problem? Not according to the Renewable Fuels Association, which says that current biorefinery capacity is 13.4 billion gallons per year. With 57 new refineries on the way, the eight billion gallons will be here before we know it.

[Source: EERE]

The U.S. Department of Energy announced the recipients of the department's first round of cellulosic ethanol biorefinery project funding yesterday. Four small-scale projects will share $114 million of federal funds. The grantees are:

• ICM Incorporated of Colwich, Kansas will get up to $30 million for a plant to be built in St. Joseph, Missouri.
• Lignol Innovations Inc., of Berwyn, Pennsylvania will get up to $30 million for a proposed plant, to be built next to a petroleum refinery, in Commerce City, Colorado.
• Pacific Ethanol Inc., of Sacramento, California, will get up to $24.3 million for a plant coming to Boardman, Oregon.
• Stora Enso, North America, of Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin will get up to $30 million for a plant in Wisconsin Rapids.

These plants will use a staggering variety of biofuelstocks: corn fiber, corn stover, switchgrass, sorghum, hard and soft wood residues, agricultural and forest product residues, and wood waste. You can read more details on each of these plants at the DOE website.

One interesting aspect of the DOE's announcement is that there was an "overwhelming response" to the solicitation for proposals and so the DOE will be offering a second round of funding this spring that will bring the DOE's funding to $200m. We know that GM and Coskata will be applying for some of these second-round grants. We'll be keeping an eye on who else applies and then wins.

Related:

• KL Process Design Group to supply cellulosic ethanol for ALMS
• Detroit 2008: GM and Coskata announce worldwide cellulosic ethanol partnership

[Source: DOE]

Ah, Spring. Astronomically it starts on the vernal equinox (March 20) and ends on the June solstice (June 21). Greek goddess Persephone's kidnapping by Hades (see painting) represents the changing of seasons. This year, Persephone wants a big offering at the gas station temple. About $3.50 a gallon according to the EIA's Short-Term Energy Outlook US monthly projections to Dec 2009. Here is the great news, if you own a gas station:

Retail prices for petroleum products are expected to increase in 2008, pushed up by the higher average crude oil prices. Both motor gasoline and diesel prices are projected to average over $3 per gallon in 2008 and 2009, with monthly average gasoline prices peaking near $3.50 per gallon this spring.

The national average price of gas this week is $3.11. So within three to six months, expect about a forty cent jump in the price of gas. Of course, prices vary around the country, so you might see $3.75 for a gallon of gas if you live in, say, California. Also, $3.50 is what DOE expects due to Summer demand alone and not unexpected things like war, weather, OPEC, etc. Either way, looks like another bumper year for the oil companies. They just can't keep that stuff on the shelves.

Related:

• $4 for a gallon of gas in 2008?
• Hey there $3/gallon gas! Long time no see. How've ya been?
• Why gas prices went up in 2006

[Source: Reuters]

Lets get two pieces of commentary out of the way right off the bat. One, who else thought of the movie Goonies when they read "pellets of power"? "Pinchers of peril, saved by my pinchers of peril"! - Data, aka Jonathan Ke Quan. Two, how awesome is the name "The Department of Energy's Chemical Hydrogen Storage Center of Excellence"? Maybe we should change our name from AutoblogGreen to "The Weblogs, Inc. Blog of Green Automotive News of Excellence". I like the way that rolls out, kind of like Wile E. Coyote, Super Genius. I'll pass that one on to the higher-ups. Now, on to the news at hand.

The aforementioned center of Excellence is hard at work researching a way to store hydrogen in a way that is less costly, easier to transport and easier to refill than common high-pressure storage tanks. One method that they see promise in is with solid ammonia borane pellets. Apparently, these pellets can hold quite a bit of hydrogen. They also believe that they can manipulate the release of the hydrogen from these pellets, creating a "throttling" effect similar to what we are used to with gasoline engines. Unfortunately, the pellets must then be emptied from the vehicle and chemically processed and refilled. That doesn't seem quite as easy as just refilling a liquid fuel. At the very best, this sounds like a very long-term possibility, something the DOE researchers seem to understand themselves.

[Source: DOE PNNL]

You have probably seen a few kits to convert your car to run on ethanol. They are not legal. In fact, there probably won't ever be a kit you can just buy to do the conversion yourself. There are kits that will be used by companies that do the conversion. These companies are seeking certification to convert cars to run on ethanol.

As of August 14, 2007, no company was certified by the EPA to convert cars to run on ethanol in the United States. I contacted the EPA and asked how many companies applied. The EPA only says there is "a number" of applications. In a recent bulletin, the Depart of Energy says there are "a few" companies seeking certification. Go below the fold to see a correction to this article.

[Source: DOE]

The first comment to Toyota's blog entry about the plugin hybrid tests was by... THE FERC! Jon Wellinghoff the commissioner of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission or FERC. He wanted to know about V2G (vehicle-to-grid) considerations in the tests. Toyota was "VERY INTERESTED" In Jon's question, (I'm guessing because, you know, he's head of the FERC and all) so they did a follow up post all about V2G.

So why is Jon posting to Toyota's blog? Don't you think the head of the FERC could get someone at Toyota on the phone if they liked? I did a bit of digging and found it might have something to do with what DOE thinks of V2G. Check out this pdf. It includes comments by Jon and Willett Kempton, a professor University of Delaware, that says "the DOE PHEV R&D Plan explicitly chooses to ignore the CashBack hybrid and dismisses V2G technology." Also: "By ignoring the demonstrated economics of CashBack hybrid and V2G technology, DOE comes to an incorrect conclusion." Ouch! Dems fighting words!

So the blog post was probably just another way for Jon to push V2G because the DOE is dragging its feet. I don't know about you, but I think this is pretty cool. You would think he would write an Op Ed in a newspaper or something. Instead he replies to a blog post. You gotta love the web. I wonder if Jon is reading this? Feel free to post a comment, Jon :D

[Source: Green Wombat]