MY ETT News » energy

Biodiesel Production Breaks 1 Billion Gallon Mark in 2011

Rhonda Flathman — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 15:02:24 +0000

The U.S. biodiesel industry produced more than 1 billion gallons of fuel in 2011, a key milestone.

According to year-end numbers released by the Environmental Protection Agency, the total volume of nearly 1.1 billion gallons is a record for the industry. The number exceeded the 800-million-gallon target required by the EPA’s Renewable Fuel Standard. The previous record for biodiesel production was about 690 million gallons in 2008.

The industry’s success in 2011 comes after Congress reinstated the fuel’s $1-per-gallon tax credit in December 2010 and as the EPA’s RFS program for biodiesel completed its first full year. Without those policies in place in 2010, production dropped dramatically as dozens of plants shuttered and thousands of people lost jobs.

The tax incentive expired on Dec. 31, 2011, and the biodiesel industry is urging Congress to reinstate it. In addition, the industry is calling on the EPA and the Obama administration to finalize the EPA’s proposal to boost the biodiesel volume requirement under the RFS to 1.28 billion gallons in 2013.

“Our success clearly demonstrates that the biodiesel tax incentive and the Renewable Fuel Standard are working just as Congress envisioned,” says Anne Steckel, vice president of federal affairs for the National Biodiesel Board. “Our industry is creating jobs, reducing our dependence on imported fuel, and improving the environment.”

A recent economic study commissioned by NBB found that biodiesel production of 1 billion gallons supports 39,027 jobs across the country and more than $2.1 billion in household income. An additional 11,698 jobs could be added between 2012 and 2013 alone under continued growth in the RFS and with an extension of the biodiesel tax incentive.

“Now is not the time to be second-guessing the RFS or eliminating the biodiesel tax incentive,” Steckel says. “We’re proving that the policies work, that American innovation and competitiveness can pull us away from our dangerous dependence on imported fuel. Just as President Obama said in his State of the Union this week, we need to stay the course to continue creating jobs and building America’s energy capacity.”

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Study of Low-Carbon Fuel Standard Projects Massive Price Increases

Rhonda Flathman — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 19:26:24 +0000

Pursuit of a low-carbon fuel standard could be better for the environment, but worse for personal finances if it plays out according to a recent study sponsored by the Consumer Energy Alliance, a coalition of fuel users and producers. Initially, projects the study, gas prices would jump to $5 a gallon, then $7.50 five years later. The increase is tied to the use of expensive alternative fuels as well as the reduction in petroleum used to produce fuels. Such a scenario would force people to seek out more fuel-efficient vehicles and limit their driving. Organizations like the American Trucking Associations (ATA) fear that the trucking industry would receive the hardest blow. The study examined fuel prices, but did not give any specifics on diesel projections.

A new study has found that nationwide adoption of a low-carbon fuel standard would increase the retail cost of motor fuel by as much as 170% over a 10-year period.

“Any way you slice the data, the future projected by this study is a frightening one — higher fuel prices, fewer jobs and lower consumer purchasing power,” said Michael Whatley, vice president of Consumer Energy Alliance, a coalition of fuel users and producers that sponsored the study.

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Senate Rejects Move to Block Greenhouse Gas Regulation

Rhonda Flathman — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 20:38:54 +0000

A motion that would have given the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) the power to regulate greenhouse gas emissions was defeated by the Senate by slimmest of margins late last week. The resolution, defeated by a 53-47 vote would have given the EPA authority to make rules regarding reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The defeat, however, signaled to President Obama the need for energy legislation, particularly since green house gas emissions in the transportation sector have risen dramatically from 1990-2006.

The Senate narrowly defeated a motion that would have denied the Environmental Protection Agency the ability to regulate greenhouse gas emissions, the Associated Press reported.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski’s (R-Alaska) resolution, defeated by a 53-47 voice vote late Thursday, would have denied EPA authority to move ahead with new rules aimed at cutting greenhouse gas emissions.

She said here her intent was to protect the authority of Congress, not the interests of the oil industry, AP reported.

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FedEx debuts all-electric U.S. parcel delivery trucks

Rhonda Flathman — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 19:06:23 +0000

FedEx Corp.’s first all-electric delivery trucks in the United States will make their debut in the Los Angeles area this June, boosting the carrier’s total alternative energy fleet around the world to nearly 1,900. The four custom vehicles are being built in the U.S. by two different manufacturers for testing purposes to be used to make future purchasing decisions. Both sets of electric vehicles are designed with a range that allows many FedEx Express couriers to make a full eight-hour shift of deliveries before their vehicles need recharging.

FedEx to Add First All-Electric Vehicles in U.S. Fleet in June

FedEx Corp. on Monday, March 29, announced the expansion of its alternative-energy vehicle fleet with the first all-electric FedEx parcel delivery trucks in the United States. Four purpose-built electric trucks – optimized for electric operation from the wheels up – are slated to hit the road in the Los Angeles area starting in June, joining more than 1,800 alternative-energy vehicles already in service for FedEx around the world.

“FedEx has a history of changing what’s possible, both in the innovative services we offer customers and in the way we offer those services,” says John Formisano, vice president of Global Vehicles for FedEx Express. “We’re making these investments, and invite others to join us, so that together we can speed the transition to a cleaner transportation system.” FedEx is purchasing its first North American all-electric vehicles from two different suppliers to evaluate the robustness of this technology for demanding daily FedEx Express deliveries in the Los Angeles area and provide information to help guide future FedEx vehicle purchases.

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Diesel to Average Near $3 This Year, DOE Says

Rhonda Flathman — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 21:55:58 +0000

The Department of Energy’s monthly short-term energy outlook projects that diesel fuel will average nearly $3 a year before eclipsing that mark in 2011. Gasoline will rise to $2.84 a gallon this year from $2.35 last year and continue climbing to an average $2.97 in 2011, DOE said, pinning the gain to projected higher crude oil prices. DOE said the cost of oil per barrel will remain at or near current levels in the mid-$70s over the next few months before rising to near $82 in the late spring and $85 by late next year.

Diesel fuel will climb to average $2.95 a gallon this year before rising to $3.16 in 2011, the Department of Energy said.

Trucking’s main fuel averaged $2.46 a gallon last year, DOE said in its monthly short-term energy outlook released Wednesday.

The projection is in line with a previous department forecast. DOE’s latest weekly price survey released Feb. 1 showed a 5.2-cent decline to $2.781 a gallon.

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Green technologies focus of webinar

Rhonda Flathman — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 16:38:13 +0000

The Trucking Industry Mobility and Technology Coalition (TIMTC) will host a webinar next week about the trucking industry’s efforts to meet sustainability objectives and available green strategies and technologies. The Department of Transportation (DOT) is sponsoring the webinar titled “Green Trucks: The View from the Road” on Thursday, Feb. 11, 2010, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. EST. Registration is free. To sign up, visit www.freightmobility.com/greentrucks.

A Feb. 11 webinar hosted by the Trucking Industry Mobility and Technology Coalition (TIMTC) will feature presentations on the trucking industry’s efforts to meet sustainability objectives and related green strategies and technologies available today.

TIMTC is a U.S. DOT-sponsored collaborative forum for public and private sector stakeholders. The webinar, titled “Green Trucks: The View from the Road,” will take place Thursday, Feb. 11, 2010, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. EST.

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Cole Hersee showcases SureStar

Rhonda Flathman — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 20:39:06 +0000

A new product from Cole Hersee promises to conserve energy for heavy-duty vehicles and vehicles with ancillary on-board equipment and in-cab amenities. The SureStart Low Voltage Disconnect Switch (LVD) 48513 helps store starting power by disconnecting non-critical loads, thereby prolonging battery life by preventing damage due to excessive discharge. The LVD switch eliminates dead batteries by automatically disconnecting non-critical loads from a battery when the battery falls below a predefined threshold, according to the company. When the battery voltage is restored, the switch automatically restores the functionality of the ancillary equipment. The switch provides over-current, short-circuit and over-temperature protections to ensure a safe and reliable operation.

Disconnect Switch Helps Store Starting Power, Prolong Battery Life

Cole Hersee said its SureStart Low Voltage Disconnect Switch (LVD) 48513 electronically senses battery voltage and conserves starting power by disconnecting non-critical loads, as well as prolongs battery life by preventing battery damage due to excessive discharge. This switch is ideal for heavy-duty vehicles, as well as vehicles with ancillary on-board equipment such as snowplows, hoists, pumps, floodlights, etc., as well as in-cab amenities such as A/C.

The SureStart LVD switch has a rating of 100A at 12V or 24V DC. Its service life exceeds 1,000,000 on/off cycles, and it also features a manual override function that allows users to connect or disconnect the switch when needed, regardless of voltage.

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Massive DOE grant program aims to boost truck fuel economy

Rhonda Flathman — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 17:41:13 +0000

With nearly $200 million in grants awarded, the truck manufacturing industry is being charged with pursuing technologies to boost fuel efficiency. Each of the nine projects funded by the Department of Energy will focus on increasing Class 8 long-haul tractor fuel efficiency by at least 50 percent by 2015. That goal is also part of what’s being called the “SuperTruck” program, in which four OEMs will experiment with advanced aerodynamics, engine idling reduction technologies, a waste heat recovery system to increase engine efficiency, plus advanced combustion techniques and powertrain hybridization.

DOE Grant Funding Charges Truck OEMs With Boosting Fuel Efficiency

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is spreading $187 million in grants around the truck manufacturing industry to significantly improve fuel efficiency for heavy- and light-duty trucks, all while maintaining current exhaust emission curbs.

“Improving the fuel efficiency of heavy trucks can make significant contributions to reducing America’s oil consumption within a short timeframe,” DOE spokesperson Jen Stutsman told FleetOwner. “While heavy-duty vehicles make up only 4% of the vehicles on the road, they account for nearly 20% of the fuel consumed in the U.S.”

DOE Secretary Steven Chu announced the funding of nine projects to improve fuel efficiency for heavy-duty trucks and passenger vehicles yesterday at the headquarters of Cummins Inc. in Columbus, IN. Out of the $187 million grants, more than $100 million comes from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

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Truckers don’t get EPA green light on empty trailer campaign

Rhonda Flathman — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 17:40:59 +0000

Even in today’s eco-friendlier world, not even the assistance of the EPA could the American Trucking Associations (ATA) and Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA) get the green light on regulation changes that could help reduce emissions in North America. Apparently, national security even trumps the going green effort. At issue is the interpretation of current immigration rules that would allow a foreign driver to reposition an empty foreign trailer as part of regular international movements.

EPA Defers Immigration Rule Interpretation to Homeland Security

WASHINGTON — The EPA has declined to join Canadian and American trucking carriers in their effort to convince U.S. regulators to change archaic and redundant empty trailer movement rules affecting foreign drivers.

The Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA) and American Trucking Associations (ATA) and have been seeking a revised interpretation of current immigration rules that would allow a foreign driver to reposition an empty foreign trailer as part of regular international movements.

The groups have long argued that U.S. Custom’s current policy on repositioning non-payload foreign trailers are widely inconsistent with modern logistics and lead to duplication of miles and increased outlays, resulting in wasted energy and fuel efficiency losses.

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Greenhouse gases threaten public health, EPA says

Rhonda Flathman — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 21:02:39 +0000

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency this week announced its findings that greenhouse gases threaten public health and welfare of the American people, citing GHG emissions from on-road vehicles contributed to it. The findings will allow the EPA to finalize the GHG standards proposed earlier this year for new light-duty vehicles as part of a joint rulemaking with the U.S. Department of Transportation, which should give momentum to enforcing other climate-change legislation.

After examining scientific evidence and considering public comments, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Monday, Dec. 7, announced its finding that greenhouse gases threaten the public health and welfare of the American people. EPA also announced its finding that GHG emissions from on-road vehicles contribute to that threat.

According to EPA, GHGs are the primary driver of climate change, which can lead to hotter, longer heat waves that threaten the health of the sick, poor or elderly; increases in ground-level ozone pollution linked to asthma and other respiratory illnesses; and other threats to the health and welfare of Americans.

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