In the last E85BOTD, Farago had the temerity to suggest that perhaps E85 and E10 are DOA. And we have surely come a long way from even nine months ago, when corn-based ethanol was still publicly accepted as an environmentally-friendly fuel for American energy independence. You know, a tortilla riot and media feeding frenzy ago. But mandates are still in place, and as the Chicago Tribune reports, the ethanol industry is awaiting the Obama inauguration with quivering anticipation. After all, Obama has long touted ethanol as a cornerstone of his energy independence plan, even pledging that all new cars would be flex-fuel by 2013. And a quick look at opensecrets.org (tsk, no ethanol breakouts) shows that a number of big names in biofuels gave heavily to Obama and the Democrats. Also, the recent announcement that Dr. Stephen Chu, Lisa Jackson, and Carol Browner will fill key energy and environmental roles in the Obama administration has the biofuel bizz cheering. Of course the all-flex-fuel-by-2013 pledge was qualified with a hearty “if elected,” and these things have a habit of changing. Just ask the UAW.
According to Sanjay Shrestha, an alternative-energy analyst for Lazard Capital, Obama’s victory was an “incremental positive” for ethanol, but he says “we shouldn’t draw the conclusion that it’s going to revitalize the corn-based ethanol industry.” After all, “If you just give them more money, it’s just going to make the price of corn higher, which is going to make the situation worse for them,” says Tom Elam, of FarmEcon. “As a result of their unbridled enthusiasm, they have built an industry bigger than the government mandate and the ability of corn growers to provide.”
And though his midwest roots meant his campaign rhetorically supported ethanol, the high prices, reduced mileage, environmental damage, corn market disruption and endless other downsides could see Obama reneging on old loyalties. More likely than seeing a flex-fuel-based policy, Obama will direct money towards research on cellulosic biofuels. Meanwhile, in the dark and cold of the open market, corn ethanol refineries are shutting down, plans for new ones are being canceled and firms are going bankrupt.
Meanwhile, in the dark and cold of the open market, corn ethanol refineries are shutting down, plans for new ones are being canceled, and firms are going bankrupt.
Sounds like bailout time! I kid… (or do I?)
… corn ethanol refineries are shutting down, plans for new ones are being canceled, and firms are going bankrupt.
Well let’s bail them all out! It’s all about jobs! Who cares if they produce unwanted and inefficient products (that hasn’t stopped the UAW).
The image that accompanies the post is six layers of awesome. Thank you, you’ve made my day.
I care not a whit about Ethanol. I know it is a boondoggle and all who support it are tools of the corn industry lobby. It’s Midwestern cousins in Detroit are in bed with these people. As far as I’m concerned it is a soap opera I can safely ignore.
I’m a firm believer in the concept of personal responsibility. I’ve applied that to energy independence, so now the only gasoline I buy is for my lawn mower and my classic car. For everything else I make my own fuel. The only way that can be done is with Diesel. My car and my wife’s car are Diesels, and I collect waste veggie oil and convert it to BioDiesel. I’m recycling, carbon-neutral, buzzword compliant, and I’m paying less for fuel than my Dad did in the 1960s. If I could buy a Diesel lawn mower I would. If I could buy a Diesel car beyond a VW Jetta I would.
This process is not THAT hard. I’d bet that most of TTAC’s B&B could do it in their garage or barn. Hell, I did it and I knew NOTHING about chemistry when I started. But somehow Diesel always gets short shrift here on TTAC: “It costs more at the pump”, “Sales of Diesel are dropping in Europe”, “It doesn’t rev high enough”, “whaaaa”
Unless you’ve tried it, don’t knock it.
I’m not saying we should ALL be driving Diesel cars, but something more than the 0.01% than are on the road in the USA today would be good. Having something to choose from other than a VW Jetta would be good. Having access to all those amazing small-displacement, ultra-high MPG cars available in Europe would be fantastic! Mid-sized sedans that get 40 MPG, sub-comacts and sports cars getting 60-75 MPG. To hell with California and Ethanol… Bring Diesel on!
–chuck
This process is not THAT hard. I’d bet that most of TTAC’s B&B could do it in their garage or barn.
Chuck,
One question I’ve never gotten a firm answer on is whether or not it takes more energy to self-refine biodiesel than it produces as a fuel. I’ve heard it depends entirely on how you’re making it.
I’m not being facetious, I’m actually curious as to your experience because I’ve never had this question answered satisfactorily.
All fine and good, and job well done, chuck… except for the obvious. There is only “so much” waste oil to go around. After that, we start growing peanuts for peanut oil (oh, wait, that was Jimmah Cahtah’s idea for replacement diesel my bad). OK so now it might be some other bio-fuel plant. The problem is similar to the E85 situation; taking viable food growth land away from actually growing food (as well as overuse of nitrates, which increases the size of the dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico via the Mississippi river and rivers and creeks which feed it).
But for a small portion of the more self-reliant folks, such as yourself, you pretty well have it made.
I’d love to see a solar panel on my roof and wind generators on my 3 acres, powering an electric car, BTW. It’s just that I suspect that’s all going to be 20-30 years in the future, at which time I’ll be retired anyway and won’t need to commute any more (at least, I hope to retire some day).
This is not about corn ethanol any more.
Stephen Chu is a respected scientist who emphasizes second and third generation biofuel, synthetic gasoline and direct solar-to-fuel conversion (without planting crops).
Sounds like science fiction?
A lot of people think we’ll get there in a decade or so.
There are companies that pick up the oil and contract with the business getting rid of it.
I’ve read stories that these companies have pulled up and the container is empty. Store owner says it was full when he put it out. Happens over and over. The company finds out what is happening and comes in right after the container is put out and adulterates the oil.
The thief takes the oil, distills it and ruins their engine.
Hope you are taking it with permission, Chuck.
Adulterating the oil is something I WOULD do, if I
contracted for it and it was being stolen.
psarhjinian, I guess that depends on how you define “energy”.
My barn (where the “refinery” is located) has a separate electric meter from my house, and we’ve never paid more than the minimum from the PUD on that meter per-month. So I suspect that in terms of electricity I’m not even making a blip. My processor is a single-element water heater and a pump. I run three other pumps at various times to move fuel around. The processor & Methanol recovery are the only electrical load situations than run for more than a few minutes at a time. The rest is just gravity and chemistry plus time. I know some BD home-brewers that don’t heat up their oil at all, just allowing for longer reaction times. Electricity is cheap here in the Pacific Northwest though. If you pressed me for a figure, I’d just have to say it was $15 a month in power. But I’d be paying that even if I never flipped a switch in the barn anyway.
I do devote several hours a week of my time to production. Collecting oil on my commute. Handling and filtering waste oil, prep for processing, etc. I derive satisfaction from it though and do not consider it a drain on my life at all. I’ve been doing it now for almost five years. I’m producing enough output (from about four waste oil sources) to run 5 cars and 1 truck. There are 2 other guys in my informal little co-op who bring me oil and help me pay for chemicals in exchange for finished BioDiesel.
I always work out arrangements and permission from the restaurants where I source my oil. In fact if there is any frustration to this process it is dealing with eateries. They change hands and turnover staff very fast. I have gained and lost many sources over the past five years. Ideally I’d love to co-op with a solid source and share output with them. That would be the ultimate win-win scenario. Unfortunately the dearth of Diesel car options in this market makes that unlikely to happen.
I don’t think that GROWING land-based crops as fuel is wise though in the long run. Algae seems to be the only logical route for large-scale bio-fuel production. For micro-scale producers like myself though, waste oil is ideal as it solves so many problems so simply.
–chuck
1) chuckgoolsbee: I have a cousin who does the same thing you do. My advice to you–and him–is Don’t advertise it. All it’ll take is a couple dozen guys in your area following your example and you’ll be paying OPEC prices for your deep fry grease.
2) On the general point of alternative energy: Here is why I’m a skeptic: http://www.inhabitat.com/2008/12/11/tokyo-subway-stations-get-piezoelectric-floors/
First off note that the headline is absolutely false. “Energy-Generating Floors” are not going “to Power Tokyo Subways.” They are going to power ticket gates and display systems. More important, and this is typical of articles hyping alternative energy, there are no numbers, nothing about how much power will be generated or its cost. Somehow I suspect that if the system provided a net power gain (power produced vs. used in production and operation), those numbers would be in the article.
dejalma: If the company finds out what’s happening and can come out right away to adulterate the oil, why don’t they just come out right away and take the oil, rather than f*ck up some guy’s engine?
That’s just malicious.
Menno already made the point I would have made in response to Chuck’s biodiesel, that if it became popular, they’d run out of waste and start growing crops. That, in turn, would cause more carbon emissions than it would save for anywhere from about 30-400 years, depending on the land where it was produced. Richard1’s suggestion not to let locals know is also on point. Anyone who wants the big picture on biofuels in detail should read my article at
http://www.ehponline.org/members/2008/116-6/focus.html
The image is hysterical. Even if you guys still aren’t taking your own shots, you’re looking pretty hard. For a smart guy, Obama is clearly off on auto/transportation issues. Likely strategic to get votes in corn producing/auto producing states.