Valero Closes on Purchase of Wisconsin Ethanol Plant
Submitted by DTN Ethanol Blog
Valero Energy Corp. has closed on the purchase of an ethanol plant in Jefferson, Wis., according to a news release from Valero.
ALL Fuels Says Valero Rejects $100M Offer for Renew Plant
Valero Announces Public Offering of Senior Notes
EPA Issues New Renewable Fuel Standard
Valero Announces Public Offering of Senior Notes
Submitted by DTN Ethanol Blog
One of the largest ethanol producers in the U.S., Valero Energy Corp., announced plans to begin a public offering of senior notes in order to raise enough money to refinance debt, according to a news release from Valero.
EPA Issues New Renewable Fuel Standard
Shell Signs $12B Ethanol Project in Brazil
Biodiesel Industry Asks Congress to Retroactively Extend Tax Credit
Challenging CARB 2 - Midwest Ethanol Expects Lost Market
Shell Signs $12B Ethanol Project in Brazil
Submitted by DTN Ethanol Blog
Shell International Petroleum Co., a unit of oil major Royal Dutch Shell Group, on Monday said it signed a $12 billion deal to jointly produce and market ethanol fuel with Brazil’s Cosan, the world’s top ethanol and sugar processor.
Biodiesel Industry Asks Congress to Retroactively Extend Tax Credit
Challenging CARB 2 - Midwest Ethanol Expects Lost Market
Challenging CARB 1 - Poet Files Lawsuit in California
US Ethanol Supply Up in November as Plants Boost Run Rates
Challenging CARB - 1 Poet Files Lawsuit in California
Submitted by DTN Ethanol Blog
US Ethanol Supply Up in November as Plants Boost Run Rates
New Biofuels Terminal in Collins, Miss., Receiving Product
Blendstar Launches New Biofuels Terminal in Louisiana
New Ethanol Engine Technology Revealed
US Ethanol Supply Up in November as Plants Boost Run Rates
Submitted by DTN Ethanol Blog
Total U.S. ethanol production jumped 636,000 bbl, or 45,884 bpd, to 23.592 million bbl, or 786,400 bpd, in November as plants boosted run rates by 6.08 percent to an average of 92.53 percent of operable capacity, according to a Telvent DTN analysis of its own data as well as data out today from the Energy Information Administration.
New Biofuels Terminal in Collins, Miss., Receiving Product
Blendstar Launches New Biofuels Terminal in Louisiana
New Ethanol Engine Technology Revealed
Poet Cellulosic Ethanol Project Receives Iowa Grant
Poet Cellulosic Ethanol Project Receives Iowa Grant
Submitted by DTN Ethanol Blog
The Iowa Department of Economic Development approved an agreement for the final $5.3 million in financial assistance to Poet LLC’s cellulosic ethanol project underway in Emmetsburg, Iowa, according to a news release. The company is building a commercial-scale cellulosic ethanol plant that will produce ethanol from corn cobs.
Poll: 68 Percent Support COOL for Fuel
EIA Sees Better Margins for Ethanol Producers This Year
Ethanol Profits Rebound - 1
Ethanol New Profits Expected To Rise
Water Use Falls at Poet Minn. Plant
EIA Sees Better Margins for Ethanol Producers This Year
Submitted by DTN Ethanol Blog
U.S. ethanol producers may fare better this year than they did in the first half of 2009 as demand for ethanol blend fuel grows, according to a new government report.
Ethanol Profits Rebound - 1
Ethanol New Profits Expected To Rise
Water Use Falls at Poet Minn. Plant
Nebraska Corn Board Slams CARB Rule
Kinder Morgan Buys 3 Ethanol Terminals from US Dev. Group
Nebraska Corn Board Slams CARB Rule
Submitted by DTN Ethanol Blog
California’s passage of the low-carbon fuel standard is likely to have a “major negative impact on Nebraska corn ethanol should the rules be rolled out as planned,” according to a news release from the Nebraska Corn Board.
Kinder Morgan Buys 3 Ethanol Terminals from US Dev. Group
Court Denies Ethanol Plant Sale Motion
Valero Completes Purchase of Ethanol Plants from ASA
Magellan, POET Plan Midwest-East Coast Ethanol Pipeline
Court Denies Ethanol Plant Sale Motion
Submitted by DTN Ethanol Blog
The U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Wisconsin on Thursday denied ALL Fuels’ motion to reconsider the sale of a Jefferson, Wis., ethanol plant to Valero Energy Corp.
Valero Completes Purchase of Ethanol Plants from ASA
Magellan, POET Plan Midwest-East Coast Ethanol Pipeline
Biofuels Tech Firm Qteros Hires John McCarthy as New CEO
Minn. Suspends Biodiesel Blend Requirement for No. 1 Diesel
Brazil Briefly Cuts Ethanol Blend Ratio to 20% From 25%
Submitted by DTN Ethanol Blog
Brazil will reduce the ratio of ethanol blend in all domestic retail gasoline to 20 percent from 25 percent for 90 days starting Feb. 1, the energy ministry said in a news release.
US Biodiesel Industry in Shut-Down Mode
New Blending Terminal Opens in Miss.
Ethanol Plant Sale Closing Delayed
GreenShift to Lease Corn Oil Technology to Global Ethanol
US Biodiesel Industry in Shut-Down Mode
Submitted by DTN Ethanol Blog
After federal lawmakers allowed the biodiesel blenders tax credit to expire, US plants are showing signs of economic trouble.
New Blending Terminal Opens in Miss.
Ethanol Plant Sale Closing Delayed
GreenShift to Lease Corn Oil Technology to Global Ethanol
Biodiesel Blender’s $1 Per Gallon Tax Credit to Expire Thursday Night
New Blending Terminal Opens in Miss.
Submitted by DTN Ethanol Blog
Omaha-based Green Plains Renewable Energy, Inc. said in a news release Wednesday that a new Blendstar terminal has opened in Collins, Miss.
Ethanol Plant Sale Closing Delayed
GreenShift to Lease Corn Oil Technology to Global Ethanol
Biodiesel Blender’s $1 Per Gallon Tax Credit to Expire Thursday Night
Biomass-to-Fuel Firm Faces Lawsuit
Court Stays Sale of WI Ethanol Plant
Submitted by DTN Ethanol Blog
RIN SERIES - 11
A Recap of the RFS and RINs
Ethanol Groups Challenge Calif.’s Carbon Emissions Plan
Nebraska Ethanol Plant Sells at Auction
Argentina Plans to Mandate 3% Ethanol Blend Next Year
What I Learned This Decade
Submitted by R-Squared Energy Blog
In this, my last posting of the decade, I thought I would write something profound. Then I realized I don’t really have anything profound to say today, so at the risk of violating Point 9 below, I thought I would summarize some of the things I have learned since starting this blog.
I am closing in on the 4th anniversary of R-Squared. This essay is my 895th. Based on recent trends, 2010 should bring the one millionth viewer here as well as the one thousandth essay.
I had no high hopes for the blog when I started it. As I told a friend at the time, I looked at it as more like a place to archive some of the research I was doing. My thinking was that there are a million blogs out there, and it would be hard to differentiate mine from the others.
On the other hand, there weren’t a lot of energy-themed blogs covering the specific issues I was looking at. I knew because I was trying to do research on some topics, and ran into a wall of misinformation. So, I would write the stories, mainly for my own reference, until I ran out of things to write about. But on the topic of energy, I would soon find that it is hard to run out of things to write about.
I remember in the beginning that I would get 1 or 2 viewers a day. That changed pretty quickly after Andrew Leonard at Salon linked to one of my ethanol essays. From then on, the number of viewers increased. Shortly after that, one of my essays ended up in the #1 slot on the first page of Reddit. That was only a few months in, and 5,000 viewers linked in from Reddit in a single day.
Of course I have learned a lot since starting the blog. My breadth of knowledge across the energy sector is much greater now than in the beginning. Even so, energy is a huge field, and if I tried to cover all of it the coverage would necessarily be superficial. This is one reason you don’t see more stories here on wind and solar; they are not my core area of expertise so they don’t get a great deal of coverage.
In no particular order, here are some of the other lessons I have learned since starting the blog.
1. Choose my words carefully
I remember this lesson well. The blog readership had grown quite a bit, but I did not really appreciate the diversity of the audience. At that time I was still prone to write blistering, no holds barred critiques of energy companies making outrageous claims. I had written a bit about Coskata, and I felt like their claims were dubious. But then I finally looked a bit deeper, and I wrote Coskata: Dead Man Walking.
Of course I was being flippant with the title, but hey, it’s only my blog. It’s not like I am writing a news story. People know it is my opinion, and thus I can say pretty much what I think. Right?
Then the floodgates opened. I got contacted by the media. I got contacted by investors. I got contacted by the DOE. I even got contacted by Coskata. With the exception of the last one, the others all wanted to know “Are their claims really invalid?” Of course Coskata wanted to let me know that their claims were valid.
But the episode was a turning point in the way I write. I can remember at the time doing a media interview on the story, thinking “Holy Cow! I have to be more careful with my phrasing in the future. That was unnecessarily antagonistic and there are apparently a lot of people reading this stuff.”
Since then, I have tried to exercise more caution. I still maintain that there is no way that Coskata can make ethanol for $1/gallon, but I have to keep in mind that if I write an overly critical story of a company it could influence some investors which could influence the fortunes of the company. (A long shot, but something I have to keep in mind). Thus, I am potentially impacting people’s livelihood with what I write, and as such I have a duty to be very sure about my statements before I make them. No more flippancy or unnecessary antagonism.
2. Don’t make it personal
A friend once said that it is OK to disagree, but you don’t have to be disagreeable. I try to keep this in mind as I debate and engage people. Check the personal stuff and the ad homs at the door. Let’s debate the data, and if the data dictate that my position should move, then it shall move.
3. Not everyone cares about the data
I have learned a lot about how people behave. I have learned that not everyone is interested in objectivity; some are only interested in a very specific viewpoint. In these cases, inconvenient data are either to be rejected outright (That’s absurd!) or discredited (the guy who did the research has a cousin who works for ExxonMobil; thus the study is no good).
Dealing with people like this is never a fair fight, because I am interested in looking at their data. They are only interested in looking at mine if it supports their point of view. Otherwise, they go into the mode of defense attorney attempting to exonerate their client.
4. I love to write
That should be obvious, given that for the past 4 years I have averaged 4.5 essays per week. People often ask “Where do you find the time?” I find the time the same place people find the time to watch TV or play video games (and I do some of that as well, but not so much TV). The fact is that I can type out what’s in my head very quickly. My routine is that I wake up early, read through the latest energy headlines, and write if I see something that I want to comment on. I spend less than an hour on the average essay, so it is not a major time commitment each week. Answering e-mails is a different story, which is why my e-mail address disappeared from the front page.
5. I don’t write well to deadlines
I am prolific when the subject is wide open and there is no schedule involved. When I am writing an article for a website or a publisher, and there is a specific deadline involved, I find that it is much harder to get motivated. There is a different dynamic involved in waking up, seeing a story of interest, and making a post on it than there is if the subject is defined and I have a week to fill in the details.
I have been asked twice about my interest in writing a book, but it would take me 10 times as long to do a book as it would to do enough essays to fill a book. So right now I do a book chapter now and then (I have three that are either published or in process, with another two due next year) and in the back of my mind I hope eventually to pull those chapters together as the basis of a book. But to just sit down and start writing a book? Not at this point in my life.
6. Trying to predict which essays will get a lot of hits is futile
I found out early on that I could spend 3 hours on an essay, pepper it with references and links, and yet another that I spent 10 minutes on may get 5 times as many hits. The essay that ended up on the front page of Reddit was a puzzle to me. I had under 20 essays under my belt at that time, and in fact it was well after I published it that it claimed the top spot on Reddit. But I thought I had written essays that would have been much more deserving. To this day I am puzzled as to why that one made it to the top, and not some others that I think are much better. Here it is: Fuel Efficiency and Lessons from Europe. (Another one claimed the top spot a year or so later, but I don’t even remember which one it was).
In fact, probably the most read essay in the history of this blog is one that I wrote just a couple of months ago. I buried it on the 2nd page of my blog and locked the comments on it. It was off-topic and I didn’t want regular readers to be distracted by it, but I wanted to document something. It was again picked up by Reddit and a number of media outlets, and was read almost 20,000 times in under two weeks. It hasn’t fallen out of the Top 10 since I published it. For the curious, here is that one: Exposing a Two-Bit Scammer. I must warn you that it has zero to do with energy, and should only be read if you are bored and have nothing else to do.
7. Keep an open mind
I pride myself on my objectivity. I consider it a critical aspect of my job and my writing. But I have to constantly guard against slipping into a bunker with a particular ideology, defending against all outsiders. I recognized early on in my blog that most of my essays were anti-ethanol, and that I was starting to come across as an ethanol foe. But that is not a universal truth. I am against aspects of our ethanol policy, and in speaking out against those I sometimes appear to be anti-ethanol without qualification.
But that certainly isn’t the case. I see ethanol as I see other fuels. There are trade-offs. There are vested interests. Some will gain and others will lose. But with this, as with any position, the question I try to keep in mind is “What would cause you to shift your viewpoint?” If the answer to that is “Nothing” then you are truly in the realm of dogma and there is no point discussing data. As I stated earlier, it wouldn’t be a fair debate. But I try to always have an answer to that question in mind. For ethanol, I attempted to answer that question very early on: Improving the Prospects for Grain Ethanol
8. Sometimes you are going to make enemies
I don’t like to make enemies, but when you are speaking out against vested interests you are going to make them. Reasonable people sometimes disagree, but vested interests aren’t necessarily reasonable and their disagreements can quickly become personal. A corn farmer in Iowa isn’t necessarily interested in data that argues against more corn production. (In fact, I got a death ‘wish’ from a corn farmer once; one of maybe half a dozen threats/wishes I have received).
So if you have convictions, even if they are data-based, you are going to make some enemies if you speak out on them. This is especially true when dealing with vested interests. It is simply impossible to please everyone.
9. Don’t force content
While I have written a lot of essays over the past four years, I have had some periods of time in which I didn’t really have anything topical to put out there for a week or more. That has led me at times to post guest essays or 3rd party content that really weren’t up to the standards I have set for this blog. Worse, I have been occasionally guilty of that myself by quickly throwing something together and publishing it. I can avoid this by refusing to listen to the inner voice that says “It’s been a week. You really need to publish something.” If I maintain discipline, then I will only post when there is something worth posting, even if that means I don’t put anything up for a month.
10. The spam bots are getting much better
It won’t be long before I have to start locking comments on the essays that scroll off of the first page. The spam bots - those that write something like “Great blog” with a link to some off-topic business - have gotten much better at breaking through the word verification than they were even a year ago. I get an e-mail of every single comment posted, so I am able to catch and delete all spam, but it is taking more of my time every day.
11. I learn a lot from the comments
The blog would not have continued had it not been for so much good feedback that I received. I find myself learning an awful lot from reading comments. Often, it is through the comments that I first learn of a new development or a new research paper. The comments also frequently force me to reevaluate my positions, which is something I value greatly.
12. Self-link to my previous essays
Some people may have noticed that I almost always link each essay back to a previous essay. That isn’t so much about self-promotion as it is about maintaining a connection when others pick up and republish an essay. I have given permission to many other websites to republish content as long as there is a note that indicates the origin of the essay. Still, some websites will grab essays and republish content as their own. By putting links in, readers can be linked back here, and since I have a StatCounter that indicates where visitors came from, I can spot the websites that are republishing content as their own.
13. There is no money in this
If I was trying to make a living at this, I would have to move to one of those countries where you can live on $2 a day. Of course I am not doing this for money, nor have I ever tried to write in a way that would maximize ad revenue. If I was trying to write for a living, I would have picked a different topic, like Hollywood Gossip. Of course then I would have to start watching TV, and who has time for that?
On the other hand, there have been a lot of opportunities that have arisen as a result of the blog. I have had numerous job offers/inquiries since I started this, I have been asked to write for books and magazines, and I have given media interviews and made presentations. This increases the audience that I can reach.
14. People’s interest in energy goes up and down with the price of oil
It is really hard to get people engaged on energy unless prices are climbing. To this day, the query that most frequently brings readers in for the first time is “Why are oil/gas prices rising?” If prices aren’t rising, people don’t care and there isn’t much interest in energy policy. But we have lived through interesting times since I started the blog; prices steadily climbing for the most part. When they level off, the number of readers falls.
So that’s a bit of what I have learned, and hopefully those lessons have improved the quality of the essays over the past four years. May we continue to live during interesting times, so there will be lots of new stories to report on.
Happy New Year to everyone.
RIN SERIES - 11
Submitted by DTN Ethanol Blog
Profitability of today’s fuel supplier is affected by how well they understand the regulations that they operate within. Recognizing this, we have provided a series of briefings to help you better understand the regulatory arena you are operating in today, and that you face tomorrow.
Ethanol Groups Challenge Calif.’s Carbon Emissions Plan
Nebraska Ethanol Plant Sells at Auction
Argentina Plans to Mandate 3% Ethanol Blend Next Year
ALL Fuels Challenges Valero’s Wis. Ethanol Plant Purchase
Ethanol Groups Challenge Calif.’s Carbon Emissions Plan
Submitted by DTN Ethanol Blog
Two major ethanol groups — the Renewable Fuels Association and Growth Energy — are challenging the constitutionality of California’s low-carbon fuel standard, which allows the state to regulate greenhouse gas emissions by automobiles, according to a news release.
Nebraska Ethanol Plant Sells at Auction
Argentina Plans to Mandate 3% Ethanol Blend Next Year
ALL Fuels Challenges Valero’s Wis. Ethanol Plant Purchase
The Proposed Advanced Fuel Standard - RIN Series 10
Argentina Plans to Mandate 3% Ethanol Blend Next Year
Submitted by DTN Ethanol Blog
Argentina will begin blending 3 percent ethanol into gasoline used for transportation starting Jan. 1, according to Roberto Salafia, a commercial attache at the country’s embassy in Washington, D.C.
ALL Fuels Challenges Valero’s Wis. Ethanol Plant Purchase
The Proposed Advanced Fuel Standard - RIN Series 10
Group Challenges TN Fuel Blending Act
RFA Claims ‘Unfair’ Hearing With CARB
Submitted by DTN Ethanol Blog
RIN Series - 8
Market Factors Influencing RIN Values
CA Ethanol Plant to Get New Start
RIN Series - 7
What is the Lifetime of a RIN?
Rentech to Provide Jet Fuel to 13 Airlines
CA Ethanol Plant to Get New Start
Submitted by DTN Ethanol Blog
Cupertino, Calif.-based AE Biofuels Inc. and Cilion Inc. have reached an agreement that will allow AE to retrofit an idled 55-million-gallon corn ethanol plant in Keyes, Calif., for cellulosic ethanol production.
RIN Series - 7
What is the Lifetime of a RIN?
Rentech to Provide Jet Fuel to 13 Airlines
Mission NewEnergy, Valero Ink 5-Year Biodiesel Supply Deal
Commercial Cellulosic Ethanol Production Planned in Wash.
Mission NewEnergy, Valero Ink 5-Year Biodiesel Supply Deal
Submitted by DTN Ethanol Blog
Australia-based biodiesel company Mission NewEnergy Ltd. Friday announced it has entered into a five-year supply agreement with Valero Energy Corp. to supply up to 60 million gallons, or 200,000 tonnes, of biodiesel per year.
Commercial Cellulosic Ethanol Production Planned in Wash.
Two Firms to Advise Ethanol Plants on Reporting CO2 to EPA
EDUCATIONAL SERIES: How Are RINs Separated from Fuel?
Study: Biodiesel Needs Tax Credit
Analysts: Ethanol Shippers Stung by Bankruptcies
Submitted by DTN Ethanol Blog
The ethanol shipping market remains in the lurch as the recovery gets under way. Demand for railcars to move ethanol across the country has decreased after the financial crash of last year curtailed lending and pushed a number of ethanol plants, most notably VeraSun Energy Corp., into bankruptcy.
Governor’s Coalition Urges Quick Action by EPA on E15 Waiver
Ethanol Group RFA Seeks EPA Clarification on E15 Waiver
EDUCATIONAL SERIES: How Are RINs Tracked?
Biodiesel Needs Tax Extension
Submitted by DTN Ethanol Blog
The $1-per-gallon blenders tax credit is set to expire at the end of 2009. Biodiesel and soybean groups are pushing Congress to extend the credit.
Ethanol Group RFA Seeks EPA Clarification on E15 Waiver
EDUCATIONAL SERIES: How Are RINs Tracked?
Canada Ethanol Industry Lags US
Guest Editorial: EPA Appears Caught in a Catch 22
Guest Editorial: EPA Appears Caught in a Catch 22
Submitted by DTN Ethanol Blog
Two key timing issues have essentially paralyzed the Environmental Protection Agency at this point regarding the Renewable Fuels Standard. The first is the pending issuance of the much-awaited final rules for RFS2, and the second is the Nov. 30 deadline for the 2010 mandates. It appears that EPA cannot issue one without the other.
NBB Says EPA Unlikely to Complete RFS2 by Deadline
EDUCATIONAL SERIES: How Are RINs Used?
FTC Says US Ethanol Market “Remains Unconcentrated”
Demand for Ethanol Slides in September; US Imports Tumble
EDUCATIONAL SERIES: Where Do RINs Come From?
Submitted by DTN Ethanol Blog
RINs are generated as a result of the production or importation of renewable fuel into the United States. The RINs serve as identification numbers for each gallon of renewable fuel placed into commerce, allowing EPA to monitor the movement and use of renewable fuel in the marketplace.
Viaspace Cultivating High-Biomass Grass
New Biofuels Investment Holds Risks Similar to Ethanol
Biodiesel Tax Credit Extension Caught Up in Senate Wrangle
Zenergy Secures Feedstock; Will Restart Biodiesel Plant
Viaspace Cultivating High-Biomass Grass
Submitted by DTN Ethanol Blog
New Biofuels Investment Holds Risks Similar to Ethanol
Biodiesel Tax Credit Extension Caught Up in Senate Wrangle
Zenergy Secures Feedstock; Will Restart Biodiesel Plant
Growth Energy Asks CARB to Allow Comment on Undisclosed LCFS Documents
