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Turnkey
B100 Biodiesel
Refineries
&
For Inquiries, call/email: Tel. (832) 758 - 0027 Email: info@ASTMD6751.com
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B100 Biodiesel
www.B100Biodiesl.com
What is B100 Biodiesel?
B100 Biodiesel is 100% Biodiesel that is produced from oilseeds, crude vegetable oil, refined vegetable oil and waste vegetable oil. These fuels are over 90% less polluting than the "dirty diesel" produced from fossil fuels and the 10% (nitrogen oxides) is easily captured with selective catalytic reduction.
Our company - and network of Biodiesel plants across the U.S. - produces and sells B100 Biodiesel and B20 Biodiesel.
We develop, own, operate and maintain; Biodiesel Plants and Biodiesel Refineries that produce superior B100 Biodiesel of ASTM D 6751 specs.
We are interested in acquiring other Biodiesel Plants and Biodiesel Refineries that are no longer operating as long as they have superior technology and are located in the U.S.
We have an interest in other biofuels technologies including; Biogas Plants, Biomass Gasification Plants, and Modular Ethanol Plants.
We specialize in clean power generation systems. These may include our natural gas engines that are fueled with Biomethane or Synthesis Gas or diesel engines that are fueled with B100 Biodiesel.
Our company or its' affiliate companies provide engineering, legal, finance, power purchase agreements, energy service agreements and greenhouse gas emissions consulting services for clients whose projects are located in the U.S., Canada, the Caribbean and Central/South America.
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All
About Biodiesel
Biodiesel is a legally registered fuel and fuel additive with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
("USEPA"). The USEPA registration includes all biodiesel meeting the ASTM International biodiesel specification, ASTM D 6751-03, which outlines specifications for
B100 Biodiesel for use as a blend component or substitute for standard diesel fuel.
We buy and sell B100 Biodiesel and have plans to start producing and blending our own, "home-grown, clean, renewable, and American made" B100 Biodiesel, to help end our reliance on unstable, non-renewable, and "dirty" middle-east oil that pollutes our environment and causes inflated energy prices.
B100 Biodiesel has numerous advantages to petroleum diesel - it's renewable, non-toxic, biodegradable, and produced by American and Canadian farmers. B100 Biodiesel is 100 % biodiesel fuel, and reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 78.3%, particulate matter by 55.4%, hydrocarbons by 56.3%, mutagenicity by 80-90% and sulfur by 100%.
B100 Biodiesel produced from a variety of feedstock, grown on American and Canadian farms, will help to end our/your country's reliance on unstable, non-renewable, and "dirty" middle-east oil that pollutes our environment and causes inflated energy prices.
Our company builds new Biodiesel Refineries throughout the U.S. and now, developing countries with a variety of feedstocks that include; canola, coconut, jatropha, jojoba, mustard seed, palm oil, peanuts, rapeseed, and soybean, among others.
In association with a major U.S. university, we incorporate the latest technologies in the production of B100 Biodiesel from oilseed crops, that will provide our biodiesel refineries with the highest efficiencies. We also are an importer of (vegetable) energy oils, where we refine it into Biodiesel fuel for use in our cogeneration and trigeneration power plants. Additionally, we buy/sell/broker (vegetable) energy oils in the international market
For more information, call 832-758-0027
Key Reaction. The main reaction for converting oil to biodiesel is called transesterification. The transesterification process reacts an alcohol (like methanol) with the triglyceride oils contained in vegetable oils, animal fats, or recycled greases, forming fatty acid alkyl esters (biodiesel) and glycerin. The reaction requires heat and a strong base catalyst, such as sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide. The simplified transesterification reaction is shown below.
|
base |
|
Triglycerides + Free Fatty Acids (<4%) + Alcohol ——> Alkyl esters + glycerin |
Pretreatment Reaction. Some feedstocks must be pretreated before they can go through the transesterification process. Feedstocks with less than 4% free fatty acids, which include vegetable oils and some food-grade animal fats, do not require pretreatment. Feedstock with more than 4% free fatty acids, which include inedible animal fats and recycled greases, must be pretreated in an acid esterification process. In this step, the feedstock is reacted with an alcohol (like methanol) in the presence of a strong acid catalyst (sulfuric acid), converting the free fatty acids into biodiesel. The remaining triglycerides are converted to biodiesel in the transesterification reaction.
|
acid |
|
Triglycerides + Free Fatty Acids (>4%) + Alcohol ——> Alkyl esters + triglycerides |
Process Description.
Acid Esterification. Oil feedstocks containing more than 4% free fatty acids go through an acid esterification process to increase the yield of biodiesel. These feedstocks are filtered and preprocessed to remove water and contaminants, and then fed to the acid esterification process. The catalyst, sulfuric acid, is dissolved in methanol and then mixed with the pretreated oil. The mixture is heated and stirred, and the free fatty acids are converted to biodiesel. Once the reaction is complete, it is dewatered and then fed to the transesterification process.
Transesterification. Oil feedstocks containing less than 4% free fatty acids are filtered and preprocessed to remove water and contaminants and then fed directly to the transesterification process along with any products of the acid esterification process. The catalyst, potassium hydroxide, is dissolved in methanol and then mixed with and the pretreated oil. If an acid esterification process is used, then extra base catalyst must be added to neutralize the acid added in that step. Once the reaction is complete, the major co-products, biodiesel and glycerin, are separated into two layers.
Methanol recovery. The methanol is typically removed after the biodiesel and glycerin have been separated, to prevent the reaction from reversing itself. The methanol is cleaned and recycled back to the beginning of the process.
Biodiesel refining. Once separated from the glycerin, the biodiesel goes through a clean-up or purification process to remove excess alcohol, residual catalyst and soaps. This consists of one or more washings with clean water. It is then dried and sent to storage. Sometimes the biodiesel goes through an additional distillation step to produce a colorless, odorless, zero-sulfur biodiesel.
Glycerin refining. The glycerin by-product contains unreacted catalyst and soaps that are neutralized with an acid. Water and alcohol are removed to produce 50%-80% crude glycerin. The remaining contaminants include unreacted fats and oils. In large biodiesel plants, the glycerin can be further purified, to 99% or higher purity, for sale to the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries.
What
is Transesterification?
Transesterification is the chemical
process for producing B100
Biodiesel from vegetable oil
and animal fats which takes place in all Biodiesel
Refineries.
In
transesterification, vegetable oils
and animal fats are processes in a chemical reaction with methanol or ethanol in
the presence of a catalyst such as lye. After the chemical reaction occurs, the components of
the vegetable oil (or animal fat) break downs to form new compounds.
Triglycerides are converted into alkyl esters (biodiesel). If methanol is used,
methyl esters are formed and if ethanol is used, ethyl esters are formed. Both
of these are "biodiesel" fuel. In the transesterification
process, alcohol replaces glycerin.
Glycerin that has been separated during transesterification
is released as a byproduct of the biodiesel production process. The glycerin will either sink to the bottom of
the reaction vessel or rise to the surface depending on its phase. The
glycerin is easily separated by a centrifuge.
After
separation of glycerin, the transesterification
process is complete with the B100
Biodiesel then being sent to tanks onsite, for eventual shipping by truck,
barge, rail or ship, to customers.
The biodiesel produced through transesterification
has lower viscosity which makes it easy to completely replace petroleum diesel in
the fuel tanks for use in diesel engines.
Global Warming. The combustion of fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gas has increased the concentration of carbon dioxide in the earth's atmosphere. The carbon dioxide and other so-called greenhouse gases allow solar energy to enter the Earth's atmosphere, but reduce the amount of energy that can re-radiate back into space, trapping energy and causing global warming.
One environmental benefit of replacing fossil fuels with biomass-based fuels is that the energy obtained from biomass does not add to global warming. All fuel combustion, including fuels produced from biomass, releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. But, because plants use carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to grow (photosynthesis), the carbon dioxide formed during combustion is balanced by that absorbed during the annual growth of the plants used as the biomass feedstock—unlike burning fossil fuels which releases carbon dioxide captured billions of years ago. You must also consider how much fossil energy is used to grow and process the biomass feedstock, but the result is still substantially reduced net greenhouse gas emissions. Modern, high-yield corn production is relatively energy intense, but the net greenhouse gas emission reduction from making ethanol from corn grain is still about 20%. Making biodiesel from soybeans reduces net emissions nearly 80%. Producing ethanol from cellulosic material also involves generating electricity by combusting the non-fermentable lignin. The combination of reducing both gasoline use and fossil electrical production can mean a greater than 100% net greenhouse gas emission reduction. In the case of ethanol from corn stover, we have calculated that reduction to be 113%.
Vehicle Emissions. Petroleum diesel and gasoline consist of blends of hundreds of different hydrocarbon chains. Many of these are toxic, volatile compounds such as benzene, toluene, and xylenes, which are responsible for the health hazards and pollution associated with combustion of petroleum-based fuels. Carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides sulfur oxides and particulates, are other specific emissions of concern. A key environmental benefit of using biofuels as an additive to petroleum-based transportation fuels is a reduction in these harmful emissions.
Both bioethanol and biodiesel are used as fuel oxygenates to improve combustion characteristics. Adding oxygen results in more complete combustion, which reduces carbon monoxide emissions. This is another environmental benefit of replacing petroleum fuels with biofuels. Ethanol is typically blended with gasoline to form an E10 blend (5%-10% ethanol and 90%-95% gasoline), but it can be used in higher concentrations such as E85 or in its pure form. Biodiesel is usually blended with petroleum diesel to form a B20 blend (20% biodiesel and 80% petroleum diesel), although other blend levels can be used up to B100 (pure biodiesel).
What is B2 Biodiesel?
Pure biodiesel or B100 Biodiesel, is a non-toxic, biodegradable, renewable, carbon-neutral, sulfur-free, home-grown fuel that replaces petroleum diesel. When blended with equal parts of B100 biodiesel, creates B50 biodiesel, or 50% biodiesel and 50% petroleum diesel. Therefore, B2 Biodiesel, is comprised of a "blend" of 2% Biodiesel and 98% petroleum diesel.
What is B5 Biodiesel?
Pure biodiesel or B100 Biodiesel, is a non-toxic, biodegradable, renewable, carbon-neutral, sulfur-free, home-grown fuel that replaces petroleum diesel. When blended with equal parts of B100 biodiesel, creates B50 biodiesel, or 50% biodiesel and 50% petroleum diesel. Therefore, B5 Biodiesel, is comprised of a "blend" of 5% Biodiesel and 95% petroleum diesel.
What is B10 Biodiesel?
Pure biodiesel or B100 Biodiesel, is a non-toxic, biodegradable, renewable, carbon-neutral, sulfur-free, domestic fuel that when blended with 9 parts petroleum diesel to one part biodiesel creates B10 biodiesel, or 20% biodiesel and 80% petroleum diesel.
What is B20 Biodiesel?
B20 Biodiesel is one the most popular biodiesel blends presently available thoughout much of the U.S., Canada and Europe. Pure biodiesel or B100 Biodiesel, is a non-toxic, biodegradable, renewable, carbon-neutral, sulfur-free, domestic fuel that when mixed with four parts petroleum diesel to one part biodiesel creates B20 biodiesel, or 20% biodiesel and 80% petroleum diesel.
What is B50 Biodiesel?
Pure biodiesel or
B100 Biodiesel, is a non-toxic,
biodegradable, renewable, carbon-neutral, sulfur-free, domestic petroleum
diesel when blended with equal parts of B100
Biodiesel creates B50
biodiesel, or 50% biodiesel and 50% petroleum diesel.
What is B95 Biodiesel?
Pure biodiesel or B100 Biodiesel, is a non-toxic, biodegradable, renewable, carbon-neutral, sulfur-free, home-grown fuel that replaces petroleum diesel. When blended with equal parts of B100 biodiesel, creates B50 biodiesel, or 50% biodiesel and 50% petroleum diesel. Therefore, B95 Biodiesel, is comprised of a "blend" of 95% Biodiesel and 5% petroleum diesel.
What is B99 Biodiesel?
Pure biodiesel or
B100 Biodiesel, is a non-toxic,
biodegradable, renewable, carbon-neutral, sulfur-free, home-grown fuel
that replaces petroleum diesel. When blended with equal parts of
B100 biodiesel, creates B50 biodiesel, or 50% biodiesel and 50% petroleum
diesel. Therefore, B99 Biodiesel, is comprised of a "blend" of
99% Biodiesel and 1% petroleum diesel.
What is B100 Biodiesel?
Pure biodiesel is referred to as B100 Biodiesel, which is a non-toxic, biodegradable, renewable, carbon-neutral, sulfur-free, domestically "grown" biofuel. B100 Biodiesel is refined from many American-grown fuel/energy crops such as soybeans, canola, rapeseed and even palm trees.
Can B20 Biodiesel cause, or prevent problems for my diesel engine?
This depends on the age of the car. Biodiesel is a solvent and
may affect some seals, gaskets, and adhesives, particularly those made before 1993 and those
made from natural or nitrile rubber. Most diesel engines manufactured
after 1994 have been constructed with gaskets and seals that are biodiesel resistant. Earlier engine
models or rebuilds may use older gasket and seal materials and present a risk of swelling,
leaking, or failure. Fuel pumps may contain rubber valves that may fail.
B20 Biodiesel cleans dirty engine deposits, which may result in you needing an initial fuel filter change.
B20 Biodiesel fuel is being widely used in various areas around the United States and Canada. Its production and distribution is expanding rapidly throughout the U.S. and Canada.
Now that
B20 Biodiesel has been gaining wide-spread
distribution and popularity, questions are being asked for which some of
the more common questions are answered below.
Does B20 Biodiesel perform as well as regular petroleum diesel?
Clean the Air We
Breathe!
B20 Biodiesel burns significantly cleaner than regular petroleum diesel. This means
engines in cars powered by B20 Biodiesel
fuel will significantly fewer harmful exhaust
emissions than those of regular petroleum diesel. In fact, the higher the percentage of
biofuel used, the greater the reduction in dangerous emissions.
More specifically, the
B20 Biodiesel fuel used in your diesel engine means you are
reducing the amount of harmful emissions from your car or truck into our air by the following amounts:
• Carbon monoxide -12.6%
• Hydrocarbons -11.0%
• Particulates -18.0%
• Air toxics -12%–20%
• Mutagenicity -20%
Grow Your Own "Green" BioDiesel
Increase Profits for Farmers,
Improve the Local and Global Economy and Ecology,
Decrease Pollution and End the Monopoly of OPEC/Foreign Supplies of
"Dirty" Fuels!
At an average production rate of 130 gallons per acre, Canola or Rapeseed Oil ("BioDiesel") is one of the preferred energy crops in the U.S. and Europe.
What is Canola Biodiesel?
Canola biodiesel is an environmentally- friendly, renewable energy source that could also produce cost savings for taxpayers and private
businesses and is produced from farmers that grow canola.
Biodiesel produced from canola and rapeseed oil is superior to soy biodiesel.
Especially due to the widely varying price fluctuations of soybeans. And
because the feedstock (the oil produced from the fuel crop, such as
soybeans, rapeseed or canola) to make biodiesel makes up about 80% of the
cost for B100 Biodiesel, basic economics dictate that the feedstock be obtained
from the least-cost source, which is going to be either canola or
rapeseed.
Initial research conducted by the University of Saskatchewan and the AAFC Saskatoon Research Centre has found that each ton of renewable biodiesel fuel saves five times its weight in diesel fuel. As well, engines using biodiesel demonstrate wear rates as much as 50% lower than those using regular commercial fuels – effectively doubling engine life.
Canola is a member of the Brassica Family, which includes broccoli, cabbage,
cauliflower, mustard, radish, and turnip. It is a variant of the crop rapeseed. Grown for its seed, the seed
is crushed for the oil contained within. After the oil is extracted, the by-product is a
protein-richmeal used by the intensive livestock industry.
Canola is a very small seed, which means sowing depth must be controlled.
The current sowing practice is to cover the seed lightly with soil, which
provides more protection from drying out after germination.
Canola is generally sown in autumn and develops over winter, with flowers
emerging in the spring and is harvested early summer. With a growing
period of around 180-200 days climatic effects such as sudden heat waves can reduce yields and hot dry conditions can
limit its oil content. Summer weather ensures low moisture (less than 6%) at harvest. Carry-in
stocks of canola are minimal because of a lack of on-farm storage. Canola is a good rotational crop, acting as a break crop for cereal root diseases. However
for disease-related reasons, a rotation period of 3-5 years is required for canola crops.
of iodine in grams absorbed per 100 ml of oil is then the IV. The higher the IV, the
more unsaturated (the greater the number of double bonds available) is the oil and the higher
the potential to ‘gum up’ when used as a fuel in an engine. Though some oils have a low IV and are suitable without any further processing other
than extraction and filtering, the majority of vegetable and animal oils have an IV which does
not permit their use as a neat fuel.
Generally speaking, an IV of less than about 25 is required if the neat oil is to be used in unmodified diesel engines and this severely limited the types of oil that can be used.
The IV can be easily reduced by hydrogenation of the oil (reacting the oil with hydrogen), the hydrogen breaking the double bond and converting the fat or oil into a more saturated oil and reducing the tendency of the oil to polymerise. However this process also tends to increase the melting point of the oil and converts the oil into margarine. Only coconut oil has an IV low enough to be used without any special precautions in a unmodified diesel engine. However with a melting point of 25°C, the use of coconut oil in cooler areas would obviously lead to problems.
Linseed oil could be mixed with petroleum diesel at a
ratio of up to 1:8 to give an equivalent IV in the mid-twenties. Likewise coconut oil can be thinned with diesel or kerosene to render it less viscous in cooler climates. Obviously
the solubility of the oil in petroleum also needs to be taken into account. Another method is
to emulsify the oil or fat with ethanol. Most vegetable oils are a mixture of different esters such as oleic acid (main constituent
of olive oil), ricinoleic acid (main constituent of castor oil), linoleic acid
(main constituents of linseed oil), palmitic acid (main constituent of palm kernel oil) and so on.
In an analogous way to that in which crude oil is refined to make a useable automotive
fuel, canola oil needs to be transesterified to make an automotive fuel that is useable in
unmodified diesel engines.
When the oil is processed in a transesterfication process, the various fatty
acids react with the alcohol to form a mixture of lighter esters and glycerol. The name of
the specific fuel is called after the plant (or animal) source plus the alcohol. Made from
rapeseed oil and methanol, the biodiesel is called Rape Methyl Ester (RME), from canola oil
and ethanol, Canola Ethyl Ester (CEE), and from used McDonald’s cooking oil and ethanol
or methanol, ("McDiesel").
What is Rapeseed Biodiesel?
Rapeseed, some varieties of which are used to make mustard and others to make canola oil, is the preferred biodiesel feedstock in Europe.
Depending on the variety, rapeseed oil contains about 40 to 50 percent of
its weight in rapeseed is oil, as compared with only 20 percent for soybeans. It can be planted and harvested with the
same equipment used for small grains. In addition, rapeseed oil offers certain advantages in the production of biodiesel.
The Following from the EPA's site regarding B100 Biodiesel.
Purpose
The purpose of this document is to explain and clarify EPA’s regulatory requirements for biodiesel producers and biodiesel blenders/users. While the term biodiesel generally has a broad interpretation, as used in this guidance document, its meaning is directed specifically to biodiesel-ester.
Background
Use of renewable fuels, such as ethanol and biodiesel, in motor vehicle fuels has been growing rapidly for a variety of reasons. Biodiesel usage has been increasing particularly rapidly. This widespread increase in biodiesel usage has highlighted a need to promote adherence to the primary industry standard for biodiesel (B100 blendstock used to produce biodiesel blends), ASTM International (ASTM) D 6751, and consider new ASTM standards for blends of biodiesel and conventional petroleum-based diesel. EPA is also currently coordinating significant additional testing to resolve issues related to the effect of biodiesel on vehicle emissions performance.
Biodiesel is a fuel made from plant or animal feedstocks, and may be used in conventional diesel engines. Biodiesel is comprised of specific chemical components defined by ASTM as "mono-alkyl esters of long chain fatty acids derived from vegetable oils or animal fats." In the United States, most biodiesel is made from soybean oil. However, canola oil, sunflower oil, recycled cooking oils, palm oil, animal fats, and other oils are also used as feedstocks.
Biodiesel is typically manufactured through a process called "trans-esterification." This process uses an industrial alcohol (typically methanol, sometimes ethanol) and a catalyst (sodium methylate, can be sodium hydroxide) to convert the base plant oil or animal fat into a fatty-acid mono-alkyl ester fuel (biodiesel), with glycerin as a byproduct. Biodiesel in its pure form is known as B100, but it can be blended with conventional diesel fuel. The most common blends are B5 (5 percent biodiesel and 95 percent conventional diesel) and B20 (20 percent biodiesel and 80 percent conventional diesel).
Biodiesel is registered with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a motor vehicle diesel fuel and motor vehicle diesel fuel additive. It is registered for use at any blend level up to B100 in highway diesel vehicles.
Biodiesel, as discussed in this document, does not include renewable diesel. Renewable diesel is a non-ester based diesel blend derived from non-petroleum resources, such as plant oil or animal fats or wastes. Because renewable diesel is processed in a refinery along with petroleum stocks, it becomes indistinguishable from petroleum diesel, and does not need to be blended downstream of the refinery.
Neat vegetable oils and recycled greases (also called waste cooking oil or yellow grease) that have not been processed into mono-alkyl esters are not biodiesel. These raw oils, used as fuel extenders or fuel substitutes, are not registered with EPA and are not legal to use as a motor vehicle fuel. Furthermore, cooking oil is physically and chemically different than diesel fuel and its use in conventional engines will generally cause negative effects on emissions and engine durability.
Because of the potential for increased emissions, it is considered unlawful tampering to convert a vehicle designed for diesel fuel to operate on waste oil without EPA certification. To date, EPA has not certified any conversions for waste oils. Even with EPA certification, conversions may violate the terms of the vehicle warranty. For more information on the certification process, please visit EPA's Web site at:
www.epa.gov/otaq/cert/dearmfr/cisd0602.pdf
EPA Requirements for Biodiesel Producers under 40 CFR Part 79 and Part 80
Section 211 of the Clean Air Act provides EPA with the authority to regulate fuels and fuel additives in order to obtain information about emissions and health effects related to fuels and their additives, and where appropriate to reduce the risk to public health from exposure to their emissions. In part, regulations implementing this authority are codified in Part 79 of the Code of Federal Regulations (40 CFR Part 79), which requires that each manufacturer or importer of motor vehicle gasoline, motor vehicle diesel fuel, and their additives, have their product registered by EPA prior to its introduction into commerce. Registration involves providing a chemical description of the product and certain technical, marketing and health-effects information. This allows EPA to identify the likely combustion and evaporative emissions. In many cases, health-effects testing is required for a product to maintain its registration or before a new product can be registered. EPA uses this information to identify products whose emissions may pose an unreasonable risk to public health, warranting further investigation and/or regulation.
Producers
of biodiesel for highway use are manufacturers of motor vehicle fuel or fuel
additive. As part of EPA’s registration process for fuel manufacturers,
biodiesel producers must complete and submit EPA registration form 3520-12 (Fuel
Manufacturer Notification for Motor Vehicle Fuel, available at http://www.epa.gov/otaq/regs/fuels/ffarsfrms.htm
and also provide the following information:
The feedstocks used to produce biodiesel.
A description of the manufacturing process used to produce biodiesel.
Emissions and health effects testing on the manufacturer’s biodiesel, or alternatively proof of registration with the National Biodiesel Board (NBB) showing access to the Tier 1 and Tier 2 emissions and health effects testing data.
Test results from a representative sample of the manufacturer’s biodiesel demonstrating compliance with the parameters specified in ASTM D 6751.
Since emissions and health effects testing for biodiesel is very expensive, biodiesel producers normally arrange for access to "group data" on the testing of biodiesel which is representative of all products in that group. NBB has provided EPA with the required group data on biodiesel that met the nationally accepted biodiesel standard at the time of testing, which was 1998. This standard has since been adopted as ASTM D 6751, and continues to undergo refinements. Thus, a biodiesel producer may meet EPA’s emissions and health effects testing requirement for biodiesel by reaching an agreement with NBB for access to NBB’s registration data, and making a certification to EPA that the producer has notified NBB of the use of NBB’s data and reimbursed NBB for the use of their data. Any biodiesel producer who does not have access to NBB’s data must provide EPA with its own emissions and health effects test data as part of the registration process.
In addition to registering with EPA under 40 CFR Part 79, biodiesel producers are also required to register under 40 CFR Part 80 as a refiner. This applies to both highway and nonroad biodiesel. Under 40 CFR Part 80, diesel fuel producers must complete and submit EPA registration forms 3520-20A (Fuels Programs Company/Entity Registration) and 3520-20B1 (Diesel Programs Facility Registration). Both of these forms are available at http://www.epa.gov/otaq/regs/fuels/rfgforms.htm
Highway and nonroad biodiesel producers must also comply with all of EPA’s regulatory requirements for diesel fuel producers in 40 CFR Part 80, Subpart I. The primary standard for diesel fuel producers in Subpart I is the 15 ppm sulfur standard, which will be phasing in for all diesel fuel from now through 2014. Although biodiesel typically contains less than 15 ppm sulfur, biodiesel producers are still required to test each of their biodiesel batches for sulfur and appropriately designate their product as required by Subpart I. Subpart I also contains diesel fuel standards for minimum cetane index (40), or a maximum aromatics content (35 volume percent), which biodiesel typically meets. Lastly, Subpart I contains reporting and recordkeeping requirements for diesel fuel manufacturers.
EPA Guidance for Biodiesel Blenders/Users
Although the Part 79 registration is for biodiesel use at any blend level up to B100 in highway diesel vehicles, ASTM D 6751 points out that a considerable amount of experience exists with blends containing 20 percent biodiesel and 80% conventional diesel (B20). Thus, ASTM D 6751 recommends that biodiesel blends containing more than 20 percent biodiesel should be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. ASTM D 6751 also recommends that biodiesel users consult the equipment manufacturer owner’s manual regarding the suitability of using biodiesel or biodiesel blends in a particular engine or application. Many engine manufacturers currently limit warranty coverage to diesel fuel containing no more than 5 percent biodiesel.
Consumers should be careful only to buy biodiesel from a reputable dealer. Improperly processed biodiesel may contain unreacted or partially reacted oils or fats (measured by the total glycerin), which can cause the fuel to gel at higher than expected temperatures. ASTM D 6751 specifies maximum allowable concentrations of free glycerin and total glycerin. Also, consumers should be careful that they are not inadvertently purchasing straight vegetable oil instead of biodiesel. One method of ensuring quality biodiesel is to buy from producers or marketers that are certified in the voluntary national biodiesel accreditation BQ 9000 program (see http://www.bq-9000.org for details).
Requirements for handling and using biodiesel may differ from requirements for petroleum-based diesel. For example, biodiesel can gel at low temperatures and may require special handling in cold climates during winter. Other possible problems that may be caused by B100 use include degradation of some fuel lines and gaskets (e.g. those made from nitrile and natural rubber) and reduced power or fuel economy. Consumers should check with their vehicle manufacturers for recommendations about biodiesel use or consult the information available on the NBB web site at: http://www.biodiesel.org/resources/fuelfactsheets under ‘Engine Manufacturers’.
Engine manufacturers have expressed concern about degradation of biodiesel due to long storage times, which may cause biodiesel to exceed the limits in ASTM D 6751 for acid number, viscosity or sediment. For example, NBB recommends that B100 be stored for no more than 6 months before usage. The Department of Energy document "Biodiesel Handling and Use Guidelines" (available at http://www.nrel.gov/vehiclesandfuels/npbf/pdfs/40555.pdf) contains a detailed discussion on the stability of B100 and B20 and is a good source of information on biodiesel in general.
Current Activities Regarding Biodiesel
Emissions Performance
Having an accurate assessment of biodiesel effects on diesel engine emissions is critical to state, regional and national organizations for making informed decisions regarding biodiesel use. EPA’s 2002 review of then available test data entitled "A Comprehensive Analysis of Biodiesel Impacts on Exhaust Emissions" concluded that biodiesel improves HC, CO and particulate emissions while slightly increasing NOx. However, the magnitude of biodiesel NOx impact still remains controversial. EPA has recently shown experimentally that this impact is proportional to test cycle load. Using this information and working in cooperation with the stakeholders, EPA has developed a proposal for a Collaborative Biodiesel Emission Test Program to address the NOx issue. The funding for this test program is currently uncertain. However, we continue to believe that a well-designed study such as this is necessary to accurately determine the effect of biodiesel on emissions. In addition, EPA is currently updating the 2002 biodiesel study using test data which have become available in recent years.
Standards Harmonization
EPA is also working with several standard-setting organizations, both nationally and internationally, and other government organizations in a general effort to harmonize standards for biofuels produced from a variety of feedstocks and blended in petroleum-based fuels at various concentrations. EPA’s regulations codifying the Renewable Fuel Standard Program established in the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct) were recently finalized in 40 CFR Part 80, Subpart K, and provide significant flexibility for biofuels producers, refiners and importers to properly account for the large volumes of renewable fuels that must be blended into gasoline or diesel fuel under EPAct. Since EPAct does not mandate where biofuels must be produced or blended into gasoline or diesel fuel, EPA encourages other standard-setting organizations, particularly state governments, to allow biofuels producers and biofuels blenders the flexibility to decide where biofuels can be most economically produced and blended into gasoline or diesel fuel. EPA is promoting standards that will result in nationally accepted, consistent, biodiesel quality levels and blend rates.
EPA is also participating in several ongoing ASTM activities regarding biodiesel quality and standards. ASTM recently added a stability specification to ASTM D 6751 and expanded the applicability of ASTM D 6751 to all diesel fuels (ASTM D 6751 was previously applicable to just highway diesel fuel). EPA’s renewable fuels program regulations, recently finalized in 40 CFR Part 80, Subpart K, require biodiesel producers to meet all specifications in the most recent version of the standard (ASTM D 6751-07) for biodiesel to be considered a renewable fuel, and included in compliance calculations under Subpart K (see 40 CFR 80.1101(h)(3) and 80.1115(b)). ASTM is also considering whether to expand their standard for petroleum-based diesel fuel (ASTM D 975) to include diesel blends that contain up to 5 volume percent biodiesel, and is developing a standard for B6 to B20.
Enforcement Activities
EPA also plans to increase enforcement efforts to ensure that biodiesel producers are complying with EPA’s standards, in particular ensuring that all biodiesel meets ASTM D 6751. Section 211(a) of the Clean Air Act gives the Administrator of the EPA regulatory authority to "…designate any fuel or fuel additive…and…no manufacturer or processor of any such fuel or fuel additive may sell, offer for sale, or introduce into commerce such fuel or additive unless the Administrator has registered such fuel or additive…." This is codified in EPA’s regulations at 40 CFR 79.4(a)(1), which state that "no manufacturer of fuel designated under this part shall … sell, offer for sale, or introduce into commerce such fuel unless the Administrator has registered such fuel."
ASTM D 6751 was first published in 2002 (ASTM D 6751-02). Since then it has been periodically revised and updated. EPA’s routine practice has been to register biodiesel that meets the version of ASTM D 6751 in effect at the time of registration. Because most biodiesel has been registered with EPA since 2002, EPA expects that most biodiesel will meet either ASTM D 6751-02, or later versions of ASTM D 6751. For biodiesel registered since 2002, any biodiesel that does not meet the version of ASTM D 6751 in effect at the time of registration will be considered an unregistered fuel subject to the penalty provisions in 40 CFR 79.8 (civil penalties of up to $32,500 per day per violation). Biodiesel registered prior to 2002 must meet the ASTM D 6751 specifications contained in its registration application, which are generally equivalent to ASTM D 6751-02. For biodiesel registered prior to 2002, any biodiesel that does not meet the ASTM D 6751 specifications contained in its registration application will be considered an unregistered fuel subject to the penalty provisions in 40 CFR 79.8 (civil penalties of up to $32,500 per day per violation).
In addition to the provisions covering violations under 40 CFR Part 79, violations of EPA’s diesel fuel standards in 40 CFR Part 80, Subpart I are covered in 40 CFR 80.610 through 80.615. EPA regulations at 40 CFR 80.4 also provide authority to EPA inspectors, who present appropriate credentials, to enter the premises of any fuel manufacturer, importer, carrier or distributor and make inspections, take samples, obtain information and records, and conduct tests to determine compliance with all of EPA’s fuels regulatory requirements in 40 CFR Part 80. Any person who violates these regulations is liable to the United States for a civil penalty of up to $32,500 per day per violation (see 40 CFR 80.5)
Biomass
Gasification
www.BiomassGasification.com
Biomass Gasification is One of the
Few
Technologies that Produces "Carbon Negative Energy"
Biomass Gasification Basics
Biomass fuels such as firewood and agriculture-generated residues and wastes are generally organic. They contain carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen along with some moisture. Under controlled conditions, characterized by low oxygen supply and high temperatures, most biomass materials can be converted into a gaseous fuel known as producer gas, which consists of carbon monoxide, hydrogen, carbon dioxide, methane and nitrogen. This thermo-chemical conversion of solid biomass into gaseous fuel is called
biomass gasification. The producer gas so produced has low a calorific value (1000-1200 Kcal/Nm3), but can be burnt with a high efficiency and a good degree of control without emitting smoke. Each kilogram of air-dry biomass (10% moisture content) yields about 2.5 Nm3 of producer gas. In energy terms, the conversion efficiency of the
biomass gasification process is in the range of 60%-70%.
Multiple Advantages of
Biomass Gasification
Conversion of solid biomass into combustible gas has all the advantages associated with using gaseous and liquid fuels such as clean combustion, compact burning equipment, high thermal efficiency and a good degree of control. In locations, where biomass is already available at reasonable low prices (e.g. rice mills) or in industries using fuel wood,
Biomass
Gasifiers offer definite economic advantages. Biomass gasification technology is also environment-friendly, because of the firewood savings and reduction in CO2 emissions.
Biomass gasification technology has the potential to replace diesel and other petroleum products in several applications, foreign exchange.
Applications for
Biomass Gasification
Thermal applications: cooking, water boiling, steam generation, drying etc.
Motive power applications: Using producer gas as a fuel in IC engines for applications such as water pumping Electricity generation: Using producer gas in dual-fuel mode in diesel engines/as the only fuel in spark ignition engines/in gas turbines.
What
are Biomass
Gasifiers?
Biomass Gasifiers are reactors that heat biomass in a low-oxygen environment to produce a fuel gas that contains from one fifth to one half (depending on the process conditions) the heat content of natural gas. The gas produced from a Biomass gasifiers can drive highly efficient devices such as turbines and fuel cells to generate electricity.
What
is Synthesis Gas?
Synthesis Gas is produced through Biomass Gasification. The Synthesis Gas is comprised of varying amounts of carbon monoxide and hydrogen.
Our Biomass Gasification engineering and project development solutions:
"Turnkey" Biomass Gasification plants
Project Engineering Feasibility & Economic Analysis Studies Engineering, Procurement, Construction, Permitting, Utility Interconnects, Power Purchase Agreements, Operations/Maintenance and Training
Environmental Engineering & Permitting
Project Funding & Financing Options; including Equity Investment, Debt Financing, Lease and Municipal Lease
Long-term Service Agreements
Operations & Maintenance
Green Tag Consulting Services (Renewable Energy Credit, Carbon Dioxide Credits, Emission Reduction Credits) Brokerage Services; Application and Permitting
We will only select the best products and technologies for your operation as we seek the optimum environmental and economic solutions for our clients.
What
is Thermal Decomposition?
Thermal decomposition - sometimes referred to as "thermolysis" - is a chemical reaction wherein a chemical substance splits or decomposes into at least two chemical substances when heated. The reaction is usually endothermic as heat is required to break the chemical bonds of the material(s) undergoing decomposition. The decomposition temperature of a substance is the temperature at which the substance decomposes into its' constituent atoms.
What is Biomethane?
Biomethane is "renewable natural gas" made from organic sources - which starts out as "biogas" but then is cleaned up, removing the impurities in the biogas, such as carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide (H2S).
"Cleaned-up"
and ready for use in an onsite cogeneration or
trigeneration power plant, the Biomethane
could also be sold to a pipeline company and completely replace the
"natural gas" that is typically transported to markets via the vast
underground pipeline system.
Biomethane
will some day replace the "methane" that is sold by the
local gas companies.
Biomethane has an unlimited supply, whereas the methane sold by gas companies has a limited supply. Biomethane is renewable, whereas the methane sold by your gas utility company is not renewable. Biomethane recovery, use and production generates "Greentags" or a "Renewable Energy Credit" for the owners and is GOOD for our environment. The production and use of the natural gas sold by the gas company does NOT generate these incentives and new revenue streams and is NOT good for our environment.
As previously mentioned, Biomethane is "naturally" produced from organic materials as they decay. Sources of Biomethane include; landfills, POTW's/Wastewaster Treatment Systems, and every tree or agricultural product that is no longer living. Biomethane also generated from animal operations where manure can be collected and the Biomethane is generated from anaerobic digesters where the manure decomposes.
Biomethane, after installation of the Biomethane equipment is essentially free, as opposed to buying natural gas, presently costing around $10.00/mmbtu.
Methanogenesis, also called Biomethanation, is the production of CH4 and CO2 by biological processes that are carried out by methanogens.
____________________________________________________________________________________
When
It Comes to Energy Independence,
Biomethane, Not Coal, is America's "Ace in the Hole"
and One of the Greenest of All Biofuels
It's
Time to Start Building Our Country's Biomethane Infrastructure &
Producing Biomethane, the Cleanest/Greenest Biofuel!
By: M.E. Goodell, M.B.A.
Biomethane Technologies
www.Biomethane.com
Biomethane,
NOT Coal, is America's True "Ace in the Hole" when it comes to our
energy future, economics, the environment, sustainability and America's
“Energy Independence.” And biomethane
is also receiving recognition as one of the greenest of all biofuels.
For
years now, the coal industry has been touting "coal is America's 'Ace in
the Hole'" when they discuss the abundance of our coal reserves here in the
U.S. and the role they hope coal will play in America's energy future.
But
coal is far from being the “Ace in the Hole” the coal lobby would have
everyone believe. That’s due to
the proverbial “black eye” not to mention the “black lungs” and other
problems that are inherent with “dirty coal.”
While
there may be a place for coal in America's energy future, coal must become
"clean" for America to value it as a possible energy resource. Plans
or building 18 new coal fired
power plants were cancelled in Texas last year due to the fact that coal
isn't clean, and utilities aren't interested in investing the extra costs for
building power plants that use "Clean
Coal Technology" or "Integrated
Gasification Combined Cycle" power plants that also now need to include
"Carbon Capture and
Sequestration" technologies to remove the carbon
dioxide emissions from the stacks. Plans for many other coal fired power
plants are being cancelled. And even now, owners of coal fired power plants (pulverized
coal) are switching from coal, to biomass, and biomass
gasification technologies, as the writing is on the wall.
Unless
our society relishes the thoughts of moving back to the caves, and using
candles, and foregoing our modern-day comforts, we need to move forward with renewable
energy technologies such as biomethane,
as the alternative is power shortages and blackouts.
We
believe biomethane represents the best
and greenest of all biofuels. There are no supply problems with biomethane,
and we have a virtually unlimited supply for using biomethane
wherever natural gas is presently used as a fuel.
It
should be pointed out that biomethane is
chemically no different than natural gas from the "fossil fuel" form
of natural gas or CH4.
However,
one important distinction between biomethane
and the fossil-fuel variety of natural gas, is that the production and use of biomethane
is “carbon neutral” in that the greenhouse
gas emissions from biomethane use do
not add any new net greenhouse
gas emissions.
Biomethane
starts out as “biogas” but must be cleaned and purified before it can be
used as a renewable fuel. The
process of cleaning and purifying the biogas is called “biogas
to biomethane.” The impurities
that are found in biogas include hydrogen sulfides, siloxanes, and carbon
dioxide. When the impurities are removed from biogas, it is then referred to as biomethane
and available for use as a clean fuel, just as the fossil-fuel form of natural
gas is used.
Biomethane
reserves and supplies, unlike fossil-fuel natural gas, are virtually unlimited. Biomethane
is produced from many sources including anaerobic
digesters, wastewater
treatment systems, landfills and landfill
gas to energy projects and most agricultural and forestry operations. Last
year, the first Biomethane NGV refueling station was opened in Eugendorf,
Austria. Like a gas station provides
gasoline for cars, the the NGV Biomethane station in Eugendorf provides biomethane
for NGVs (Natural Gas Vehicles).
Presently, the station provides a blend of biomethane
and natural gas. Eventually, they
hope to provide 100% biomethane
for natural gas vehicles. Companies
and researchers in Germany and Austria have determined that “Cellulosic
Biomethane”
is the greenest of all biofuels, and the least expensive biofuel to produce.
Germany and Austria are now planting vast amounts of a form of Kentucky
Bluegrass which will be harvested for use in producing “Cellulosic
Biomethane,”
through anaerobic digesters and fermentation.
Researchers
from around the world, starting in Austria, are finding that grasses such as
Kentucky Bluegrass are easily converted into biomethane
as well as organic fertilizer. Cellulosic
Biomethane production doesn’t require the fermentation of sugars or
starches - as the first generation of liquid biofuels – requiring grains and
oilseeds from food crops. As the Austrian Cellulosic
Biomethane project shows, biomethane
can be produced from a cellulosic biomass feedstock like grass. Yield estimates
from the Austrian Cellulosic
Biomethane research indicate that one natural gas vehicle can travel 10,000
to 15,000 miles on just one acre of Kentucky Bluegrass that was processed into biomethane.
At
a Jan. 8, 2009 public workshop held by the California Natural Gas Vehicle
Coalition, they documented the superior benefits and potential of biomethane
as a clean, renewable energy resource. The
California Natural Gas Vehicle Coalition stated that biomethane
should be classified as a "Super Ultra Low Carbon fuel."
Super Ultra Low Carbon fuel is defined as providing at least an 82
percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions - based on the California Air
Resource Board’s analysis of biomethane from landfill gas.
Biomethane
has a carbon dioxide emissions
intensity of only 11 as compared with:
67.9 for natural gas
95.8 for diesel
96.7 for gasoline
Biomethane
can displace and substitute the equivalent of 29% percent of all petroleum
diesel transportation fuel used - almost immediately.
According
to the California Energy Commission and the Biomass Collaborative, landfills,
wastewater treatment, and dairy waste sources - which are "developable
today" and can start producing biomethane
almost immediately, with low investment/high returns, could yield 121 billion
cubic feet of biomethane. At $8.00/mmbtu,
that's a $1 billion market opportunity in California alone.
The 121 billion cubic feet of Biomethane
equals about 860 million gallons of petroleum diesel. California alone uses
about 3 billion gallons of diesel annually for transportation. Emerging biomass
gasification and Biomethanation
technologies could more than double biomethane
supplies.
Biomethane
- like natural gas from "fossil fuels" - can be transported in the
form of either compressed natural
gas or liquefied natural gas.
And using "Compressed
Biomethane" is a significantly better choice as a transportation fuel
than traditional "natural gas."
Biomethane
is the "renewable natural gas"
and is far better for the environment and the economy than natural gas. Biomethane,
when "vented" to the environment, is 21 times more hazardous to the
climate than carbon dioxide
emissions which are the only emissions (and water vaport) from compressed
natural gas vehicles' engines when used as a fuel.
Again,
we are reminded that biomethane is the
same chemical compound as natural gas: CH4, and completely replaces and
substitutes for natural gas. Engines, turbines, boilers and every other natural
gas appliance can use biomethane without
any adjustments or modifications - just like natural gas.
Biomethane
supplies, as opposed to natural gas supplies from the fossil fuel industry, are
available in an unlimited supply.
Moving
forward with a “Biomethane Infrastructure” is the direction our country
needs to be moving as one of our fuel choices as we become energy-independent.
Every MCF of biomethane
that we use displaces about 8 gallons of gasoline and creates jobs that will
never be outsourced or downsized.
(Some
of the above information from the California Natural Gas Vehicle Coalition.)
Please
Support H.R. 1158, The Biogas Production Incentive Act of 2009 to Help Create our Nation's Biomethane Infrastructure
& Biomethane Reserves
SUMMARY:
The Biogas Production Incentive Act of 2009 if enacted, will amend the
Internal Revenue Code to allow a business-related tax credit for the production,
sale, or use of biogas. Defines biogas as a gas that is derived by processing
qualified energy feedstock (i.e., manure of agricultural livestock and other
organic agricultural or food industry byproduct waste material) in an anaerobic
digester and that contains at least 52% methane and carbon dioxide and trace
gases. Provides an increased credit for biogas produced from qualified
cellulosic energy feedstock.
Dear Senator or Representative ________
I
am writing to you in support of HR 1158, the Biogas Production Incentive Act of
2009 and recommend that Congress develops and passes this much needed
legislation that provides a $4.27 per MMBTU tax credit for the production of
Biogas – also known as "Renewable Natural Gas," "Renewable
Biogas" or "Biomethane."
H.R. 1158, the Biogas Production Incentive Act would establish this tax
credit that will help jumpstart this vital industry.
Renewable biogas and biomethane have been heralded by many as being the
greenest of all biofuels. Biomethane
has a carbon dioxide emissions intensity of only 11 as compared with 67.9 for
natural gas, 95.8 for diesel and 96.7 for gasoline.
Biomethane can displace and substitute the equivalent of 29% percent of
all petroleum diesel transportation fuel used - almost immediately.
The California Natural Gas Vehicle Coalition stated that Biomethane
should be classified as a "Super Ultra Low Carbon fuel."
Super Ultra Low Carbon fuel is defined as providing at least an 82
percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions - based on the California Air
Resource Board’s analysis of biomethane from landfill gas.
The
U.S. Congress has wisely supported the expanded use of domestic renewable
resources through a variety of tax incentives and other programs.
Up to this point, Congress has focused primarily on measures that support
the production of renewable liquid transportation fuels or electricity.
In the U.S., however, natural gas represents 23 percent of the energy
consumed.
Natural
gas is the fuel of choice to provide residential and commercial heat for space
and hot water in most applications and is used to produce steam in a variety of
commercial and industrial applications. Natural gas is also the fuel that
provides the energy to manufacture many industrial products including aluminum,
steel, glass, chemicals, fertilizer, and ethanol.
Incentivizing
the production of renewable natural gas or "Biomethane" from sources
that include animal manure, landfills, renewable biomass and agricultural wastes
will support expanding the role of renewables into this existing energy sector,
where little opportunity exists today.
It will also create another business investment prospect for renewable
project developers and the potential to expand rural economies while supporting
existing industrial jobs and dramatically reducing carbon emissions.
Please
consider the following:
•
Renewable Biomethane is a versatile form of bio-energy. It can be used
directly at the site of production, or placed in the pipeline to support a
variety of residential commercial or industrial applications.
•
Renewable Biomethane produced from renewable sources including animal
manure, landfills, renewable biomass and agricultural wastes can be produced at
high efficiencies ranging from 60–70 percent.
Additionally, all of the technology components to produce renewable gas
from this variety of sources exist today.
•
Renewable Biomethane can be delivered to customers via the existing U.S.
pipeline infrastructure.
•
Renewable Biomethane can provide a renewable option for many heavy
industries, which could save existing industrial jobs in a carbon constrained
economy - while creating new rural green jobs to produce Renewable Biomethane.
•
Renewable Biomethane production in digesters provides the agricultural
sector additional environmental benefits by improving waste management and
nutrient control.
We believe this is a fiscally responsible proposal that will provide the
following benefits:
•
Jump-start new biomethane gas production
•
Begin the creation of the biomethane infrastructure and biomethane
industry
•
Increase biomethane “reserves”
•
Creation of green jobs
•
Expand the rural economy and increase revenues for farming and
agricultural operations
•
Increase energy independence
•
Reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Thank
you for your support and consideration of this legislation.
Sincerely,
_______________________
Signature and address
Please
write to your Representative and Senators, and ask them to support H.R. 1158 and
the $4.27 per MMBTU tax credit for the production of Biomethane/Renewable
Natural Gas, using the above letter as a suggested letter you are welcome to use
as your own.
Thank
you!
For more information on Biomethane, see www.Biomethane.com
What are "Carbon Emissions"?
"Carbon
Emissions" are technically and more accurately called "Carbon Dioxide Emissions."
In today's fast-paced news world and need to get information out quickly, the
term Carbon Dioxide Emissions,
has been abbreviated to "Carbon Emissions."
According
to the EPA, Carbon Dioxide Emissions,
or "Carbon Emissions"
or simply "CO2," are generated in a number of ways. Carbon
Dioxide Emissions are produced naturally through the carbon cycle and through human activities like the burning of fossil fuels.
Natural sources of CO2 occur within the carbon cycle where billions of tons of atmospheric CO2 are removed from the atmosphere by oceans and growing plants, also known as ‘sinks,’ and are emitted back into the atmosphere annually through natural processes also known as ‘sources.’ When in balance, the total carbon dioxide emissions and removals from the entire carbon cycle are roughly equal.
Since the Industrial Revolution in the 1700’s, human activities, such as the burning of oil, coal and gas, and deforestation, have increased CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere. In 2005, global atmospheric
concentrations of CO2 were 35% higher than they were before the Industrial Revolution.
Carbon Dioxide Emissions are responsible for about 80% of the problems related to Greenhouse Gas Emissions.
Carbon Dioxide Emissions and carbon dioxide are one of the six chemicals
methane and Biomethane
nitrous oxide
hydrofluorocarbons
perfluorocarbons
sulfur hexafluoride
and all six chemicals are planned to be significantly reduced via the global agreements under the Kyoto Protocol and new legislation in the U.S. under the pending "Cap and Trade" regulations in an effort to prevent climate change.
What are Greenhouse Gas
Emissions?
Greenhouse
Gas Emissions are those
greenhouse gases that allow sunlight to enter the atmosphere freely and
contribute to the greenhouse effect, which many believe is the cause of global
warming. There are natural and man-made greenhouse gas emissions. The
primary greenhouse gases thought to be major contributors to global warming
are; carbon dioxide emissions
(CO2), methane emissions (CH 4) and nitrogen
oxides (N2O).
The primary sources of
greenhouse gas emissions from manmade sources include; fossil-fueled power plants such as
natural gas power plants and coal fired power plants. Other sources of
greenhouse gas emissions linked to manmade causes include internal
combustion engines (fueled by gasoline and petroleum diesel) and
deforestation.
Many people don't realize that as much as
25% of per cent of the carbon dioxide emissions are naturally absorbed
by the ocean and another 25% of the carbon dioxide emissions are absorbed by
our biosphere, such as trees, plants, soil, etc. This leaves about 50%
of the carbon dioxide emissions that are not absorbed and remaining in our
atmosphere. As previously stated, carbon dioxide emissions are linked
primarily to the burning of fossil fuels (power plants, cars, trucks, etc.)
and deforestation.
Greenhouse
gas emissions have been on the
increase ever since the dawn of the industrial revolution.
What Are Greenhouse Gases?
Many chemical compounds found in the Earth’s
atmosphere act as “greenhouse gases.” These gases allow sunlight to enter
the atmosphere freely. When sunlight strikes the Earth’s surface, some of it
is reflected back towards space as infrared radiation (heat). Greenhouse gases
absorb this infrared radiation and trap the heat in the atmosphere. Over time,
the amount of energy sent from the sun to the Earth’s surface should be
about the same as the amount of energy radiated back into space, leaving the
temperature of the Earth’s surface roughly constant.
How Can We Decrease
Greenhouse Gas
Emissions?
Greenhouse
gas emissions
can
be reduced by switching from fossil fuels to renewable energy technologies, such as solar
energy systems, and upgrading brown buildings to Net Zero Energy
Buildings.
What
is E100 Ethanol?
E100 Ethanol is the fuel of champions, that will help our country become energy independent.
Did you know that all of the race cars at the Indy 500 car race are fueled with E100 Ethanol?
E100 Ethanol is 100% ethanol that is generated from multiple biomass feedstock, including, sugar cane, sugar beets, and other biomass materials and wastestreams including cellulosic biomass feedstock that is commonly referred to as "cellulosic ethanol."
Our company designs and builds optimized E100 Ethanol plants we refer to as a Modular Ethanol Plant. Our modular ethanol plants are pre-engineered and pre-assembled ethanol plants that save our customers a significant amount of money over the typical ethanol plant. We specialize in "waste to ethanol" projects that take various wastestreams such as Brewery Waste, and convert this waste into E100 Ethanol.
For more information on our Modular Ethanol Plants and Waste to Ethanol plants, please see our sites at:
______________________________________________________________________________
What is "Decentralized Energy"?
Decentralized Energy is the opposite of "centralized energy." Decentralized Energy energy generates the power and energy that a residential, commercial or industrial customer needs, onsite. Examples of decentralized energy production are solar energy systems and solar trigeneration energy systems.
Today's electric utility industry was "born" in the 1930's, when fossil fuel prices were cheap, and the cost of wheeling the electricity via transmission power lines, was also cheap. "Central" power plants could be located hundreds of miles from the load centers, or cities, where the electricity was needed. These extreme inefficiencies and cheap fossil fuel prices have added a considerable economic and environmental burden to the consumers and the planet.
Centralized energy is found in the form of electric utility companies that generate power from "central" power plants. Central power plants are highly inefficient, averaging only 33% net system efficiency. This means that the power coming to your home or business - including the line losses and transmission inefficiencies of moving the power - has lost 75% to as much as 80% energy it started with at the "central" power plant. These losses and inefficiencies translate into significantly increased energy expenses by the residential and commercial consumers.
Decentralized Energy
is the Best Way to Generate Clean and Green Energy!
How we make and distribute electricity is changing!
The electric power generation, transmission and distribution system (the electric "grid") is changing and evolving from the electric grid of the 19th and 20th centuries, which was inefficient, highly-polluting, very expensive and “dumb.”
The "old" way of generating and distributing
energy resembles this slide:
The electric grid of the 21st century (see slide below)
will be
Decentralized, Smart, Efficient and provide “pollution
free power” to customers who remain on the
electric grid. The electric grid of the future will be comprised of
Onsite Power
Generation plants fueled with Biomethane,
B100 Biodiesel, Geothermal, Synthesis
Gas, Wind & Solar power - located at Residential, Commercial, Industrial
and City/Municipal Locations.
Some customers will choose to dis-connect from the grid entirely. (Electric grid represented by the small light blue circles in the slide below.)
Typical "central" power plants and the electric utility companies that own them will either be shut-down, closed or go out of business due to one or more of the following: failed business model, inordinate expenses related to central power plants that are inefficient, excessive pollution/emissions, high costs, continued reliance on the use of fossil fuels to generate energy, and the failure to provide efficient, carbon free energy and pollution free power.
Carbon free energy and pollution free power reduces our dependence on foreign oil and makes us Energy Independent while reducing and eliminating Greenhouse Gas Emissions.
For more information, call us at: 832 - 758 - 0027
* Some of the above information from the Department of Energy website with permission.
_______________________________________________________________________
Amazing
Solar Fact!
Did you know
that the silicon
contained in only one ton of sand,
and used in manufacturing
solar photovoltaic
panels, could
produce as much electricity as burning 500,000 tons
of coal?
_______________________________________________________________________
How To Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions
You can easily and affordably reduce or eliminate your company's "carbon footprint."
Did you know that the United States Congress will be passing the S. 2191 "Cap and Trade" Law in 2009? Did you know that Supreme Court ruled in April (2008) that the EPA already has the authority to regulate Greenhouse Gas Emissions? Cap And Trade narrowly passed in the U.S. House of Representatives, and is now in the U.S. Senate, who has threatened to make even greater reductions of Greenhouse Gas Emissions in their final Bill of the Cap And Trade legislation.
Are you ready for these new regulations? We can help you get ready!
According to Monty Goodell, the Founder and Chairman of the Renewable Energy Institute, “Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Carbon Dioxide Emissions will be the world’s biggest commodity market and will probably soon be the world’s largest market, period." In fact, Mr. Goodell anticipates that Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Carbon Dioxide Emissions will become one of the fasting-growing commodities and markets ever.
Every day, leading companies are spending millions of dollars going "GREEN" and reducing their Greenhouse Gas Emissions.
The Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Carbon Dioxide Emissions Market Potential is staggering! According to a recent New York Times article, carbon trading is one of the “fastest-growing specialties in financial services.”
Already, Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading and International Carbon Trading markets are worth in excess of $50 billion/year. The United Nations expects this market to be valued in excess of $2 Trillion/year by 2012 and others are saying this could easily exceed $5 Trillion/year within the next several years!
DO THE MATH on the Carbon Dioxide Emissions market!
You may be wondering, how can such a relatively new commodity grow so rapidly? Here in the USA, 40 billion tons of Carbon Dioxide Emissions are produced every year. At the present price of $50 per ton of carbon dioxide, the Carbon Dioxide Emissions market is valued at $2.0 Trillion (40 billion tons of Carbon Dioxide Emissions x $50.00/ton).
How to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint
Carbon Emissions, Carbon Dioxide Emissions, and Greenhouse Gas Emissions can be reduced or completely eliminated with renewable energy technologies, such as our Solar Energy Systems - including our super high efficiency Solar Cogeneration and Solar Trigeneration energy systems. Brown buildings can be upgraded in to green buildings and "Net Zero Energy Buildings" through the products and services that we offer.
Qualified
commercial, government, industrial and municipal clients can affordably have one
of our Solar Cogeneration and Solar
Trigeneration energy systems installed, with ZERO up-front costs, with our Power
Purchase Agreement. Call (832) 758 - 0027 to learn more and find out
if your business qualifies.
_______________________________________________ Why We Need Renewable Energy
and a Feed In
Tariff, NOW!
Monty Goodell, Founder and President of the Renewable Energy Institute, along with the Renewable Energy Institute's Scientific Advisory Board, which is comprised of several of our nation's leading experts, engineers, attorneys, professors and universities, is calling for our nation and all 50 states to adopt a Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) of at least 25% by 2025.
And even better than a Renewable Portfolio Standard, according to Mr. Goodell, is a "Feed In Tariff," which is the route Germany took, and why they have had such great success in their transition to a solar based economy. The fastest paths to jump-start the renewable energy industry, is through a "Feed In Tariff.
A Feed In Tariff is superior to a Renewable Portfolio Standard," according to Mr. Goodell. "For example, look at Germany's success in their transition to an economy based on the installation of solar energy systems, they adopted a Feed In Tariff, are further north from the Equator than we are here in the U.S., and they are placing solar panels on every rooftop and wind turbine generators throughout their country. They are leading the world in renewable energy technologies, primarily due to their early adoption of a Feed In Tariff"
What is a Feed In Tariff?
A Feed
In Tariff is a utility rate that is established by a state or federal
government, that requires a utility to pay higher electricity rates for green
electricity generated by the owners of the solar
energy systems, whether that is a homeowner or business owner. Feed
In Tariffs shifts the expenses of subsidizing green energy from taxpayers, to electricity ratepayers.
Feed In Tariffs also include guarantee
that the Feed In Tariffs' artificially
higher rates, will continue for periods as long as 25 years.
Germany's great success for jump-starting the solar energy industry there, first
established Feed In Tariffs in
1999. Germany now has about five times as many
solar photovoltaic panels installed as the United
States - even though their total combined installations of PV panels still
only account for about 0.5% of the electricity generated there.
"So, we go with a Feed In Tariff in lieu of a
Renewable Portfolio Standard.
Simultaneously, we need to start re-building our national
electric grid, and transforming it into 'Transmission
Superhighway' or 'Unified Smart
Grid' and dramatically
increase the nation's power supply as well as implement greater use of 'Energy
Efficiency Measures' - also referred to as Energy
Conservation Measures. And we need to implement "real" 'Demand Side Management' programs. Failure to
move in these areas and to do so immediately increases the risks to our country,
our national security and the climate" according to Mr. Goodell.
According to Mr. Goodell, our nation is at a crossroads and we have been 'over the Middle Eastern barrel of their fossil fuels' long enough. We must shift from energy dependence to energy independence and place significant emphasis and investments in our national energy security and lower greenhouse gas emissions.
Renewable energy, and only renewable energy provides the significant economic and environmental dividends our country now needs. Preferably, our fledgling renewable energy industry in the U.S., will be "jump-started" with a Feed In Tariff.
Some of the economic and environmental dividends that renewable energy will provide our country include:
Creation of more than 3 million new jobs in the U.S..
Generate more than $1 trillion in economic impacts
Eliminates or Reduces Carbon Emissions and Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Significant reductions of oil imports
Reduce energy prices and save consumers as much as $50 billion on their energy bills
Elimination of billions of pounds of carbon dioxide emissions and other greenhouse gas emissions
Stimulate rural economies
Conserve natural gas supplies
Creates a clean, safe energy future
Position the US as a world leader in renewable energy technologies
According to the Energy Information Administration, the total US primary energy consumption is expected to increase from 100 quadrillion Btu (quads) in 2005 to 131 quads in 2030. However, the renewable electricity generation remains at 9% while use of coal increases 50 percent in 2030 to 57%. Ethanol use is expected to increase from 4 billion gallons in 2005 to 14.6 billion gallons in 2030, yet that is only about 8% of total gasoline consumption.
In January (2008) the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) blamed the burning of fossil fuels as a key contributor to global warming and accelerating climate change. The NCDC warned that the rate of the warming is accelerating and that the rise in temperatures over the past 9 years is “unprecedented in the historical record." This was underscored in February (2008) in the consensus report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change that concluded with near certainty that human activity was the main contributor to global warming.
The renewable energy industry, single-handedly, provides a powerful argument and solutions for these
problems.Global warming and climate change are symptoms of a sick planet and the results of unrestrained "dumping" of huge amounts of pollution - in the form of carbon dioxide emissions and greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere.
The vast majority of carbon dioxide emissions and greenhouse gas emissions comes from "dirty" fossil fuels (coal, oil, and natural gas) used in making electricity at power plants and dirty fuels (gasoline and petroleum diesel) that run our internal combustion engines in our cars, trains, planes, and trucks. Our planet is home to millions and millions of internal combustion engines that run on dirty fossil fuels - whether they are fueled with gasoline for running our cars and lawnmowers or running on diesel fuel in the engines of trucks and ships like the very large crude carriers that transport the crude oil all around the world...... every internal combustion engine that is running on dirty fossil fuels is dumping millions and millions of tons of carbon dioxide emissions and greenhouse gas emissions into our atmosphere - which is aggravating and exacerbating our sick planet - and making manmade climate change and global warming more difficult to resolve through manmade remedies and solutions.
"Finally, the fact that over 60% of the gasoline we use every day in our cars comes from foreign countries - should be the "clarion call" that jump-starts the renewable energy industry here in the U.S." said Mr. Goodell.
____________________________________________________________________
Why
We Need The "Unified
Smart Grid"
or "Transmission Superhighway"
According to Monty Goodell, the Chairman and Founder of the Renewable Energy Institute, "our country desperately needs to upgrade its' national electric grid. The grid of today is a relic from the past, that is inefficient and costly. Originally built in the 1930's, it is costing our nation approximately $120 billion every year due to its' outdated and out-lived existence. The national power grid as designed and built in the 1930's does not have the efficiencies and capabilities to keep pace with the national power grid's demands of today."
"What we need" according to Mr. Goodell, is what former Vice President Al Gore calls a "Unified Smart Grid" or what we prefer to call a "Transmission Superhighway."
A Transmission
Superhighway would be buried underground and "wheels" or transmits
the renewable power ("green electricity") from the wind farms of the
midwest, and solar farms of the southwest, and geothermal farms of the west, to
load centers throughout every corner of the U.S."
According to many estimates, the "Unified
Smart Grid" or "Transmission
Superhighway" could be built for about $400 billion. Through its'
increased efficiencies, savings and reliability improvements that it will
provide, the nation's new "unified smart grid" will be paid in full,
in less than 4 years.
__________________________________________________________________
Carbon Dioxide Emissions
Since the year 1750
| ## |
| World CO2 since 1750 (cubic feet) |
World Carbon Dioxide Emissions since 1750 (cubic feet)
The
carbon clock tracks total carbon dioxide emissions in metric tons since 1750.
Since 1750, humans have emitted over 5 trillion pounds of carbon dioxide into
the atmosphere. Roughly half of this has ended up in the oceans where it is
beginning to damage the coral reefs. The other half is still in the atmosphere
and causing global warming. Each pound of CO2 takes up as much space as a 500
pound person.
The formula (which should be good for a year or two) is:
C(t) = 2.58 ×1012 + 1240×t, where t is seconds since the start of 2007.
C is tonnes (metric tons) of carbon dioxide emissions.
2205 x C gives pounds of carbon dioxide emissions.
That comes to over 43 billion tons/year or over 86 trillion pounds/year.
Carbon dioxide (2) = 1 carbon atom with 2 oxygen atoms.
Carbon has relative weight 12 and Oxygen 16.
So it takes only 12 pounds of carbon to make 12+16+16 = 44 pounds of CO2.
___________________________________________________________________
Greenhouse Gas
Emissions Linked to
the Loss of a "Few" Polar Bears

Photo courtesy of Alaska Image Library. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
______________________________________________________________
“spending hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of billions of dollars every year for oil, much of it from the Middle East, is just about the single stupidest thing that modern society could possibly do. It’s very difficult to think of anything more idiotic then that.” R. James Woolsey, Jr., former Director of the CIA
|
Price of Addiction ### to Foreign Oil |
About the Renewable Energy Institute,
Climate Science,
Tax-payer Subsidies for Fossil Fuel & Nuclear Industries,
Peak Oil
& America's Clear and Present
Danger
Monty Goodell, MBA
Founder and Chairman
Renewable Energy Institute
The Renewable Energy Institute (REI) does not take a stand in the debate on global warming, and if there is global warming, is it "anthropogenic" or is it caused by the sun, or the sun's normal cycles. Or, if there is " climate change," is it " global cooling" caused by the water vapor in the atmosphere?
At the Renewable Energy Institute, we are waiting for the "true" scientists who doing the real research, to provide us with the science and answers critically needed to formulate correct policy - and not the phony " scientists" who are following politically-motivated and profit-driven agendas of the United Nations and government leaders. These phony scientists are not interested in conducting real scientific research. Their very livelihoods are dependent on the government grants to fund their phony research that have pre-determined conclusions before and "research" is conducted.
Political-interference by governments, governmental agencies, and bureaucrats that hand out billions of tax-payers dollars to phony scientists to conduct "junk science" and research, expect the conclusions that supports anthropogenic global warming, or climate change.
When scientists conclude in their research that they find no evidence of anthropogenic climate change or global warming, they are summarily dismissed, and black-balled from their communities and colleagues, and never again receive funding or grants. Grants and funding by government bureaucrats with politically-driven agendas to "scientists" expecting their pre-determined results and conclusions supporting anthropogenic global warming must stop.
According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), in 2007
the solar industry received $198 million in subsidies.
the oil and natural gas industry collected $2.1 Billion in tax-payer subsidies.
the coal industry coal received $3.2 Billion in tax-payer subsidies.
And since 1960:
the nuclear industry has received nearly $70 billion in tax-payer incentives and tax-payer subsidies.
Taxpayers have bankrolled the oil and gas industry, and the coal industry for 100 years now, and the nuclear industry for 50 years, to keep these dirty fuels and energy "cheap." Take away the tax-payer incentives and tax dollars, and we believe the real cost of gasoline, would be similar to the gasoline cost in Europe - $7.00 - $8.00/gallon!
In the meantime, our U.S. Military is spending billions of tax-payer dollars each year protecting the Straits of Hormuz where much of the world's crude oil is produced and shipped through the straits' international shipping lanes. Each day, hundreds of "very large crude carriers" pass through the Straits of Hormuz carrying oil from OPEC and the Middle-East to the U.S. and many other countries.
Isn't it time we take some of the tax-payer dollars supporting the nuclear, coal and oil and gas industries, and start incentivizing clean, renewable energy technologies that don't pollute or harm the environment in any way? Isn't it time that America ends its reliance on non-sustainable energy sources and stop over $1 billion every day, to oil suppliers from foreign countries, and start putting this money in "solar on every rooftop?!?
Mercury Emissions from Coal Fired Power Plants Far More Harmful to the Planet and People than Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Regarding the harm being caused to our planet from energy use, far more harm is being done to the planet, as well as to people and plants and animals, particularly fish, from the mercury emissions from coal fired power plants than from the coal fired power plants' greenhouse gas emissions. We surmise that if any polar bears have died as a result of an environmental problem, it was more likely from the high levels of mercury in their food chain, than from greenhouse gas emissions.
The Renewable Energy Institute is supporting and advancing renewable energy technologies, as well as reducing and eliminating greenhouse gas emissions and the fossil-fuel problems related to America's oil addiction and ending our dependence on foreign oil. The renewable energy technologies we support are already deemed to be economic, viable and practical. Solutions such as Solar Trigeneration energy systems (see www.SolarTrigeneration.com for more information) for any kind of facility or building - office buildings, shopping centers, data centers, university campuses, etc.
Since 2003, a Solar Trigeneration energy system has been providing 100% of the power and energy for a 5,300 sq. ft. office building near downtown Los Angeles, and doing so without any connection to the electric grid, whether its 12 noon or 12 midnite!
The Renewable Energy Institute is also involved in research and advocacy of "Net Zero Energy" (see: www.NetZeroEnergy.com for more information) and "Net Zero Energy Buildings" (see: www.NetZeroEnergyBuildings.com for more information). Net Zero Energy Buildings generate as much (or more) energy than they use, and export their excess power to the grid, which we believe needs to be updated into a "Transmission Superhighway."
Climate Change, Global Warming or Global Cooling?
The past 10 years indicates the opposite of "global warming" has occurred - that the "Earths Fever" has and that global cooling has taken place.
Weather, on a daily basis, or even an annual basis, is not climate, and climate is not weather.
"Climate change" is always taking place, from one day to the next, and one week to the next, as well as one year to the next. The planet's climate is an ever-evolving, changing and dynamic process.
Again, researchers and scientists need to refrain from being political, and stay out of politics, and politicians need to stay out of the way of the scientists and researchers, and let them do their work. Politicians, government leaders and bureaucrats scientists need true and accurate data and climate research from scientists that do not have a political agenda.
In the meantime, as there may still be 30 years of research before there are conclusive answers concerning anthropogenic climate change, can we "risk" 30 years of our children and grand children's future, should there is a link between climate change and greenhouse gas emissions? Should we not err on the side of caution?
Hubbert's Peak Oil Predictions Now Proving True?
Marion King Hubbert was a geologist and scientist who worked at Shell Oil company's research lab in Houston, Texas. Hubbert made several important contributions to geology, geophysics and petroleum geology. Hubbert is most recognized for the "Hubbert Curve" and " Hubbert Peak Theory" which is now referred to as " Peak Oil.
Hubbert's life work determined that the world has a finite amount of petroleum that can be produced. (Similarly, there is a finite amount of coal.) Many scientists and engineers believe we have reached Hubbert's "peak oil" limit. Hubbert's espouses that when 50% of domestic crude oil production has been reached, that there will be such significant upward demand on prices of the limited supplies of oil production, that the U.S. economy will experience severe economic, social, and political turmoil.
Hubbert's Peak Oil predictions have proven to be true and this is validated as the U.S. in the early 1970's produced about 60% of its' oil demand and imported 40%. That equation has flipped since then, because our domestic oil production has been on the decline since 1970, so now, due to our declining domestic oil production, we have to import 60% of our oil supplies, to meet our country's oil/energy demands.
The Next Oil Shock Could be the "mother" of All Oil Shocks
How severe our economic calamity and next "oil shock" will depend upon a number of factors, including when this occurs, as well as the following:
1. the dependence of the individual country upon its own crude oil production to meet its energy needs and to subsidize consumer imports;
2. the rate of relative decline in crude oil production;
3. the degree of difficulty encountered in replacing missing energy inputs;
4.
the degree to which our country had prepared in advance for this inevitable geological
and economic calamity.
Examples of past "oil shocks" and the economic and political
calamities that followed:
United States: Our peak crude oil production of domestic oil occurred in
1970; the first "oil shock" and oil crisis followed in 1973 with the
Arab/OPEC Oil Embargo.
Iran: Their peak crude oil production occurred in 1974; They had their islamic revolution 1979 that overturned government and replaced it with radical islam.
Soviet
Union: Their peak crude oil production
was in 1989; what happened next?
Their country disintegrated and the collapse of the Soviet Union followed in 1991.
Indonesia: Their peak crude oil production was in 1991; their financial
and government crisis followed in 1997.
Iraq: Iraq's crude oil production was in 1989; they then invaded Kuwait (for their oil) in 1991.
Using Mr. Hubbert's predictions, that beginning around 2000 we would see peak (global) oil production, then, if the country's not weaning themselves off of their oil addiction, and had not begun making the switch to renewable energy, that the negative economic and political calamities would soon follow, including ever-increasing prices of energy that is from fossil fuels.
Now
is the time to begin weaning ourselves off of fossil fuels and making the
transition to and increasing the use of renewable energy. If
you don't believe in climate change, or global warming, GREAT! Join us in the
switch to renewable energy and a fossil-free economy!
America's "Clear and Present Danger"
America
Has INCREASED its' Dependence on Foreign
Sources of Energy by 50% Since 1973.
America
is even more "addicted" to foreign oil today, than we were in 1973 -
1974 when OPEC, Saudi Arabia and other suppliers from the Middle-East
stopped selling us their fossil fuels, and created a significant blow to our
economy.
According to the CIA Fact Book, Every Day, the U.S.:
PRODUCES:
7,460,000 bbls of oil (within its borders)
CONSUMES:
20,800,000 bbls of oil
This
Means that 65% of America's Energy Supplies are Now Imported from Suppliers
from Foreign Countries.
Simply put, about 65% of the gasoline in your car's gas tank, comes from a foreign country.
EVERY day, the U.S. must IMPORT over 13 million bbls of oil from foreign countries and foreign suppliers to meet demand.
At
$80/barrel of oil, this also means that $1,040,000,000.00 American Dollars leave
our country, EVERY DAY, to foreign countries/suppliers of our fossil fuels, to
pay for the energy we need.
That's
$1 Billion EVERY day leaving our economy, and going to support a foreign
country's economy.
Talk
about our foreign trade deficit..... nearly $400 Billion each year, leaves our
country to pay for our oil addiction and the energy we need. To be exact,
that's $379,600,000,000.00 American Dollars.
This is NOT acceptable.
America needs to quickly transition to Energy Independence.
Renewable Energy is the Only Way America Can Achieve Energy Independence.
Millions of new and sustainable American jobs would be created here at home, if we would end our addiction to foreign fossil fuels, and quickly transition to an economy based on renewable energy and renewable fuels, produced here in the U.S.A.
The good news is that today, America already has all of the Renewable Energy Resources and Renewable Energy Technologies needed to make American Energy Independence a reality.
According to Monty Goodell, Founder and Chairman of the Renewable Energy Institute, "our increased dependence and reliance on foreign energy supplies represents a Clear and Present Danger to our national security, our economy, and the lives and livelihood of every American. Energy - including the energy we use from imported fossil fuels, is the very "lifeblood" of the American economy as it is for every industrialized country. An economy dies without it's lifeblood of energy. This Clear and Present Danger we face is far more serious than the problems related to greenhouse gas emissions. And while greenhouse gas emissions are very serious issue, in the long-term, pales in comparison to America's vital national security interests and America's economic stability in the short term. For this reason alone, America needs to transition away from its addiction to foreign energy supplies. And America's abundant renewable energy resources such as the energy we receive from the sun, and renewable energy technologies such as concentrated solar power (CSP) plants - can supply 100% of America's power requirements with a concentrating solar power plant measuring 75 miles by 75 miles, located in the Southwest U.S. By generating America's power from concentrating solar power plants, America resolves its' short-term Clear and Present Danger as it relates to importing its energy from foreign countries, and the long-term problems relating to greenhouse gas emissions."
Continuing, Mr. Goodell states that "too many Americans have forgotten what happened to us in 1973, when the Arabs and OPEC brought the United States economy to a screeching halt during the OPEC Oil Embargo. This happened because they (mainly the country of Saudi Arabia) disagreed with our foreign policy and is the reason why they "turned off the tap" of our need for their oil supplies. When Saudi Arabia and OPEC stopped the vital flow of oil to our country in 1973, they caused an "oil shock" that severely and negatively impacted our economy.
Mr. Goodell's question for us to ponder is, "do these countries who sell us 60% of our daily energy requirements, like us and our foreign policy, or might they leverage our addiction to their fossil fuels, and turn off the tap to make us adjust or revise our foreign policy?? Like any addict, America's foreign policy may be held hostage to its addiction, and in this case, our addiction to foreign oil, may over-ride our national interests."
Have
American's forgotten the gas shortages and long lines at
their gas stations to get
gas during the Arab Oil Embargo of 1973?
"Apparently so." Mr. Goodell states that "in 1973, America was 'addicted' and 'over the barrel' of foreign oil to the amount of 40%. Forty percent of our energy 'needs' in 1973 came from countries - many of which didn't like us then, and I'm afraid, many of them still don't. The difference between 1973 and today - is that today we receive 50% MORE foreign oil now than we did in 1973. And now we know about the problems relating to greenhouse gas emissions that we didn't know then. America needs to change course, and change course now, in terms of its' energy supplies and how we keep America's economy strong, without the threat of being held hostage to a middle-east tyrant or regime, that could once again, turn on us, and turn off our supply of foreign oil."
Remember
????
"
Sadly," Monty Goodell continues, " most Americans have forgotten the long lines of people waiting in their cars
- lined up and waiting
for gasoline at their nearby gas station, with lines that were many blocks
long. And, after waiting 4-5 hours, many even waiting overnight in many places, to
finally take their turn to fill up their car with gasoline, only to find that
the gas station
had run out of gas."
"Let me Repeat.... That was 1973 when we imported 40% of our daily energy requirements in the form of crude oil from overseas, and from foreign countries - and many of these from countries that don't like us.
Today, over 35 years later, America has yet to learn the lesson. We cannot continue our reliance on energy from foreign countries that supply us with 60% of the crude oil that our refineries use as a feedstock for producing gasoline and diesel fuel for our cars and trucks comes from overseas.
America is "over the barrel" and it's not our barrel, but the barrels of oil that we are addicted by and owned by other countries. Why have we not learned the lessons we needed to learn in 1973 when we were cut-off from the vital energy supplies we need?
Countries like China, are growing rapidly, and have an insatiable need for crude oil. China, with their booming economy, is increasingly growing in its clout and control over international supplies of crude oil - whether they do this through their ability to buy as much oil as they need on a daily basis, or whether they simply but American drilling rigs, technology, and explore and produce oil and gas from their own fields. China, is buying large amounts of oil for their country, and causing upward pricing on declining supplies. What happens if Russia, with all of their oil and natural gas, along with China and Venezuela, with or without the help of OPEC, decided to NOT sell oil to us????
To be sure, greenhouse gas emissions are a problem, and to some, greenhouse gas emissions are also a Clear and Present Danger, but not to the extent that it presents an imminent Clear and Present Danger.
America's reliance for 60% of our energy "needs" coming from foreign suppliers is un-acceptable.
The "driver" to get America to begin reducing and eliminating fossil fuel use should be our nation's national security and the welfare and safety of its citizens. And this can all begin with developing and investing in our own renewable energy resources and renewable energy technologies, let's start by putting solar on every rooftop that has a clear and unobstructed view of the Southern sky. See www.RooftopPV.com or www.DistributedPV.com for more information. Let's create incentives begin with adopting a national "Feed In Tariff" as Germany did in 1990.
We simply do NOT have the luxury of time on our hands. We need to end our
dependence and reliance on foreign fossil fuels, especially from countries that
don't like us! We need to rapidly begin expanding renewable energy
resources and renewable
energy technologies from our vast and abundant renewable energy resources,
such as; solar, solar energy
systems, solar cogeneration,
solar trigeneration,
"solar on every roof," along with; Biomass
Gasification, B100 Biodiesel, Biomethane,
E100
Ethanol (from cellulosic, agricultural waste, sugar cane, etc., and NOT from
corn), Geothermal Power Plants,
Natural Wastewater Treatment,
Synthesis Gas, Waste
To Energy, Waste To Fuel and Wind
Power Generation where it makes economic and environmental sense."
___________________________________________________________________________

Are
you doing your part to
prevent Climate Change and End America's
Reliance on Foreign Energy?
Carbon
Dioxide Emissions
www.CarbonDioxideEmissions.com
Carbon Emissions
www.CarbonEmissions.com
Carbon Free Energy
www.CarbonFreeEnergy.com
Clean Power Generation
www.CleanPowerGeneration.com
Distributed
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Distributed
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www.GreenhouseGasEmissions.com
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Free Power
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Rooftop
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Our
solar energy systems and Solar
Power Parks will;
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* reduce and eventually eliminate the use of coal and other fossil fuels.
*
reduce the need for inefficient and expensive central power plants owned by
utility companies.
* promote energy independence.
* end America's dependence on oil from OPEC and other countries in the Middle-East, Venezuela and end our need for importing natural gas from Russia.
____________________________________________________________________________________
We support the Renewable Energy Institute by donating a portion of our profits to the Renewable Energy Institute in their efforts to reduce fossil fuel use through renewable energy and their goals to end pollution from Carbon Dioxide Emissions and Greenhouse Gas Emissions.
The Renewable Energy Institute is "Changing The Way The World Makes and Uses Energy by Providing Research & Development, Funding and Resources That Create Pollution Free Power, Carbon Free Energy & Renewable Energy Technologies."

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