GoodFuels

Obama’s energy team: Talk to us!

President-elect Barack Obama’s Energy & Environment Policy Transition Team is asking for your feedback on energy issues.  Transition Co-Chairman John Podesta emailed supporters today with a brief overview of the transition and how it will engage Americans in developing policy.

They included a video of the taskforce working and an interview with our friend Heather Zichal.  Zichal joined a radio program sponsored by the Renewable Fuels Association last month and outlined Obama’s pro-ethanol views.

Submit your comments to the transition team at Change.gov.

Pipe Dream

Ethanol critics often like to use the argument that ethanol cannot be shipped through pipelines and therefore is not a real fuel option.  According to pipeline company Kinder Morgan, that claim is simply not true.

According to Brett Clanton at the Houston Chronicle:

“Houston pipeline operator Kinder Morgan Energy Partners signaled progress Wednesday in addressing a key hurdle to widespread distribution of renewable fuels in the U.S.

“The company said it completed a test in Florida that moved ethanol safely through an existing gasoline pipeline and is performing similar tests with biodiesel fuel blends.”

The success of Kinder Morgan’s testing demonstrates that any technical concerns that may exist can be overcome.  As the production and use of biofuels expands across the country, the need to move product through a pipeline is likely gain in importance.  We now know (and have for some time, frankly, just ask Brazil) that ethanol can safely be transported through existing pipeline systems.

Count this as yet another myth about ethanol debunked.

Not So Good Fuels?

Here at GoodFuels we like to keep the focus on the exciting events happening within the alternative fuels industry in the US and across the world.  In order to gain a more complete perspective, however, it’s important to provide some context and examples of other fuels that can be used for the purpose of comparison.

The New York Times brings us a couple of those examples this week.

In a piece by Clifford Krauss, the questions surrounding the use of Canadian tar sands to produce lower grade crude oil are becoming a larger part of the political discourse of our neighbors to the North.  As Mr. Krauss notes, “the country’s rapid expansion of oil sands development, a great emitter of greenhouse gases, has strangely escaped much political debate — even though it is a major reason why Canada cannot meet its Kyoto targets.

In a separate piece, Jad Mouawad of the NY Times notes the problems facing the development of oil shale, a process much like that used in the tar sands that superheats rock to extract oil.  Mr. Mouawad points out, “Critics also say shale production would emit four times more global warming pollution than producing conventional gasoline, and point to the environmental damage caused in Canada by producing oil from tar sands. The Natural Resources Defense Council calls it ‘the dirtiest fuel on the planet.’”

Thanks to the folks at the Times’ new blog, Green, Inc., for pulling these pieces together.

More from the campaign trail…

With less than 60 days until election day, the campaign for president is reaching a fever pitch.  And talk of energy features prominently in each candidate’s stump appearances.

As USA Today’s Paul Davidson and Barbara Hagenbaugh correctly point out, “To win the presidential race, it takes energy.” They detail the approach to the energy crisis this country faces of both candidates and give space to renewable fuels and ethanol near the end.

Over at Reuters, Chuck Abbott reports on the content of a conference call Senator Obama had with leaders of the National Farmers Union.  According to Abbott:

“I’ve long been a strong supporter of the RFS,” Obama said during a brief telephone call to members of the National Farmers Union. “I am strongly committed to advancing biofuels as a key component of reducing our dependence on foreign oil.”

Just a hunch, but I’m guessing we will here a lot more from the candidates about renewable fuels as this campaign heads into the home stretch.  Stay tuned!!!