PO Box 1146 - Salida, CO USA  81201
(719) 539-0300 - Fax: (719) 539-0301
info@bbibiofuels.com

DOE Ethanol Workshop Series

Texas Ethanol Workshop
Renewable Fuels for Rural Economic Development & Clean Air in Texas - A Rural-Urban Partnership

December 14, 2001
8:30 AM to 3:30 PM

J.J. Pickle Research Campus: University of Texas-Austin
10100 Burnet Road, Bldg. 133
Austin, Texas

The last workshop for the year 2001 of the US DOE, Office of Fuels Development, widely acclaimed Ethanol Workshop Series was held in Austin, Texas on December 14, 2001. There is tremendous interest in developing an ethanol production industry in the state while increasing the use of ethanol in gasoline and diesel.

On behalf of the state’s leading ethanol champion, Representative David Swinford, legislative aid Joe Cox, provided an overview of the last legislative session and explained why Representative Swinford and some of his colleagues feel ethanol holds real potential for Texas. “During this upcoming session of the legislature, there will be a tremendous turnover with many new people filling the positions of current representatives. That situation will require a great deal of education in many fields, but most certainly in the area of ethanol,” said Cox.

Texas is a corn-deficit state, however, 60% of the sorghum grown in the state is exported to Mexico and could potentially be used for ethanol production. Other areas have significant cattle feeding operations where distiller’s grains would offer a high-value feed supplement.

At the conclusion of the workshop the attendees were asked to provide suggestions to Pam Groce, State Energy Conservation Office and US DOE’s bioenergy coordinator for Texas, on what should be included in a proposed statewide ethanol feasibility study. The goal is to have an educational piece available that provides an accurate picture of the possibilities and options for ethanol production and use in Texas. The initial focus of the report will be on the economic, environmental and social impacts and what needs to occur in the state to support the full development of an ethanol program.



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For more information about the workshop, contact: Pam Groce, State Energy Conservation Office, Austin, TX, 512-463-1889 or email pam.groce@epa.state.tx.us .

If you would like to be notified about the US DOE Ethanol Workshop Series Workshops, please provide your contact information to Anne Wester:

Anne Wester
Conference Planning Assistant
BBI International
PO Box 1146
Salida, Colorado 81201
Phone: 719-539-0300
Fax: 719-539-0301
awester@bbibiofuels.com
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The December 14, 2001 workshop was a followup to a previous workshop in September 2000.


TEXAS WORKSHOP SUMMARY
Austin, Texas – September 27, 2000

Renewable Fuels for Rural Economic Development & Clean Air in Texas - A Rural-Urban Partnership

Omni Hotel Austin at South Park
414 Governor's Row
Austin, Texas

The Workshop

Legislative Champion of ethanol in the state of Texas, Representative David Swinford, set the stage for the day’s meeting by relaying to the assembly the need for rural economic development in Texas and how ethanol could fill that role while helping the environment at the same time. Developments in the use of ethanol were featured during the forenoon along with and overview of production and infrastructure and economic development. Ron Miller, President of Williams Bio-Energy in Pekin, Illinois, explained the merit of developing strategic partnerships with the petroleum industry. David Kolsrud helped organize and is a farmer-member of Agri-Energy LLC in Luverne, Minnesota. Mr. Kolsrud explained the advantages of the new generation of ethanol cooperatives to the farmer and to the community. Bill Holmberg related a vision for the future of a fully integrated farming-ethanol production system.

A special feature of the day was the presentation of awards to the University of Texas – Austin and the University of Texas – El Paso. Both schools participated in the 2000 Ethanol Vehicle Challenge. They each re-engineered a Chevrolet Silverado to run on E85. Austin took first place in the competition and El Paso placed fourth out of 14 competing colleges and universities in the U.S. and Canada. A display of the trucks and several other E85 cars, trucks and vans were open to guests following lunch. The afternoon program focused on ethanol specifically in Texas. The first panel addressed the marketplace including a presentation by Al Melero, who told of the successful air quality program in El Paso. Updates on aviation fuel usage, Ediesel and the demand created by non-attainment cities were also covered. Following further discussions about feedstock availability and advancements in distillers grains use, and opportunities for economic development in Texas, an open forum collected ideas and suggestions from the participants about "Where we should go from here.”

“Where do we go from here?”
Primary points of that discussion:

-Markets
-Meet with other states to learn from their models
-Identify supporters
-Disseminate information
-Transfer wealth from general fund to area of need
-Track cellulose progress with new uses.com and bioenergyupdate.com.
-Convince Governor Bush to support ethanol
-Increase communication in state, for example, the El Paso story
-Representative Swinford and colleagues will educate the legislature/ Minnesota model
-Producers are long on land and commodities and short on capital. Value-added will strengthen their situation
-Keep the dollars in the community. Form a committee that meets regularly to keep the momentum going.
-Work on the infrastructure for E85 refueling
-Support aviation and Ediesel
-Organize a forum for cattlemen, farmers, petroleum and other stakeholders to talk and gain a greater understanding of one another’s position and perspective.

Goal

“To match current use with domestically produced ethanol.”

To meet that goal, the following objectives were recommended:

-Support Representative Swinford’s efforts
-Mandate aquatic fuels
-Commission a resource assessment including biomass
-Every FFV should run on ethanol
-Encourage refiners to offer base gasoline for summer E85 fleets
-Formalize an ethanol task force


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What follows is the agenda from the 2001 Texas Ethanol Workshop: