Ethanol in New York State: A Fuel Solution

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Ethanol in New York State A Fuel Solution?

• Tompkins County
• Environmental Management Council
• September 13, 2006
• Katy Nicholson
• Stephen Nicholson

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The Carbon Cycle
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According to the Renewable Fuels Association
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Ethanol Production

• drives economic development
• adds value to agriculture
• moves our nation toward energy independence
• cleans America's air
• cost-effective choice at the pump

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Recent Polls

• 78 Americans support increasing the use of
  ethanol.
• 53 percent believe we should diversify our energy
  supply by utilizing alternative energy sources
  like ethanol.
• 90 percent of Americans would prefer a flexible
  fuel vehicle (FFV).
• (Public Opinion Strategies)

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Production of Ethanol

• 2005 4 billion gallons
• 2004 3.4 billion gallons
• 2003 2.81 billion gallons
• Ethanol Refineries
• 101 ethanol plants (4.7 billion gallons of
  production capacity)
• 32 under construction

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indy racingburns cleaner. burns rubber.

• Its big news Ethanol powers the legendary
  IndyCar Series! Like the cars themselves, the
  transition is quick in the 2006 season, race
  cars are fueled by 10 ethanol-enriched fuel.
  Then in 2007, its 100 percent ethanol for 100
  percent of the cars!

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Corn Belt
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How Ethanol Affects Corn Prices

• Corn prices near ethanol plants increase between
  five and eight cents per bushel.
• 1.4 billion bushels went into ethanol production
  in 2004and that affects overall corn supply and
  helps shore up corn prices nationwide.
• U.S. Department of Agriculture says ethanol
  production adds 30 cents to the value of a bushel
  of corn. The Renewable Fuels Association notes
  that ethanol production adds 4.5 billion to U.S.
  farm income annually.

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NY Ethanol Plants

• In-state facilities represent another
  significant step in our goal of developing a
  strong biofuel industry in the state, said Gov.
  George Pataki, which will not only provide an
  economic boost to our farming community, but keep
  our energy dollars here in New York.
• Pataki, the first Northeast governor to join the
  Governors' Ethanol Coalition, promised 6 million
  and other incentives for the 87 million Shelby
  facility.

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New York Corn Production

• 1million acres of corn planted.
• 50 million bushels harvested.
• Feed for dairy cows. New York is third in the
  country in milk production.
• 3 ethanol plants being built.
• Will use 80 million bushels of corn.
• Produce 200 million gallons ethanol
• In NY one acre corn (harvested) 300 gallons
  ethanol

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New York Ethanol Math

• 50 million bushels minus 80 million bushels
  hungry cows?
• 3 Ethanol plants will need to import 30 million
  bushels from other states.

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History of the Ethanol Industry

• 1990 Amendment to Clean Air Act
• Requires 2 oxygenates in non-attainment areas
• Ethanol vs MTBE lobby
• Pipeline problems vs water quality
• MTBE bans in California, New York, and
  Connecticut have created a de facto ethanol
  mandate.
• IRONY New cars need no oxygenates

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GM, FFV and CAFE standards

• Dan Becker Sierra Club's Global Warming Program,
  condemns GM's campaign as "unmitigated, total
  fraud."
• CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel) Boost from FFV
  1.2 mpg.
• Meet CAFE standard of 26.3 instead of 27.5
• 2 new SUVs for each FFV (Flexible Fuel Vehicle)
• FFV cost 100 extra to manufacture
• 5000 profit on each SUV.
• E85 loophole saved GM more than 200 million in
  fines

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Pushing Ethanol

• We use corn for everything
• 4.5 billion (in 2004) for corn growers
• 0.1786 / gallon of ethanol produced
• .51/gallon for every gallon produced
• Subsidy amounts to almost a trillion dollars in
  past 15 yrs
• Archer Daniels Midlands (ADM) owns 7 ethanol
  plants (1,070,000,000 gallons per year)
• ADMs pay check from US 545,700,000/year

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How much for a gallon of ethanol?

• 1 acre of US corn 328 gallons of ethanol
  average
• 1 acre of US corn 140 gallons of fossil fuels
  in planting, growing and harvesting

• 7.24 for gallon equivalent

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How much corn would we need?

• Ethanol production per acre 382 gallons
• 2005 9,760,000 acres used for ethanol

• For energy independence 5,411,832 square miles
• Area of the USAlaska 3,537,438 square miles
• Fueling one automobile for one year 11 acres
• A year's supply of food for seven people 11
  acres

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Environmental Impacts of Ethanol
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Agriculture Inputs

• Growing corn
• Fertilizers
• Pesticides
• Water Usage and Pollution
• Plowing and Harvesting
• Genetically Modified
• Pollution
• Growing corn is by far the most polluting
  agricultural process
• Fossil Fuel Inputs
• Growing corn is energy intensive

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Ethanol Processing Plants

• Pollutants
• Methanol
• Carbon monoxide
• Volatile organic compounds
• Cancer causing
• ADM processing plant in Clinton, IA produced
  20,000 tons of pollutants in 2004
• EPA regulations

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Powering Ethanol Plants

• Used to be natural gas, but economic incentive is
  to use highest energy, least costly fuel (waste
  coal)
• Goldfield, IA plant uses 300 tons of coal a day
• New and old ethanol plants built to run on coal
  (economics)
• Pimentels test

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Using Ethanol in Cars

• American Lung Association
• Using ethanol added to gas adds more air
  pollution
• Overall ethanol reduces greenhouse gas emissions
  by 13 over gasoline
• Unless plant is powered by coal

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Ethanol Plants Impact Local Community

• Using lots of resources
• Lots of waste
• Pollutants in water and air
• Ethanol plants tend to be heavily supported by
  local governments and large scale farmers

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Ethanol Benefits Agribusiness

• Not necessarily the local corn growers
• Producers want to buy cheapest corn ethanol
  only raises price 2 cents
• Mostly owned by large corporations, that have the
  money and investors in projects
• Not feasible at small scale
• Since the 2000 election cycle, ADM has given more
  than 3 million in political contributions
• Every dollar in profits earned by ADM costs
  taxpayers 30.

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Cellulosic Ethanol

• Cellulosic ethanol is made from plant tissue
• Switchgrass, corn stalk waste, willow trees,
  wood, pulp from paper mills, trash
• 400 gallons per acre (switchgrass) - 5 tons of
  dry matter per acre
• Up to 15 tons of dry biomass per acre, with
  enough to make 1,150 gallons of ethanol each year

• Nathanael Greene (NRDC) Everyone assumes we'll
  evolve the industry from its current technology
  to the advanced technologies.
• Largely untested, not developed, cant use
  ethanol (current) as bridge to future
• All corn stalks and switchgrass?
• Corn ethanol 1.05Cellulosic ethanol 2.30

Switchgrass
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Cellulosic Ethanol

• First commercial-scale cellulose ethanol plant
  that will come online in the U.S.
• Spring Hope, NC
• 35 million gallon per year
• Feedstock of local hardwood chips and wood waste

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Is Ethanol a Sustainable Fuel?
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Local Solutions

• Establish more pedestrian and bike-friendly
  communities
• Invest in public transportation
• Improve vehicle efficiency and reduce vehicle
  usage
• Commit to consuming goods produced locally and
  food grown locally

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Useful Websites

• Green or grey? Sustainability issues of biofuel
  production http//www.earthscan.co.uk/news/articl
  e/mps/uan/638/v/3/sp
• Drunk on Ethanol by Ted Williams
  http//magazine.audubon.org/incite/incite0408.html
  
• How green is ethanol as a renewable fuel?
  http//pubs.acs.org/subscribe/journals/esthag-w/20
  06/feb/policy/kc_ethanol.html
• Carbon cloud over a green fuel
• http//www.csmonitor.com/2006/0323/p01s01-sten.ht
  ml
• Energy Justice
• http//www.energyjustice.net
• Earth Track
• http//www.earthtrack.net