United States

From BioenergyWiki

(Redirected from United States organization)
Jump to: navigation, search

Bioenergy > Regions > North America > United States


This page needs work!
You can help us by editing this page: add information, links, images or make other changes! This is your wiki, too!
The United States of America
Population: 298,444,215 (July 2006)1
GDP (PPP): $12.31 trillion (2005)1
Petroleum
consumption
imports:
Gasoline to diesel ratio:

20.03 mil. bbl/day (2003)1
13.15 mil. bbl/day (2004)1

80% to 20%

Electricity
consumption
Main sources:

3.656 tri. kWh (2003)1
50% coal, 19% nuclear, 17.5% gas, 7% hydro, 3% oil, 1% biomass2
Renewable energy targets: 5% to 30% of electricity in 20 states (including DC).3
Ethanol
production:
target:
feedstocks:

4,855 mil. gal. (2006)6
28.35B liters of biofuels by 20124
corn
Biodiesel
production:
target
feedstocks:

250 mil. gal. (2006)6
see ethanol
soy, Canola, Peanuts, waste oil
1: World Factbook, 2: IEA 3: REN21 Renewables Global Status Report 2005 p. 20, 4: UNCTAD (PDF) p.20-21., 5:Earthpolicy.org World Ethanol and Biofuels Report, p. 365. 6:USDA estimate

Contents

Background

Liquid biofuel use in the United States

Ethanol

  • The United States is the world's largest producer of ethanol, with an annual production capacity in 2008 of 8.06 billion gallons.[1]
  • The United States produced and consumed approximately 5 billion gallons in 2006, an increase of about 28% over 2005, when about 3.9 billion gallons were produced.2
  • Almost all of domestically produced ethanol was produced from corn, utilizing 20% of the US total corn crop.1
  • By energy, ethanol accounted for approximately 1.5% of US crude oil consumption and 2% of gasoline consumption.1
  • There are at least 73 ethanol plants under construction and another 8 facilities expanding. This could bring ethanol capacity in the United States to 11.4 billion gallons per year by 2008-09 or before1.
  • E85 use is being promoted, for use in flex-fuel cars. However, E85 is available at less than 0.5% of gasoline retailers.[2]

Biodiesel

Initiatives

  • 25x'25 - a multi-sectoral initiative to promote the vision that "By 2025, America's working lands will provide 25 percent of the total energy consumed in the United States while continuing to produce abundant, safe and affordable food, feed, fiber and fuel."[4]
  • Governors' Ethanol Coalition - A coalition of State Governor's who are working towards an increase use of domestic ethanol.

Policies

National-level laws and policies

A federal tax credit instituted in 2004 that provides a tax credit of $0.51 per gallon of renewable fuel sold through the end of 2010.
  • Tariffs
    • 54 cent tariff on ethanol imports, renewed until January 1, 2009. (source: [7] Needs bill number etc.)

Proposed laws and policies

  • Proposed national laws and policies:
    • Vehicle and Fuel Choices for American Security Act (S. 2025 & H.R. 4409).
      • Intended to reduce demand for oil "by 36% in 25 years" through "1) boosting efficiency in heavy trucks, tires and cars; 2) dramatically ramping up production and distribution of alternative fuels; and 3) funding for more transit in targeted areas." (Source: "The Heat Is On" by Deron Lovaas, Natural Resources Defense Council)

State-level laws and policies

Detailed information on individual states

Organizations

Government Organizations

Companies

Non-profit Organizations

Industry organizations

Go here for a list of industry organizations.

News

  • U.S. will fail to meet biofuels mandate -EIA, 17 December 2008 by Reuters: "The United States will fall well short of biofuels mandates on the uncertain development of next-generation fuels made from grasses and wood chips, the government's top energy forecasting agency said on Wednesday."
    • "The country, the world's top producer of the main biofuel ethanol, will only blend about 30 billion gallons of fuels like corn-based ethanol and the advanced fuels into gasoline by 2022. That is about 17 percent short of the U.S. mandate of 36 billion gallons by that year, the [Energy Information Agency (EIA)] said in the forecast."
    • "It calls for corn ethanol, but also an increasing amount cellulosic ethanol made from fast-growing grasses and trees, and biodiesel made from non-food sources. Cellulosic is not yet made commercially."
    • "For the moment U.S. ethanol capacity is too high, which is helping to make distilling ethanol barely profitable. U.S. capacity to make ethanol is slightly above the 2009 mandate for blending of 11.1 billion gallons of biofuels into gasoline."[8]
  • U.S. biofuels sector sees ally in Obama, 5 November 2008 by The Guardian: "U.S. biofuel makers, struggling to make a profit at a time of tumbling oil and gasoline prices, look upon President-elect Barack Obama as a staunch ally for growth."
    • "Obama has expressed support for the federal requirement to use ethanol, made mostly from corn, as a motor fuel and says he will accelerate the development of new feedstocks."[9]
  • Economy Shifts, and the Ethanol Industry Reels, 4 November 2008 by the New York Times: "As producers of ethanol navigate a triple whammy of falling prices for their product, credit woes and volatile costs for the corn from which ethanol is made, an economic version of 'Survivor' is playing out in the industry."
    • "Last week, VeraSun, one of the nation’s largest ethanol producers, announced that it had filed for bankruptcy protection after its bets on the price of corn turned out to be wrong — and costly."
    • "Fewer than 10 of the country’s ethanol plants have stopped operating, according to Matt Hartwig, a spokesman for the Renewable Fuels Association, an industry group. But construction times have slowed and some plants in the planning stage have been halted."[10]
  • Economy Shifts, and the Ethanol Industry Reels, 4 November 2008 by the New York Times: "As producers of ethanol navigate a triple whammy of falling prices for their product, credit woes and volatile costs for the corn from which ethanol is made, an economic version of 'Survivor' is playing out in the industry."
    • "Last week, VeraSun, one of the nation’s largest ethanol producers, announced that it had filed for bankruptcy protection after its bets on the price of corn turned out to be wrong — and costly."
    • "Fewer than 10 of the country’s ethanol plants have stopped operating, according to Matt Hartwig, a spokesman for the Renewable Fuels Association, an industry group. But construction times have slowed and some plants in the planning stage have been halted."[11]
  • Biofuel plants hit economic road block, 12 October 2008 by the Associated Press: "[W]eeds have begun to encroach on the [Lilbourn, MO] Great River Soy biodiesel plant, which produced just 94,000 gallons over two weeks before it ran out of money and was shuttered."
    • "It's a scene that has been repeated throughout the United States."
    • "Hopes ran high in many small towns amid an explosive interest in biofuels and a rush to build large plants. Unseen by planners, however, was the coming spike in crop prices and a financial meltdown unlike any that America has seen since the Great Depression."[12]
  • World needs to rethink biofuels - U.N. food agency, 7 October 2008 by Reuters: "The Western world needs to rethink its rush to biofuels, which has done more harm pushing up food prices than it has good by reducing greenhouse gases, a United Nations report said on Tuesday."
    • "The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) said policies encouraging biofuel production and use in Europe and the United States was likely to maintain pressure on food prices but have little impact on weaning car users away from oil."
    • "Biofuels' rise could provide an opportunity for farmers in developing countries to develop the new cash crops, the report said, but that would only happen if subsidy regimes were changed to favour poorer countries rather than richer ones."[14]
  • Biofuels surge slows in Southeast, 30 September 2008 by Southeast Farm Press: "'If each of the 171 completed biodiesel plants in the Southeast ran at full capacity, we would use 26.9 billion pounds of raw material. The U.S. produces 24.6 billion gallons of vegetable oil and another 11 billion pounds of animal fats. At current full capacity, Southeastern plants would use over 70 percent of all the fats produced across the U.S. That is not realistic,'" according to Don Camden, a Southeast regional manager for Cargill."[15]
  • U.N. Chief to Prod Nations On Food Crisis, 2 June 2008 by the Washington Post: "U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon will issue an urgent plea to world leaders at a food summit in Rome on Tuesday to immediately suspend trade restrictions, agricultural taxes and other price controls that have helped fuel the highest food prices in 30 years, according to U.N. officials....The United Nations will also urge the United States and other nations to consider phasing out subsidies for food-based biofuels -- such as ethanol".
    • The article notes that a "World Bank analyst estimated that biofuel production has accounted for 65 percent in the rise of world food prices, while the IMF has concluded that biofuel production is responsible for 'a significant part of the jump in commodity prices.'"
      • "But the United States has defended the production of biofuels, saying it has driven down oil consumption over the past three years. 'According to our analysis, the increased biofuels production accounts for only 2 to 3 percent of the overall increase in global food prices,' said Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer".[20]
  • "Corn... fuel... fire! U.S. corn subsidies promote Amazon deforestation", 8 January 2008 press release from the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute: According to STRI researcher William Laurance, "Amazon deforestation and fires are being aggravated by US farm subsidies...that promote American corn production for ethanol." Corn subsidies also result in farmers reducing production of soy -- thus increasing global soy prices, which in turn promotes burning of forests in the Brazilian Amazon in order to clear land for soy cultivation.
    • According to Laurance, "The evidence of a corn connection to the Amazon is circumstantial, but it's about as close as you ever get to a smoking gun."[22]

2007 News:

  • San Francisco Fleet is All Biodiesel from the New York Times, 14 December 2007, the mayor announced that the city has completed a year-long project to convert its entire vehicle fleet to biodiesel created from midwestern soy oil.
  • US and China sign biofuels cooperation pact, Biopact, 11 December 2007, The two governments have signed a memorandum of understanding that they will share technology through scientific exchanges. It is hoped that this initiative will help meet both countries' lofty goals for biofuels, and assist farmers in the process.
  • Brazil case accents need for new biofuels rules. Brazil is preparing to finally take their case against US ethanol tariffs before the WTO. It is expected that regardless of the results of the case, the WTO will be prompted to develop new rules for the regulation of biofuels.
  • Solar Panels, Biofuel and Tidal Turbines in Bloomberg Plans, 12 June 2007 from the New York Times. The mayor of New York City has announced a plan to increase renewable energy use through tide-driven turbines, as well as outfitting municipal buildings with solar panels and buying heating oil containing biofuels. By summer 2008, "30 percent of the city’s heating oil purchases would be required to contain 5 percent biofuel, which could grow to 10 percent by 2010 and 20 percent by 2012. A City Councilman has also proposed a requirement that private buildings, including homes and offices, use a 5 percent mix by 2009, increasing to a 20 percent mix by 2012.

2006 News:

  • Stover to Fill Part of Ethanol Goal for US 22 November from the Des Moines Register. A report issued by the Biotechnology Industry Organization on Tuesday estimated that it was "realistic" to harvest 30 percent of the available stover nationwide to yield 5 billion gallons of ethanol. Most of the stover would continue to be left in the field for environmental reasons as the decaying plant material prevents soil erosion and adds ground nutrients. The US DOE has set a goal of 60 billion gallons of ethanol by 2030. However that goal assumed the use of 70% of stover for ethanol.
  • US Ethanol Industry Growth to Slow, say Economists 14 November 2006 from the Des Moines Register. Iowa State University economists cautioned that increased costs and delays in ethanol plant construction, transportation bottlenecks, and rapidly rising corn prices signaled that the expansion of the ethanol industry might be cooling.

Events

Also see the main events page. 2009:

2008:

Publications

  • Sustainable Ethanol: Biofuels, Biorefineries, Cellulosic Biomass, Flex-Fuel Vehicles, and Sustainable Farming for Energy Independence, authors Goettemoeller, Jeffrey and Adrian Goettemoeller, Praire Oak Publishing, Maryville, Missouri, 2007, 195 pages. ISBN 978-0-9786293-0-4.
  • This book presents a very comprehensive stat-of-the-art of the ethanol industry in the United States up to early 2007.

References

1Biofuels: Statement Of Keith Collins Chief Economist, U.S. Department Of Agriculture Before The U.S. Senate Committee On Agriculture, Nutrition And Forestry (PDF) - 10 January 2007.

United States government edit
Agriculture (Forest Service - Woody BUG) | Commerce | Defense | Education | Energy | EPA | FTC | Interior | Transportation
United States edit
Events | Issues | Policy | Organizations (US Government, US Companies, US NGOs)

States / Regions: Midwest | Northeast | South | West


Navigation
Please comment on "Global principles and criteria for sustainable biofuels production"' ("Version Zero")

What is bioenergy? | Benefits/Risks | Who is doing what?
Events | Glossary | News | Organizations | Publications | Regions | Technologies/Feedstocks | Policy | Timeline | Voices
Wiki "sandbox" - Practice editing | About this Wiki | How to edit

Personal tools