Using Alternative Energy to Power Ethanol Production

Our announcement at the 2009 Fuel Ethanol Workshop about the installation of an anaerobic digester at the cellulosic ethanol pilot plant in Scotland generated quite a bit of interest. It was especially gratifying to see blog posts like POET Sets the Standard from Robert Rapier at R-Squared Energy Blog and POET to Use Corn Cobs - Not Natural Gas - to Power Cellulosic Ethanol Plant from Kirsten Korosec at BNET Energy.

As Jeff Broin said in his announcement speech, POET wants to eliminate fossil fuel usage from all of our plants. For anyone who would like to learn more about those efforts, click on the alternative energy tag of this blog, or visit our web site to see what we're doing with co-generation and waste power. Or, if you prefer video, check out the alternative energy playlist on POET TV:

POET at Fuel Ethanol Workshop

POET is sponsoring and attending the 2009 Fuel Ethanol Workshop in Denver this week. If you're at the show, stop by booth #1624 and say hi.

POET Chief Executive Office Jeff Broin will participate on a panel discussion about the future of technology in the ethanol industry during the general session on Tuesday morning. Dr. Mark Stowers, Vice President of Science & Technology for POET, will presentation Wednesday morning on the status of our cellulosic ethanol project. Click here for the conference agenda.

At a press conference on Wednesday morning, POET will talk about some recent developments in our drive to commercialize cellulosic ethanol. Check out our web site for more details.

We'll be posting pictures from the show on our Flickr page.

POET VP Testifies to EPA on Renewable Fuel Rulemaking

Dr. Mark Stowers, Vice President of Science and Technology for POET, testified today at an EPA hearing on their Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for the Renewable Fuel Standard (POET statement here).

Dr. Stowers' testimony took issue with three pieces of the proposed rule:

1. EPA has not provided sufficient time and information for meaningful review and comment regarding the proposed rule.
2. EPA's proposed rule imposes extensive compliance mechanisms that will be costly and difficult to implement on the expedited schedule proposed by EPA.
3. EPA's proposed scheme for assessment and comparison of lifecycle greenhouse gas emission performance is flawed and has no basis in law or science.

On the third point, Dr. Stowers is primarily referring to indirect land use change, which was summarized in a recent post on this blog. To read his entire testimony click here.

We're on the cover!

Photographer Greg Latza shot a photo of POET Biorefining - Chancellor for the cover of the Progressive Farmer and posted it on his blog. However, he did get our company name wrong, calling us Poet Energy rather than POET.

With this facility recently adding alternative energy technologies that will displace most, if not all, of its natural gas usage, it's fitting that it would be on the cover of a magazine looking at the Next Steps for Ethanol.

If you want to see other (much less professional) photos of this facility, be sure to check out our Flickr page.

POET CEO Speaks to Reuters about ethanol

In a previous post, I said that Jeff Broin, the Chief Executive Officer for POET, would be speaking to the Reuters Global Energy Summit. He had a one hour conversation with several Reuters energy correspondents that covered a wide range of topics about POET and the ethanol industry. A transcript of his prepared remarks can be read here.

During the Q&A session that ensued, Jeff was asked about the growth strategy for POET and whether or not that included any acquisition targets. Jeff said that we were looking at all options and were in talks with some plants about acquiring them. That became the focus of the Reutuers story: POET looks at bankrupt ethanol plants.

Perhaps the most prominent speaker at the Summit also commented on ethanol. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu agreed with Jeff that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency should increase the base blend of ethanol. If you agree, go to www.GoE15.com and send your comments to the EPA.

Talking ethanol with Reuters

Jeff Broin, the Chief Executive Officer for POET, will speak tomorrow at the Reuters Global Energy Summit. The Summit kicked off today with news coverage available at the previous link as well as on their Summit Notebook blog where they posted a welcome this morning.

At the conference, Broin will provide an update on POET's cellulosic ethanol project and talk about the outlook for the ethanol industry. If you have any topics you would like to see him address, please leave them in the comments below. I will link to coverage on the POET news page.