Renewable energy developers are described as train robbers by a state utility regulator

"You may have to go back to that day when the James gang held up their first train on Gad's Hill to witness such a shameless attempt at plundering the innocent," one of the five members of the state's utility regulating commission told the Senate Rules Committee Thursday (Jan. 13). Jeff Davis urged the committee to reject a rule adopted by the Public Service Commission that would require electric utilities use only Missouri-generated renewable energy to comply with a 2008 voter-approved renewable energy requirement. Davis charged that would lead to higher electric bills because it would deny utilities the ability to meet their renewable energy requirements from cheaper non-Missouri sources. Davis told the Senate panel the rule was being pushed by a small group of Missouri renewable energy investors whom he equated to members of the James gang. "Only this time, the victims aren't train passengers, they are your constituents. They are the utility customers who are getting a lug put on their monthly electric bill to pay for someone else's largess." Davis was one of two members on the five-member PSC to vote against the Missouri-only requirement. The commission chairman, Robert Clayton, said that Proposition C requires Missouri-only renewable power. And he told the Senate committee that approach benefited the state. "I ask you whether that really is the will of the voters to create renewable energy in Arizona or Texas or Florida or South America or Africa or Europe. Or did they intend for development in Missouri?" The commission's legal counsel told the Senate committee the voter-approved measure was clear and left the commission with no choice but to require Missouri-only renewable energy. The Senate committee took no immediate action on the resolution to reject the PSC rule. Under state law, an administrative regulation can be struck down by a resolution adopted by both the House and Senate.

Show-Me State of Mind for July 23rd, 2008

Farmers Need a Strong Ally in Washington
More than ever, farmers need a strong ally in Washington. The soaring price of gas - which has nearly tripled since Congressman Sam Graves was sworn into office in 2001 - has hurt farmers more than almost anyone. The price of diesel fuel and fertilizer are at record highs, making it more difficult for farmers, especially our family farmers, to make a living.
We need to get serious about our energy policy. The first thing we must do is to stop playing politics with the Production Tax Credit. The PTC is essential for the growth of our renewable energy sources here in Missouri, which help decrease our dependence on foreign oil and benefit the economy.
The Production Tax Credit is set to expire in less than six months. Congressman Sam Graves can make all the excuses in the world, but the bottom line is that he has voted against extending it no less than five times in the past year. All this after he's supported giving tens of billions in generous tax subsidies to big oil companies. Is it any wonder that Graves is one of Exxon's top recipients of campaign contributions?
Graves' vote against the interests of his own District is just another example of how oil companies and other special interests have a stranglehold on Washington. It is unacceptable that our family farmers have a Congressman who supports more tax giveaways for oil companies and opposes incentives for wind, a technology which can do so much for Northwest Missouri.
We all know that oil companies are directly increasing the costs of production farming. We need someone in Washington who will stand up to them.
Kay Barnes is a candidate for U.S. representative for Missouri's 6th Congressional District

Switchgrass Venture in Missouri Announced.

The National Biomass Producers Association confirmed today that it is partnering with Renewable Oil International to convert non-grain biomass into fuel for transportation and power production. Ed Cahoj, president of NBPA, said, "We’re excited to announce that ROI is our technology partner." NBPA is a Missouri-based non-profit organization of farmers and investors interested in producing fuel from cellulosic feedstocks such as switchgrass. "The ROI expertise brings great credibility to our initiatives and signals that NBPA is a serious player in the developing biofuels industry."
Together, ROI and NBPA will help build portable processors to be hauled on a truck or trailer that can be taken to a farmer’s field where it will convert locally produced biomass into biofuel.
Phillip Badger, president of ROI, said, "This method of operation mitigates transportation of low-density feedstocks and allows each ROI processor to become a renewable oil well. Fuel can readily be produced locally." NBPA will soon take a portable unit on the road for demonstrations.
ROI technology involves fast pyrolysis distillation that accommodates nearly any organic material, including grass, hay, straw, wood, municipal solid waste, and manure. It can operate some combustion turbines and internal combustion engines. Slow or medium diesel engines can use it with minor modifications. "Eventually, a farmer will be able to harvest switchgrass, produce fuel for his farming operation, and sell the excess to a local utility or other users," said Cahoj.
Fast pyrolysis has many advantages, including the production of biochar, a co-product found to be an extremely useful soil amendment that also sequesters CO2 in the soil for hundreds of years, making the process truly carbon negative. Unlike ethanol production, fast pyrolysis does not require water, does not require a boiler, can be cost-effective on a relatively small scale, and can use a wide variety of feedstocks.
Cahoj encourages feedstock producers everywhere to explore the ROI technology. He notes that the ROI recently received funding from the US Department of Energy to upgrade bio-oil into a transportation fuel. A DOE study found that current petroleum refineries could upgrade bio-oil cost-effectively without subsidies under current market conditions. "As our membership expands, we can invest in more processors and further promote switchgrass as a new crop that provides an additional revenue stream for farmers and ranchers," Cahoj said.
For more information, contact:
Ed Cahoj at (417) 445-3776 or (417) 293-3068, ecahoj@earthlink.net, www.biomassproducers.org.
Phil Badger, (256) 740-5634, pbadger@renewableoil.com, www.renewableoil.com.