Home About the Coalition Media/Research Center Clean Fuels Information Renewable Fuels Standard Current Events Publications Clean Fuels Blog

Proud Sponsor of the 6th Environmental and Clean Energy Inaugural Ball : Working Together to Build A Better Tomorrow

Ball Co-Chair and CFDC Exec. Director Doug Durante  with DOE Secretary Chu

Ball Co-Chair and CFDC Exec. Director Doug Durante
with DOE Secretary Chu

Ball Co-Chair and CFDC Exec. Director Doug Durante  with DOE Secretary Chu

CFDC Chairman Todd Sneller and Clean Fuels Foundation Director of Program Development Burl Haigwood with EPA Administrator Jackson as she gets an enthusiastic welcome from the crowd.

Press Release: Environmental Groups, New Administration Officials, and Members of Congress
Among Those to Gather at the Environmental and Clean Energy Inaugural Ball

 
Current Events and Information

Retech 2010All Renewables, One Place, One Time, the ReNEW Frontier.

Plan Now to Join 3,500 Government, Business and Technology Professionals at the World’s Premier Event for the Renewable Energy Industry

RETECH 2010 will take over the Washington D.C. Convention Center February 3-5, enabling U.S. and global companies – to showcase their products and technologies for top representatives from government, the financial world, and other business leaders and investors.

As a member of the Clean Fuels Development Coalition you can receive an additional $100 off registration by using Promotional Code: SUP2010 when you register. Register before December 16th and save an additional $100.

Go to www.retech2010.com to Register or check for updates on Speakers, Exhibitors and more.

Register and book your hotel room as time is running out.


New Issue Brief on Cellulosic Biofuels

According to a new report issued by the Ethanol Across America education campaign, there are more than two dozen different companies engaged in nearly 100 projects to produce cellulosic biofuels, with encouraging signs that federal requirements for these fuels can be met.

Converting Cellulose Into Ethanol and Other Biofuels is the latest in the highly successful Issue Brief series produced by the Ethanol Across America campaign and was released recently at the Infocast Cellulosic Biofuels Summit 2009. In this brief the different paths to commercialization of cellulose are examined as well as the companies employing them. The brief also looks at realistic feedstock availability based on studies from the Federal Biomass Technical Advisory Committee and the Sandia National Lab which both conclude that there are no insurmountable barriers to producing significant volumes of biofuels from cellulose.

In a welcome to readers, Ethanol Across America Advisory Committee members U.S. Senators Ben Nelson (D-NE), Richard Lugar (R-IN), and Tim Johnson (D-SD) said, ”The commercialization of cellulosic ethanol conversion technologies is a very important component of the policies we are crafting in Congress as we develop programs to reduce our use of petroleum. As we have seen with the corn ethanol and biodiesel industries, these domestic "energy factories" are in themselves stimulus packages, creating jobs and keeping dollars at home. The path to commercialization of cellulosic technologies will not be easy, cheap, or immediate. We still need to create and manage policies to attract private funding and encourage the end use markets for these strategically important biofuels." (see full story, download report)


CFDC Supports Mid-Atlantic Bio Conference
Washington, DC, November 12, 2009: In a presentation to the 2009 Mid-Atlantic Bio Conference held in Washington, D.C., CFDC Executive Director Douglas Durante told attendees that the value of biofuels and bio products is the sum of its parts and that policy needs to reflect the balance of all the objectives of energy and climate. The Mid Atlantic Bio Conference is an annual gathering of more than 1,000 professionals in the energy, bioscience, and technology industries as well as government and academia.

Durante said, “The current Renewable Fuel Standard, lower tax rates for biofuels, and aggressive research and development programs have produced significant benefits, including the displacement of imported oil, job creation, and reduction of a wide range of pollutants. He cautioned, however, that what could be classified as the current “bio or green mania” has resulted in disproportionate requirements on biofuels to the point where these programs are under serious attack.

“Balancing the needs of agriculture, energy, climate change, job creation, and other factors is a challenge,” said Durante. “Biofuels and bio technology can be a key part of this effort if we do not let the perfect become the enemy of the good.”

Click here for more…


CFDC Sponsor of the Cellulosic Biofuels Summit
CFDC's Executive Director Douglas A. Durante will be presenting at the 4th Annual edition of the Summit. The Summit once again brings together the major players from across the entire biofuels value chain to report on their activities, determine the next steps forward and share their perspectives on the progress in reaching the commercial production of cellulosic biofuels. The Summit will be held in Washington, D.C. Nov. 16-19, 2009.
For more information or to register click here…


The need for constant consumer education is critical to hurdling the E10 wall. In spite of a law suit, a Federal Trade Commission investigation that uncovered 1,200 anti-ethanol internal oil company documents, and a resulting federal Anti-Gasohol Competition Act – the "No-Alcohol" signs are back in Tulsa, OK. Is this the 12th Anti-Ethanol Crusade?
Click to see pictures…


CFDC Member Raphael Katzen Honored in new Company Website

Washington, D.C. August 10, 2009: Longtime member of the Clean Fuels Development Coalition (CFDC) Dr. Raphael Katzen will be Honored in the new company website of KATZEN, International and also on the CFDC website, it was announced here today. Dr. Katzen passed away in July after a remarkable fifty year career in biofuel and ethanol process design and plant building around the world.

“As one of the founding members of CFDC more than 20 years ago, Ray was a visionary in the ethanol industry. We are very pleased to be able to help in some small way to share the story of his remarkable career by linking his story on our website,” said Douglas A. Durante, executive Director of the Coalition. “ People like Ray stepped forward in the late 1980s recognizing that we needed to keep the ethanol industry moving forward. He supported our efforts to develop the clean fuel programs that ultimately led to the Renewable Fuel Standard,” said Durante.

The new Katzen Company website, launched this week, contains sections devoted to the memory of Dr. Katzen who began his current company as Raphael Katzen Associates but now is KATZEN, International. Based in Cincinnati, Ohio, the company has completed nearly 140 ethanol and biofuel projects in 40 countries. For more information go tohttp://www.katzen.com/katzenmemorial.html

Click here for announcement.


CFDC Member Challenges Time Magazine

CFDC member David Hallberg, President of Prime BioSolutions, responded to a recent Time Magazine article dealing with food prices by chastising the magazine for neglecting to admit their error of a year ago when they blamed ethanol and biofuels for price increases. With grain prices plummeting while ethanol production increases, Hallberg notes the high energy costs and speculators that were really to blame. Click here for more…


Nebraska Ethanol Board Release: E85 Could Have Saved Nebraska Consumers $2.6 billion.

Press Release: CFDC Applauds Presidential Directive on Biofuels-Agency Coordination, Market Development, and Financing Emphasized

Washington, D.C. May 5, 2009: In a far reaching and pointed memorandum to the Secretary of Agriculture, President Obama today reaffirmed the Administration's support for the continued development of biofuels by outlining a number of specific initiatives to be taken immediately. Full Copy of The Press Release.


Ethanol's Negative Energy Balance Myth:
Case Closed
According to a new Net Energy Balance of Ethanol Production study released today by the Ethanol Across America (EAA) education campaign, the energy efficiency of ethanol plants is steadily improving, with modern ethanol plants using 20% less energy than just four years ago. "The facts speak for themselves in that today's ethanol plants are producing more energy in the form of domestic transportation fuels and using considerably less energy to do so. Energy audits, independent studies, and government research all confirm that ethanol is a net energy producer and that we are constantly improving technology." said EAA Advisory Board Member Senator Tim Johnson (D-SD).

Click here for copies of the Press Release & Net Energy Balance of Ethanol Production Study


Novozymes on track with new enzymes for cellulosic ethanol Novozymes has cut cellulosic ethanol enzyme costs by more than half and is on track to deliver the first commercially viable enzymes by 2010 – an important step on the way to enabling the commercial success of cellulosic ethanol.

Click here for announcement…


CFDC Applauds Governors Initiative on Biofuels

Click here for press release…


CFDC Member California Ethanol & Power's Sugarcane to Ethanol Project to be Responsible for 95.2% Less Greenhouse gas emissions when compared to Gasoline, and less that Brazilian Ethanol too.

Click here for the press release…


CFDC Sponsors Renewable Energy World Conference & Expo North America 2009.

Five expert members of the Clean Fuels Development Coalition were featured panelists at the Renewable Energy World Conference & Expo North America 2009, held in Las Vegas on March 9-11, 2009. CFDC members focused on a combination of technology, state and federal policy, regulatory programs and the fundamental need for energy that is driving ethanol’s development, the CFDC session discussed development opportunities for ethanol as well as some of the political and technical challenges to the fuel’s continued growth. Douglas Durante, CFDC’s Executive Director, Philip Madson of KATZEN International, Todd Sneller of the Nebraska Ethanol Board, Keith Cole of General Motors, and David Peebles of Odebrecht International addressed this range of issues.

The conference is annually one of the most widely attended events in the industry. For more information visit www.pennwell.com.


CFDC Executive Director Durante's Editorial in EthanolToday

Buckle Up For the Changing Biofuels Landscape

Click here to download a PDF…


CFDC Supports Flexible Fuel Vehicle Club of America Launch
CFDC supported the very successful launch of the Flexible Fuel Vehicle Club of America at the Sustainable Energy Expo in Washington DC on July 31, 2008. The mission of the “FlexFuel Vehicle Club” is to locate and educate existing and prospective FFV owners, then motivate them to use higher blends of ethanol. Are you tired of just complaining about gasoline prices and oil imports?

Flexible Fuel Vehicle Club

Join The Club!

 

 

Meeting Our Mission
THE CLEAN FUELS DEVELOPMENT COALITION (CFDC) is a non-profit organization that actively supports the increased production and use of fuels that can improve air quality, reduce oil imports, and provide economic benefits to the U.S. Through four administrations and eight different Congressional delegations, CFDC has been building bi-partisan support in industry and government to foster a healthy national energy policy. CFDC works with all interested parties to support clean fuel regulations and new technologies that will help our country meet the ever changing and complex demands of our society. Our goal is to drive the demand for clean low-carbon fuels, like ethanol, through a combination of efforts that include collaborating with industry, educating and communicating with the media and other strategic influencers, and supporting new legislative initiatives that will help us achieve our mission.

Seeing Our Vision
For over 20 years, CFDC has been coordinating and guiding a coalition of like-minded leaders committed to developing cleaner-burning domestic fuels. We help leverage our member’s time, resources and talent to take a leadership role in the development of new national energy strategies to improve clean fuel legislation and regulations. These efforts have already fostered new fuel technologies, improved manufacturing processes, created new jobs, reduced oil imports and improved air quality through reduced emissions. The results are a cleaner, safer, healthier, and prosperous United States.

Join the CFDC Team!

About the Coalition
CFDC is not your typical narrow-mission trade association. Individually our member’s missions are very diverse. Collectively, CFDC provides its members with a common ground to support their over arching desire to improve the “national interest,” and work together outside the bounds of “special interest.” CFDC and its members are always finding new and innovative ways to expand the market for cleaner-burning domestic fuels. We achieve our goals by educating the media, industry and government leaders, and the public about the dangers of dependence on oil and the benefits of developing renewable fuels like ethanol. If you have an idea to help our mission we would like to hear about it.

Our Coalition Continues to Broaden and Grow
Having a true broad-based coalition is not easy – but it keeps the mission focused and the debate honest. As a result, CFDC continues to draw a broad range of members that share a common goal. Our members include alternative fuel technology developers, ethanol producers, project developers, state affiliated organizations, automakers, and financial/legal/accounting organizations. We have provided examples of our membership base and links to their websites to provide you with additional information about their goals, special projects and current events and news within their organizations.

CFDC members include 1st generation feedgrain producers as well as cellulosic and advanced biofuel technology development firms. CFDC member Fuel Frontiers, Inc. is commercializing a gasification technology to produce ethanol from a wide range of cellulose materials, including used tires, beginning with a project in Toms River, New Jersey. Other creative ethanol conversion technologies include member company Earthanol, Inc. and their efforts to produce ethanol from cheese whey. Virent Energy is developing a technology that will allow them to make a bio-crude and then a slate of renewable gasoline and diesel products. Mascoma Corporation is developing a number of cellulose-to-ethanol technologies. California Ethanol & Power is building a 50 MGPY plant in southern California utilizing sugar cane. KL Process Design is reporting very successful runs from their cellulosic ethanol plant in Wyoming that uses wood as a feedstock. Bluefire Ethanol recently started construction for their waste-to-ethanol plant in California after receiving an award from the U.S. Department of Energy. CFDC members Novozymes North America and Genencor International, Inc. are on the cutting edge of developing new enzymes to accelerate the deployment of cellulosic ethanol technologies.

CFDC members Delta-T, Burns & McDonnell, Fagen, Inc., ICM, KATZEN International, and Vogelbusch U.S.A., Inc. are leading the way in the design and construction of the ethanol industry in the United States and around the globe. NEDAK Ethanol, LLC recently broke ground on a 44-MM gpy facility in Atkinson, Nebraska while Reeve Agri-Energy has been making ethanol and supporting CFDC for 21 years. US Bioenergy Corporation, US Bio Platte Valley, LLC, Renova Energy ID, Inc., ETH BioEnergy Inc., ESE Alcohol, Inc., E3 Biofuels are all forward thinking and innovative ethanol producers and other members like Empire State Ethanol & Energy, LLC and Clear Fuels Hawaii are in the process of developing new ethanol projects.
 
CFDC member companies and Chrysler, General Motors, and Ford have been working with CFDC for 17 years to develop cleaner fuels and expand the biofuels/ethanol market and refueling infrastructure. They have also pledged that by 2012 50% of their vehicles be Flexible Fuel Vehicles (FFVs), capable of operating on ethanol blends of up to 85%.

CFDC also supports the broader vision and mission of a diverse base of companies and organizations such as The Clean Fuels Foundation, The Nebraska Ethanol Board, Avalon Capital Group, Klamath County Economic Development Association, Nebraska Public Power District, Ethanol Market, LLC, ED&F Man Biofuels, and Andrews Kurth.

The link below is an example of how one CFDC member company (KL Process Design) helps with the education and outreach process by educating their employees, vendors and the general public.

Ethanol: Fact • Fiction • Valid Debate


Nebraska Ethanol Board Observes 35th Anniversary
The Nebraska Ethanol Board, one of the founding members of the Clean Fuels Development Coalition, is celebrating its 35th Anniversary this month. CFDC's first Chairman and a fellow founding Member James Glancey of Renova Energy, hailed the NEB as one of the driving forces behind the modern U.S. Ethanol industry.  "The NEB has led this industry with its vision, leadership, and insight," said Glancey. "Their Board members and staff have shaped not just the state program but had a direct impact on programs at the national level that have created opportunities for all of us." (click here for full story)

  

Clean Fuels: Everyone is a Winner!
Find your state and get a free poster! Show your support for Ethanol Across all of America by displaying the Award Winning poster of vanity tags from all 50 states supporting ethanol. CFDC's design firm David & Associates of Hastings, Nebraska recently received an award from the National Agri-Marketing Association for this unique promotional item.