EPA
We are asking EPA for help with original thinking (outside
the box). We have not found it with other agencies.
On our website,
http://votingpeoplehelpingpeople.com/
we show how we are developing a plan to become energy
independent in Salmon, Idaho. We thought we could get help
from the recovery act, from USDA, from our legislators, or
from
grants.gov.
We have not found help there. Nor do they understand very
much at
We started with the thesis that we people in Salmon have:
(1) the expertise to produce energy here,
(2) the people (engineers, welders, scientists etc.) to make
an energy system work (including building a more energy and
cost effective distller than Allard has, using componets
similar to their components),
(3) the land to grow a feedstock, like sugar beets, (20
years ago we grew potatos here).
(4) a plan for a small ethanol production facility that is
just as cost effective as a big one. We don't waste the
heat,the water, or the spent feedstock.
(5) no need to ship feedstock or ethanol because we grow the
feedstock here and we burn the ethanol here. Any rural-area
town like Salmon can do this.
(6) the people in the community who can do this and return
the profit to the community, not to a profit-motivated
business. This is a concept that John Crockett from
the Idaho Energy Department, does not understand. Nor does
he understand that ethanol makes more sense than biodiesel
here.
USDA publications from 2006 and others show that ethanol
from sugar beets is not being done in USA. Then they go on
to say they will estimate and use data from the sugar
industry (with its sugar subsidy) and compare to corn
ethanol in the midwest. Their data is invalid.
Also the statement of midwest corn-ethanol producers is
invalid because they do not say they are using a $.51 per
gallon subsidy and that they spend $1.00/gallon to transport
the fuel to market.
We estimate that we can reduce the cost of ethanol
production by about 1/3 from the USDA estimate (and others)
of about $2.36/gallon. We use an excel file to show that we
can make a profit even with $2.36/gallon, which is at
It depends on the variability of feedstock cost (2/3), not
the fermentation or distillation cost(1/3).
We believe gasoline prices are going to be so high that we
will not need to convince anybody about ethanol. We are
aware of the 29% loss of mileage with ethanol and of the
environmental and security issues with gasoline.
Can you help us?
Cal
PS Are there regulations we must follow when we are
producing and burning ethanol?
Calvin Leman
305 Washington Street
Salmon, ID 83467
208-756-4104 phone or fax
http://fp1.centurytel.net/democracy/
http://votingpeoplehelpingpeople.com/
Answer from Andrea Denny