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PEAK OIL - PEAK OPPORTUNITY - from p. 1
Charles Bensinger fills up with E10 fuel. Click image for larger view. “But really some of the bigger arguments in favor for going towards biofuels are the economic arguments. Right now we are witnessing unprecedented gas prices, and we think that using domestically produced renewable fuels such as ethanol or biodiesel can really kind of keep prices lower and in our control. And then there are all the bigger picture items such as energy security. Right now we import over 60% of our oil needs. The transportation sector is the biggest consumer of that imported oil. So any time we go to a domestically produced renewable fuel we’re going to lessen that dependence on foreign oil and increase our energy security.”
With $100,000 in grant money in hand, Bensinger partnered with a local petroleum distributor and searched out forward-thinking fuel station owners who wouldn’t mind having their lots torn up to install new tanks for the ethanol and biodiesel. On July 03, 2004, the first renewable fuel pump went in at a Phillips 66 station in Sante Fe, and in October, a triple biofuels pump handling biodiesel and two grades of ethanol went in at a Conoco.
The first triple fuel dispenser in the United States, the Conoco pump, with a tank for E-10, E-85 and B-20 (biodiesel which is 20% biodiesel and 80% regular diesel), offers something for everybody, living up to Bensinger’s motto: No driver left behind. “Anybody with a gasoline engine can use at least the E-10, and the flex fuel vehicle people can use the E-85 and then any diesel can use the B-20,” he says. “And people don’t have to do anything different. They can just drive up with whatever kind of vehicle they have and fill it up. The ethanol is cheaper than the regular gasoline, and the diesel is about six cents more, so it’s basically about the same cost or less, and nobody has to do anything different. And this is an alternative we can use right away.
Ethanol Benefits
▪ Reduces petroleum use
▪ Reduces harmful greenhouse gases and emissions
▪ Lower cost
▪ Improves engine performance
▪ Supports farmers and rural communities
▪ Reduces toxic landfill material
▪ Stimulates domestic manufacturers and businesses
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We don’t have to build a lot of new infrastructure and wait 10 years.”
So far the new pumps have worked out very well. The stations have developed a loyal following from differing locales, and have experienced an average 20% increased income. Bensinger, who is now involved in building a $35 million ethanol production facility called Sun Belt Biofuels, says there’s “a lot of money” to be made in the production of biofuels and that end-use facilities are only the tip of the iceberg.
Triple bio fuel pump. Click image for larger view
“I could envision a network of national biofuels stations, not owned by the oil companies, but owned by social investment groups,” he says. “The rate of return on investments can be 80-100% on these projects. Granted there are risk factors here because it’s new technology. But there are huge opportunities for socially responsible individuals to invest in these facilities and make lots of money, which money can be channeled back into everything from alternative TV and radio networks to rehabilitating the environment. Why let Wall Street cash in on all of this?”
What can I do?
Detroit is not publicizing any of this stuff. It’s not going to come from the oil companies. Guess who can make this happen – WE CAN!
▪ Members of any church group, union or club such as Unity, the Sierra Club, the Moose, the Union of Concerned Scientists, talk to your group. Suggest they do a little research and support a movement towards biofuels.
▪ Read! There’s a lot of information on the Internet. The National Resources Defense Counsel (NRDC) has a great paper out on biofuels, and the Rocky Mountain Institute’s book, Winning the Oil Endgame is an excellent resource.
▪ Talk to your neighbors.
▪ Talk to car dealers – ask for more choices.
▪ Write to the car manufacturers, especially Honda, Toyota, and Subaru. They need to hear from the public – write letters and say you would buy flex fuel and hybrid cars if made available
▪ Write letters to local papers.
▪ Write/talk with your local city councils. All cities and counties have fleets of cars. Ask that your town/city/county adopt biodiesel for their fleets.
▪ Talk to your school boards about using biodiesel in their school buses.
▪ 2006 is going to be a big congressional election – raise these questions with candidates.
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