***Longer version of article posted above...
-T
September 9, 1999, Thursday, AM cycle
SECTION: State and Regional
LENGTH: 357 words
HEADLINE: Ewing to lead the charge in House for "biomass" development
BYLINE: By JENNIFER LOVEN, Associated Press Writer
DATELINE: WASHINGTON
BODY:
Rep. Tom Ewing, R-Ill., on Thursday became the House's lead booster of an idea being pushed by the Clinton administration and farm-state senators as a way to help clean the environment, augment farm income and reduce American dependence on foreign oil.
The measure Ewing introduced would provide federal dollars to research how to turn "biomass" such as trees, corn husks and even chicken droppings into fuel for cars.
House Republicans have been slow to endorse the measure. But Sen. Dick Lugar, R-Ind., the lead Senate author and chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee, asked Ewing to get involved, Ewing spokesman Mike Waldron said.
Lugar's committee passed the bill in July.
"As the world population is growing, so is the need for a balance between maintaining a healthy environment and affordable power," Ewing said. "The short-term investment of these research dollars will produce numerous benefits in the long term."
Ewing, of Pontiac, estimated the use of biomass-based fuel could add $ 30 in revenue per acre for corn farmers, who now have no market for their product's stalks, leaves and husks - only its starchy kernel.
The legislation would authorize $ 300 million over six years for research into the technology needed to make the new fuels, and make them work. The Senate committee also voted, over Lugar's objections, to earmark $ 14 million of the funds for a proposed plant at Southern Illinois University's Edwardswille campus dedicated to making ethanol more cheaply.
Ethanol now is made from corn kernels, so some of the research would go toward how to produce it from other parts of the plant.
The biomass industry is dedicated to finding more efficient ways of using trees, plants and other renewable sources to fuel cars, light homes, and propel planes.
Advances in this area could reduce emissions that are hazardous to the environment, thus striking a crucial blow against global warming. It also could provide a multibillion dollar industry for loggers and chemical companies.
Reducing U.S. oil demand, and thus the nation's dependance on volatile foreign energy markets, is an added plus.
LOAD-DATE: September 9, 1999
I am beginning to sense there is a certain symbiotic relationship here...
Let's see. Loven writes incessantly about fuel additives. Her husband's colleague, Jeff Seabright, from both the Clinton Administration and Green Strategies, worked for Chevron Texaco and it just so happens that they produced just the kind of additive Loven mentions in the following article...
July 28, 1999, Wednesday, PM cycle
SECTION: State and Regional
LENGTH: 644 words
HEADLINE: Gas additive phase-out not expected to hit drivers too hard
BYLINE: By JENNIFER LOVEN, Associated Press Writer
DATELINE: WASHINGTON
BODY:
Energy experts cautiously predict that Americans are unlikely to see much higher gasoline prices because of the Environmental Protection Agency's wish to curtail use of a common fuel additive.
...
Another possible alternative is a blend of alkalytes and aromatics, which are derived from crude oil, though neither is an oxygenate. Aromatics are slightly less expensive than ethanol, but pose risks of increased toxic emissions. Alkalytes, though clean burning, are low-octane and would require pricey capital investment.
Here is a Chevron June 1997 press release.
http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=105&STORY=/www/story/6-17-97/259127
Chevron Chemical to Build World-Scale Aromatics Plant in Thailand
SAN RAMON, Calif., June 17 /PRNewswire/ -- Chevron Chemical Co. today
announced it has entered into a 60-40 joint-venture agreement with the
Petroleum Authority of Thailand (PTT) to proceed with engineering for a
world-scale aromatics facility in Map Ta Phut, Thailand.
Total investment for the facility -- which would begin production in the
year 2000 -- is estimated at $1 billion. It would produce annually
675,000 tons of paraxylene and 600,000 tons of benzene.
The Thai Cabinet approved PTT's 40 percent participation in the project.
The new complex will be located in the Star Petroleum Refinery Complex (SPRC).
SPRC is a joint venture between PTT and Caltex, a Chevron affiliate.
The facility will produce paraxylene and benzene utilizing Chevron's and
Institut Francais du Petrole (IFP) Eluxyl(R) and Chevron's Aromax(R)
technologies. Paraxylene is a petrochemical feedstock used in the manufacture
of polyester fibers, plastic bottles and film. Benzene is a petrochemical
feedstock used in the manufacture of plastics, carpets, automotive parts, and
building materials.
"This plant is part of our strategy to combine Aromax(R) technology for
benzene and Eluxyl(R) technology for paraxylene and expand aggressively in the
Asia Pacific region, an area that will have the highest demand growth for
these chemicals over the next decade," said Chevron Chemical Senior Vice
President Darry Callahan.
PTT's Dr. Viroj Mavichak, executive director petrochemical sector group
stated, "This project will provide more than 200 long-term jobs for Thailand
and provide several thousand jobs during construction. It also supports PTT's
strategy to grow the petrochemical business in Thailand."
Headquartered in San Ramon, Calif., Chevron Chemical is a wholly owned
subsidiary of San Francisco-based Chevron Corp. (NYSE: CHV).
SOURCE Chevron Corp.