January 12, 2010Rotary Club of LaBelle

John C. Capece, Ph.D.Intelligentsia International, Inc.

Edward A. Hanlon, Ph.D.University of Florida IFAS

Hendry CountySustainable Biofuels CenterPublic-Private Partnership

What Are Biofuels?

• Food for People & Livestock• Energy for Society:

– Biomass combustion for heat and cooking – Biomass combustion for electrical power– Ethanol (alcohol) from fermentation– Biodiesel (oil) production– Biogas (methane) anaerobic digestion– 2nd generation (isobutanol, cellulosic,

syngas)– 3rd generation (from algae feedstock)

Why Produce Biofuels?

• Energy Security– The USA imports much of its oil

from unstable nations such asNigeria and Venezuela

– Europe and the Far East nations import oil from the Middle East

• Climate Change Concerns– Biofuels are how we can recycle the waste

product of combustion energy, carbon dioxide.

– Plants remove CO2 from the atmosphere and convert it into biomass for fuel.

What are the Components of the Biofuels Process?

• Production of Biomass– Farms grow the material

(sugarcane, corn, wood, algae, etc.)– Organic waste products collection

(restaurant oil, storm wood debris)

• Conversion of Biomass to Fuel– Ethanol, Biodiesel, Gasification

(Syngas), etc.

• Conversion of Fuel to Energy– Combustion of ethanol in vehicle

engines

What are Sustainable Biofuels?

• Biofuels produced in ways that:– Generate sufficient cash flow

– Do not deplete the natural resources base of the production system (soil, water, air, etc.)

– Continually benefit the community/society over the long term.

– Generally requires the gradual substitution of intellectual capital for resources exploitation(doing things smarter).

The Three Pillars of Sustainability:

Economic, Environmental, & Social

Hendry Co. Sustainable Biofuels Hendry Co. Sustainable Biofuels CenterCenter

• Funded by U.S. Department of Energy

• Federal appropriation requested by Hendry County, Office of Grants & Special Projects ($1 million)

• Developed with Rep. Mahoney (later Rep. Rooney)

• Two years with possible renewal & expansion

• Ties in with new initiatives by DOE, EPA, USDA(a variety of secondary grant opportunities)

• Partners include:– University of Florida IFAS– Edison State College– Intelligentsia International, Inc.– other public and private groups are invited to join

Hendry Co. Sustainable Biofuels Hendry Co. Sustainable Biofuels CenterCenter

Demonstration Projects - New Production SystemsResearch - Comparison Methodologies - Economics - Energetics - Greenhouse Gas Balance - Natural Resources Balance - Compensation Mechanisms - Sustainability

Biofuels Systems Evaluation - Sustainability Indexing - Technology & Farming Sys.Workforce Development - Secondary & CollegeEconomic Development - Assisting All Companies - Attract Biofuels Investment - Develop the Center

Research & Development Research & Development ComponentsComponents

Name Role Affiliation City

Edward A. Hanlon Project Manager UF-IFAS Immokalee

Patricia Land Education Edison State Col. LaBelle

John C. Capece Research & Education Intelligentsia Int’l LaBelle

John M. Owens Biofuels Contractor High Springs

Alan Wade Hodges Economics UF-IFAS Gainesville

Laila A. Racevskis Economics UF-IFAS Gainesville

Tatiana Borisova Economics UF-IFAS Gainesville

Gene McAvoy Extension UF-IFAS LaBelle

Leslie E. Baucum Extension UF-IFAS LaBelle

Sanjay Shukla Water Management UF-IFAS Immokalee

Monica Ozores-Hampton Horticulture UF-IFAS Immokalee

Robert A. Gilbert Agronomy UF-IFAS Belle Glade

Alan L. Wright Soils UF-IFAS Belle Glade

Andy Ogram Soils UF-IFAS Gainesville

Matthew Cohen Forestry & Energy UF-IFAS Gainesville

Mark Brown Energy Analysis UF-EES Gainesville

Bruce Welt Engineering UF-IFAS Gainesville

Categories of Economic Benefits Categories of Economic Benefits from this Department of Energy from this Department of Energy

ProjectProject• Direct employment by the center its cooperators

• Expansion of post-secondary school programs(Edison State College, UF/IFAS and FGCU)

• Expansion of secondary school programs (LaBelle H.S. Agriscience Academic Academy)

• Preservation of farming jobs & support industries

• Creation of new agricultural jobs for biomass

• Creation of biofuels conversion industry jobs

How To Evaluate the Merits of Biofuels?

• Various criteria:– CASH FLOW– ENERGETICS– ENVIRONMENTAL– NATIONAL SECURITY– OTHER ECONOMIC

ISSUES (Employment) – OTHER SOCIAL

ISSUES (Food Supply)

Evaluating Biofuels by Cash Flow“Free Markets”

• Traditionally thought to integrate all system costs with social costs moderated through the political & law enforcement process.

• Includes subsidies & tariffs

• Excludes externalized costs

• The low-cost producer isn’t always the most efficient. Rather, it is often the most externalized.

• Tends to push systems towards high-yield monocultures to the exclusion of other considerations (natural resources depletion).

Evaluating Biofuels by COEvaluating Biofuels by CO22 EmissionsEmissionsEvaluating the attributes of biofuels farming and

conversion

Evaluating Biofuels by Inputs

Biofuel Source Water Fertilizer Pesticides Energy % of land

Corn high high high high 200

Sugarcane high high med med 50

Switch grass low low low low 80

Wood residue med low low low 200

Algae med low low high 2% of U.S. farm land required to meet half of U.S.

demand.Table from Groom, Gray & Townsend in

Conservation Biology.

Evaluating Biofuels Sustainablility by Environmental Impact

Assessments• Environmental Sustainability Index

(ESI)

• Environmental Loading Ratio (ELR)

• Ecological Footprint

• Composite Sustainability Performance Index

• Green Biofuels Index

Evaluating Biofuels by Energetics(Total Energy Budget)

• Energy accounting or the flows & storage of energy into and out of a system.

• H.T. Odum work at UF (with others including Mark T. Brown)

• Provides a more comprehensive analysis if, like traditional economics, all input, output, and impact categories are included.

• Like traditional economics, an energetics model can neglect some cost categories and social considerations.

Emergy (Embodied Energy)Emergy (Embodied Energy)EMERGY (Embodied Energy) Analysis of Farming Systems

What are the energy inputs to our food & fuel production systems?

Emergy (Embodied Energy)Emergy (Embodied Energy)EMERGY Analysis of Sugarcane–Ethanol Production

Emergy (Embodied Energy)Emergy (Embodied Energy)Net energy of biomass is barely 1/1

Net Energy from Renewable Fuels(society currently requires an EYR

of 4

Net Energy from Renewable Fuels(society currently requires an EYR

of 4

Biofuels as One Component of a Sustainable Farming System

• Analyzing the sustainability of biofuels farming systems can help all south Florida agriculture become more compatible with regional ecosystem restoration goals.

• The new farming systems require revenues derived from multiple income streams:– crop sales, waste by-products

– energy generation, carbon credits

– water storage, nutrient removal, wildlife habitat

– ECOSYSTEM SERVICES

Promoting Farming Systems Promoting Farming Systems ResearchResearch2010 Everglades Coalition Conference Session

January 8, 2010

Transforming Farming System on Public Lands

to Support Everglades Restoration

Presentation Topiocs:1. Sustainable Farming Systems for the EAA [Concept & Ideas]2. Natural Resources Optimization & Accountings [Framework]3. Water Quality and Drainage Issues [Water Objectives]4. Accelerated Soil Subsidence in the EAA [Soil Objectives]5. Using Sugarcane for Nutrient Removal [Nutrient Objectives]6. Developing Flood-tolerant Sugarcane Varieties [New Crops]7. Program Development [R&D Requirements]

Historic vs. Current Water Flow

Lake Oto

EAAto

STAsto

WCAsto

Everglades

Land Swap for Flow Way(Reservoirs and Wetland

STAs)

Why Pursue Alternatives to STAs?

• Threats to our ecosystem are global, not just local.

• These globally-influenced threats to the Everglades include migratory species vulnerability and long-term climate change combined with sea level rise.

• Eliminating Florida farms simply moves agricultural production overseas to nations using less environmentally-sensitive practices and promoting more land clearing (20% of GHG emissions).

• Substituting overseas agricultural for domestic production contributes to global environmental threats and thus yields no net ecological benefit.

Sustainable Farming Systems as Sustainable Farming Systems as an Alternative to Reservoirs & an Alternative to Reservoirs &

STAsSTAs– Based on flood-tolerant sugarcane & other crops.

– Greater water flow-through and/or storage on farms. (Recyclable Water Containment Areas)

– Reduction of muck soil loss (subsidence), a major factor in the carbon balance of EAA.

– Requires changes in many aspects of horticultural practices: crop rotations, fertility management, diseases & pests, farm operations & equipment.

Farming Systems Research Farming Systems Research ProgramsProgramsWater Storage Services from New Farming

Systems

Farming System Research Farming System Research ProgramsProgramsWater Storage Services from New Farming

Systems - potential dual use as flow way and farm land - taking advantage of flood-tolerant sugarcane varieties

January 12, 2010Rotary Club of LaBelle

John C. Capece, Ph.D.Intelligentsia International, Inc.

Edward A. Hanlon, Ph.D.University of Florida IFAS

Hendry CountySustainable Biofuels CenterPublic-Private Partnership