A Future Without Oil?

Is actually closer than we think, even for the transportation sector. Kudos to the LA Times:

... But proponents believe the decades of inertia could be broken by a rare convergence of technology, money, political will and motivated motorists.

"I see a broader base of interest and support now than ever before," said James Boyd, a member of the California Energy Commission.

Even the president, a onetime oilman, shifted his stance by declaring in January's State of the Union speech that the country was "addicted to oil" and that it should "move beyond a petroleum-based economy."

Renewable fuels such as ethanol and biodiesel hold the greatest promise of immediately reducing oil consumption because they are available today for use in existing vehicles.

Ethanol is made from organic material such as grain crops, wood chips and agricultural waste. A distillation and fermentation process, similar to what goes on in a brewery, converts corn kernels and the like into ethanol.

The fuel is made from renewable sources, boosts octane levels and pollutes the air less than gasoline does. Regular vehicles can run on gasoline blends of as much as 10% ethanol without changing anything, and the nation's more than 5 million so-called flex-fuel vehicles can use gasoline blends with as much as 85% ethanol.

Government subsidies help keep the cost of ethanol close to that of gasoline, and last year, oil companies blended ethanol into about one-third of the nation's car fuel. In California, ethanol has been widely used as a component of cleaner-burning gasoline since 2004, when the state banned the use of methyl tertiary butyl ether because it contaminates groundwater.

About 4 billion gallons of ethanol were used last year, replacing 170 million barrels of oil. Under a federal mandate, ethanol consumption could almost double by 2012.

"It is the only option we have today in terms of a liquid fuel alternative to gasoline that can be used in the existing distribution system," said Neil Koehler, who has spent half of his 48 years pushing ethanol as a way to loosen crude oil's hold on cars.

Fresno-based Pacific Ethanol Inc., where Koehler is chief executive, recently won an $84-million pledge from Microsoft chief Bill Gates' investment firm. The company plans to open the first of five ethanol plants this year in Madera County.

Still, ethanol is no silver bullet.

... Biodiesel is another alternative fuel gaining momentum.

It is most commonly produced from animal fats or natural oils such as those found in corn and soybeans. Some biodiesel is made from used vegetable oil tossed out by restaurants, giving a vehicle's exhaust the faint smell of fried food.

Production of biodiesel requires simple chemical reactions, which can be carried out in a good-sized refinery or a backyard contraption. The finished product can be sold as is to motorists, but it's more commonly blended into regular petroleum-based diesel in concentrations of 2% to 20% biodiesel. A company backed by country singer Willie Nelson has drawn attention to the fuel by selling BioWillie, a 20% biodiesel blend.

Stephen Flynn is among the converts. More than a year ago, the Valencia resident dumped his gasoline car for a 1996 Chevy Suburban diesel he found on EBay, and he's been filling up with 99% biodiesel ever since. Flynn, a prop master for television commercials, says he goes as much as 500 miles before refueling.

Any diesel engine can operate normally on a low concentration of biodiesel; a high concentration can require minor modifications.

"It runs great and clean," Flynn said. "I don't see any cons."

Biodiesel not only reduces consumption of petroleum-based diesel, thereby cutting harmful vehicle emissions, but also boosts the diesel equivalent of octane and improves lubrication in the engine.

The principal drawback is its expense compared with that of traditional diesel, though the gap has closed substantially with government incentives, tax breaks and the recent rise in diesel prices. In addition, biodiesel can be difficult to find because it is sold at only about 600 filling stations nationwide.

Flynn solved the problem by joining a co-op in West Los Angeles, where members fill up with 99% biodiesel from a self-serve dispensing trailer set up in a leased section of a parking lot. The group's 40 members pay an average of $3.40 a gallon for the fuel, a slightly inflated price to help offset overhead costs, according to co-op founder Colette Brooks.