January 22, 2008

Two guest speakers will make featured presentations about ground water levels and water usage at the Nebraska Ethanol Board meeting on Friday, Jan. 25. The presentations will address issues raised in recent national reports regarding water resource management as Nebraska and the nation increase biofuels production.

The guest speakers include Greg Krissek of ICM and Mark Burbach of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Krissek is director of governmental affairs at ICM and chair of the board of the National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition. Krissek will speak about water usage in ethanol production as compared to other uses of water.

Burbach is an environmental scientist at the School of Natural Resources at UN-L and studies groundwater quality and quantity. Burbach will present on groundwater levels in Nebraska and review the most recent results of water surveys in Nebraska.

The Nebraska Ethanol Board will meet on January 25, 2008 at 8:30 a.m. The meeting will be held at the Holiday Inn at 141 9th St. in Lincoln. Special presentations will begin at about 10 a.m.

January 14, 2008

The Nebraska Ethanol Board has been awarded a $55,000 grant for use in an E85 Outreach and Marketing program. E85 is a blend of 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline. It is intended for use in flexible fuel vehicles. Nebraska currently has 38 E85 stations but more than 60,000 flexible fuel vehicles are operating in Nebraska. The E85 outreach and marketing program will be designed to expand the network of stations offering E85 in Nebraska.

Grant funds will support workshops to train ethanol producers, E85 distributors and marketers for the direct marketing of E85 from producers to local retailers. The one-day workshops will be offered on multiple dates and cover EPA ethanol storage requirements, fuel tax incentives, ethanol safety and handling training, and E85 marketing and brand awareness.

The project will be funded in part by a grant from the Nebraska Department of Economic Development administered by the Nebraska Rural Development Commission. The Clean Fuels Development Coalition, the National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition and the Clean Fuels Foundation are providing matching funds and in-kind contributions for the project.

Ethanol has brought much in terms of jobs and wealth to Nebraska, said Todd Sneller, administrator of the Nebraska Ethanol Board. By encouraging direct relationships between ethanol producers and their communities, drivers get a cheaper fuel for their cars and the number of E85 pumps in Nebraska increases. This approach also increases ethanol demand in Nebraska. It’s a win-win strategy.

Doug Durante of the CFDC said that ethanol, a cheaper, cleaner alternative to gas, helps wean America off of foreign energy sources while strengthening local economies.

Many communities have a stake in their local ethanol plant. The E85 Outreach project funded by this grant award will encourage direct economic relationships that keep the wealth local, Durante said.

We look forward to a continued partnership with the Nebraska Ethanol Board to expand the infrastructure required to increase marketing of E85 across Nebraska, said Phil Lampert of the NEVC.

This weeks opening of the US BioEnergy ethanol plant in Ord signals continued economic growth for Nebraska as statewide ethanol production capacity surpasses one billion gallons per year.

Ethanol is the smart choice for Nebraska drivers and Nebraska’s economy, said Todd Sneller, administrator of the Nebraska Ethanol Board. With 16 ethanol plants producing a billion gallons a year, Nebraska is taking its place as a leader in energy independence and a leader in economic growth that benefits the whole state.

As more plants commence production, Nebraskans have access to a greater supply of ethanol. With an expanded supply, ethanol prices drop and the renewable energy source becomes even more affordable as an alternative to gasoline. New plants create more jobs for related industries like construction, transportation, manufacturing and engineering companies. Each new plant creates forty to fifty permanent positions, with an average annual salary rate exceeding $50,000.

The US BioEnergy ethanol plant in Ord will have an annual production capacity of 45 million gallons of ethanol.

The ethanol industry has created hundreds of permanent, high-paying jobs in Nebraska while helping farmers earn more and making our state more energy independent, Sneller said. Nebraska is in a position where the state could meet 100 percent of its transportation fuel needs with ethanol production.

April 9, 2007

The Nebraska Ethanol Board will meet on Thursday, April 19, 2007, at 8:30 a.m. The meeting will be held at The Cornhusker Hotel, 333 South 13th Street, Lincoln, Nebraska.

A. Call Meeting to Order

B. Approval of Agenda

C. Minutes

D. Budget Status Report

E. EPIC Report

F. Repeal of Ethanol Authority and Development Act Rules and Regulations

G. Ethanol Marketing Programs

H. Ethanol Education Grant

I. NET Proposal

J. Nebraska Ethanol Workforce Development

K. Federal & State Legislation

L. Ethanol Plant Reports

M. Chairman’s Report

N. Administrator’s Report

O. Trip / Meeting Reports and Travel Authorization

P. 10:30 a.m. Special Presentation – Dr. Kenneth Cassman – Director of the Nebraska Center of Energy Science Research at the University of Nebraska –

Ensuring the Long-Term Viability of the Nebraska Ethanol Industry

Q. Next Meeting Date and Time

R. Adjourn

This agenda contains all items to come before the Board except those items of an emergency nature.