Some recent media coverage about ECES:
The
Corn Grower's Hope
An
ethanol plant would save us, a
Warren
farmer says
(Excerpts
from this article published in the Star Ledger on Tuesday, June 17, 2008 – can
be read it in total - http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/index.ssf?/base/news-13/1213677343131090.xml&coll=1)
PHOTOS
BY JOE EPSTEINITHE STAR-LEDGER - Farmer Jake Bilyk, left, talks with Jon
Stutzman about how to get the best yield out of his land in
White
Township
. Below, Bilyk, cradling dried corn kernels, says an ethanol manufacturing
facility would be great for local corn growers.
BY
MIKE FRASSINELLI, Star-Ledger
Staff
Jake
Bilyk, who cultivates 1,100 acres of corn, soybeans, wheat and barley in
Warren
County
, calls the modern farmer "the biggest gambler out there."
"I
don't go to
Atlantic City
-- I see them people throw their money away," he said. "We throw our
money in the ground."
In
recent years, he admits, it's been a risky bet. But Bilyk and other
Warren
County
farmers think bringing an ethanol plant to the county would be a good gamble.
East
Coast Energy Solutions, formed to build and operate a 40
million-gallons-per-year ethanol manufacturing facility on the East Coast, has
looked at
Warren
County
towns close to rail lines --
Greenwich
, Pohatcong, White,
Oxford
and
Phillipsburg
-- as possible locations. It also is considering
Hunterdon
County
.
Officials
in
Greenwich
determined earlier this year the plant -- which would employ 40 people and
generate $1.2 million in local taxes -- would not be a good fit.
The
ethanol would be produced from about 14.5 million bushels of corn annually and
sent to existing refineries in the Northeast for blending. The company says it
would be the cleanest renewable alternative fuel available today, reducing the
carbon monoxide and greenhouse gases emitted from
New Jersey
cars and trucks and helping to reduce the nation
'
s dependence on foreign oil and petroleum consumption.
Bilyk
said most of the corn he grows is used for animal feed, and that an ethanol
plant, after taking alcohol out of the corn, can still use the byproduct for
animal feed.
Bilyk
said that while farmers are getting blamed for commanding a higher corn price --
it was $3 a bushel last year -- fuel costs have more than doubled and fertilizer
costs have nearly tripled, negating any gains.
THE
SLIVER OF HOPE
All
in all, it's been a rough few years for farmers in
New Jersey
's northwestern corner.
Highlands
legislation to preserve land and protect drinking water has dropped the value
of the land that was key to their retirement plan. The state threatened to ax
the Department of Agriculture. And farmers can operate only so many corn mazes.
But
one sliver of hope is in the production of ethanol. Ethanol relies heavily on
the corn that farmers in places like
Warren
County
grow in volume.
Now,
Bilyk said, local farmers are hauling their corn more than 100 miles to
Lancaster
,
Pa.
, as feed for animals. Tractor-trailers get 4 miles per gallon, and diesel fuel
that Bilyk paid $1.98 a gallon for last year was at $4.23 when he bought it last
month.
"If
we had a close market, we could market our corn, it would be more profitable for
us and maybe we will be able to stay around," he said.
If
oil surges to $200 a barrel by fall, Bilyk said, "This country is going to
be out of business. I don
'
t know how I
'
m going to put fuel in our tractors."
Warren
County
freeholders also are trying to bring the plant to the county.
"We
need markets for our product," Freeholder Everett A. Chamberlain said.
"With the price of fuel, the farther you truck the product, the more it
costs. Farmers are at the mercy of the market, and there are not too many ways
you can negotiate higher prices."
"Ethanol
will help us, no doubt about it," Bilyk said earlier this month, following
a day of planting corn that will be harvested in nearly 100 days. "What do
we make in this country? Absolutely nothing! We base our economy on houses.
Guess what? Your house is your last crop."
Ethanol-steam
link studied
Covanta
says it was approached about using steam to run ethanol plant boilers.
Wednesday,
March 19, 2008
BY SARA K. SATULLO
The
Express-Times
An ethanol plant could be joining the
Warren
County
landfill, an adjacent incinerator and a neighboring quarry operation along the
border of White and
Oxford
townships.
East
Coast Energy Solutions is investigating building a $120 million plant at three
Warren
County
sites, including an undisclosed one in the area of Covanta Warren Resource
Energy Co.
Covanta has been approached about the possibility of the ethanol plant
using Covanta
'
s steam to run its boilers, facility manager Craig Durr said. Covanta
'
s
Oxford
Township
plant burns trash to create energy.
"If there
'
s a way we can make our facility more environmentally friendly and it benefits
the community, we
'
d be interested," Durr said.
Sharing
the steam is possible. Although in its high-pressured form, the plant
'
s steam wouldn
'
t work for an ethanol plant, he said.
"I
can
'
t say we are the solution for East Coast Energy," Durr said. "If we
could make the facility more efficient and a win-win for the community and
Covanta, we
'
d certainly be interested."
East Coast Energy Solutions President Susan Ruch explained without steam the
ethanol plant
'
s boilers would rely on natural gas.
"(Steam)
would be a renewable resource to use and you don
'
t have to pay for natural gas," Ruch said. "Plus it would produce
renewable energy."
Ruch
cautioned nothing is final and rail access is critical to make a plant a
reality, she said. Ruch said she has met with Norfolk Southern representatives
about extending an abandoned rail line at the Alcan factory on Route 31 in
Washington about three miles, she said.
Covanta
has never tried to extend a rail line out to the site, although Durr noted trash
does travel the rails in other regions.
Ruch does not know what it would take financially or bureaucratically to repair
and run a rail line. She estimates a plant could generate about $1.2 million in
local taxes while creating 40 jobs.
Oxford
Township Committeeman Angelo Accetturo, who also sits on the landfill board,
said an informal meeting about a possible plant is scheduled for today.
Until
last week, East Coast Energy Solutions had been looking at locations in
Hunterdon
County
,
Phillipsburg
and White and
Greenwich
townships. Last week, the
Greenwich
Township
planning board members told Ruch they want an ethanol plant in the county but
the township is not a good fit.
Ruch
said Tuesday she respected the decision but she had been approached about the
possibility of a
Greenwich
plant.
"No
matter how big or small a town is, they should have the opportunity to see what
will environmentally fit," she said.
The
former Ingersoll-Rand site in
Phillipsburg
has been mentioned as another possible property. Preferred Real Estate owns it,
but the town has been frustrated by the developer
'
s lack of progress and has taken steps toward eminent domain.
Plans
are in the works for Panattoni Development Co., which was selected to develop
the land, to build 1.3 million square feet of warehouse and distribution space.
Reporter
Sara K. Satullo can be reached at 908-475-2174 or by e-mail at
ssatullo@express-times.com.
A Comment from Ms.
Susan Ruch, President, East Coast Energy Solutions:
“Please let me
preface this recent news article on ethanol in
Greenwich
Township
,
Warren
County
. Sometime this past January I received a call from some folks in
Greenwich
Township
. They wanted to know it an ethanol plant would be a good fit for their town.
I believed it was important, no matter how big or small a town, that they be
allowed the opportunity to see if an environmentally friendly ethanol plant
would work for them.”
“Ethanol
is water soluble, non-toxic, bio-degradable and will NOT pollute
groundwater”.
“I
know how important it is that the public get the real facts about ethanol and
not the misinformation the media presents on an ongoing basis everyday across
the
USA
. Accordingly, I went through the proper channels and opened a dialog by way of
an informal discussion before the planning board. I agree, an ethanol
plant is not a good fit everywhere, and
Greenwich
Township
has decided it’s not a good fit for them.”
“Still,
public awareness, education and getting the real facts are very important as we
all work to reduce our dependence on foreign oil from unstable and terroristic
nations. All mixes of renewable fuels must play an important part in
America
’s national security, energy security, economic security and environmental
security.”
Ethanol,
“If we can drink it, why can’t we fuel our cars and trucks with it?”
A pass on ethanol plant
Greenwich
Township
tells energy company to look elsewhere in
Warren
County
.
Thursday, March 13,
2008
By
COLIN MCEVOY,
GREENWICH
TWP - The Township planning
board hopes to see an ethanol plant come to
Warren
County, just not to the township.
After an informal discussion
with an energy company official, most board members Wednesday said they were in
favor of the idea. They just don't think it's a practical fit for the township
"Ethanol may be the
fuel of the future," said Chairman Tom Bolger. "But there may be
better places to put an ethanol plant within the geographic area."
East Coast Energy Solutions
President Susan Ruch said she was only seeking information about possible
interest before bringing more formal plans before the board.
Ruch said she is looking
into three other sites in
Warren
County
, including one at the
Phillipsburg
Commerce
Park
, or the former Ingersoll-Rand Property, and another property in
Phillipsburg
she declined to identify.
Ruch said she is also considering a location off Route 31, on the border
of
Oxford
and White townships. But it would depend on availability of railroad service,
which she said is key to any ethanol plant.
"Both towns would share
the revenues if it went through," she said. "But it's still
preliminary at this point."
Ruch said no financial
commitments have been made on possible properties because she is still gauging
interest, and making sure rail and other utilities will be available.
In
Greenwich
Township
, Ruch proposed building the plant on about 200 acres off
Richline Road
, which has rail service from the
Norfolk
Southern.
Ruch estimates a plant would
bring in about $1.2 million in local taxes and create 40 direct jobs and more
than 600 indirect jobs.
But Bolger felt the plant's estimated storage of 50,000 gallons of
gasoline and 100,000 gallons of ethanol was not appropriate for the
11-square-mile township. He also
expressed concern about the impact on the local volunteer fire department and
affordable housing construction that would be required after the plant was
built.
Board Member Deborah
Pasquarelli added the
Richline Road
property had resource conservation district zoning, not industrial, and doubted
if anywhere in the township had the proper zoning for the proposed plant.
But the majority of board members said they approved the concept of the
project and hopes Ruch would find a local home for it.
"I hope you get into
Warren
County
, I really do," said Board Member Joe Schiller. Ruch said in addition to
the three possible
Warren
locations, she is considering one site in
Hunterdon
County
and four others around the state.
Three local sites considered
for ethanol plant - East coast energy solutions
looking at
Phillipsburg
and Greenwich, White townships
February
20, 2007 - NJ.com - Express Times
http://www.nj.com/news/expresstimes/nj/index.ssf?/base/news-7/1203483952236680.xml&coll=2
East Coast Energy
Solutions is eyeing three
Warren
County
municipalities --
Phillipsburg
,
Greenwich
Township
and
White
Township
-- as possible sites for an ethanol plant.
Company President Susan Ruch
said the project is in preliminary stages, but her company is looking at about
five possible locations throughout the state, including
South Jersey
.
"We have to do all our investigation and evaluate the best possible
site," Ruch said.
Ruch envisions building a
plant that produces 40 million gallons of ethanol a year. It would likely take
up at least 30 acres, she said. East Coast Energy Solutions will start with one
ethanol plant but another could follow, she said.
She projects a plant would
bring $1.2 million to a community
'
s tax base and create 40 direct jobs.
Railroad service is key to
any ethanol plant, she said.
In
Phillipsburg
, Ruch is exploring the possibility of building a plant at the
Phillipsburg
Commerce
Park
, or the former Ingersoll-Rand property. There, a main rail line runs around the
property but the company would need a spur to connect it to a potential ethanol
plant.
"We
'
re looking at a federal agency about applying for a grant" to help pay for
the spur, town Urban Enterprise Zone Director Mark Portnoy said.
Ruch thinks a spur would be
advantageous for other industries interested in the property.
The property is owned by
Preferred Real Estate, but the town has been frustrated by the developer
'
s lack of progress and taken steps toward eminent domain. The town has selected
Panattoni Development Co. to revitalize the land and is working toward reaching
a redevelopment agreement.
Portnoy said he
'
d like to learn more about the ethanol plant project before commenting on its
potential effect on the town. Town Mayor Harry Wyant said he doesn't
have direct knowledge of a possible project in
Phillipsburg
. He also said he
'
d need further information before commenting.
"It
'
s all very exciting, and we
'
ll have to see how things play out," Portnoy said.
East Coast Energy Solutions
was originally slated to give a presentation regarding a possible plant to
Greenwich
Township
planning board members Feb. 13 but canceled due to poor weather. Ruch expects
to attend the board
'
s March meeting.
She said she
'
ll discuss a possible plant and how it might fit into the township
'
s plans.
There are a few areas the
company is looking at in both
Greenwich
and White townships that are near rail lines, Ruch said.
Reporter Andrea Eilenberger
can be reached at 610-258-7171 or by e-mail at aeilenberger@express-times.com.
December 17, 2007 - Globest.com
BELVIDERE
,
NJ
-The project is in the relatively early stages of discussion, but if the
pieces fall into place, this
Warren
County
community could soon get a major ethanol-producing plant. According to
published reports, East Coast Energy Solutions, a Hightstown, NJ-based company
headed by president Susan Ruch, is looking to build just such a facility.
Local
and company officials confirm that discussions are under way for the project,
and it’s actually a three-way discussion. Besides ECES and local and county
officials, DSM Nutritional Products Inc. is at the table as well. The
Swiss-based company has a major complex here, with excess acreage that’s said
to be the possible site for the plant.
Details
remain sketchy owing to the relatively early stages, but ECES officials have
confirmed a few numbers. The project’s price tag is estimated to be in the
$120 million range, and the projected impact will translate into about 40
full-time jobs at a plant that will turn out some 40 million gallons of the
alternative fuel annually.
The
local site is under consideration for two reasons, say ECES officials. One is
that it is in the middle of the grain-rich farmlands of Warren and the adjacent
Hunterdon counties. Most of that grain currently goes to feed mills across the
Delaware River in
Pennsylvania
but, “the plant will use as much local corn as possible,” says a spokesman
for the company.
The
second reason is proximity to East Coast refineries, including those along the
New Jersey Turnpike in Middlesex, Union, Essex and
Hudson
counties. That proximity lends itself to low-cost shipping for the purpose of
mixing the alternative fuel with regular petroleum to create a blend.
Discussions
remain preliminary at this point but, “we will update the progress of this
venture before Christmas,” says the ECES spokesman. There are presently
approximately 100 ethanol plants in the
US
, with another 40 under construction, according to the spokesman. And besides
the plant proposed for this location, ECES has another proposal on the table for
Bridgeton
, in
South Jersey
.
County is being eyed
for ethanol production plant
Friday,
December 14, 2007
By KEVIN LECHISKI, Staff Writer, Warren
Reporter
As oil
prices continue to hover around $3 per gallon, a renewable source of energy
being eyed as a cheaper, cleaner alternative to petroleum could get a
manufacturing home in Warren County.
The DSM Nutrition site along the
Belvidere-White
Township
border is one of three potential locations in
New Jersey
being eyed by partners of a joint venture seeking the construction of a $120
million ethanol production plant.
Partnering in the project are HDW Bio-Fuels Consulting, which has ethanol plants
in
Colorado
and
Iowa
, and the Mercer County-based East Coast Energy Solutions. If built, the plant
would be
New Jersey
'
s first. Currently, there are more than 130 ethanol plants in operation around
the country, and many more are in the works. From the proposed
New Jersey
plant, ethanol would be sent to area refineries to be blended into gasoline.
Susan Ruch, President of East Coast Energy Solutions, said
Warren
County
and the two other
New Jersey
sites are being considered because of their "proximity to destination
point of ethanol market and local grain availability." If ultimately sited
in
Warren
County
, Ruch said it would be the intent of her and her partners to use as much
locally grown corn and other crops as possible in the production of ethanol.
Ruch said she anticipates demand for ethanol will only continue to grow. From a
financial standpoint, the ethanol blend that would be made at her partners
'
proposed plant is less costly than petroleum. From environmental standpoints,
Ruch said the production of ethanol is beneficial because it is biodegradable,
non-toxic, water soluble and a renewable oxygenate that does not harm drinking
water resources. Ethanol use, she said, reduces gasoline
'
s most toxic and harmful emissions.
Ruch anticipates the proposed
New Jersey
plant would produce 40 million gallons per year and create 40 direct jobs and
660 indirect jobs in the area. Principals in the project are hoping to break
ground for the facility during 2008. Construction is expected to last 12-18
months.
Ruch said
she and her partners have held meetings with county and local officials
regarding the proposal and plan to hold follow-up meetings in the future.
Freeholder
Richard Gardner said he believes such a facility would prove to be an
outstanding fit for
Warren
County
, and provide a boost for the economy, especially from an agricultural
standpoint.
Gardner
said he is excited about the
prospects of local farms growing the crops used in ethanol manufacturing.
"It
'
s important to have a solid market for our products," he stated.
"Having such a facility in operation would be complementary to the county
'
s farmland preservation goals of saving both the land and the farmers
'
operations."
Gardner
also noted local farms stand to
benefit from byproducts created in the production of ethanol. One such byproduct
is in the form of distillers dried grain with solubles, or DDGS, which has been
shown to improve feeding efficiencies for livestock producers.
Gardner
said the type of ethanol
production plant being proposed is clean-operating and able to recycle much of
the water used in production process.
A big
advantage to the
Warren
County
site, he noted, is the availability of rail infrastructure to transport
products.
Gardner
said discussions regarding the
ethanol plant proposal are in only their preliminary stages. He anticipates more
detailed discussions once the principals develop a business plan.
Cheryl
Burket, chairperson of the Warren County Environmental Commission, said the
commission was just apprised of the proposal last month. If organizers
ultimately decide to pick
Warren
County
as the finalist for the proposed plant, Burket said the commission will be
actively involved in addressing any potential concerns affecting public health
and safety, including traffic impacts and any possible air quality issues.
While
supporters hail ethanol as an outstanding alternative to petroleum, there are
opponents who claim the fuel isn't'
t as efficient and environmentally-friendly as its proponents portray.
Scientists at
Cornell
University
claim making ethanol actually uses more energy than it creates. A recent report
from the National Research Council claimed that if projected increases in the
use of corn for ethanol production occur, water quality and supplies could be
threatened.
http://www.pennlive.com/news/expresstimes/nj/
Farmers
hope time is ripe for ethanol
Talk of
corn-based fuel refinery in
Warren
County
opens possible new markets for growers.
Wednesday,
December 12, 2007
BY SARA K.
SATULLO
The
Express-Times
For some an
ethanol plant can
'
t get built in
Warren
County
fast enough.
Area
farmers hope for a new market for their corn after hearing that East Coast
Energy Solutions is considering
Warren
County
as a site for an ethanol plant. With the rising costs of trucking and
production, many say the closer the market the better.
"We need it real
bad,"
White
Township
farmer Jake Bilyk said. "Everything goes to Lancaster (
Pa.
) now. This would be an excellent market close to home."
The company is considering
three sites, including
Warren
County
, for a $120 million plant. The hope is the plant would generate 40 full-time
jobs and produce 40 million gallons of the alternative fuel each year.
Talks are preliminary, but
another meeting is scheduled this month between the company, area officials and
DSM Nutritional Products, which has been raised as a possible site.
East Coast Energy Solutions
will update the progress of the venture before Christmas, company President
Susan Ruch said.
Most of the grain from
Hunterdon and Warren farms goes down to
Lancaster
feed mills. Then it is used in poultry, dairy and hog operations. But transport
doesn't come cheap.
Bilyk pays to transport his
100,000 bushels of corn, which can cost anywhere from 35 to 50 cents per bushel.
As fuel costs rise, Bilyk
said, so do his transportation costs.
"I farm (DSM
'
s) ground. It
'
s less than a mile from me. It would be a great thing for every one of us."
The company
is considering
Warren
County
because it is close to East Coast refineries, Ruch said. The plant will use as
much local corn as possible, she said.
New
Jersey Farm Bureau President Richard Nieuwenhuis says the bureau supports
ethanol plants coming to the state. The bureau has worked closely for two years
with Garden State Ethanol, a
New Jersey
venture that he said has been plagued with problems trying to find a viable
site.
"We do feel there is
economic viability to an ethanol plant on the East Coast," Niewenhuis said,
noting Ruch
'
s company has not contacted the bureau.
Hunterdon
County
agriculture agent Bob Mickel
said a new market is great but he wonders how much companies will pay for corn
that is close by.
"It would give our
producers another market for their corn, but it
'
s not necessarily a higher market," he said. "Right now it is higher
because the government has gotten behind ethanol production."
Grain prices fluctuate, which
is part of the cyclical nature of agricultural commodities, he said. But ethanol
has really driven costs up and it won
'
t fix all of the country
'
s fuel woes, he warned.
"It
'
s not going to be the windfall everyone proposed it to be," Mickel said.
Bilyk says ethanol isn
'
t the only factor driving up the costs of farming.
"Look at our fertilizer
and fuel costs. Everything is out of hand right now," he said. "And
wait until we plant next spring when everything doubles and triples."
Nieuwenhuis say ethanol is a
factor but the world market is the highest driver of grain and other costs. He
advocates research into more renewable fuels.
"American farmers are
great at producing," Nieuwenhuis said. "We could produce whatever the
research may develop as far as renewable fuels go."
Reporter Sara K. Satullo can
be reached at 908-475-2174 or by e-mail at
ssatullo@express-times.com
.
DTN
Ethanol Blog
Tuesday
Dec 11, 2007
Talk
of New Jersey Ethanol Plant Opens Possible new Markets for Growers
For some an ethanol plant
can
'
t get built in Warren County, N.J. fast enough. Area farmers hope for a new
market for their corn after hearing that East Coast Energy Solutions is
considering
Warren
County
as a site for an ethanol plant. With the rising costs of trucking and
production, many say the closer the market the better. "We need it real
bad,"
White
Township
farmer Jake Bilyk said. "Everything goes to Lancaster (
Pa.
) now. This would be an excellent market close to home." The company is
considering three sites, including
Warren
County
, for a $120-million plant. The hope is the plant would generate 40 full-time
jobs and produce 40 million gallons of ethanol.
Warren Co. in the
running for N.J.'s first ethanol plant
November 16, 2007 00:01AM
Warren
County
is one of three locations in
New Jersey
under consideration to house what could be the state
'
s first ethanol plant.
Plans for a $120 million
ethanol plant are preliminary, but principals in the project have met with
county and local officials to discuss the possibility.
Ethanol is made from
agricultural crops such as corn, sugar cane and even some types of trees.
Today it is primarily used as
a gasoline substitute in low levels to reduce air pollution, but it can be used
as a renewable fuel.
The plant would employ 40
full-time employees, produce 40 million gallons of ethanol a year and use as
much local feedstock as possible to generate the alternative fuel source,
according to Robert Ward, the chief executive officer of HDW Biofuels
Consulting; a partner in the joint venture.
"We have selected
building sites at the overall destination point -- the East Coast
refineries," Ward said "There are (no plants) near the demand for
ethanol."
Present demand and future
projections have caused its production to explode in the
Midwest
where the main ingredient is readily available. But to date there are no
operational plants in the Northeast close to the blending refineries.
Ward
'
s company, which has plants in Colorado and Iowa, is teaming up with Hightstown,
N.J.-based East Coast Energy Solutions to build an ethanol plant somewhere in
New Jersey.
East Coast
'
s mission is to bring ethanol plants to the state and the joint venture will be
in the company
'
s name, East Coast President Susan Ruch said.
Venture
proposes ethanol plant in East
Warren
County
site in running.
Company
also looking at two other locations in New Jersey
Friday, November 16,
2007
The
Express-Times
Warren
County
is one of three locations in
New Jersey
under consideration to house what could be the state's first ethanol plant.
Plans for a $120 million
ethanol plant are preliminary, but principals in the project have met with
county and local officials to discuss the possibility.
Ethanol is
made from agricultural crops such as corn, sugar cane and even some types of
trees. Today it is primarily used as a gasoline substitute in low levels to
reduce air pollution, but it can be used as a renewable fuel.
The plant would employ 40 full-time employees, produce 40 million gallons
of ethanol a year and use as much local feedstock as possible to generate the
alternative fuel source, according to Robert Ward, chief executive officer of
HDW Biofuels Consulting, a partner in the joint venture.
"We
have selected building sites at the overall destination point -- the East Coast
refineries," Ward said. "There are (no plants) near the demand for
ethanol."
Present
demand and future projections have caused ethanol
'
s production to explode in the
Midwest
, where the main ingredient is readily available. But to date there are no
operational plants in the Northeast close to the blending refineries.
Ward
'
s company, which has plants in Colorado and Iowa, is teaming up with Hightstown,
N.J.-based East Coast Energy Solutions to build an ethanol plant somewhere in
New Jersey. East Coast
'
s mission is to bring ethanol plants to the state and the joint venture will be
in the company
'
s name, East Coast President Susan Ruch said.
Reporter Sara K.
Satullo can be reached at 908-475-2174 or by e-mail at
ssatullo@express-times.com
.
