Renewable Energy Solutions

GM Launches Ethanol Campaign
Xcel Contract Application (download pdf)

Ethanol is a chemical produced by the fermentation of sugars found in grains and other biomass. Ethanol can be produced from a number of different types of grains, such as wheat and sorghum, as well as from agricultural waste products such as rice hulls, cheese whey, potato waste, brewery and beverage wastes and forestry and paper wastes. However, approximately 90% of ethanol in the United States today is produced from corn because corn produces large quantities of carbohydrates, which convert into glucose more easily than most other kinds of biomass. Current annual domestic ethanol production is in excess of 2.3 billion gallons.

HPE will build a 50 million-gallon per year dry mill ethanol and livestock feed plant (the “Plant”). We have obtained an option contract to purchase 200 acres of property in Morgan County, Colorado that is designated as an ethanol production site. The site is adjacent to an existing Burlington/Northern Railway spur. Interstate highway 76 borders the location with easy ingress and egress access. We would expect to begin construction, depending upon the season and the weather, approximately 60 days after we obtain sufficient commitments for funding (investor equity and lender debt) and subject to our entering into anticipated construction agreements with a general contractor and other subcontractors.

GM LAUNCHES ETHANOL CAMPAIGN

Washington, DC "Live Green Go Yellow" is the national campaign slogan from General Motors to build awareness among consumers, energy producers and policy makers for ethanol/gasoline-blended fuel (E85). More than 1.5 million GM vehicles on the market today already have E85 capability -- and in 2006, GM will offer nine E85 FlexFuel models, bringing an additional 400,000 E85 FlexFuel vehicles into its fleet.

"With the ongoing concern over national energy policy, the need to have more renewable fuel choices such as ethanol blended fuels is a great energy option available today," said Brent Dewar, GM vice president of marketing and advertising. "In the world of ethanol, yellow is the new green, since today its main source is from corn."

"We are trying to start a movement that will heighten the focus on the need to diversify our energy needs with ethanol. Beginning Feb. 8, our campaign will drive people to an E85 website, LiveGreenGoYellow.com, that will help consumers to be better informed of the benefits of ethanol," said Bob Kraut, director, GM Brand Marketing & Advertising Operations.

"The website has many fun and engaging tools, such as the GM Cornulator that calculates the amount of petroleum saved with E85," Kraut added.

Founded in 1908, Detroit-based GM employs about 325,000 people around the world. It has manufacturing operations in 32 countries and its vehicles are sold in 200 countries.