October 16th Council Meeting

The Council will be conducting a work session at 5:45 to discuss several topics including bringing cameras into the Council Chambers. I believe being able to record and broadcast our meetings through cable access and on the city's website will bring city government to our citizens. This democratizing act would be paid for by the cable company’s franchising fee.

The Council meeting at 7pm will focus on Ever Cat Fuels. This is a cutting edge biodiesel technology company. The technology was developed at the University of Minnesota and Augsburg College. I have been working on bringing Ever Cat Fuels to Isanti since March of this year. I've seen the technology at work and in production from the lab to the test facility. I had the privilege of escorting Congressman Oberstar and State Senator Olseen on tours of the test facility.

The idea that this technology, with over 150 years of combined PhD research behind it, can help solve the world’s energy problems is simply amazing. The fact that Isanti is leading the way is monumental. The facility in Isanti will be a demonstration plant producing 3 million and then potentially 30 million gallons of biodiesel. As we approach larger capacities rail service will be needed. A side note: this could get us to a rail industrial park which would be the only one in the region and have significant economic offshoot. The demonstration part is important because as this technology gets adopted, Isanti can expect to receive 1000 or more visitors per year to learn about the technology. This is another important offshoot for local businesses and any future hotel project.

I also drew comfort from the fact that the parent company, SarTec has been in business for over two decades.

http://www.sartec.com/

The raw materials can range from soybean to corn to waste food oils to even algae. The process does not have any of the “soap” by-products from current biodiesel processes and can actual use the “waste” product from both ethanol and other biodiesel plants. The algae option is really the most exciting source. One of the options for growing algae is using the excess heat and co2 that comes from coal power plants, as demonstrated at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

In this process, the lost heat and pollutants from a coal generating electric plant are captured and turned into energy. A clear win/win for everyone involved.

I will not attempt to explain the science here, but I do encourage everyone with interest to attend the October 16th Council meeting to see Ever Cat’s presentation themselves.

Here is their website, which is still under construction…

http://www.evercatfuels.com/

The benefits of this project to Isanti are:

• Good paying technical jobs
• $5,000,000 facility bringing 3 acres of industrial land onto the tax rolls
• Cutting edge technology
• Increased business travel
• Real life example of science applied for our students to experience
• Future possible spin off businesses
• Puts Isanti on the map for both high tech and green technology companies
• Locally grown feed stocks can be used

The benefits to the nation and beyond include:

• Profitable even without government subsidy for biodiesel production
• Lower dependence on foreign crude oil
• Renewable
• Biodegradable and low toxicity
• Environmentally friendly
• Improvement of rural economies
• Lower combustion emission profile
• Use without diesel engine modifications
• Good engine performance
• Improved combustion because of its oxygen content
• Ability to be blended with traditional petroleum-based diesel fuel

Ever Cat will bring the highest paying jobs to Isanti of any Industrial Park project to date. It is important to me that any new business I work with has good paying jobs. This facility is new and the jobs created are new jobs, not simply transferring current employees around.

The potential for dramatically increasing business travel in our area is key to the placement of a motel/hotel in Isanti. We are an event city. Everything from the Rodeo/Jubilee days to soccer tournaments, BMX events and the numerous other events bring tens of thousands of visitors to our city--mostly on the weekends. The missing component is the Monday to Thursday traveler that sustains a motel/hotel. Ever Cat helps fill that role.

The biodiesel plant will highlight Isanti. I intend to leverage this project into other high tech and green technology businesses. Our City will be discussed by legislators, business owners and many others that would never have come in contact with us if not for this project.

The last economic advantage from Ever Cat is the future ability to leverage increased biodiesel production into a rail industrial park. I have been working on rail industrial development for nearly a year. I would still hold to clean industries if we progressed to a rail industrial park. A clear advantage would be having the only rail industrial park in the region. I believe we need to look at all options as we strive to increase Isanti’s business growth.

And, oh by the way, it helps save the world . . .