The U.S. Biodiesel Industry Matures

[jpak]

http://www.renewableenergyaccess.com/rea/news/story?id=43614

San Diego, California. From military fleets to long-haul truckers, farm equipment to heating oil supplies, and of course, in diesel vehicles' gas tanks, biodiesel is cropping up all over the U.S. as the clean fuel made primarily from soybeans experiences breakneck growth. This rapidly maturing business was clearly visible in San Diego, California, last week at the industry's national conference and trade show.

"There's no one silver bullet to our energy needs but biodiesel is absolutely one of our best tools to make a difference in energy supply and works with what we already have. It can play a valuable role in diversifying our energy supply and increasing the amount of fuel that is domestically produced. It's here today and it works immediately. For an alternative fuels to be successful it has to work with what we have."-- Jenna Higgins, Communications Director for the NBB

First, some telling stats: Last year, blenders throughout the U.S. made 75 million gallons of the fuel, up from 25 million just a year prior in 2004. Reflecting this growth, attendance at the National Biodiesel Board's (NBB) conference was more than 2,500, up from around 1,500 the year before.

And just days prior to the conference, President George W. Bush's State of the Union address included a suggestion that biofuels will play a critical part in lowering the nation's dependence on foreign oil. Critics may legitimately grumble (and grumble they did) that any effort to reduce dependence on foreign oil should include a mandatory rise in vehicle fuel efficiency standards and a DOE budget for renewable energy that doesn't eliminate key programs like geothermal to make way for others, but the President's mention of biofuels in such a public platform was icing on the cake for an industry that's optimistic about continued growth.

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[FtWayneBlue]

1. We recently got a station here in Ft. Wayne

that sells 5 and 20 per cent biodiesel fuel to the public. It is ran by a farmers co-op, I think. My Ford runs quieter with the 20 per cent stuff. I don't notice it smelling any better, though. I haven't had any cold temperature problems with it, althogh my cam sensor failed and I was suspicious of the fuel at first until I found the problem was unrelated.

I also heard there was a new facility being built nearby in Huntington to make more biodiesel.