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California Biodiesel Industry Launches Trade Group
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Biodiesel pioneers and industry leaders have created a new not-for-profit
trade association to promote increased use and production of high quality,
renewable biodiesel fuel in California. The group, known as the California
Biodiesel Alliance (CBA), is a diverse association of biodiesel feedstock
suppliers, producers, fuel marketers and distributors, technology providers, fuel retailers, consumers, and advocates.
“We’re inviting industry and members of the public to join us in unleashing the power of the biodiesel market here in California,” said Alliance Chair Eric M. Bowen of Tellurian Biodiesel.
CBA is committed to developing and protecting the biodiesel supply, educating the public about the benefits of biodiesel, and representing the California biodiesel industry in government relations in Sacramento and beyond.
“Our goal is to ensure that biodiesel receives favorable treatment by state and federal regulatory agencies as part of the solution to California air quality challenges and as a benefit to California workers, farmers, and the economy,” said Alliance Secretary Doug Smith of Baker Commodities. “We support California Air Resources Board research studies and the inclusion of biodiesel into the California transportation fuels portfolio.”
CBA offers memberships to biodiesel producers, marketers, and distributors
as well as to companies and individuals who support the industry at the
highest level of fuel quality. Membership forms are available at www.claiforniabiodieselalliance.org.
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A Newwww Car! Chrysler Provides Incentives to NBB Members
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Chrysler LLC is teaming with the National Biodiesel Board (NBB) to offer a discount program to NBB members in the U.S. who purchase or lease a new Chrysler, Jeep or Dodge product. The program has special emphasis on the company’s new diesel passenger vehicles – Dodge Ram heavy duty pickup and Jeep Grand Cherokee SUV.
“Modern clean diesel offers significant improvements in fuel economy, which also means a reduction in carbon dioxide greenhouse gas emissions,” said Deborah Morrissett, Vice President – Regulatory Affairs for Chrysler. “When our diesel products are run on clean, renewable biodiesel, the environmental benefits are even greater – at the same time we are reducing our dependence on petroleum and supporting America’s farm economy.”
Chrysler and NBB have partnered on several initiatives to promote the use of diesel technology and biodiesel, such as a new national fuel standard specifically for B20.
“We are very pleased to see the level of commitment that Chrysler has put into supporting the use of biodiesel,” said Joe Jobe, NBB CEO. “Chrysler’s incentive program is an attractive benefit for our NBB members, and a great opportunity to buy a new vehicle from a company that is working hard to provide consumers with more ‘green vehicle’ options running on renewable fuel.”
Information on the discount purchase/lease program is available to NBB members on the organization’s Members Only web site at www.biodiesel.org. To find out information on becoming a member, visit www.biodiesel.org/members.
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Chicago Area School Children Breathe Easier Thanks to Biodiesel
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The nation’s largest independently owned and operated school bus company has expanded its use of biodiesel. The Chicago-area Cook-Illinois Corporation originally began using a biodiesel blend in about 1,400 buses. Now the company has announced that it will refuel an additional 400 buses with B11. Company officials estimate that they have reduced toxic emissions in Chicago’s air by nearly 1,000 tons over a one year period.
“As a national leader in alternative fuels, we want to make a difference in the air quality for school children,” said John Benish, CEO of Cook Illinois Corporation. “Biodiesel is environmentally safe and will benefit students and the community by reducing pollution.”
Studies reveal that children riding school buses with regular diesel fuel are exposed to higher level of emission toxins than other children. Exhaust emissions inhaled on a consistent basis, particularly exhaust from diesel engines, have been linked to asthma and other respiratory conditions.
To educate kids on the benefits of biodiesel fuel, the company unveiled a new Clean Air Club for kids with an interactive website.
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California Refuse Company Switches to B20
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Another garbage and recycling company is reducing its own waste by switching to biodiesel. Allied Waste Services of San Mateo County, Calif., which provides recycling and disposal services to 100,000 residential and commercial customers, announced it has begun using B20 in some of its fleet vehicles. All of Allied’s 225-truck fleet is expected to be running on biodiesel by the end of January 2008. With its full fleet conversion, Allied will replace some 80,000 gallons of ultra-low sulfur petroleum diesel each month with cleaner-burning alternative fuel produced from local renewable resources.
“Biodiesel is the best greenhouse gas mitigation strategy for heavy duty vehicles available, and this conversion will have a demonstrative, positive environmental impact in the Bay Area communities we serve,” said Allied Waste Industries Chairman and CEO John Zillmer. “In addition, there are proven maintenance cost savings to biodiesel, making this both a good business decision as well as the environmentally right thing to do.”
As the program grows, residents will continue to see more “Powered by Biodiesel” trucks making the rounds throughout the area.
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NBB Hopes for Low Response to Recent Rollout - a Helpline
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A new biodiesel hotline has been set up by the National Biodiesel Board (NBB) – but we hope you never have to call it. Though the recent past has shown that this line may rarely be used, the NBB set up a Troubleshooting Helpline. The call staff will take biodiesel users’ calls on problems they think may attributed to using biodiesel or biodiesel blends that aren’t resolved through the normal channels. The Troubleshooting Helpline number is 800-929-3437.
This year-round resource models a hotline that has been set up in the U.S. to take calls on diesel quality issues. End users and fleets should always contact their biodiesel distributor first if they think there is an issue related to the use of biodiesel blends. Distributors should contact their biodiesel supplier. If additional assistance or expertise is needed, the Troubleshooting Helpline expert staff is there to help users and distributors get to the bottom of any issues surrounding the use of biodiesel blends in the field. It is funded by the United Soybean Board and the soybean checkoff.
The NBB’s intention in launching this hotline is to be proactive, and to ensure everyone has a good experience when using biodiesel blends. Again, this line is for potential problems thought to be caused by biodiesel blend use only – general inquiries still go to 800-841-5849. Also, this is not to be confused with the Biodiesel Hotline to find biodiesel at the pump – 866-BIODIESEL.
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Alabama Pump Sports New Toppers
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The first public B20 pump in Birmingham, Ala. recently celebrated its grand opening in grand style. The pump is wearing with pride a new pump topper kit. Developed by the National Biodiesel Board, the kit gives biodiesel marketers an opportunity for a new look to draw the attention of their customers. The Birmingham station proprietor is reportedly as pleased with the new look as he is with the new sales of B20!
Click here to purchase pump topper kits from the Biodiesel Store, only at AllThingsBiodiesel.com.
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East & West Coast Workshops Round Out Petro Education Series
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The next stop for petroleum distributors wanting to learn more about handling biodiesel is in Seattle, as a series paid for through grants awarded to select Clean Cities Coalitions draws to a close. These Department of Energy program coalitions educated petroleum marketers, fleet managers and other officials about biodiesel fuel quality and ideal management practices. The Seattle, Wash., workshop will be held Oct. 23. Another workshop will be held in Goldsboro, NC, Oct. 24.
The Maryland Energy Administration, the Clean Cities program and the National Biodiesel Foundation teamed up to award grants to Ohio; New Mexico; Columbia/Willamette, Ore.; South Carolina; Puget Sound; Philadelphia; Colorado; Virginia and the Triangle area, North Carolina, Clean Cities. The goal of these seminars, and of Clean Cities, is to increase the use of alternative fuels in metropolitan areas.
For more details, please check www.biodiesel.org/events. The National Biodiesel Foundation was created to conduct outreach, education, research and demonstrations for the advancement of biodiesel and its co-products.
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Upcoming Events
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