As the National Biodiesel Conference and Expo prepares to open in Texas next week, the biodiesel industry is keeping one eye on Washington, D.C., in hopes the Federal Government will complete its critical unfinished business from 2009.

No, not health care reform. For this young industry, the most important actions the government needs to act upon are implementation of a new Renewable Fuel Standard and extension of the biodiesel tax credit.

"Biodiesel plants are suffering from a 'hold-on-for-dear-life' year," said Joe Jobe, CEO of the National Biodiesel Board. "The good news is that 2010 could be a year of tremendous recovery for us, as our industry will discover at this conference."

Soon to be finalized, the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS-2) will set new minimums for biodiesel use. The National Biodiesel Board has invited regulators to explain the complex compliance issues of the new program to stakeholders from across the country.

The biodiesel tax credit, which expired at the end of the year, has helped nurture the industry from a niche market favorite to a widely used alternative fuel that is chipping away at global warming.

The tax credit is the biodiesel industry's single most important market driver, and the RFS-2 is the safety net that insures energy investors of demand for our American made, sustainable fuel.

The conference will be held February 7 - 10 at the magnificent Gaylord Texan just minutes from the Dallas-Ft. Worth Airport. To register and view the conference program, visit http://www.biodieselconference.org/.

President Barack Obama promised in his State of the Union address to make sure America leads the world with its clean-energy economy, calling for more jobs in this sector and incentives to make homes more energy-efficient.  We now have the opportunity to step up and show support for green jobs and sustainable energy.

Your congressional delegation needs to hear from you, they want to know how their voters feel.  Tell them you want them to sign on to S. 1589 in the Senate or H.R. 4070 in the House.  These resolutions support the tax credit to make American made biodiesel price competitive with imported petroleum.   Biodiesel is a sustainable replacement for petroleum diesel. It's made from excess oil, fats and waste greases.  It cuts emissions, greenhouse gas, and exhaust - all the while supporting 23,000 green jobs.

Please call or write your Senator and Representative by February 12^th.  Let them know that you want them to support cleaner energy alternatives and the green economy.

The time to act is now.  Click here to get the phone numbers and addresses for your elected officials in Washington.

Biodiesel has helped shine a spotlight on Poland Spring Bottling of Maine's carbon emissions reductions.  The company's environmental efforts were recognized recently by the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), a leading non-profit environmental organization with more than 700,000 members.

Biodiesel blends have played a major role in Poland Spring's success.  In an effort to reduce the company's carbon footprint, Poland Spring switched to a five percent (B5) biodiesel blend in its fleet in 2007.  Poland Spring Truck Fleet Manager Chris McKenna estimates that since then, the company has reduced annual carbon emissions by 1.8 million pounds.  That is the equivalent of taking approximately 193 cars off the road every year.  

Using biodiesel blends has also improved fuel economy in Poland Spring's fleet of 36 tractor trailers and 75 tanker trucks. Biodiesel has been cheaper than its petrol counterpart in Poland Spring's neighborhood and after two years of using biodiesel blends, the company has saved $70,000 in fuel costs alone. 

"The switch to biodiesel ended up being a win not just for the environment, but for our company's bottom line as well," McKenna said. "Today, we're saving 5 to 12 cents per gallon and also significantly reducing our carbon emissions."

In addition to using biodiesel blends, the company has reduced truck idling time by 70 percent, resulting in an annual reduction of 77 tons of carbon dioxide and saving roughly $20,000 in reduced fuel costs in 2008.

Nearly seven out of 10 Iowa voters say they want legislation to ensure the state's diesel fuel supply includes five percent biodiesel (B5).   The Iowa Biodiesel Board released the results of new public opinion research to show legislators that there is strong support for the proposed Iowa Biodiesel Fuel Quality Standard legislation.

The measure, which passed the State Senate last year with bipartisan support and now awaits passage in the House, would ensure that Iowa uses one of its most prominent homegrown products. 

"This would create demand for 45 million gallons of Iowa-made biodiesel a year, reducing our state's use of foreign oil by a corresponding amount," said Randy Olson, IBB executive director.   "Why wouldn't we use our own energy product here?" 

Iowans agree.  Conducted by Moore Information in December, the public opinion research found that:

• 66 percent of Iowa voters said they support the B5 legislation
• Only 16 percent said they oppose it
• More than 4 out of 5 surveyed said they would use biodiesel if given the chance 

Although once the national leader in biodiesel production capacity, today almost half of Iowa's biodiesel plants are closed or idled.  Those left standing have drastically reduced production. 

"As biodiesel plants close their doors, Iowa has already lost 2,500 green jobs and its position as the leading renewable energy state," Olson said. "We have an opportunity to reverse this trend, and reinvigorate an industry that still holds promise."  

The IBB has organized a Day on the Hill with biodiesel producers and other supporters on Wednesday, Feb. 3.  They will share the public opinion information and ask for support from legislators.  IBB is one of several state organizations supporting the bill.  Others include Iowa Farm Bureau, American Lung Association of Iowa, Iowa Soybean Association, Iowa Renewable Fuels Association, and Iowa Corn Growers Association.

New Hampshire's Cranmore Mountain made headlines in 2003 when it became the first ski area east of the Mississippi to run its grooming equipment and other diesel vehicles on biodiesel blends.

Now, the resort is celebrating its use of biodiesel and educating its customers about the benefits of cleaner burning biodiesel by hosting two Biodiesel Days this winter.  The first was held on January 23 and the second will be held March 20, 2010.  On that day, drivers of hybrid vehicles or those running on biodiesel or other alternative fuels, will receive a free lift ticket for the day and free VIP parking in the premiere lot.

A grant from the Granite State Clean Cities Coalition (GSCCC) helped Cranmore make the switch to B20 in 2003 and install a 4,000-gallon above ground fuel storage tank.  Since then, Cranmore has continued to use B20 in its equipment and is now using Bioheat fuel to heat its buildings as well.  The resort uses more than 20,000 gallons of B20 each year which results in a 4,000 gallon reduction in conventional diesel fuel use.

Cranmore has been repeatedly recognized for its efforts to "go green." In addition, staff members have spoken at conferences and events on Cranmore's biodiesel program.

According to SkiNH, biodiesel blends have become popular with many other New Hampshire ski resorts including: Bretton Woods; King Pine; Loon Mountain; Mount Sunapee; Ragged Mountain; Jackson XC; Mount Washington Valley Ski Touring and Waterville Valley.  In addition, Colorado's Aspen Resorts and Sugarloaf Mountain in Maine also use biodiesel blends.

For information about biodiesel use in cold weather visit, http://www.biodiesel.org/cold/.

Many of you have already found us and know that NBB is taking an active role in today's latest communications tools, like Twitter and Facebook.  We've had fun learning about all the new ways to share information and now we're inviting biodiesel supporters to join the conversation. Check us out on Twitter, where we can help answer your questions and discuss anything you feel like talking about in the biodiesel world. Whether you want to know if there is a biodiesel pump in your town, or have technical questions, or want to talk about anything biodiesel at all, we want to hear from you! If we don't find you first, you can follow these National Biodiesel Board representatives on Twitter by clicking on the user name:

Biodiesel_Voice

Biodiesel_Media

Hope to tweet you soon! Also, keep up on the latest broadcast news coverage, biodiesel videos and more by subscribing to our YouTube Channel, www.youtube.com/nationalbiodiesel.