This year has been an exceptionally snowy one for much of the U.S., and some students in Michigan are making use of all the snow… while learning about the benefits of biofuels.
The SAE Clean Snowmobile Challenge is going on now through Saturday at Michigan Technological University’s Keweenaw Research Center at Houghton County Memorial Airport. The Daily Mining Gazette reports that 17 teams of university students have brought their machines to compete in quietest and cleanest competitions:
A new challenge is in the mix this year. More accurately, it’s in the fuel mix.
“This year we have made each team use bio-fuel and that can be either E85 or B10, which is a biodiesel fuel,” event coordinator Jay Meldrum said.
He said the bio-fuel requirement is a precursor to next year, when snowmobiles will have to run on flex-fuel — different fuel types that will change from day to day.
Last year, the University of McGill took 1st place in the Zero Emissions Class and the University of Idaho won top honors in the Internal Combustion Class.
The first competition was held in 2000 at Yellowstone National Park after a controversy over snowmobiles in the park prompted organizers to look for cleaner, quieter snowmobiles.
“As diesel costs continue to skyrocket, this tax break will help ease the pain at the pump for consumers while helping to develop our state’s biodiesel industry,” Rounds said in a news release. “Biodiesel is an ideal alternative to petroleum-based fuel. It will not reduce mileage, and because of its increased lubricity, it is better for the engine.”
The Missouri State Senate has passed a biodiesel standard that would require all diesel sold in the state to contain at least 5 percent biodiesel.
The move has gained the praise of the Missouri Soybean Association:
“A B5 Standard is the next step in advancing Missouri’s growing biofuels industry and we are grateful for the leadership that Senator Stouffer has provided on this important issue,” said Dale R. Ludwig, Missouri Soybean Association (MSA) Executive Director/CEO. “It is refreshing to have people who realize the important role biodiesel can play in reducing our dependency on foreign oil. Missourians can take pride in knowing that homegrown, renewable fuels, such as biodiesel, keep more dollars in the state when we spend less on petroleum-based fuels.”
“With our support for renewable fuels and the leadership of the Missouri Corn Growers, our state has become a leader in ethanol production,” Blunt said. 
I finally had the chance today to sit down and listen to the entire speech Assistant Energy Secretary Andy Karsner made at the 
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The boat, Earthrace, is set to make another attempt at circumnavigating the globe fueled by biodiesel.
Biodiesel producers in Pennsylvania are in a tough spot these days, and unless the state steps in to help them, their industry could go bust by the end of the month.