The other day I told you about a pair of Wisconsin biodiesel homebrewers who have been sent a tax bill by the state for about 33 cents a gallon of what they’ve been making and using in their vehicles. Now, a Virginia man has pleaded guilty to misdemeanor tax evasion on biodiesel he’s been making and selling.
According to this story in the Roanoke (VA) Times, Sam Bolt of Carroll County, Virginia got suspended one-year jail sentences and a $250 fine. A plea bargain ended up dropping a related felony charge:
“I’m satisfied with that,” Bolt said outside the Carroll County courthouse. “Getting this over with is my concern.”
Commonwealth’s Attorney Gregory Goad said things might not be over yet. There are still issues relating to tax payments the Internal Revenue Serive and the state Department of Motor Vehicles may pursue, Goad said.
“Consideration of everything else he’s got coming is why we did what we did here today,” Goad said. “He’s got a lot of issues to address outside these proceedings.”
Bolt was making biodiesel out of vegetable oil. He made about 5,600 gallons during a three-month period.
“If being innovative and supplying cheap fuel to the public to reduce the stranglehold foreign oil has on us is the charge, I’m guilty,” Bolt said outside the courthouse.”I think the American people want this.”
According to the article, even the judge in the case admitted Bolt might be a pioneer… but he said homebrewers need to get up-to-speed on fuel regulations.
After meeting with the CEOs of major automobile manufacturers on Monday, President Bush spent Tuesday taking a look at alternative fuel vehicles used by the U.S. Postal Service, FedEx, UPS, and the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. 
Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle and officials with North Prairie Productions, LLC were among those at a groundbreaking ceremony in Evansville for the state’s latest biodiesel plant. According to 
“Our state has the ideal resources to be a national model for renewable energy – from agriculture and forestry, to manufacturing and cutting-edge innovation,” Doyle said in prepared remarks. 
Mike Robinson, president of North Prairie Productions, is delighted with the state’s support, but even more grateful to investors. While biofuels have plenty of detractors, Robinson said about 800 investors, all Wisconsin residents, have committed an average of $30,000 to the company as part of an equity drive that will close on April 5.
Our friends at “The Fueling Station” in St. Petersburg, Florida alerted us to an 
The 
“I first would say that I don’t think about using food for fuel. I think about using crops for fuel. I say that because this use has been an objective of agriculture for a long, long time. Henry Ford built a car out of plastic made from soybeans a long, long time ago. We’ve been trying to utilize agricultural commodities in industrial uses for decades precisely because the productive capacity of American agriculture has been so great. It’s often overwhelmed demand and created lower prices. That’s why we have this elaborate system of price and income support programs at USDA. So it’s not a new thing to use crops for fuel.”
Rick Wagoner, Chairman and CEO, General Motors Corporation said that flex fuel vehicles offer the best opportunity right now for America to lessen its dependence on foreign oil. “There are millions on the road today. As a group, we’ve agreed to double our production by the year 2010, and then have 50 percent of our production E85-capable by the year 2012.”
Vegetable oil converted to motor-vehicle fuel is considered a biodiesel, which is taxable under state law, said Meredith Helgerson, spokeswoman for the Revenue Department.
Ironically, this news comes after the