California, especially the San Francisco Bay area, is known for its environmentally conscious ways. According to this story in the North County Times, the area’s first public biodiesel station takes green to a whole new level:
Biofuel Oasis, a Berkeley-based retailer, said its station will feature credit-card operated pumps, air and water hoses, a convenience store and long hours. But the four well-lit pumps will be solar powered, the convenience store will sell organic lemonade, and the pumps will only dispense biodiesel, which is frequently made from products such as vegetable oil or soy.
The new station should save time for the Bay Area’s ever-increasing flock of biodiesel drivers, who now have to wait as long as an hour to fill up at Biofuel Oasis’ one-pump warehouse in West Berkeley or drive to a membership co-op in San Francisco during its very limited hours.
“We think this is going to bring biodiesel to a whole new level,” said Melissa Hardy, Biofuel Oasis co-owner. “Although we like to think of this as the anti-gas station.”
There are about a dozen biodiesel stations in the Bay Area, but the others are cooperatives for members only and are opened limited hours.