San Francisco becomes the largest city in the nation to switch to a 20% biodiesel blend for all of its city vehicles. This comes as the area’s first public biodiesel pumps open (see my post from April 19th). Check out this release from the National Biodiesel Board:

“Every city bears responsibility for taking local action to address our global climate crisis, and vehicle emissions are a major source of greenhouse gases,” said Mayor Newsom. “When it comes to the use of alternative fuels, renewable energy sources and greening our city fleet, San Francisco is demonstrating leadership and commitment on every front.”

“The city of San Francisco departments have announced various strategies using biodiesel to reduce air pollution and greenhouse gases, and to use local resources to produce biofuels,” said Randall von Wedel, a biochemist representing the National Biodiesel Board (NBB) in state regulatory affairs, based in the San Francisco area. “We are grateful to Mayor Newsom for his initiative,” said von Wedel, “and we hope that San Francisco will serve as a model for other large cities on how to make a difference in reducing air pollution, greenhouse gases and dependence on petroleum fuel.”

City officials also announced their “Biofuel Recycling Program,” today. Under the program, waste grease and cooking oil will be collected from area restaurants. Biodiesel plants in the area will turn the separated cooking oils into biodiesel, and the grease will be made into methane gas to power electric generators for San Francisco.