Big Oil Helps WA Biodiesel, Ethanol Standards

John Davis

No, that’s not a typo in the headline. This story from the Seattle Post-Intelligencer says some of the world’s biggest oil companies are working to help the state of Washington put its 2 percent biodiesel and ethanol requirements into effect.

Exxon Mobil Corp. plans to open a biodiesel blending terminal in Spokane by late November, the company’s first in the country, said Prem Nair, a spokeswoman for the Irving, Texas-based company. The terminal will begin blending and supplying biodiesel by Dec. 1.

Within weeks, Chevron Corp. will also begin supplying diesel fuel blended with 5 percent biodiesel to marketers and retail outlets in Washington.

The new supply comes as Washington is struggling to meet a mandate to use more biodiesel, a cleaner fuel, and when several biodiesel projects in the state have been canceled or put on hold.

Currently, about 0.6 percent of all diesel sold in the state is biodiesel, the state says.

The article goes on to say that the help from Big Oil will help give a boost to Washington’s 2 percent ethanol and 2 percent biodiesel mandates, about to go into effect at the end of November.

Biodiesel, Ethanol, News