Bay Area Fueler to Offer Local Biodiesel on Earth Day

John Davis

A San Francisco Bay Area biodiesel producer will offer its locally produced green fuel starting this Friday, April 22, Earth Day. Sirona Fuels says the biodiesel will save consumers more than 25 cents a gallon compared to petroleum diesel, and local businesses that recycle their used cooking oil with Sirona Fuels, 20 percent of the sale price biodiesel goes to …

Biodiesel

Tidewater Biodiesel Gets Green Light on Proposed Plant

John Davis

A proposed biodiesel plant in Virginia has gotten a boost after a city commission gave it a green light to proceed. The Virginian-Pilot reports that the Chesapeake city planning commission gave Tidewater Biodiesel a conditional-use permit for a 10-million-gallon-a-year biodiesel plant: Wednesday night, residents spoke in support of the project, with one opposed to the potential detriment to home values …

Biodiesel

Recovering Biodiesel Plant Faces New Foe: Tax Man

John Davis

Since we’re rapidly approaching tax deadline day, it seems only appropriate to talk about taxes and biodiesel. A Maryland biodiesel plant recovering from a devastating explosion that killed a worker in 2008 and the struggles the biodiesel industry in general has faced in the past couple of years is now facing a new foe: the tax man. This story from …

Biodiesel

Solar3D Completes Key Piece in Solar Cell Design

John Davis

California-based Solar3D has announced completion of a key component of its new solar cell. This company press release says it has finished the design of the Light Collector section, part of its 3-dimensional solar cells: “Our innovative solar cell design has two main sections: a Light Collector section coupled with a Micro-Photovoltaic section. The completion of the Light Collector design …

Solar

Propel Tells Senate to Fund Ethanol, Biodiesel Pumps

John Davis

The man in charge of a company that sells biodiesel and E85 ethanol to the public has told Congress that it needs to keep funding programs to help offset the costs of infrastructure that make the green fuels available to the public. This post from Biodiesel Magazine says Matt Horton, CEO of Propel Fuels, told the Senate Committee on Energy …

Biodiesel, Ethanol, Ethanol News, News

USDA Awards Grants for Sustainable Biodiesel, Ethanol

John Davis

The U.S. Department of Agriulture has announced nearly $37 million in research grants to promote the production sustainable biodiesel and ethanol production. This USDA press release says the money is designed to help the country meet the goal of 36 billion gallons of biofuels per year by 2022 and focuses on three areas: crop protection for sustainable feedstock production systems, …

Biodiesel, Ethanol, Ethanol News, News

Ryder to Ride on Natural Gas

John Davis

More Ryder trucks in Southern California will be riding on natural gas. This company press release says Ryder has ordered 202 heavy-duty natural gas trucks as part of an agreement with the San Bernardino Associated Governments (SANBAG): The heavy-duty natural gas truck rental and leasing project in Southern California is a $38.7 million project funded as part of a joint …

Natural Gas

Food Distribution Company to Use Biodiesel

John Davis

Instead of food versus fuel, this time it’s food working with (bio)fuel. Illinois-based food distribution giant U.S. Foodservice has announced the acquisition of WVO Industries of Bluffton, S.C., a facility that turns used vegetable oil to fuel, and this article from The Packer.com says the company plans to use the biodiesel to fuel their food distro trucks at one of …

Biodiesel

New York Project to Promote Biodiesel in Generators

John Davis

The use of biodiesel in generators and power units is getting a boost from a pilot program by Sprague Energy Corp. of White Plains NY and BIODICO, Inc (also known as Biodiesel Industries, Inc.). The Biogenset (www.Biogenset.com) program is being partially funded by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) and will be aided by the New …

Biodiesel

NBB Protests EU Extension of Tariffs on US Biodiesel

John Davis

European Union members have voted to extend current tariffs on U.S. biodiesel, and that violates the group’s own laws, according to the National Biodiesel Board. This Reuters article posted on ForexPros.com says EU officials accuse U.S. exporters of smuggling biodiesel through Canada to avoid tariffs imposed since 2009: “We think this would be a bad decision that runs directly counter …

Biodiesel, International, NBB