Tennessee’s Department of Transportation (TDOT) announced today that it is expanding its use of biodiesel into vehicles used in Nashville. According to a release on TDOT’s web site, the agency has been using biodiesel for two years in a 130-vehicle test fleet in East Tennessee as part of the Pilot Fleet Program: “It’s imperative that government and businesses begin identifying …
DTN Starts Biodiesel Trading Info
Market information provider DTN has introduced a biodiesel trading platform. DTN ProphetX Biodiesel Edition provides biodiesel producers and investors with intelligence on agricultural and energy markets. This news release posted on Grainnet.com says the service also provides pricing information, commentary and other risk management tools: This edition is for anyone in the emerging biodiesel markets to ensure future profitability and …
Learning Through Biodiesel
Producing biodiesel is proving to be a valuable tool in teaching students chemistry and how to be friendly to the environment. For example, one small school in Northern Michigan has an FFA group that is producing biodiesel from leftover restaurant grease and oil. This story in the Huron (MI) Daily Tribune says FFA members at North Huron High School, along …
It’s a Dirty Job, But…
OK, in full disclosure, I am a huge fan of the Discovery Channel’s “Dirty Jobs.” For those unfamiliar with the show, host Mike Rowe travels the country showing, and doing himself, some of the dirtiest jobs you can imagine… cleaning out septic tanks, gutting fish, you name it. Apparently, in one episode (one I have to admit I have not …
NBB Fights Tax Incentive Abuse
The National Biodiesel Board is vowing to fight what it considers abuse of the biodiesel tax credit. According to a release from the NBB, the original intent of the credit was to help the biodiesel industry get off the ground, but big oil companies now are trying to take advantage of it: The NBB has been advised of a potential …
States Adopting Biodiesel Standards
New Mexico is the latest state to adopt a biodiesel standard as Governor Bill Richardson signed into law a measure that requires all diesel sold in the state to have at least a five percent blend by 2012. State vehicles would have to use 5% biodiesel by 2010. According to this story in Land Line Magazine, several other states have …
Biodiesel for Frisco Buses
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 …
Bioenergy and Rural Development
Top international experts meeting in Rome last week agreed that bioenergy could be a positive force for rural development According to a news release from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) it was the first time that experts in bioenergy, food security and the environment came together to discuss the environmental and food security impact of the rapidly-expanding bioenergy industry. …
New Biodiesel Plant in Cleveland
A new biodiesel refinery will open in downtown Cleveland in two weeks, and according to this article in the CantonRep.com, they’ll use soybean oil to make the biodiesel: Center Alternative Energy, a subsidiary of St. Louis-based Center Oil Co., will produce the biodiesel fuel in a storage terminal along the Cuyahoga River near downtown, refining soybean oil and blending it …
Crow Wraps Up Stop Global Warming Tour
Singer Sheryl Crow and environmentalist Laurie David (in the center of the picture above) wrapped up their nationwide tour in a biodiesel bus at a stop in Washington, DC today, Earth Day. The Washington Post featured some posts from Crow’s and David’s blogs along the way on the Stop Global Warming College Tour: David (4/10, Dallas): I am jogging outside …