A small patch of safflower near the Salt Lake City International Airport has caught the attention of the U.S. Army as part of the military’s efforts to implement more biodiesel into its operations. The Salt Lake Tribune says about 20 acres of the prickly leafed crop, planted as part of Salt Lake County’s urban-farming initiative, could be a feedstock for …
Biodiesel Product Can Clean Up Oil on Beaches
Biodiesel producers could be utilized to help clean up oil the coastline after the disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. According to the National Biodiesel Board, methyl esters – a chemical yielded in biodiesel production – can be formulated into a biobased solvent that is federally listed as a shoreline washing agent for oil spill clean-up. An effort is underway …
New York Officially Passes Bioheat Legislation
In a follow-up to a story written last week, New York has officially passed air quality legislation that includes a provision to ensure that only Bioheat, a blend of heating oil and biodiesel, is used with the city. The unanimous vote, 45-0, ensures that starting October 2012, all home heating and oil will contain at least 2 percent biodiesel. The …
Biodiesel Board Looks to Fill Technical Position
I had a job interview with the National Biodiesel Board the other day. No, not a job interview for ME, but an interview about a job NBB has to offer. I sat down with my friend Donnell Rehagen, Chief Operating Officer for the NBB, and he told me about a technical position they have supporting the biodiesel industry with group’s …
ASTM Voting on Biodiesel Standards at KC Meeting
Biodiesel could be divided into two different grades, if some backers of a new grading system at the ASTM meeting this week in Kansas City, Mo. Biodiesel Magazine reports there are several ballots up for a vote that would have biodiesel graded as No.1 and No.2, much like regular diesel … a proposal backed by the National Biodiesel Board’s technical …
Survey Shows Wide Support for Alt Energy Tax Breaks
If Congress is wondering if there’s enough public support for the U.S. Senate to support the $1-a-gallon federal tax incentive (which, could come to a vote this week), a new survey shows Americans do favor these types of tax breaks. This National Biodiesel Board press release says a new Stanford University poll finds that 84 percent of respondents favor federal …
House Passes Biodiesel Tax Credit Extension
In a voting frenzy today prior to the Memorial Day recess, the U.S. House of Representatives has extended the $1-a-gallon biodiesel tax credit that expired Dec. 31, despite indications even late yesterday that the vote would be delayed until June. The extension, which was part of a package that includes continued unemployment benefits and other tax breaks, would keep the …
Rice U. Recognized for Biodiesel By-Product Research
A Rice University researcher has been recognized for his work on the biodiesel by-product glycerin. Biodiesel Magazine reports that Dr. Ramon Gonzalez has picked up the 2010 Glycerin Innovation Award sponsored by the Soap and Detergent Association and the National Biodiesel Board at the Annual Meeting & Expo of the American Oil Chemists’ Society for his work using a non-pathogenic …
Biodiesel Producers Plead for Renewal of Tax Credit
Four biodiesel producers from around the nation took their story to the media today, increasing their call for Congress to immediately and retroactively reinstate the federal biodiesel tax incentive which was allowed to expire five months ago. The producers included a small family operation in Arkansas, an energy group in Washington state, a plant that is laying off people in …
Biodiesel Board Launches Industry Search Engine
Looking to cut through the clutter of the Internet, the National Biodiesel Board has launched an online search engine that is designed to quickly and easily connect industry leaders with the tools they need. Biodiesel Magazine reports that the Biodiesel Industry Guide returns search results with industry-specific suppliers and service providers, not the numerous irrelevant results that can bog down …