In what might be some concerning news to those trying to be truly independent of foreign oil and good for the environment, the State of Wisconsin is taxing the biodiesel home-brewed by two Manitowoc men.
According to this AP story posted on WFRV-TV Green Bay web site, Steven Griesbach and Paul Simon received letters from the state Department of Revenue that say they would owe state fuel tax on any fuel they make and burn in their vehicles:
“I’m going to still (make biofuel), but I’m not too happy about the whole thing,” said Simon, who has been burning a modified form of vegetable oil in his 1982 diesel-powered Mercedes-Benz 240D for two years.
Vegetable oil converted to motor-vehicle fuel is considered a biodiesel, which is taxable under state law, said Meredith Helgerson, spokeswoman for the Revenue Department.
Apparently, biodiesel makers have to pay an inspection fee of two cents a gallon. Plus, if it’s blended with diesel that is used on the roads, the makers also have to pay another 31 cents a gallon.
Simon thought the tax would apply to big makers and not hobbyists such as himself.
“I guess that I’m opposed to it overall for a hobbyist to be charged,” he said. “It’s getting to the point in our culture that almost everything that we do is going to be illegal, or you need a fee or a license.”
Ironically, this news comes after the state extension service offers workshops on how to make home-brewed biodiesel and not long after after Gov. Jim Doyle said he wanted to replace 25% of the energy used in the state with energy from renewable sources, such as biodiesel and ethanol, by the year 2025.
Montreal, Canada will run its entire bus fleet on biodiesel by 2008 and will buy eight hybrid buses to test in the city’s cold climate.
All Société de transport de Montréal (STM) buses will run on biodiesel fuel by 2008, and the transition should be fairly inexpensive, said president Claude Trudel.
Seattle-based Imperium Renewables, ready to put the country’s largest biodiesel plant into operation and holder of the record for investment in a biodiesel company (see my posts on 
The official name for Saturday’s IndyCar Series opener may have been the XM Satellite Radio Indy 300, but on 
Here’s the winner of the first Indy car race of the year, Dan Wheldon. It’s the third time in a row that Dan has won the race. He did it in dominating fashion too and afterward said it was a lot of fun running the race.
The Team Ethanol car driven by Jeff Simmons is out of the race after what looked like a slide coming out of a turn which turned the car around and then two other cars crashed into it. Fortunately no one was seriously hurt. In fact, they just reported that all three drivers have been assessed and released, so they’re okay.
Here’s Jeff Simmons in the Ethanol Car on the opening lap of the race tonight.
This year the IRL is giving new meaning to the “green flag.” The official green flag has the ethanol logo.
This is the command center for the Rahal-Letterman Ethanol Car seen from trackside just before the race got started. We’ve been hoping the elements would cooperate but it’s a little iffy.
While I was conducting an interview in the Rahal-Letterman hospitality tent, the owner stopped in looking all relaxed.