Brownfield» 2010 National Biodiesel Conference

EPA brings good news to National Biodiesel Conference

Tom Steever — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 15:49:11 +0000

The EPA provided a briefing on biodiesel’s role in the future of renewable fuels during the National Biodiesel Conference this week in Dallas, Tex.. The briefing was also about EPA’s recently introduced final RFS2 rule.

What the EPA had to say is considered to be welcome news concerning biodiesel as a renewable fuel, according to Manning Feraci, vice-president of federal affairs for the National Biodiesel Board.

“You’re going to get a greater penetration of biodiesel into the marketplace, which is obviously a good thing, from the perspective of environmentally, you’re going to have reduced greenhouse gas emissions associated with using the fuel, there’s obviously the energy security angle on this in that we’re going to be displacing petroleum with biodiesel,” Feraci told Brownfield this week during the conference, “and these are all good policy outcomes.”

AUDIO: Manning Feraci (3 min. MP3)

EPA discussion during three conference sessions focused on how biodiesel is classified as an “advanced biofuel,” as well as an explanation of the RFS2 rule and how it will impact the US biodiesel industry moving forward.

Car rental shuttles switch to biodiesel

Tom Steever — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 13:25:09 +0000

The air outside baggage claim may be cleaner in several major airports. Enterprise Holdings, comprising Enterprise, Alamo and National car rental companies, is switching their airport car rental shuttles to B5 biodiesel and will immediately convert shuttles in nine major markets to burn B20. Corporate identity and sustainability director Lee Broughton says the action will displace a lot of petroleum diesel fuel.

AUDIO: Lee Broughton (3 min. MP3)

Squeezing fuel from pond scum

Tom Steever — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 13:12:06 +0000

Scientists are looking in water for the next generation of oil-based biomass systems. Dr. Richard Sayre is director of the Enterprise Rent-A-Car Institute for Renewable Fuels at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center in St. Louis. He thinks algae and oilseed crops will help provide a sustainable source of energy in the future.

AUDIO: Richard Sayre (4 min. MP3)

Running on B20

Tom Steever — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 15:19:35 +0000

There were several makes of biodiesel-burning vehicles available for people to ride and drive during the National Biodiesel Conference. During such an event on Sunday, GM announced that their heavy duty pickups are to be approved for B20, a 20 percent biodiesel, 80 percent petroleum diesel blend, for the 2011 model year. National Biodiesel Board Vice Chairman Gary Haer is pleased about it and especially pleased to get behind the wheel.

Jobe: biodiesel industry needs incentives

Tom Steever — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 13:34:22 +0000

The CEO of the National Biodiesel Board hopes for federal help in the form of tax incentives to get the industry moving again.

Joe Jobe says the lack of federal tax incentives since the beginning of the year has stalled the biodiesel industry in the U.S.

“That is resulting in [biodiesel] plants shutting down, laying off workers, some of those plants are not going to be able to survive and come back on line,” Jobe told Brownfield following his address to open the National Biodiesel Conference in Dallas.

AUDIO: Joe Jobe (9 min. MP3)

Jobe is heartened, however, that at least there’s a feeling among key lawmakers that something should be done.

“The top tax writing senators have said it’s a priority,” said Jobe, referring to Baucus and Grassley, who lead the Senate Finance Committee, “so we’re in about as good a position as we can be in to get something moving, get it done sooner rather than later.”

Although soybeans are still the primary U.S. biodiesel feedstock, the industry has become diverse. Jobe says soybean growers realize that it takes all of agriculture to keep the biodiesel industry going.

“And so they’re not intimidated by growth, by new feedstock development,” said Jobe, “because they know if there is a growing, healthy, sustainable biodiesel industry in the United States, soybean farmers are going to benefit, period.”