From Vermont , fleet biodiesel use on the rise

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Ranging from B2 to B100, more biodiesel blends are being burned by growing fleet numbers, fueling the demand for the increasingly popular renewable fuel. Here are some of the latest fleets converting to biodiesel:

In Suffolk County, N.Y., state legislature unanimously passed Resolution No. 2070-2004, incorporating the use of biodiesel in a one-year pilot program. The program would implement a study of B20 in all diesel-operated vehicles at the Bergen Point Naval Ship Yard. Emissions reductions, including further NOx abatement, will be analyzed. Results will be available one year after the program's initiation, according to the resolution.

In Warren, Vt., the Sugarbush Resort is making use of a $2,500 Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund grant by using B20 in its plowing and grooming equipment.

Kentucky Gov. Ernie Fletcher signed an executive order Feb. 7 that ordered the use of B2 in the Transportation Cabinet's diesel vehicles. Kentucky's energy plan calls for B20 in school buses statewide.

In Kingsport, Tenn., the Eastman Chemical Co. plans to have more than 200 of its diesel fleet running on B20 by April 1. The company will use in excess of 60,000 gallons this year, said Darren Curtis, fleet administrator and staff engineer for Eastman's Kingsport site. Also,
according to the East Tennessee Clean Fuels Coalition, the Aluminum Company of America's Tennessee branch is putting B20 in 550 of its diesel commercial vehicles and industrial equipment.

Evergreen FS in Bloomington, Ill., will be supplying the Normal, Ill., city fleet of 100 vehicles with B2. Normal will use approximately 67,500 gallons of the biodiesel annually, said Mike Hall, Normal public works director. Twenty-one Illinois school districts already burn biodiesel in school buses across the state.

In Wichita, Kan., 75 vehicles and generators are now running on B20 at Boeing. Additionally, Allen County's Unified School District 257 is making the switch to B2 for its school buses. The Allen County Farm Bureau will help pay the difference in price for the biodiesel during the first three months of use.

In Tulare County, Calif., plans are in place to fuel 220 heavy-duty work vehicles with B20. Silvia Oil of Fresno will be providing the biodiesel, said Dan Hurt, fleet manager for the county.
-Staff Report