Biodiesel Industry on track for continued growth, diversification

ORLANDO, Fla. – Sustainability and feedstock development were the buzzwords at the fifth
annual National Biodiesel Conference & Expo in Orlando, Fla. this week. A diverse cross
section of biodiesel stakeholders from around the world attended the event Feb. 3 – 6. Industry
leaders predicted that biodiesel will grow to a billion gallons a year in this country in the next
few years and turned their attention to sustainability issues and developing the next generation of
biodiesel.

Country music singer Michael Peterson summed it up when he said during the conference that
the whole nature of the biodiesel business is one of innovation because the people involved are
not afraid to look at things in a new way. "When you change the way you look at things, the
things you look at change," he said.

Wednesday's General Session, and several educational sessions, focused on efforts to ensure a
cost-effective, high-yielding and diverse feedstock supply. With instabilities in both the
agricultural and energy markets, prices for biodiesel have been on the rise. NBB has launched a
feedstock development initiative that will explore potential new sources for biodiesel as well as
advancements in current feedstocks. Panelists discussed the future of algae as a potential
feedstock, and Solazyme, a biotech company, showcased its algae-derived biodiesel fuel in an
unmodified Mercedes Benz C320.

"We're entering a new and challenging era for the biodiesel industry," said Joe Jobe, NBB CEO.
"It is critical that we take opportunities to broaden the way we look at the industry. We must
make sure our feedstock supply can meet the growing demand for high quality biodiesel in
environmentally sustainable ways. The conference was so successful because we did our best to
include all voices on critical issues – including a focus on regulatory priorities."

Among other news released at the conference was a new study which shows that the positive
energy balance of biodiesel has increased. Research conducted at the University of Idaho, in
cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), shows that 3.5 units of energy are
gained for every unit needed to produce biodiesel – up from 3.2 units. The study was based on
biodiesel made from soybean oil. Contributing to the increase are higher soybean yields,
decreased herbicide use and less energy used for crushing soybeans.

The conference featured multiple educational tracks covering fuel production, technical updates,
fuel distribution, policy/regulations, markets and users, with auto and engine manufacturer
sessions as well. Other conference highlights include:

• Ride-and-Drive – Conference participants, the public and the media test drove the latest
biodiesel-powered vehicles including: a 2008 Dodge Ram 3500 diesel pick up truck
running on B20; a 2008 Jeep Grand Cherokee running on B5; a 2009 VW Jetta TDI
running on B5 and a TOMCAR ATV (on display);.

• The fifth annual "Eye on Biodiesel" awards – Designed to recognize individuals and
groups who have significantly advanced the board's mission of public education and
industry growth, NBB presented awards to: Florida Power & Light (Initiative);
GROWMARK, Inc (Impact); National Oilheat Research Alliance (Industry Partnership);
David Harris/Harvard University (Inspiration); Barry (Tom) Smallwood/U.S. Marine
Corps (Influence); Cummins, Inc. (Innovation). The Pioneer Award was presented to
NASA's John F. Kennedy Space Center (KSC).

• Trade show – A sold-out trade show featured the field's latest products and services.

• Conference Greening -- Through composting, waste reduction, recycling and carbon
neutrality, NBB's greening of the conference stayed true to biodiesel's environmentally
friendly nature. Plates used at the conference were made from sugarcane and cups from
corn, both of which will be composted and used in Disney gardens.

• Special Guests -- Actress Daryl Hannah and astronaut Jim Lovell spoke during General
Sessions.

• Local Boys & Girls Club – In an effort to support the local community, children from
the Boys and Girls Club of Central Florida (Osceola Branch) were invited to help stuff
organic cotton tote bags with conference materials for attendees. The children were then
provided with lunch and shown a brief educational video about biodiesel. Conference
coordinator BBI International donated $2,000 to the Club.

About 3,600 people attended the conference. The following sponsors helped to make this
landmark event possible: Biofuels Automation; Core Ventures; Croplan Genetics; Evonik
Degussa Corporation; New Holland; NewMeck Companies, Inc.; REG, Inc.; SSOE, Inc.;
StarSupply Renewables and World Energy Alternatives.

For more details on the conference, including a link to the conference blog with audio links and
photos, visit www.biodieselconference.com/2008/.