California biodiesel show echoes 'strong' theme of nat'l event

The third annual California Biodiesel and Renewable Diesel Conference will be held Jan. 20 at the San Diego Convention Center. Co-presented by the California Biodiesel Alliance and the National Biodiesel Board, it echoes the “strong” theme of the co-located National Biodiesel Conference & Expo.

California's biodiesel industry has grown in size, strength and stature, and it has achieved important milestones in bringing biodiesel to market in California. Diesel substitute fuels now lead the much faster than anticipated evolution of the alternative fuels market in the state. California’s embattled low carbon fuel standard (LCFS) prevails against its enemies and is fueling a revolution, creating a potential demand for 800 million gallons of biodiesel alone by 2022.

This one-day conference will feature the latest updates from the architects, developers and defenders of California's suite of low carbon transportation fuel policies and its unique world of feedstocks, as well as those working on the front lines on federal policy affecting biodiesel. This includes a range of key state agency officials and special speakers, including keynote speaker, RADM Len Hering Sr., USN (ret)/executive director, California Center for Sustainable Energy, and Philip Sheehy, technical specialist, ICF International, who will present his research on “California's Low Carbon Fuel Standard: Progress, Compliance, and Economic Impacts.” 

The conference is sponsored by Eco-Energy Inc., and EcoEngineers (lunch); Genscape and The Jacobsen (breaks); and Argus Media, Biodico, Nexeo Solutions, and REG (general).

For almost 10 years, CBA has worked diligently with a range of government agencies to bring biodiesel to market in California, which has some of the toughest regulations in the world. In the last year, the organization has achieved increasing recognition for the quality and persistence of its efforts and for the value of working with the national industry and its experts to harmonize California’s regulations with federal ones. And biodiesel is now recognized as a key element in the success of California's landmark LCFS.

 Two back-to-back morning panels will provide an overview of how far we've come in putting together the pieces of this complicated puzzle with the California Air Resources Board and the California Energy Commission.  

 One panel on infrastructure and two panels on feedstock will discuss California's unique challenges, possibilities and successes. They will include updates on the state’s potential to develop feedstocks from purpose-grown energy crops and other sources using cutting-edge science; solutions to the grease theft problem (including video footage of an actual grease theft); the science of feedstock characterization; and how California's infrastructural challenges are being solved as regulations improve and industry takes major steps to make wide-scale blending and distribution possible.

At the end of the day, all conference attendees are welcome to attend an open CBA member meeting from 5:00pm-6:00pm before heading off to a Joint CBA/NBB Reception at 7:00pm.

For the full conference agenda and to register, visit http://www.biodieselconference.org/2014/cba/.