As the nation celebrates its independence, American-made biodiesel is powering fleets across the country and supporting more than 64,000 jobs throughout the supply chain.
“Biodiesel showcases the heart of July 4th—American independence. We are proud to deliver a renewable energy source made in the USA that supports thousands of domestic, green energy jobs,” said Donnell Rehagen, National Biodiesel Board (NBB) CEO. “Our industry is an American success story driving economic activity and independence throughout the supply chain.”
There are countless real-life examples of the power of biodiesel supporting America’s economic independence and jobs throughout the supply chain. Here are a few:
Feedstocks: Biodiesel is made from easily accessible fats and oils. Resources are diverse and readily available. They include recycled cooking oil, soybean oil, animal fats and more.
Farmers: Robert Stobaugh farms 6,000 acres of soybeans, corn, rice and wheat in the Arkansas River valley, while at the same time powering his farm equipment with biodiesel. Soy protein feeds the world, while the surplus oil used in biodiesel fuels U.S. energy independence. “The thing I like best about using biodiesel is it powers the equipment that’s used to grow the largest feedstock supply used to make biodiesel,” explains Stobaugh, an NBB Governing Board member. “I call it full-circle production. Biodiesel creates American jobs and literally drives the American economy as well as the farm economy.”
Restaurants: Asheville, North Carolina-based Blue Ridge Biofuels collects over 700,000 gallons of used cooking oil annually from nearly 1,500 restaurants in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. They use this waste oil to produce clean-burning, renewable biodiesel. “We not only produce and deliver biodiesel, we use it to power our own diesel fleet and many of our employees use it too” said General Manager Woody Eaton.
Biodiesel Producers: There are nearly 90 NBB-member biodiesel plants across the country, collectively producing more than 1.8 billion gallons of biodiesel annually (2016). Renewable Energy Group, Inc. (REG), the largest biodiesel producer in the U.S., employs 690 people in the U.S. alone and indirectly supports thousands of other jobs. In 2016, REG produced 513 million gallons of biomass-based diesel in 12 plants located in eight states. REG’s biodiesel production involved 46,616 truckloads across 43 states, 4,995 railcars and 87 marine vessels.
Quality Control Experts: Judy Elliott’s job is key to the biodiesel industry’s commitment to fuel quality. Elliott is one of seven independent auditors contracted with the National Biodiesel Accreditation Commission. Based in Crown Point, Indiana, Elliott audits biodiesel producers, marketers and laboratories seeking BQ-9000 Producer or Marketer status under the industry’s strict quality assurance program. America is home to 13 labs and eight consulting companies that assist companies that are seeking BQ-9000 certification.
Fuel Suppliers/Marketers: AMERIgreen is an energy wholesaler in the Mid-Atlantic and New England markets that provides biodiesel and Bioheat® through 35 distributors in the region. They also supply fuel to 13 biodiesel retail pumps. AMERIgreen supports over 30 jobs organizationally and dozens more through distribution partnerships. “AMERIgreen works diligently every day to support American jobs, and to deliver the highest quality biodiesel to all of our distribution partners,” said Jason Lawrence, Vice President of Operations for AMERIgreen. “We are proud to support our industry this way and we look forward to its continued growth.”
These are just a few examples of the dedicated commitment to renewable energy across the biodiesel supply chain.
Hundreds of fleets across the country are powering their vehicles with cleaner-burning, domestically produced biodiesel. Biodiesel users and advocates include the City of New York, Kettle Chips, Method Home Products, Disney, Harvard University, the Super Bowl, the U.S. military, Enterprise Rental Car, Clif Bar and many others.
