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Court Snubs Clean Diesel Technology
By Mr Ethanol | November 5, 2007
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that publicly funded fleets in southern California can be required to buy low-polluting vehicles that run on compressed natural gas or other alternative fuels. Should the biodiesel industry be concerned about a possible precedent?
Biodiesel Magazine:
Usually when a local governmental entity announces that it will be using biodiesel blends in its fleets, biodiesel advocates cheer. These announcements often represent biodiesel’s first entry into a given market, and they give the fuel legitimacy to other consumers in the area. When governmental entities prefer products that haven’t been proven in the market, such as biobased products and renewable fuels, they can drive the market and elevate the industry.
One market that could use some elevation is the California renewable fuels market. The entire state has the capacity to produce about 46 MMgy and has another 3 MMgy under construction. Biodiesel has been somewhat forgotten in favor of ethanol, according to John McKinsey, an associate at the Sacramento, Calif., office of law firm Stoel Rives LLP. He explains that ethanol replaced methyl tertiary butyl ether last year as the agent used to reduce gasoline emissions, as required by the state implementation plan to comply with the Clean Air Act.
Biodiesel is just starting to receive recognition for its potential contribution to emissions reductions. This year, the California Department of Transportation (CalTrans) conducted a six-month pilot project to determine the feasibility of using B20 in its fleets, comprised of 4,500 trucks and construction vehicles. Biodiesel is also being reviewed by the California Air Resources Board, which is required by the state’s Global Warming Solutions Act to reduce carbon dioxide emissions to 1990 levels by 2020.
Topics: Biodiesel, Technology |
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