Biofuels -- what to do?
Recent published scientific reports and media have required us to re-examine our decision to use biodiesel in our trucks. Currently we run B5 (5%) in the winter and B20 (20%) in the summer in about 38 vehicles. This equates to an average of 7,700 gallons of pure biodiesel, B100, used annually.
We converted to biodiesel for several reasons. To dramatically reduce emissions of our diesel vehicles, to become a leader in creating a biodiesel market in Vermont, and to use our purchasing power to invest in a renewable energy source developed from US agriculture. It also helps the long-term engine performance of vehicles by adding lubricity to the ultra low sulphur diesel fuel.
Now it is clear that the explosive growth of the biofuels industry worldwide has had unintended environmental consequences. The US is now a net importer of biofuels – many grown on former rainforest land cleared specifically to support the biofuels industry. It turns out that specifically ethanol, but also biodiesel, have a negative carbon impact on the world when you take into consideration the clearing of additional cropland. The increased prices of food around the world and also a result of redirection of agriculture from food to fuel, again to take advantage of the burgeoning market.
The future of biofuels is promising, with active research into “next generation” feedstock of algae and cellulosic sources that will trump the yields from current agriculture sources – without displacing food agriculture. Although they are still several years from being commercialized, they are the key to creating sustainable biofuels.
Green Mountain Power is struggling with the challenge of whether to continue our support of biodiesel in the short term – until either local or sustainable feedstock sources become available. We are clear is that moving toward a multi-fuel world is imperative. The question is what purchasing and investment decisions can Green Mountain Power make to help us get to that future in the quickest way with the least environmental damage.
There are options to stay at our current biofuels consumption, expand it to our four Westminster service center vehicles (which is currently planned for 2009), reduce to a lower percentage of consumption in the summer, or eliminate our usage all together.
What would you do and why?
Rebecca Towne
Manager, Fleet and Facilities
Green Mountain Power Blog Team
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3 Comments
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Response: making biodieselNice story! Can I use this for my blog? gr, remcowoudstra
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