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B11 Biodiesel
Whether you're buying, selling or distributing fuel, you can make a difference just by choosing American-made biodiesel.
Each gallon you put into your vehicle is one less gallon of foreign oil we need to import, and the less we import, the closer we get to energy independence. Biodiesel blends like B11 are becoming easier to find, so look for a pump with a biodiesel label the next time you need to refuel.
For a complete list of retail fueling sites offering B11, visit the National Biodiesel Board's website, www.biodiesel.org. It features an easy-to-use tool that allows you to view, print and export lists of biodiesel sellers across the country.
Biodiesel Industry Shows Promise with Increased Production
The latest U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) statistics reveal that American biodiesel production reached a new high in 2011, nearly 1.1 billion gallons. The EPA has certified biodiesel as an Advanced Biofuel under the Renewable Fuel Standard-2 (RFS2) which requires that at least 800 million gallons of biomass-based diesel fuel be produced yearly.
A recent National Biodiesel Board news release states, "Biodiesel production of 1 billion gallons supports 39,027 jobs across the country and more than $2.1 billion in household income. An additional 11,698 jobs could be added between 2012 and 2013 alone under continued growth in the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) and with an extension of the biodiesel tax incentive."
Due to the tremendous benefit the biodiesel market offers to Illinois soybean farmers, ISA helps fund the Advanced Biofuels Initiative through the Illinois soybean checkoff.
Five-to-One Return on Biodiesel
According to a July 22, 2011, news release, a new biofuel energy-balance study from the University of Idaho and the U.S. Department of Agriculture shows that biodiesel production is more efficient than ever. The study -- Energy Life-Cycle Assessment of Soybean Biodiesel Revisited -- explains that for "every unit of fossil energy needed to produce biodiesel, the return is 5.54 units of renewable energy." When compared to data from 2009, "the overall energy input reduction was 42 percent for the same amount of biodiesel produced." This energy balance increase is attributed to three main factors: production facilities are becoming more energy efficient, soybean farmers are using less energy and soybean yields continue to rise.
Biodiesel Burns Cleaner and Faster
On August 19, 2011, Brent Hajek, owner of Hajek Motorsports based in Ames, Okla., set a new land-speed record at Utah's Bonneville Salt Flats… in a biodiesel-powered Ford F-250 Super Duty!
Achieving an astounding 182 miles per hour on a B20 biodiesel blend, the 2011 pickup had no trouble breaking its earlier record of more than 171 miles per hour using regular diesel. Hajek, who also is a soybean farmer, said, "I'm amazed at how, with very few changes from stock, we were able to accomplish this. I was also very impressed with the power of this truck running on B20, and the comparable fuel economy it achieved with both attempts. There were absolutely no performance downsides to running on B20, as evidenced by the fact that I was able to push the truck to an even faster speed running on the B20 blend."
Illinois Government a Role Model for Biodiesel Leadership
Leading the nation in biodiesel consumption, the state of Illinois is an innovator when it comes to promoting this renewable, eco-friendly fuel alternative.
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Legislation passed in 2003 and extended in 2011 provides a tax incentive for the use of biodiesel blends through 2018.
- B1 to B10 fuel blend purchases receive a partial sales tax exemption of 20 percent (off 6.25 percent).
- B11 and higher ratio fuel blends qualify for a complete exemption from the state's 6.25 percent sales tax.
- More information about state and federal tax incentives for biodiesel is available here.
- A 2009 mandate requires the use of B5 in all state-owned, diesel-powered vehicles.
