The winner of this year’s Impact Award from the National Biodiesel Board is Dr. Randall von Wedel of CytoCulture International, who has been instrumental in San Francisco’s biodiesel development. He helped to narrate a city tour video that was shown at the conference this morning, and moderated the panel discussion with the San Francisco city leaders. NBB CEO Joe Jobe … Read More
Spotlight on San Francisco Sustainability
San Francisco may be the most biodiesel-friendly city in the United States. No other city of its size has shown greater leadership and commitment to biodiesel than the City by the Bay. From city buses to fire trucks to street sweepers, virtually all city diesel vehicles run on B20. At the National Biodiesel Conference this morning, we heard from San … Read More
Scientists for Biodiesel Declaration
A new initiative was announced at the opening general session of the National Biodiesel Conference Monday – Scientists for Biodiesel. Founder of the Thomas Jefferson Agricultural Institute Dr. Rob Myers made the announcement as co-chair of the campaign with Donald Danforth Plant Science Center President Roger Beachy. “Scientists sometimes have differences of opinion, but this declaration is intended to show … Read More
Diversity to Overcome Adversity
National Biodiesel Board CEO Joe Jobe called on the industry to “leverage diversity to overcome adversity.” “I’m talking about the true spirit of diversity – inclusiveness, respect and most of all unity,” Jobe told the opening general session at the National Biodiesel Conference in San Francisco on Monday morning. Jobe noted that the food versus fuel issue has not gone … Read More
New Holland Support for Biodiesel
One of the first companies to realize the potential of biodiesel for both farmers and farm machinery was our good friend Gene Hemphill with New Holland, pictured here with NBB CEO Joe Jobe. Two years ago, Hemphill received the Biodiesel Innovation Award at this conference for his foresight and support of the industry, which he says goes back over 20 … Read More
Welcome From Chairman and CEO
Everyone was taking a little time Sunday night to socialize and relax before the real work begins this week, including the chairman and the CEO of the National Biodiesel Board. Pictured here are National Biodiesel Board Chairman Ed Hegland of Minnesota and his wife Dawn with NBB CEO Joe Jobe and his wife Lisa. I did a very brief interview … Read More
Conference Kick Off in San Francisco
The 2009 National Biodiesel Conference is now officially underway following the traditional Super Bowl kickoff party. Whether they were fans of the Cardinals or the Steelers – or just the commercials – everyone enjoyed the wide screens, great eats and comfortable atmosphere of the event at the Moscone Center in San Francisco. The kick off party was sponsored this year … Read More
Rehagen Previews Conference
Just a couple of days away from the start of the 2009 National Biodiesel Conference & Expo, and earlier this afternoon, I caught up with Donnell Rehagen, the Chief Operating Officer for the National Biodiesel Board as he was finishing up preparations before flying out Thursday morning for the conference site in San Francisco. Donnell is really excited about the … Read More
Sustainability Featured at Biodiesel Conference
Sustainability will be one of the key words at this year’s National Biodiesel Conference & Expo starting this weekend in San Francisco. In fact, the Sustainable Biodiesel Summit starts this Saturday, January 31st… a day before the start of the regular conference, bookended with another sustainability event after the NBB conference. According to the summit’s Web site: As you have … Read More
Biodiesel Conference Starts This Weekend
In less than a week, the 2009 National Biodiesel Conference & Expo kicks off in San Francisco! If you’ve never been, let me tell you, this is the premier event for biodiesel in this country… probably in the world… as producers, consumers and advocates of the green fuel converge to trade notes and figure out how to approach this exciting, … Read More
Coverage of the 2009 Biodiesel Conference Begins Here
California Here We Come! Coverage of the 2009 Biodiesel Conference and Expo officially starts here on the Biodiesel Conference Blog. The dates are Feb. 1-4, 2009, the place is San Francisco. If you can’t be there – be here to get all the latest sights, sounds and summaries from the nation’s premier biodiesel event! Registration information is available here on … Read More
Podcasts Available
All of the posted audio from the 2008 National Biodiesel Conference is now available in podcast form for subscriber downloading by going to the sidebar link or clicking here. There are a total of 30 audio podcast files this year including interviews, presentations and press conferences. There are over 200 photos in the Flicker Photo album and we did a … Read More
Local Users of Biodiesel
Besides absolutely perfect weather and a fantastic location right in the middle of some of the biggest attractions in the world (including Walt Disney World, Universal Studios, and Cape Kennedy just down the road a little ways… just to name a few), Orlando was a great location for this year’s National Biodiesel Conference and Expo because of the good example … Read More
Closing Session Focuses on New Feedstocks
Biofuels industry experts discussed new feedstocks today in the final general session of the 2008 National Biodiesel Conference and Expo in Orlando, Fla. Alan Weber, economic consultant to National Biodiesel Board, led a forum with Dr. Jack Brown from the University of Idaho (who is Scottish so he brings a European perspective to the biodiesel feedstock business), Keith Bruinsma, Vice … Read More
Biodiesel Energy Balance Increases
The energy balance for biodiesel is better than ever. At a press conference this morning in Orlando, a new analysis was unveiled that shows the energy balance of biodiesel is a positive ratio of 3.5-to-1. That’s an increase from 3.2 to 1 determined by the Department of Energy National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL) and USDA in 1998. Read the press … Read More
Tackling the Food Versus Fuel Issue
One of the most popular sessions at the conference was on the whole “food versus fuel” issue. Speakers at the session included Chris Schroeder with Centrec Consulting, Jim Duffield with USDA and John Urbanchuk of LECG, LLC. Duffield, pictured here at the podium, spoke to the conference last year and noted that at the time he said corn and soybean … Read More
New Sustainability Task Force Chair
Sustainability is the key to the future of biodiesel and to that end the National Biodiesel Board announced a new Sustainability Task Force at the conference this week. Heading the task force is Emily Bockian Landsburg of Philadelphia FryoDiesel. Emily says it’s critical for NBB to address this issue head-on and the time is now. “I’m thrilled to be able … Read More
Living Legend Addresses NBB Conference
There’s a few times in your life when you get to see a true living legend in person. This morning was one of those occasions as I watched Astronaut Jim Lovell talk to a captivated audience of biodiesel industry folks at the morning general session of the 2008 National Biodiesel Conference and Expo. Talk about an inspirational speech! The man, … Read More
Welcome to Super Tuesday!
In just a few hours, we should start getting the results of the Super Tuesday primaries and caucuses, as voters in 24 states go to the polls to decide who will be the Democratic and Republican standard bearers for the November 2008 general election. This morning at the opening session of the 2008 National Biodiesel Conference and Expo in Orlando, … Read More
Biodiesel Getting Better
A new study from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) shows the quality of biodiesel has made significant gains from just a couple of years ago. During a session completed just moments ago at the 2008 National Biodiesel Conference and expo here in Orlando, Fla., Teresa Alleman, a senior chemist with NREL says 90 percent of the biodiesel her lab … Read More