PHOENIX, AZ – The leaders of the biodiesel industry gathered at the Phoenix Convention Center for the Advanced Biodiesel Conference and Expo,2011, to discuss the direction of the biodiesel industry and the opportunity that lies in it . This year’s theme has the term “ADVANCE”, to highlight biodiesel’s classification as an advanced biofuel by the EPA. It’s the first such recognized fuel. The rating is only given to biofuels that reduce carbon emissions by more than 50 percent over petroleum; biodiesel carbon emissions leave an 80 percent lower carbon footprint than petroleum.

The three day expo (Feb.6-9) wrapped up yesterday on a positive note. Attendees had the opportunity to explore the food vs. fuel debate from several different angles during a session titled, Vantage Point: Four Views of Food and Fuel. The featured expert Harry Baumes, director of the USDA’s office of energy policy and new uses discussed the controversy from the view of the farmer, scientist and economist and noted that USDA is working to debunk the food vs. fuel myth (http://bit.ly/i8Ngt1)

The following points were highlighted at the conference as boosters for the future of biodiesel industry ( http://bit.ly/ijnZrM)

Top 10 Biodiesel Announcements to Watch for in 2011

1. Record biodiesel sales. Petroleum companies and other obligated parties are using biodiesel, America’s first commercial-scale Advanced Biofuel, to fill the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS2) requirements set by the Environmental Protection Agency. RFS coupled with the reinstated biodiesel tax incentive will make biodiesel sales climb.
2. Greater Awareness that Advanced Biofuel Equals Biodiesel. Expect to hear and read about why biodiesel is an optimal Advanced Biofuel. With 2.5 billion gallons of existing plant capacity, biodiesel is here now!
3. Bioheat: The green fuel for warm living will be in the top five stories for 2011.
4. More BQ9000 Labs and Volumes. Expect even more biodiesel producers and marketers to participate in the BQ-9000® accreditation that combines ASTM D6751, and a quality systems program.
5. Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) Ramp Up Biodiesel Support. Ford, GM and Chrysler already support B20 or higher in some of their equipment–more news to come.
6. Fleets as Biodiesel Fans…AMERICAN IDOL’s biodiesel-fueled tour bus will be one of many to transport winners as more fleets across the nation take advantage of the emissions and other benefits of cleaner-burning biodiesel.
7. Watch for states to implement pro-biodiesel policies. States are eyeing the biodiesel requirements in states like Minnesota, Pennsylvania as well as New York’s air quality bill that includes a provision to ensure that cleaner burning Bioheat® is used within the city for heating homes and buildings.
8. Pipelines plus Biodiesel. European pipelines have transported B5 for many years. In the U.S., Kinder Morgan has successfully transported biodiesel in pipelines that can expand markets for biodiesel.
9. Higher Oil Prices. Fuel users will look to biodiesel in a year when the U.S. Energy Information Administration expects the price of West Texas Intermediate crude oil to average about $93 per barrel, $14 higher than the 2010 average price.
10. Even More Scientific Support for Biodiesel. More than 200 scientists, including Next Generation Scientists, have already gone on record for biodiesel’s benefits.

At its peak, the biodiesel industry has also provided 50,000 jobs.