Biodiesel showcases US independence, says National Biodiesel Board

As 4^th July draws closer, the National Biodiesel Board says biodiesel is central to the US’ economic independence.

According to a statement from NBB, US produced biodiesel is supporting more than 64,000 jobs throughout the supply chain.

“Biodiesel showcases the heart of July 4th – American independence. We are proud to deliver a renewable energy source made in the USA that supports thousands of domestic, green energy jobs,” said Donnell Rehagen, National Biodiesel Board CEO. “Our industry is an American success story driving economic activity and independence throughout the supply chain.”

The association of US biodiesel producers provides a number of examples of how biodiesel production is ensuring the US maintains its economic independence and commitment to renewable energy.

In terms of feedstocks, it talks about Robert Stobaugh, who farms 6,000 acres of soybeans, corn, rice and wheat in the Arkansas Valley, powering his farm equipment with biodiesel.

“The thing I like best about using biodiesel is it powers the equipment that's used to grow the largest feedstock supply used to make biodiesel,” explains Stobaugh, an NBB Governing Board member. “I call it full-circle production. Biodiesel creates American jobs and literally drives the American economy as well as the farm economy.”

Asheville North Carolina based Blue Ridge Biofuels is also highlighted, a company that collects over 700,000 gallons of used cooking oil each year from nearly 1,500 restaurants across three states, using that oil to produce clean burning biofuels.

The statement also highlights the 90 NBB-member biodiesel plants spread across the US, producing 1.8 billion gallons of biodiesel annually. Renewable Energy Group, the country’s largest biodiesel producer, employs 690 people directly across the country and “thousands more indirectly”.

Quality control experts and fuel suppliers are also highlighted in the 4^th July announcement from NBB, highlighting the breadth of the biodiesel industry, and the contribution it makes to the US economy.