The National Biodiesel Board (www.biodiesel.org) has announced that a pump station in Utah is selling a 2% biodiesel blend (B-2) at the same price as regular diesel.

Even though there are more than 300 pumps nationwide selling biodiesel, this is the first time in the United States that a biodiesel blend has been offered at regular diesel prices. Biodiesel supporters applauded the first retail fueling station in the Salt Lake City area to make biodiesel available to its diesel customers. The station -- Dal Soglio Sinclair in Midvale, Utah -- recently began selling a 2% blend of soy biodiesel for the same price as regular petroleum diesel.
According to the board, Biodiesel is a cleaner-burning fuel that can be made from any fat or vegetable oil, such as soybean oil, and has similar horsepower, fuel economy and performance to conventional diesel.
It can be used in any diesel engine with few or no modifications. The fuel can be used in its pure form (B100), or blended with petroleum diesel at any level, such as 2% (B2).
American Bio-Fuels (ABF) of Bakersfield, Calif. and partner GreenStar Intermountain, LLC are providing the biodiesel to the station. A grant from Salt Lake Clean Cities supported the project.
"Biodiesel growth has been strong in many states, including California where our plant is, but the pump opening in Utah signifies a growing market in other western states," said Joseph P. LaStella, president of Green Star Products Inc. and co-managing director of American Biofuels, LLC.
LaStella said biodiesel is a domestically produced renewable fuel that reduces reliance on foreign oil. It also significantly cuts harmful emissions such as carbon monoxide, unburned hydrocarbons and particulate matter. It is nontoxic, biodegradable and essentially free of sulfur and aromatics.