(click on the links below to see the progress of each initiative) |
Biodiesel |
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Biodiesel is a renewable fuel that can substitute for diesel fuel. It has significant environmental and safety advantages, and is one of several alternative fuels which can be used to help achieve compliance with federal requirements. The Federal Network for Sustainability in partnership with the West Coast Collaborative and the Far West Regional Laboratory Consortium is providing this information for federal agencies on the West Coast who are interested in buying and using biodiesel.
Take Action
Learn how to use, or increase your use, of biodiesel fuel with the Biodiesel Technical Reference Guide. Use the Biodiesel Wizard to navigate quickly through the Guide. (If your web browser does not support JavaScript, please go to the Biodiesel Technical Reference Guide - Table of Contents.)
If you are a federal agency who is currently using biodiesel fuel, contact us and tell us about your experience so that we may provide this information to others.
Background
Federal agencies may choose to use biodiesel to comply with several federal legal mandates. The most important federal mandates which may lead agencies to rely on biodiesel are the Energy Policy Acts of 1992 and 2005, Executive Orders 13149 and 13101, the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002, and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976.
The Energy Policy Act of 2005 was passed by Congress and signed into law in August 2005. This law includes provisions that will impact federal fleets. DOE is in the process of reviewing the relevant provisions, and will develop guidance to help fleets understand and comply with these new requirements. The full language of the Act is over 500 pages, but sections of the bill or a summary of the Energy Policy Act provisions are also available.
The Energy Policy Act of 1992 (EPAct), P.L. 102-486, requires agencies meeting certain criteria to reduce their federal vehicle fleets' reliance on petroleum. By 2005, these fleets must decrease annual petroleum consumption by 20 percent over 1999 consumption levels. One of the ways agencies may achieve this goal is by relying on biodiesel for their diesel fuel needs. Under the EPAct, the purchase and use of 450 gallons of biodiesel (B20) is considered the equivalent of acquiring one alternative fueled vehicle. The April 21, 2000 Executive Order 13149 "Greening the Government Through Federal Fleet and Transportation Efficiency" directs federal agencies to exercise "leadership in the reduction of petroleum consumption through improvements in fleet fuel efficiency and the use of alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs) and alternative fuels." E.O. 13149 requires agencies to develop compliance strategies, one component of which may be use of biodiesel.
For an excellent overview of EPAct and E.O. 13149, see http://www.eere.energy.gov/vehiclesandfuels/epact/federal.
Legal Requirements, EO’s and EPAct
- Energy Policy Act (EPAct) of 1992
- Energy Policy Act (EPAct) of 2005
- Executive Order 13101 “Greening the Government Through Recycling and Waste Prevention
- Executive Order 13134 “Developing and Promoting Biobased Products and Bioenergy"
- Executive Order 13149 “Greening the Government Through Federal Fleet and Transportation Efficiency”
- Biomass Research and Development Act of 2000, (Title III of the Agricultural Risk Protection Act of 200, P.L.106-224)
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Alternative Fuels
- State and Federal Incentives and Laws (U.S. Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Alternative Fuels Data Center)
- US. Department of Agriculture Federal Biobased Products Preferred Procurement Program
Objectives/Goals
The FNS through participating federal agencies is partnering with the West Coast Collaborative and the Far West Regional Laboratory Consortium to identify promising federal biodiesel projects which will encourage increased federal use of biodiesel and alternative fuels along the West Coast. One project is the Biodiesel "Technical Reference Guide" (Guide). The Guide is meant to provide information for federal agencies who are interested in biodiesel use, but need more details on how to purchase biodiesel and what other agencies have done to successfully use biodiesel in their operations.
The ultimate goals of this initiative are to help federal agencies achieve compliance with alternative energy requirements and also help reduce diesel exhaust emissions along the West Coast.
Activities
The FNS Biodiesel Initiative consists of 3 phases:
- The creation of a Technical Reference Guide on "How to Buy and Use Biodiesel Fuels" for the federal sector,
- The development of an online survey to identify federal biodiesel usage at selected facilities on the west coast, and
- The development and delivery of Education and Training on Biodiesel use for federal agencies, focusing on the west coast. (This Phase is contingent upon availability of funding.)
Success Stories
The US military is one of the largest purchaser of biodiesel fuels in the State of California, approximating 40% of purchases. Civilian agencies are also purchasing biodiesel fuels. Here is one example of how the National Park Service is using biodiesel fuel made from fish oil wastes.
In 2005, 1,000 gallons of biodiesel derived from fish oil powered a generator and trucks in Denali National Park. This Denali project is part of the Alaska Biodiesel Demonstration Project that has the potential to turn a byproduct of the Alaska seafood processing industry into a cleaner, lower priced fuel that creates local jobs. Using biodiesel in Denali equipment reduces emissions for the 300,000 tourists who visit the park each year, reduces clean up costs if fuel is spilled, uses a waste product to create fuel, and provides an opportunity to test the engine performance of biodiesel made from Alaskan fish oil.
See more success stories from the US Navy Region SW, NASA, the United States Post Office and others.
Click here if you are with a federal agency who has a Biodiesel Success Story you wish to share.
Resources & Tools
Federal Agency Policy, Programs & Resources
The White House
- White House National Energy Policy
- Environmental Benefits, White House Energy
- Fact Sheet: Developing Renewable Fuels and Clean Diesel Technologies
Office of the Federal Environmental Executive
- The Office of the Federal Environmental Executive (OFEE) (power points, fact sheets, etc. *search ‘biodiesel’)
- Executive Orders
Defense Energy Support Center (DESC)
Department of Energy
- Biodiesel - Clean, Green Diesel Fuel Fact Sheet, (2002)
- Life Cycle Inventory of Biodiesel and Petroleum Diesel for Use in an Urban Bus
- Conversion Factors
- Biomass Document Database is a comprehensive collection of technical and outreach documents produced by the Biomass Program and predecessor Biofuels Program.
- Alternative Fuels Data Center
- Idle Reduction
- Fuel Blends
- Vehicle Buyers Guide
- Clean Cities Coalition
- Clean Cities International
- Biobased Hydraulic Fluid (Brookhaven National Laboratory)
- Alternate fuel station locator for all US
Department of Agriculture
- U.S. Department of Agriculture Homepage
- Biobased Products and Bioenergy Coordination Council
- Federal Biobased Products Preferred Procurement
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 10
- U.S. EPA Biodiesel Emissions Analysis Program
- U.S. EPA Smart Way Grow and Go
- FedCenter.gov
General Services Administration
Non-Federal Resources
Related Information/Stories
Contacts
- Barbara J. Lither, USEPA Region 10, (206) 553-1191
- Kurt Buehler, Navy Region SW, (805) 982-4897
Federal Network for Sustainability Contact Us