News Digest Dec 29

A small California town gets Biodiesel.
This is not a major story, really. But this is how Biodiesel is happening. A station here, a station there. A town that once didn't have it now does. Another dot on the map!

Fuelmeister gains publicity.
The Fuelmeister is a mini in-home biodiesel plant. Capable of making 40 gallons per batch, and with the extension, one batch per day, this little unit could put out roughly 14,000 gallons per year! This unit will have a market niche as long as biodiesel is hard to find at the corner filling station. The best thing I like is that it demonstrates the "low-tech" aspect of biodiesel. C'mon! Everyone's heard the story about the millions that the US put into a pen that could write in space while the Russians used a damn pencil! No in-home hydrogen making unit yet available!

Renewable Energy Standards go into effect.
The Energy Bill passed last year mandates that 2.78 percent of auto fuel sales be made from renewable sources such as ethonal or biodiesel. This is going to be measured at an aggregate level, and forecast indicate that this standard will be easily met.