"As a domestic source of energy that reduces harmful emissions and greenhouse gases, biodiesel will help us reduce our dependence on foreign oil while at the same time improving our health and environment,” said Rep. Mark Udall (D-CO), co-chair of the House Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Caucus.
Explaining the decision to begin offering biodiesel at Shoco Oil, co-owner Becky Hohnstein said, "We see this as a chance to give back to the agricultural community that has been our customer base for over fifty years. We want to support the local economy, and the environmental benefits are very important to us as well." Hohnstein said that more than two million gallons of diesel is burned in Colorado every day.
Biodiesel is a renewable fuel made from vegetable oil, and offers significant health and environmental advantages over petroleum diesel, reducing particulate emissions, greenhouse gases, sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons. Producing biodiesel uses one unit of fossil energy and yields 3.2 units, giving it a higher energy balance than petroleum fuels or ethanol. Biodiesel can be used in existing diesel engines without modification.
