The Defense Energy Support Center (DESC) today gave the green light to greater use of biodiesel by federal fleet managers by issuing a solicitation to streamline the process through which federal agencies buy the fuel for use in diesel vehicles and equipment.
The move means that federal government fleets will soon be able to obtain biodiesel just as easily as they obtain petroleum diesel through DESC services, according to the National Biodiesel Board (NBB), a Missouri-based lobbying group.
All federal government agencies can now buy the fuel by simply placing orders against the contract entered into by the DESC.
The initial amount of biodiesel expected to be procured through DESC is 1.3-million gallons of B20 – a 20% biodiesel blend – that will be delivered to various sites throughout the country for use by both military and civilian fleets, said the NBB and DESC.
The fuel has been approved for fleets covered under the Alternative Fuel Vehicle (AFV) purchase requirements of the Energy Policy Act of 1992 as well as the goals of Federal Executive Order 13149 to promote more AFV use by federal fleets.
