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6-8-2006

FUEL OF THE FUTURE COMES TO WEST VIRGINIA

With no end in sight to soaring petroleum prices, Americans are seeking an alternative fuel source that will cut dependence on foreign oil. Preferably, that alternative will also be renewable, produce fewer emissions and generate just as much power as petroleum. Oh - and it should also work better than petroleum in the vehicles we already drive, without major modifications or having to develop new modes of transportation.

Too bad such a fuel is just a pipe dream, you say.

Too bad you don't know about biodiesel, a mixture of soybean oil and petroleum-based diesel fuel, says West Virginia Commissioner of Agriculture Gus R. Douglass.

"Biodiesel fuel provides a viable and practical alternative to pure petroleum-based fuels, and it's a fuel source that should be embraced by the American public because it's something we make right here in this country," said Commissioner Douglass, now serving his tenth term in office.

And it's not just a topic for science fair projects (although it was a prize-winning project for two Musselman High students this year). For the first time biodiesel is for sale commercially in West Virginia .

Inwood Farmers Market began selling 55-gallon barrels of biodiesel fuel in April in response to its growing popularity in the Mountain State . Nationally, biodiesel consumption grew from virtually zero in 1999 to 75 million gallons just six years later.

"The Inwood Farmers' Market is one of three in the state operated by the West Virginia Department of Agriculture (WVDA) and we do much more than just help local farmers sell their produce," said WVDA Marketing and Development Director Jean Smith. "We are trying to look forward and recognize the emerging agricultural needs of farmers and consumers."

At Inwood, biodiesel is available by the drum or in lesser amounts for $3.89 a gallon, which should drop as biodiesel supply increases, according to Steve Miller, the West Virginia Department of Agriculture's (WVDA) Executive Director for Eastern Operations. The fuel comes from a plant in the Richmond , Va. , area and is pure biodiesel, meaning it must be blended with petroleum by the buyer.  

"We've sold about 1,000 gallons in a month with no advertising, and more people are showing up looking for it all the time," said Miller. "People typically use an 80/20 mix, but there's one guy who comes in who's running straight biodiesel in his Volkswagen."

While straight biodiesel is not necessarily recommended and may void engine warranties on passenger cars, the mixed version works wonders on diesel engines. Jefferson County farmer Cam Tabb started using biodiesel in his fleet of trucks about two years ago and he sees it as a win-win situation for the consumer and the environment.

"We were already satisfied that the engine benefit was substantial, even when using low grades of biodiesel," Tabb said. "It enhances the fossil fuel because of the oxygen level in natural oils. It essentially oxygenates the fuel and enhances the burn, consequently lowering the emissions in terms of soot and other things that come out of the stack." It also acts as a natural engine detergent, he said, and keeps engines running better and longer than straight petroleum.

Emissions from school buses have become an issue recently in the wake of a report by the Union of Concerned Scientists that says America 's schoolchildren are at risk from particulate pollution generated by diesel engines. On average, a West Virginia school bus releases 80 percent more pollution per mile than the average big rig, according to the author of the study.

But that's not true in a number of West Virginia counties that have been using biodiesel in their bus fleets. State Department of Education Transportation Director Ben Shew says that 13 county school systems are using "B-20," a blend of 80 percent petroleum and 20 percent biodiesel. Five counties will start using B-5 in the near future, he added. Shew said the state normally picks up 85 percent of county maintenance and operations expenses, but will pay 95 percent of costs to counties as an incentive for using alternative fuels.

More school systems are looking at biodiesel as it becomes more widely available and perceived problems with the fuel are put to rest. The main problem is probably the fuel's strong detergent characteristics, which clean so thoroughly that filters in older engines can become clogged with old debris.

Soybeans are grown throughout the United States , by far the world's leading soybean producer with 40 percent of worldwide production. In 2004, American farmers harvested more than 85 million metric tons of the legume, nearly half of which was exported to other parts of the world. More than half of West Virginia 's 2004 production of 828,000 bushels was grown in Jefferson County .

More information is available at the National Biodiesel Board's website at www.biodiesel.org . For more information on West Virginia agriculture, visit the WVDA's website at www.wvagriculture.org .

Inwood Farmers' Market is open Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. and 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. on Saturdays. It is closed on Sundays.

The West Virginia Department of Agriculture protects plant, animal and human health through a variety of scientific, regulatory and consumer protection programs, as mandated by state law. The Commissioner of Agriculture is one of six statewide elected officials in West Virginia. Currently, Commissioner Gus R. Douglass is the longest-serving agriculture commissioner in the nation. For more information, visit www.wvagriculture.org.

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