Hi, I just read this in todays Denver Post. Thought some might find it interesting.
http://www.denverpost.com/cda/article/print/0,1674,36%257E53% 257E812557,00.html Denver Post Breckenridge adopts biodiesel fuel Town hopes to set example with soy By Steve Lipsher Denver Post Mountain Bureau Thursday, August 22, 2002 - BRECKENRIDGE - Town officials here on Wednesday joined the Breckenridge ski resort in adopting soy-based biodiesel fuel for buses and machinery, becoming the first municipality in the state to convert to the environmentally friendly alternative fuel. "We feel pretty good that the town of Breckenridge is, in a very small way, reducing our country's reliance not only on fossil fuels but (also) on foreign fuels," said Mayor Sam Mamula at a press conference coinciding with the Rocky Mountain Biodiesel Symposium. "We are a small town, and probably in a global sense, we're making a small impact. But we're all aware that small steps do add up." Already in use at Arapahoe Basin and Aspen ski areas, biodiesel fuel is winning converts in far-flung quarters and attracting interest from organizations ranging from the Denver area's Regional Transportation District to the U.S. military. "We hope we can be an example for other communities," Mamula said of the town's program, which uses a blend of 20 percent soy oil and 80 percent diesel fuel that burns noticeably cleaner but costs more than regular fuel. Heralded as a home-grown, pollution-cutting, affordable fuel, biodiesel contains no petroleum, generates no sulfur, reduces cancer- causing emissions by up to 90 percent and can be used in most diesel engines without modifications. "Isn't this the true meaning of flower power?" joked Roger McCarthy, chief operating officer for the ski area, which began using the fuel this summer. But biodiesel costs more - from 12 to 16 cents more a gallon - and tends to jell more readily in the extremely cold temperatures that are common in Colorado's mountains, raising as-yet unanswered questions about its usefulness. "The issues with cold weather were one of our biggest concerns," said Alan Henceroth, director of mountain operations at Arapahoe Basin. "Our research tells us this blend works very well in cold temperatures. But we did convert in May, so we haven't experienced the real cold yet." So far, however, the resort has been pleased with the performance of the fuel in trucks and heavy equipment and plans to use it through the winter as part of its commitment to preserving the environment. More than 200 commercial fleets across the country now use the fuel, and sales have grown rapidly from 500,000 gallons in 1999 to 15 million gallons last year, according to Joe Jobe, executive director of the National Biodiesel Board. Currently, it is available only in bulk from a handful of suppliers - the closest is in Iowa - but companies such as Fort Collins-based Blue Sun Biodiesel hope to have it in gas stations within a couple of years, according to company president John Long. ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~--> 4 DVDs Free +s&p Join Now http://us.click.yahoo.com/pt6YBB/NXiEAA/mG3HAA/FGYolB/TM ---------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Biofuels list archives: http://archive.nnytech.net/ Please do NOT send Unsubscribe messages to the list address. To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
