Biodiesel has many positive qualities, starting with its made in the USA, from mostly soybeans and grease. It has a positive energy balance of about 5.5 to 1, while gasoline has a negative energy balance. It emits approximately 75% less carbon dioxide than petroleum. And this good product is hitting record production levels.
EIA reports that 113 biodiesel plants produced 109 million gallons in December 2011, a record in the data collected by EIA. EIA puts the 2011 annual production at 967 million gallons or about 23 million barrels. www.eia.gov/biofuels/biodiesel/production. That is a bit more than 1 day's worth of US oil consumption.
The EPA also reports what it calls biomass diesel production numbers. See data for January to March 2012 at: www.epa.gov/otaq/fuels/rfsdata/2012emts.htm.
Growing biodiesel keeps American dollars home by reducing oil imports. Combined with increased domestic oil production, fuel efficiency, electricity and natural gas vehicles, biodiesel is part of the answer to ending foreign oil imports that remain America's biggest threat to our economy, environment and national security.
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