RFS2 can create 26 new green collar jobs every day, some of which will be in the oil and agriculture industries. That’s 26 new skilled, family-wage positions every day. 26 more domestic jobs producing our nation’s energy security in just two years with the growth of the RFS2.

Listen to Gary’s remarks here: Gary Haer Speech

You can find a lot more stories on the National Biodiesel Conference Blog. I’ve had the pleasure of being the Biodiesel Blogger for the 7th year this year!

2012 National Biodiesel Conference Photo Album

I spoke with Paul Sr. just prior to his entry into the exhibit hall and he says the bike was a tough one to build. He says it’s not a speed demon but it won’t break down, “It’s just made to go.” The bike has affectionately been named Susie, btw.

Listen to my interview with Paul Sr. here: Interview with Paul Sr.

Listen to Paul Sr. describe the biodiesel bike here: Paul Sr. Remarks

Here’s video of Paul, Sr. driving into the exhibit hall.

Remember that you can follow what the Twitterverse is saying about the conference using the hashtag #NBB12.

2012 National Biodiesel Conference Photo Album

We’re just getting started here. Registration is underway along with a couple of pre-conference sessions. I’ve heard that registration is up significantly this year which is a good sign for the industry. First up tonight is the annual Super Bowl Party. I’ll have photos from that later. In the meantime, I have started collecting photos here: 2012 National Biodiesel Conference Photo Album.

In addition to stories posted here on Domestic Fuel I’m also the Biodiesel Blogger once again for the National Biodiesel Board. So check out both sites throughout the coming days.

We caught up with National Biodiesel Board CEO Joe Jobe at the Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit to get a preview of what promises to be a great conference. “Attendance is up, exhibitors are up, sponsorship is up, which is really a reflection of the fact that the industry’s back,” Jobe says. “The industry has come back and it’s really one of the most exciting come back stories since maybe Harley-Davidson.”

Jobe says there’s enthusiasm and excitement, but also a lot of work that needs to be done. “We need to talk about how we think about the industry going forward through the lens of the RFS, which is going to be the cornerstone of the industry moving forward,” he noted.

The conference will be held February 5-8 at the Gaylord Palms Convention Center in Orlando and while on-line registration is closed, there will be on-site registration for last minute attendees.

Listen to an interview with Jobe here: Joe Jobe interview

The Summit and trade show will be held in Des Moines, Iowa at Veterans Memorial/Community Choice Credit Union Convention Center from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. Pre-registration is required.

Fred Iutzi, of the Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs, will provide a strategic overview and update on renewable energy trends and a status of the industry in Illinois. Corn ethanol and soy biodiesel, advanced biofuels from cellulosic biomas, biomass heat and power, and wind and solar power all will be discussed. The presentation will highlight policy and development issues for both large-and small-scale renewable energy projects and connections between Illinois and the wider national energy economy. It will be followed by a question and answer session.

Reservations are due by Fri., Dec. 9. Participants are encouraged to
register early.

Four star General Paul J. Kern (U.S. Army Ret.) will headline the Summit, addressing the dangers of foreign oil dependence to U.S. military operations. General Kern served in numerous positions during his prestigious 37-year career. He led the 24th Infantry Division’s attack into Iraq in 1991, served two tours of duty in Vietnam and is the recipient of three Purple Hearts. General Kern currently serves as the Chairman of the CNA Military Advisory Board.

The Summit also will feature information on the national outlook for biodiesel, the newest ethanol blend – E15, and the balance between ethanol and livestock production.

Find more details and additional links and information, visit the summit website.

Today, the organization has expanded to other gaseous fuels, renewable fuels and advanced technology vehicles. Executive Director Al Ebron said that they have three key areas that they focus on: project management where they manage large projects in the renewable fuels and advanced technology vehicle areas, curricula development and subsequently turning that curriculum into training programs, and outreach and education.

With the support of key members comprised of national training centers (that are made up of community colleges, universities and private training institutions), and their associate members that include high schools, NAFTC goes around the country and conducts specialized training workshops. Ebron explained that when they do technical training, they focus on one fuel. However, there are some courses, for example when they do first responder safety training, where they focus on multiple fuels.

Today, NAFTC, a nonprofit organization, is doing a lot of work with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). They have several major initiatives including the Clean Cities Learning Program where they are developing first responder safety training programs and they are developing petroleum reduction technologies, manuals and training programs. In addition, they are working on the Advanced Electric Drive Education Program. This is a very large program focusing on electric drive vehicle programs and the first elements of this program will be launched in the coming months.

The majority of their training sessions are in the summer when more people have the flexibility to attend and for those interested, you can view a schedule on NAFTC’s website. You can also obtain more information about how to become involved in supporting various programs in which the consortium is currently engaged.

To learn more about all of the work of NAFTC, listen to my interview with Al here: Interview with Al Ebron

2011 National Biodiesel Conference Photo Album

Dehner said that the company sells a performance blend of diesel fuel called Dieselex Gold that helps improve fuel efficiency and protects the fuel while in the hands of GROWMARK’s customers. From there, GROWMARK adds various biodiesel blends to that fuel, whether it be B2, B5, B11, which is typical in Illinois, or B20.

Illinois has been very progressive when it comes to the use of biodiesel. The state has a sales tax motor fuels between 6 1/4 percent up to 7 1/2 percent. However, the state passed a waiver that if you use a blend of biodiesel of B10 or higher, effectively B11, there is no sales tax. This becomes very cost effective for the user.

When factoring in this state incentive, the state biodiesel mandate, along with other state biodiesel mandates, the federal Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS2) and the blenders tax credit, Dehner sees good growth for their business this year and in years to come. Yet he said that to ensure this happens, there still needs to be some consumer education. In his experience, he’s found that when you have a chance to speak one-on-one with a customer or potential customer to address misperceptions and perceived issues about the fuel, you are usually able to clear them up and get them on board with using the fuel. But ultimately, as with any product, the fuel must be handled properly and used correctly.

GROWMARK is a huge supporter of renewable fuels and they believe that when a consumer understands the benefits they will be for the same reasons: its homegrown, its good for the environment; and it reduces our dependence on foreign oil. That’s why the company will continue to sell renewable fuels – because it the right thing to do.

You can listen to my full interview with Mark here: Interview with Mark Dehner

2011 National Biodiesel Conference Photo Album

The Foundation is also recognizing Cima Green Energy Services for a very generous $25,000 donation at the opening of the auction:

Executive Director of the National Biodiesel Foundation (NBF) Tom Verry was pleased with the auction results. “The generosity of both donors and bidders this year shows the level of commitment and optimism of the future of the biodiesel industry,” said Verry. “We are thrilled to see the auction grow each year. With donations like those from Cima Green Energy Services and our other donors, we are now able to contribute significantly toward industry goals.”

Funds raised by the 2011 Silent Auction will support Foundation goals and activities for the coming year such as Biodiesel Sustainability Awareness. This program includes vital research contributing to the fuel’s long-term sustainability, such as lifecycle analysis, land use analysis, and water usage. Other programs it supports include Bioheat Education and Infrastructure Development. The Bioheat market alone represents potentially seven million biodiesel gallons annually. Infrastructure Development is another program supported by the NBF. This program includes jet aircraft testing, installing 150 biodiesel terminals nationwide and environmental certifications.

To make a donation or for more information about the National Biodiesel Foundation, check out its website: www.biodieselfoundation.org.

There is much talk in the biodiesel industry that the days of the single feedstock producer are nearing an end. The new emerging technology – multiple feedstock technologies. One such technology is the McGyan technology, a multi-feedstock technology that was first proven out in Ever Cat Fuels, a biodiesel producer located in Isanti, Minn. The plant went online in November of 2009 and was one of only two biodiesel plants that stayed in production last year.

So what is unique about this technology? David Wendorf, Director of Marketing for McGyan said that they use a transferication process. This allows them to use a wide variety of feedstocks ranging from 0 percent FFAs to 100 percent FFAs. The advantage is that the plant can always use the most cost-effective feedstocks. In addition, their technology uses no harsh chemicals, no water, produces no waste products and is scalable. And since it can use a full range of FFAs, it hasn’t meet an oil-based feedstock that it doesn’t like.

Another option with the McGyan technology is that you can add it to an ethanol plant that has corn oil extraction technology. Wendorf explained that you can use the corn oil to create biodiesel and the process also uses ethanol. In addition, you can actually create biodiesel from the excess ethanol if there is a situation where the market has too much ethanol and not enough demand. Wendorf explained that this would be another revenue stream for an ethanol plant, using the corn oil as a hedge – if the price of corn oil does go up, you can simply substitute other low cost feedstocks.

So what’s the tie with BAS? Well, Mark Fashian with BAS was so impressed with the technology, that he became the U.S. sales force for the product and his team also reps the product abroad. He explained the synergies with the companies in that McGyan is a one-stop shop for biodiesel technology and BAS is the one-stop shop for analytical instrumentation. So together, they are the “one-stop shop for the whole biodiesel plant.”

What BAS provides is all the equipment a biodiesel plant needs for its lab. Usually, a plant purchases its analytical equipment from 8 to 12 vendors and this has created issues in the industry. “What BAS did,” explained Fashian, “we’re an umbrella company with preferred vendors under us where you can buy the whole laboratory package, all 17 analyzers that are required for ASTM B6751 or all 8 analyzers for BQ 9000 all from one company and not have to go to four or five companies, and because we are always selling the same application, we have become experts in the industry.”

So there you have it. Whether you are a new plant just looking to purchase your production technology and lab equipment, or a current plant that needs to update its technology for the future, BAS and McGyan are your “one-stop” shop for your biodiesel refinery.

You can listen to my full interview with David and Mark here: Interview with David Wendorf and Mark Fashian

2011 National Biodiesel Conference Photo Album

So what do we do? We must learn to tell our story better. I recently presented a free webinar, “Back to Basics,” sponsored by Biofuels Journal and you can listen to the archive here that touched on this very issue.

This was also the topic of a the panel discussion, “Unconventional Reality of Press and Public Opinion,” during Advance: 2011 Biodiesel Conference & Expo in Phoenix last week. I sat on this panel with my esteemed colleague and fellow journalist Jim Lane, the editor of Biofuels Digest, as well as Karen Coble-Edwards with KICE Public Affairs Associates and Craig Sutherland with Dewey Square Group. Shannon Shea, with the U.S. Department of Energy moderated the panel discussion.

While those of us on the panel agreed that the biofuels industry needs to update its messages and tell a better story, we didn’t agree on how that should be done. But one thing I’ve found in my personal research, is that our opponents REALLY know how to tell a story. It’s time our industry learned how to do the same and just last week, this very thing began to happen.

Propel Fuels along with Biofuels Digest, launched a Faces of Biofuels campaign that features the people who use biofuels. Propel is based in California and sells ethanol and biodiesel in the Northwest. This is a really great grassroots campaign that should be stolen by biofuel friendly retailers across the U.S. In this case, imitation will definitely be welcome form of flattery.

There is definitely a movement within the biodiesel and ethanol industries to work more effectively together and at the upcoming Advanced Biofuels Leadership Conference being held in Washington, D.C. on April 19-21 will discuss just how to do this. So if you want to be a part of this movement, and get connected to others who have also joined this movement, consider attending this conference.

“We think it’s certainly a milestone date for homegrown renewable biodiesel in Canada,” said Quaiattini in an interview via Skype. “As we have long been advocating, we believe strongly that biodiesel is a better way to drive and certainly an innovative way to fuel our economy in Canada.”

Quaiattini said that this mandate is a signal to investors who have a number of planned expansion projects in place to move ahead and this will ensure the industry builds out the additional capacity required to meet demand that will ramp up over the next 18 months. Oil companies, who are the obligated parties, will have until the end of 2012 for the first compliance period, and then after that, they will need to comply with the mandate each calendar year.

The CRFA has been working closely with the federal government on the mandate and will continue to do so throughout the mandatory consultation process that will begin shortly around this decision. In addition, they are working with provincial governments as well who have also passed biodiesel mandates. For example, this April, Alberta’s biodiesel mandate goes into effect. In addition, CRFA is prepared to work with companies and their investors that are interested in building out additional production capacity to ensure they understand the incentive environment that is in place.

Quaiattini closed the interview by posing the question, “What’s next?”

“It only makes sense to talk about doing more. Now that we’ve got this first 2 percent mandate coming into effect, at what pace do we look at expansion beyond it and that’s certainly going to be a discussion we’ll be having with governments here in Canada moving forward.”

You can listen to my full interview with Gordon here: Interview with Gordon Quaiattini

2011 National Biodiesel Conference Photo Album

To begin, I asked Nelson to explain what a RIN was. It’s a Renewable Identification Number (RIN). “To make it simple,” said Nelson, “RINS really is the currency of the RFS2. That’s how the EPA measures the compliance of an obligated party.” He continued by explaining that for each gallon of biodiesel produced, 1.5 RINs are generated that travel with that gallon to the blender and then the blender or obligated party separate that RIN from the “wet gallon” and at this point, the RIN can travel separately from the fuel.

Last year was a tough year for the biodiesel industry. The $1 per gallon tax credit had expired and several obligated parties sued the EPA over the RFS2 biodiesel mandate numbers (under the RFS2 biodiesel qualifies as biomass based diesel). Fortunately, by the end of the year, the EPA won the suit and the credit came back, but by this time there weren’t enough RINS in the marketplace to meet demand to the uncertainty caused by the aforementioned issues.

Nelson said there were 1.15 billion gallons of material that needed to be consumed when you add 2009 and 2010 together but it appears that the marketplace will be short 95 million gallons. Yet he’s not worried and is very confident that the industry can not only make up for the shortfall this year, but also meet the RFS2 numbers. Combined this will be a total of approximately 925 million gallons of biodiesel needed to be produced this year. To put it in perspective, last year the industry produced 310 million gallons. Nelson said this is a 300 percent increase in production but there are 2.2 billion gallons of biodiesel production registered with the EPA, although much of it is not online.

So what’s next for the industry? Explosive growth. Plants are coming back online although Nelson said some still need additional investment dollars to get back up and running. In addition, the obligated parties are creating plans to build out the much needed infrastructure so the fuel can get where it needs to go.

Nelson concluded that he thinks the industry is going to see tremendous growth over the next couple of years and “It’s very exciting.”

You can listen to my full interview with Don here: Interview with REG's Donald Nelson

2011 National Biodiesel Conference Photo Album

I asked Le how he became involved in biodiesel and he said that it was actually a lot of professors pushing him in that direction and a lot of minor biodiesel projects in the courses he took that got him on his way. Eventually, his senior design project was to design a biodiesel project and he chose to focus on algae. This is when he truly discovered there is a lot of potential in biodiesel and he wanted to be one of the scientists who helps unlock this potential.

Le has just begun in career as a biodiesel scientist. He is going to spend the next two years working at Sandia National Laboratory where he will continue working with algae. He wants to focus on research on how to scale up algal biofuels from pilot to commercial scale. Today, he says, it takes too much energy to produce algal biofuels so they are not commercially viable. From there, he plans on working towards in Ph.D. in biodiesel.

While Le is focusing on algal biofuels, Lucas Ellis is actually focusing on cellulosic biofuels in his graduate program at Dartmouth, but he too is very interested in algae. However, he doesn’t feel that cellulosic ethanol and biodiesel compete, but rather are two complementary technologies that both have roles in energy production. Ellis also feels that the skills he is developing researching cellulosic ethanol, are the same skills needed to research and develop advanced biodiesel.

Ellis also fell into biodiesel, per se, while in his undergraduate program and once he got the biodiesel bug, it stayed with him. So when he was given the opportunity to become involved with Next Generation Scientists for Biodiesel, he jumped at the chance. Although the organization is relatively young with 30 founding members, they have a declaration that has been signed by more than a 1,000 budding biodiesel scientists around the world dedicating their careers to researching and developing the next technologies for advanced biofuels.

While at the conference, the 10 next gen biodiesel scientists met with various biodiesel mentors during a luncheon where students and professionals alike shared their ideas and visions for the future of biodiesel.

You can listen to my full interview with Evan and Lucas here: Interview with Evan & Lucas

2011 National Biodiesel Conference Photo Album

Yesterday NBB held its annual membership meeting and approved projects and a plan that will begin this fall. This gives the staff a “play book” to execute initiatives from market development to governmental affairs.

So let’s look forward to next year when the conference will take place in Orlando, FL!

You can listen to my interview with Donnell here: Interview with Donnell Rehagen

2011 National Biodiesel Conference Photo Album

I want to say a big thanks to New Holland for their support and in particular to Gene Hemphill, past Eye on Biodiesel Award winner. I spoke with Gene about New Holland’s support for the industry. He reminded me of a trip I took with him and NBB CEO Joe Jobe to Jay Leno’s Garage where we met Jay and learned about his support of biodiesel. It sounds like there might be some new developments with Jay and biodiesel brewing! That’s where the Boomer 8N comes in as you’ll hear him say in our interview.

New Holland recognizes the importance of biodiesel as an alternative source of energy and the opportunities that it brings to our customers. We were the first agricultural equipment brand to fully embrace the potential of biodiesel. As the clean energy leader, we support our customer’s fuel choices, and that’s why we provide products with the flexibility to confidently run on everything from plain diesel to 100% biodiesel.

You can listen to my interview with Gene here: Gene Hemphill Interview

2011 National Biodiesel Conference Photo Album

You can find some current resources regarding legislative issues on the NBB website:

* Renewable Fuel Standard – RFS-2 Action Center
* October 3, 2008 Tax Extender’s Package
* Tax Incentive
* Farm Bill
* Renewable Identification Numbers (RINs)
You can listen to Manning’s remarks here: Manning Feraci Remarks

2011 National Biodiesel Conference Photo Album

Inspiration: Deer Valley Unified School District. This Arizona school district began its biodiesel program in 1999, long before the fuel was a known quantity. Now the district uses biodiesel blends from B5 to B50 in all 236 school buses. Transportation Director Nick Portonova says he routinely takes calls from across the nation, helping answer questions that other fleets have. Portonova added the biggest benefit of using biodiesel is the healthier choice they are making for their students.

Inspiration comments here: Inspiration Comments

Our next award is the Innovation Award. Accepting was Frank Dela Vara, Director of Environmental Affairs, Disneyland Resort.

Innovation: Disneyland Resort. The resort is a national landmark whose effort to reduce emissions through biodiesel use displaces 200,000 gallons a year of petroleum diesel. Their innovative solution saved their iconic steam trains and is a shining example of biodiesel use.

Innovation comments here: Innovation Comments

Next up was the Influence Award. Accepting was Keith Kerman, New York City Department of Parks & Recreation.

Influence: City of New York. New York City Department of Sanitation, and New York City Department of Parks and Recreation. City of New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg signed landmark air quality legislation that includes a provision requiring all heating oil sold within New York City to contain at least 2 percent biodiesel by October 1, 2012. By moving to environmentally-friendly Bioheat TM, the City will annually replace approximately 20 million gallons of petroleum-based heating fuel. The New York City Department of Sanitation uses biodiesel blends of B5-B20 in its 4,000 diesel vehicles, which include many large trucks and snow plows. The New York City Department of Parks and Recreation has operated its diverse fleet of vehicles as well as more than 130 buildings on B20-B100 blends since 2006. Because of these two departments’ commitment to cleaner fuels, New York City is the nation’s largest municipal user of biodiesel.

Influence comments here: Influence Comments

Our next award was the Initiative Award. Accepting were the Grassroots Team Captains and Alicia Clancy-REG.

Initiative: NBB Grassroots Team Captains. The NBB grassroots initiative empowers biodiesel industry leaders and supporters to influence public discussion. NBB’s grassroots success has been heralded by Hill staff and trade groups alike. The successful program centers on team captains who carry out targeted objectives in their states. Since July 2009 the team captains have rallied contacts in key states to support a positive legislative framework for biodiesel. In just six weeks, NBB Grassroots Team Captains generated 8,000 comments on pending federal legislation. Their volunteer efforts have also led to countless earned media placements, successful site visits, and thousands of calls and letters to elected leaders. This group was critical in establishing the policy framework that exists today.

Initiative comments here: Initiative Comments

The Industry Partner Award was next. Accepting was Victor Bohuslavsky, Nebraska Soybean Board.

Industry Partnership: Nebraska Soybean Board. The Nebraska Soybean Board has been a leader among state soybean organizations in its support of biodiesel. Staff and farmer leaders regularly support and participate in critical biodiesel projects and events. For example, Nebraska recently hosted a delegation of oil heat leaders, a group that plans to blend 325 million gallons of biodiesel and wanted to see firsthand the source of the product. The Board also played a major role spearheading the largest proactive communications effort in industry history. They introduced new state soybean organizations to the biodiesel industry, and continue to support the industry through major investments in biodiesel projects.

Industry Partner comments here: Industry Partner Comments

Our final award was the Impact Award. Accepting was Adam J. Gryglak, Chief Engineer, Powertrain Engineering for Ford. I actually interviewed him so I’ll post that interview here for you.

Impact: Ford Motor Company. As a leader in the automotive industry, Ford Motor Company has again stepped to the forefront with its support for and promotion of biodiesel. Ford undertook the task of designing, engineering and manufacturing its entire lineup of all-new Ford F-Series Super Duty trucks with the specific goal of supporting the use of B20 biodiesel blends for all its diesel customers, starting in 2011 and beyond. Ford’s investment into the intense research, development and testing efforts that led to that support are now signified by the silver B20 emblem that is proudly displayed on the side of every new Ford Super Duty diesel truck. Ford’s continued support has made a significant impact on the marketplace, instilling even greater consumer confidence in biodiesel.

You can listen to my interview with Adam here: Interview with Adam Gryglak

2011 National Biodiesel Conference Photo Album

Participating on the panel were moderator Shelby Neal – National Biodiesel Board; Eric Bowen – Renewable Energy Group Inc./California Biodiesel Alliance Chairman; Ed Hegland – Minnesota Soybean Research and Promotion Council/NBB Past Chairman; Steven Levy – Sprague Energy; Rebecca Richardson – MARC-IV and Ben Wootton – Keystone Biofuels, Inc.

You can listen to the panel discussion here: Panel Discussion on Govt. Policy

2011 National Biodiesel Conference Photo Album

He says the RFS provides a demand that biodiesel will fill as the only advanced biofuel. He also says that NBB will be working on getting the tax credit back since it complements the RFS.

You can listen to my interview with Gary here: Interview with Gary Haer

You can listen to Gary’s speech here: Gary Haer Remarks

2011 National Biodiesel Conference Photo Album

Pictured is Joe Jobe, CEO, NBB, welcoming everyone to the showcase. I’ve got photos of the vehicles on display in the photo album. Emceeing the event was Jennifer Weaver, NBB OEM Outreach and Education Program.

You can listen to the full presentation from the vehicle showcase here: : Biodiesel Vehicle Showcase

2011 National Biodiesel Conference Photo Album

2011 National Biodiesel Conference Photo Album

After the session I spoke with Michael and asked him to summarize a key point he made in his comments about the danger of making governmental decisions that will profoundly impact our economy when it comes to things like climate change and carbon footprinting. He says that we can know that the Earth is getting warmer and that sea levels have risen but after that the data gets so fuzzy and the “error bars” get so wide it’s not practical to make political decisions. As he puts it, “It’s reasonable to be skeptical.”

You can listen to my interview with Michael here: Interview with Michael Shermer

2011 National Biodiesel Conference Photo Album

I would love to summarize their discussion but I’m also taking photos today along with some other duties like the Biodiesel Conference Blog so I’ll let you listen in: Petroleum Industry Panel Discussion

2011 National Biodiesel Conference Photo Album

Joe says the conference will rock and he hopes that all the attendees will have opportunities to conduct some real business as we look at an optimistic year for the industry. He pledges to use all resources to get the biodiesel tax credit extended this year.

You can listen Joe’s opening remarks here: Opening Comments - Joe Jobe

2011 National Biodiesel Conference Photo Album

I’ve now got a photo album started which I’ll be adding to during the convention. Our opening general session is about to start so I’ve got to get over there. I’ll be doing some posts afterward that will include audio from the session. Check back here often for updates.

Post Update: Check out what you missed on stage last night in the video.

2011 National Biodiesel Conference Photo Album

I spoke about supporting the foundation with John Hiesdorffer, Iowa Soybean Association, pictured center. He describes the purpose of the foundation and how you can support it even if you’re not at the conference.

You can listen to my interview with John here: Interview with John Hiesdorffer

I spoke with Joe to get an “advance” look at this year’s conference. Joe starts out by explaining what the ADVANCE theme means. He also says that there will be a good crowd of the right people who are here to get down to business at the beginning of what looks like a very promising year for the industry.

You can listen to my interview with Joe here: Interview with Joe Jobe

A full-ride scholarship was awarded to Evan Le, a senior studying mechanical engineering at the University of Nevada. Le was chosen by the Next Generation Scientists for Biodiesel, an organization launched in 2009, to help encourage young students to pursue biofuels research.

“As an aspiring Ph.D. student, this scholarship will be a great opportunity for me to expand my knowledge of biodiesel and enhance my skills, so that I can make a meaningful contribution to bioenergy research,” Le said.

Le’s scholarship is supported by the United Soybean Board and the soybean checkoff, and the Ohio Soybean Council has also provided a partial scholarship to Qingshi Tu, a University of Cincinnati Environmental Engineering student. In addition, NBB has contributed partial scholarships to several other students, including the four co-chairs of the Next Generation Scientists for Biodiesel:

• Mikkel Leslie, Oregon State University (Environmental Engineering)
• Lucas Ellis, Dartmouth (Biochemical Engineering)
• Jason Strull, University of Nevada – Reno (Material Sciences and Chemical Engineering)
• Bernardo del Campo, Iowa State University (Biorenewable Resources and Technologies)

“These students are the future scientists who will develop and improve energy solutions, and bringing them into the biodiesel community now is a small investment that could yield huge returns,” said Don Scott, NBB director of sustainability. “They have demonstrated such an inspiring commitment to biodiesel, which promises to be here for decades to come, and we look forward to working with them.”