It’s Not Just the Fuel That's Green --
Bently Biofuels Opens Eco-Friendly Biofuels Station

Minden, Nev. – Motorists who want to fill up with cleaner burning, domestically produced fuel have a new option in Nevada. Bently Biofuels, a biodiesel producer and member of the National Biodiesel Board, today opened a new retail pump outside its plant gates in Minden, Nev., 10 miles east of South Lake Tahoe.

Biodiesel is a renewable fuel for diesel engines. The Bently Biofuels Outpost offers B99 (99 percent biodiesel), B20 (20 percent biodiesel) and B5 (5 percent biodiesel). Blends of 10 percent and 85 percent ethanol are also available for gasoline consumers.

The fueling station is unique in that it has applied for LEED silver certification, a prestigious green building designation. Features include outdoor lighting that uses LED bulb technology, which reduces energy consumption up to 70 percent and reduces light pollution in the night sky. Solar tubes were installed in the restrooms to eliminate the need for daytime lighting along with flush toilets that reduce the amount of water consumed per use. Furnishings include cabinets made of fast-growing bamboo plywood and recycled countertops.

“We believe that this is the model for biofuels stations as we move into a greener, more sustainable future,” said Don Bently, owner of Bently Biofuels. “As the makers of an eco-conscious fuel, we’re big proponents of being sustainable from planting the first seed to filling the tank, and our station is a part of that process.”
If the station achieves the LEED certification, company officials said that it would be the first retail convenience store to do so. Bently Biofuels has a capacity to make one million gallons of biodiesel per year. The company makes most of its fuel from inedible plant oils or second-use oils, such as recycled restaurant grease.

The LEED green building rating system -- developed and administered by the U.S. Green Building Council, a Washington D.C.-based, nonprofit coalition of building industry leaders -- is designed to promote design and construction practices that increase profitability while reducing the negative environmental impacts of buildings and improving occupant health and well-being.

There are more than 1100 retail fueling stations offering various blends of biodiesel nationwide. A map is available at the National Biodiesel Board’s Web site, www.biodiesel.org.

The NBB is the national not-for-profit trade association representing the biodiesel industry as the coordinating body for advocacy, research and development in the United States. The organization recently held a grand opening for its new headquarters in Jefferson City, Mo. The building has many green features, including carpet made from recycled materials, nontoxic paint and solar-powered parking lot lights.

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