San Francisco Opens Gate to National Biodiesel Conference & Expo
The City by the Bay Will Make Inspirational Host for 2009 Conference

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Spot a city bus, a fire truck, or a double-decker tour bus in San Francisco, and chances are pretty good that it is running on 20 percent biodiesel (B20). The area’s biodiesel enthusiasm even flows beyond the “City by the Bay” into the Bay itself, where the famous Red and White Ferries cruise on B20.

“San Francisco is an inspiration to our industry like none I’ve ever seen,” said Joe Jobe, CEO of the National Biodiesel Board. “The enthusiasm for biodiesel is in every corner of the city. The commitment is contagious, and I am eager for our conference attendees to experience it for themselves.”

The San Francisco City Government is the largest known city in the world to use B20 fleet-wide, one of many reasons it is the perfect host for the 2009 National Biodiesel Conference & Expo, Feb. 1 – 4.

The conference educational program will be kicked off by the people who have made the biodiesel program there a success. Mayor Gavin Newsom is anticipated to speak. In 2006, he issued an Executive Directive designed to increase the pace of municipal use of biodiesel. Today, virtually all of the City’s 1,500 diesel vehicles run on B20. The City uses about 5 million gallons of B20 a year.

Other speakers from the City will include Marty Mellera, Chief of Climate Action and Greening – a title as progressive as San Francisco itself. Vandana Bali, Clean Vehicles Manager at the Department of the Environment, Mike Ferry of the San Francisco Fire Department and past recipient of the Eye on Biodiesel Inspiration Award, and Karri Ving, Biofuels Coordinator for the Public Utilities Commission will round out the general session.

The 2009 conference promises to offer its valuable educational and networking opportunities that attendees have come to expect. This year, one new feature is sustainability sessions supplementing existing educational tracks. Meet biodiesel peers at the golf tournament and Super Bowl party. For more information and to register, please visit www.biodieselconference.org. For discounted rates, register by November 14’s early bird deadline.

The NBB is the national trade association of the biodiesel industry and is the coordinating body for biodiesel research and development in the U.S.

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