National Biodiesel Conference Visits Dallas-Fort Worth at a Critical Time
EPA presentations on Renewable Fuel Standard a draw…but that's not all
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – As the National Biodiesel Conference and Expo prepares to open for the first time in the Dallas-Fort Worth area next month, the biodiesel industry is keeping one eye on Washington, D.C., in hopes the Federal Government will complete its critical unfinished business from 2009.
No, not health care reform. For this young industry, the most important actions the government needs to act upon are implementation of a new Renewable Fuel Standard and extension of the biodiesel tax credit.
Home to about 30 biodiesel plants, what happens with biodiesel at the national level is critical to Texas because it has more biodiesel production capacity than any other state. "Texas biodiesel plants are suffering from a 'hold-on-for-dear-life' year," said Joe Jobe, CEO of the National Biodiesel Board. "That has a negative impact on the state’s economy and its position as an energy producing state. The good news is that 2010 could be a year of tremendous recovery for us, as our industry will discover at this conference."
Soon to be finalized, the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS-2) will set new minimums for biodiesel use. The National Biodiesel Board (NBB), which hosts the seventh annual conference beginning February 7th, has invited regulators to Grapevine to explain the complex compliance issues of the new program to stakeholders from across the country.
The biodiesel tax credit, which expired at the end of the year, has helped nurture the industry from a niche market favorite to a widely used alternative fuel that is chipping away at global warming.
"The tax credit is the biodiesel industry’s single most important market driver, and the RFS-2 is the safety net that insures energy investors of demand for our American made, sustainable fuel," Jobe said. "Without that market certainty, as well as other factors like the steep fall in oil prices, 2009 was a very difficult year.
-more-
Biodiesel Conference – Page 2
"However, I am convinced that 2010 promises to bring stability to the industry and at the very least gets us back to where we were in 2008," he said.
Jobe said the opportunity to learn about the new RFS is the most important reason biodiesel stakeholders will not want to miss this year’s conference and expo at the Gaylord Texan in Grapevine, but stressed there will be much more to see and do.
Those who attended the conference in 2008 will remember Don Reynolds, who predicted that unemployment would top 10 percent, and that housing market would decline by 25 percent. Reynolds’ prominence as a futures forecaster began with his “astonishingly accurate” predictions on oil prices for the Texas State Legislature. This popular economic forecaster will be back this year to help answer this question: When it comes to the business environment, what is the "new normal?"
Attendees will also hear from a petroleum supply chain panel on how biodiesel fits into their future business strategies. This will be especially timely as the federal RFS-2 inches towards implementation. Another key session will examine potential breakthroughs in feedstock development.
Finally, the biodiesel vehicle showcase in the Expo Hall and the ride-and-drive experience on the streets of Grapevine are sure to be popular with attendees. They will drive the very latest clean diesel vehicles, fueled by biodiesel blends.
The conference will be held February 7 – 10 at the magnificent Gaylord Texan just minutes from the Dallas-Ft. Worth Airport. To register and view the conference program, visit www.biodieselconference.org.
# # #
Additional information about biodiesel is available online at www.biodiesel.org.
|
