Whole Energy biodiesel project heads for last step: California Coastal Commission OK

In California, the $2.4 million 3 Mgy Whole Energy biodiesel project in Pacifica is awaiting final approval from the California Coastal Commission, after securing approval from the Pacifica local council.

The project, developed by Whole Energy in conjunction with local officials and the non-profit Liveability Project, has been in planning for three years for a site adjacent to the Calera Creek Water Recycling Plant. Local residents have strongly opposed the plant on health and environmental grounds.

The proposed plant, which would be built and operated by Whole Energy Fuels would produce 3 Mgy of biodiesel, primarily from waste vegetable oil. City officials have estimated that the Bay Area produces more than 11 Mgy of waste vegetable oil across the region. Whole Energy Fuels operates a biodiesel production plant in Washington state.

Last month, neighboring San Francisco launched SFGreasecycle, a free pick-up program for used cooking oil from commercial food busineses such as restaurants and hotels. The city will convert the used oil into biodiesel to power city vehicles. The city currently spends up to $3.5 million per year to clean grase out of the city’s sewer pipes after the waste oil is poured down city drains and congeals. A city official compared the grease-caused blockages to a ‘heart attack for the sewer system’.

San Francisco has a B20 mandate which goes into effect for all 1500 diesel-powered city vehicles at the end of this year. The program follows a successful pilot that involved 55 restaurants, four hotels and a high school. The grease is sold to Blue Sky Bio-fuels of Oakland, which commenced operations in Oakland in September.

California continues to lead the nation in commitment to increasing use of alternative fuels. The California Energy Commission recently voted 4-0 to adopt the California State Alternative Fuels Plan, which was developed jointly with the California Air Resources Board. The plan calls for on and off-road alternative fuel usage to reach 9 percent by 2012, 11 percent by 2017, and 26 percent by 2022. Fuels include electric hybrid, compressed natural gas, hydrogen, renewable diesel, bio-diesel and ethanol . The plan calls for investment in production, fuel stations and subsidies to support the short-term price differential between alternative and fossil fuels.