Good news. The more municipalities that get behind biodiesel, the more it'll gain mainstream acceptance and wider use.
City To Study Changing Diesel Fleet Over To Biodiesel
By Kelly Garrison
Features Editor
Long Beach soon may follow in the footsteps of several other California
cities that have reduced their carbon footprint on the earth, using a
new kind of fuel.
The City Council directed City Manager Pat
West to investigate the feasibility of using biodiesel to power its 361
city-owned trucks, large cars and other diesel vehicles. The fuel
allows engines to get about 400 miles out of each tank and is 35% more
energy efficient than petroleum diesel.
“I think it’s a
wonderful time for the city to explore the use of biodiesel, because it
has tremendous benefits,” said Vice Mayor Bonnie Lowenthal. “All of us
in city government are committed to improving the environment in every
way we can.”
Seventh District Councilwoman Tonia Reyes Uranga
opposed the plan, saying there wer other pollution issues related to a
biodiesel mix. Uranga sits on the Air Quality Management District Board.
Lowenthal got behind the wheel of a biodiesel-converted Volkswagen
Beetle this week after winning a three-day test run of the car at a Los
Angeles League of Conservation Voters event. She spent some of the time
taking environmentalists and other interested community members on
excursions through different parts of the city.
“Anyone
interested (took) a ride around the block to see that a car with
biofuel acts the same way as any other car would and vastly improves
the environment,” she said.
Vehicles that run on biodiesel get
about 47 miles per gallon and provide a renewable, cleaner alternative
fuel with lower toxic exhaust emissions than petroleum. Lowenthal said
she supports its use, because it would help reduce the city’s
dependence on fossil fuels.
City staff said they expect that
little will be required to convert the fleet to use biodiesel fuel. In
addition, the city may install a biodiesel pump or station to serve
both public and private vehicles.
First District Chief of Staff
Niki Tennant said that the city of Los Angeles also is considering use
of the fuel. Santa Barbara and San Francisco already have incorporated
biodiesel into their fleets.
Last summer, the City Council voted
in favor of partnering with a national campaign to support the use of
rechargeable Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles.
The city’s
fleet of vehicles currently includes several hundred alternate fuel
vehicles; there are a total of about 1,600 vehicles in the Long Beach
fleet, many of which run on Compressed Natural Gas.
In December
last year, the city’s diesel vehicles consumed 21,649 gallons of diesel
fuel. If the city uses biodiesel, it could become eligible to apply for
state and federal incentives, tax credits and other programs
