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Michigan Advanced Biodiesel Coalition supports incentives

The Michigan Advanced Biodiesel Coalition says there is a lot of room for the industry to grow as efforts to decarbonize increase.

Indigenous Energy President Pete Probst is part of the coalition.

“Biodiesel at 100 percent blend level would receive a 75 percent carbon reduction on average,” he explains.  “At a 20 percent level, which is what we’re proposing for a lot of fleets, that’s a 15 percent carbon reduction.”

Probst says the U.S. burns 52 billion gallons of diesel each year with just four percent blended with biodiesel.

He tells Brownfield states with biodiesel incentives or mandates have been more successful with expansion and consumers have benefited.

“Last year’s diesel prices—it provided about a 20 cent per gallon incentive to use biodiesel blends,” he says.  “A lot of people are using biodiesel behind the scenes and don’t really know it.”

Michigan has two biodiesel plants that produce about 15 million gallons of fuel annually and most of it is exported out of state. 

The coalition is supporting new legislation in the state that would incentivize fuel retailers to sell biodiesel. Probst says if passed, it would keep more biodiesel in Michigan, lower prices for consumers, and help the environment immediately.

Brownfield interviewed Probst during the coalition’s recent Detroit River trip highlighting the fuel’s maritime use.