City of Carlsbad, California (click here)

Low carbon fuel made from waste products cuts greenhouse gases

July 13, 2016
By Phil Diehl

Carlesbad — Carlsbad recently (click here) became the first city in San Diego County to switch its fleet of diesel-powered vehicles to a 100 percent renewable fuel made entirely of waste vegetable oil and animal fats.

Renewable diesel, sometimes called “green diesel,” delivers about the same performance as petroleum diesel at nearly the same cost, and yet it reduces emissions by up to 70 percent, said Steve Hodges, a management analyst with the city’s public works department.

The new fuel differs from biodiesel, which has been around for more than a century and is usually blended with petroleum diesel.

Carlsbad made the switch about a month ago, after Hodges read an article in a trade magazine describing how San Francisco and Oakland had recently transitioned their diesel fleets to renewable diesel. He decided to investigate and found many advantages.

“We’re always looking for innovative ideas,” said Hodges. “The more research we did, the better it seemed.”...