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California Biodiesel Alliance News
California's Biodiesel Industry Trade Association March 2016 |
We are happy to begin by welcoming new members Valley Pacific Petroleum Services and VicNRG and including their company logos, links, and descriptions in the Members section below. Also, we welcome existing member Agron Bioenergy as a full voting member with Roxby Hartley as the company's representative on CBA's board of directors.
Our February 24th California Biodiesel Conference, which many have called CBA's best conference to date, is reported on in our lead article. This is followed by an article on CBA's comments on ARB's proposed LCFS Monitoring and Verification Program, which is the subject of new rulemaking for the regulation.
Among the important information in this issue, and exciting achievements of biodiesel-related companies scattered throughout, are not-to-be-missed updates in the Policy section on the Biofuels Initiative, the ADF regulation, a special meeting and call for comments on biofuels funding in the CEC's ARFVTP, and success for earned media on National Biodiesel Day.
To view back issues of this newsletter and CBA Email Alerts
click on the "View CBA Email Newsletter Archive" button on our Home page.
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Regulatory Stability and Beyond Discussed at
CBA's Fifth Annual California Biodiesel Conference
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Jennifer Case, Chair of CBA and President of New Leaf Biofuel, giving the annual State of the CBA Union address
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The 2016 California Biodiesel Conference, held on February 24th in Sacramento, presented a range of detailed policy and technical information that was first put into context in a powerful opening address by Jennifer Case, Chair of the California Biodiesel Alliance (CBA).
Case, who is also President of New Leaf Biofuel, a small biodiesel producer in San Diego that has survived tough times in the California market, ended her talk with a David versus Goliath analogy, predicting that renewable energy will prevail against opposition from the industry with the fuel so old it's called "fossil," because renewable is where the innovation, the jobs, the opportunity, and the passion are.
Case discussed biodiesel's policy successes leading toward regulatory stability, including the two-year renewal of the federal tax incentive, healthy Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) volumes, and CBA's legislative successes -- especially solving a long-standing biodiesel tax problem in the state. She then set the stage in a strong way for the first panel, the keynote presentation, and discussions throughout the day when she expressed the concern that of the approximately 275 million gallons of diesel alternatives consumed in California in 2015, only 12% came from in-state producers. "We are enjoying the environmental benefits of the Low Carbon Fuels Standard (LCFS), but the vast majority of the economic benefit is being enjoyed by South America, Asia, and other parts of the United States," she said.
The California Biofuels Cap and Trade Initiative, a coalition effort to secure $210 million from auction proceeds for in-state biofuels production and infrastructure to help solve this problem, was discussed on a panel moderated by CBA lobbyist Louie Brown. Russ Teall, President and Founder, Biodico Sustainable Biorefineries, explained that the funds would be split equally among three biofuel types (diesel alternatives, gasoline alternatives, and biogas/syngas) based upon stimulating (1) California-based biofuel production; (2) the low carbon intensity of biofuels, and (3) the benefits to disadvantaged California communities. The other panelists listed the Biofuels Initiative as among their group's policy priorities for 2016 and highlighted the effort's early success in seeing the state propose $40 million in production incentives to the California Air Resources Board (ARB) and $25 million in grants to the California energy Commission (CEC).
Panelist Julia Levin, Executive Director, Bioenergy Association of California, detailed the very broad range of benefits of biogas for renewable energy and very low carbon fuels, which include reducing GHG emissions and short-lived climate pollutants, air and water pollution, petroleum and natural gas use, landfilling, and more. Consultant Duncan McFetrich spoke about ethanol, which has 5 in-state plants producing 222 mgpy, and contributes 50% of the total carbon reduction under LCFS with CI scores that are consistently declining. Ryan Kenny, Senior Public Policy and Regulatory Affairs Advisor, Clean Energy, discussed their branded "Redeem" renewable natural gas (RNG), which is the first commercially available RNG and is made entirely from organic waste. Johannes Escudero, Executive Director, Coalition for Renewable Natural Gas, which advocates for renewable natural gas derived from cellulosic waste sources though public policy advocacy and education, said that California has an opportunity to lead the nation in a field with vast potential and carbon intensities scores that plunge below -200.
The panel entitled California's Regulatory Environment and Future Directions was moderated by Joe Gershen, Founder and President, Encore BioRenewables. It featured Cliff Rechtschaffen, Senior Advisor to Governor Brown, who spoke about the Governor's integrated plan to address climate change by reducing GHGs by 40% by 2030. Citing the Planting Fuels study (see below) data that California producers provide less than 20% of the state's low carbon fuels, he outlined the requirements for funding by ARB through the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF) and the CEC under AB 118; acknowledged biofuels industry success so far; and stressed the competitive nature of the process of funds allocation.
Floyd Vergara, Chief, Industrial Strategies Division, California Air Resources Board, focused on the success of LCFS and how the Alternative Diesel Fuel (ADF) regulation fits into that program's goals while providing a path forward for the biodiesel industry as the agency's concerns about NOx emissions are addressed. Tim Olson, Energy Resources Manager, CEC, provided a thorough overview of relevant CEC issues and mobile source incentive programs. His conclusions included a "strong potential to increase the use of low carbon intensity feedstocks in California" and a "proposed state government biofuel incentives increase to $85 million annually from $20 million." Responding to inquiries about the need for terminal infrastructure funding to address the biodiesel industry's distribution bottleneck, he said that industry would have to demonstrate a need for government incentives for blending terminals.
Keynote speaker Ethan Elkind, Associate Director of the Climate Change and Business Research Initiative at the UC Berkeley School of Law's Center for Law, Energy and the Environment (CLEE), joint appointment at UCLA School of Law, reiterated the need for a biofuels production incentive as one of many broad-reaching steps delineated in the law schools' well-received joint report Planting Fuels: How California Can Boost Local, Low-Carbon Biofuel Production.
Joe Jobe, CEO, of the National Biodiesel Board (NBB) and featured speaker, urged grassroots engagement, especially vigilance against RFS attacks, many of which are focused on the ethanol "blendwall" but present risks for the entire program, even though advanced biofuels like biodiesel have strong bipartisan support across regional boundaries, as well as in the Obama Administration.
A moderated discussion on Regional Clean Fuel Standards: Progress Toward Adoption, Compliance and Integration, led by Harry Simpson of Crimson Renewable Energy, began with several propositions. First, was that in order to develop regional / inter-jurisdictional LCFS markets in which LCFS credits are fungible, a high level of integrity within each LCFS program / jurisdiction and a corresponding high level of market confidence in the integrity of LCFS credits must exist. Second, was that California's upcoming verification and enforcement rulemaking to address these issues will be the model for other jurisdictions.
Panel participants, Sam Wade, Chief, Transportation Fuels Branch, California Air Resources Board; Shelby Neal, Director of State Governmental Affairs, NBB; and Ian Thomson, President, Advanced Biofuels Canada, discussed their thoughts on the most critical issues regarding LCFS verification and enforcement. Some of the common themes that emerged included (1) the importance of feedstock testing as part of unannounced onsite inspections; (2) the need for 3rd party auditors to be U.S. companies and individuals to ensure enforceability of judgments; (3) the need for bonding requirements for foreign producers similar to the RFS, and (4) sharing data between LCFS jurisdiction to prevent mass balance misrepresentation.
Curtis Wright, Biotane Fuels Division Manager, Imperial Western Products, moderated the panel entitled The Future of California Biodiesel Feedstocks. Paul Roos, Special Investigator, Meat, Poultry and Egg Safety, California Department of Food and Agriculture, discussed the Transportation Documentation/Manifests Requirements of his agency's Inedible Kitchen Grease program, which has proven to be a very successful tool in helping to solve the crippling problem of grease theft in the state.
Stephen Kaffka with the Department of Plant Sciences at UC Davis, discussed how, with continued research and extension support, we can source biodiesel feedstocks from farms in California with possible opportunities for new oilseed production in orchards and vineyards; in dry farming systems; and with increased winter annual production as a complement to increased woody perennial plantings in the state. J. Alan Weber, Senior Advisor, NBB, talked about national trends, including that animal fat use for biodiesel production is up, and presented some of the detailing models used in this increasingly sophisticated science. Anil Prabhu, Manager, Fuels Evaluation Section, California Air Resources Board, updated the audience on ARB's progress in reviewing biodiesel pathways applications under the newly readopted LCFS. He confirmed the expected release date of June 30, 2016 for new biodiesel CI scores. There are 63 Tier 1 and 7 Tier 2 applications for certification and 25 Tier 1 and 1 Tier 2 for recertification.
CBA wishes to thank the following for their generous sponsorship: the National Biodiesel Board and REG (Gold); Crimson Renewable Energy and EcoEngineers (Silver); and Biodico and The Jacobsen (Bronze).
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ARB Begins LCFS QAP Rulemaking
Industry Comments Focus on Foreign Pathways, Chain of Custody, Palm
On March 8th, the California Air Resources Board held its first workshop on an LCFS Monitoring and Verification Program as part of a new rulemaking process for the regulation. CBA, after considerable local industry discussion and coordination with the National Biodiesel Board, submitted comments on what we believe are key requirements for maintaining the integrity of the LCFS.
First, CBA reiterated concerns, stated in previous comments on foreign pathway applications, about the potential misrepresentation of CI scores for fuels by foreign producers and that foreign pathways continue to be approved without verification commensurate with the significant risk for fraud.
To address these issues, CBA called for bonding requirements for foreign pathway applicants patterned after the federal RFS program (40 CFR 80.1466(h)) but with an increase significant enough to actually deter fraudulent players from entering the market.
Regarding verification and auditing, CBA recommended that ARB's resource allocation be commensurate with the potential for abuse. Specifically, CBA asked that all producers, especially foreign entities, be subject to random, unannounced audits from ARB; that ARB not approve a foreign pathway if it does not have the resources to conduct such audits; that the burden NOT fall more heavily on domestic producers; and that QAP providers be U.S.- based for enforcement purposes and to reduce the potential for corruption.
Also, to address the improper mass balancing of feedstocks, which is resulting in Palm-based biodiesel coming into the LCFS program, CBA recommended that ARB limit the mass-balancing approach to production plants that do not utilize Palm-based feedstocks. If the producer utilizes multi-feedstocks, one of which is Palm-based, the mass balancing approach should be disallowed.
Second, the comments weighed in on Chain of Custody issues based on serious concerns about the possible export of fuel without retirement of the LCFS credits. Due to the fact that the current LCFS Reporting Tool (LRT) does not follow the chain of custody of the fuel itself, but rather follows only the CI credits, CBA recommended that the LRT system be enhanced to require a balancing transaction for the physical product in addition to the CI credits. To prevent further administrative burden, it was recommended that ARB coordinate with the Alternative Diesel Fuel regulation (ADF) team who will already be gathering chain of custody information through the ADF Reporting Form.
Third, CBA's comments discussed how the vague definition of "waste oils" and "recovery oils" in the regulation is allowing for the use of Palm Fatty Acid Distillates (PFAD) as a feedstock in Renewable Diesel (RD) pathways. The EPA has specifically excluded the use of PFAD to generate D4 RINs (D4s have a 1.5 equivalence value, used by advanced biofuels). However, grandfathered facilities that use PFAD can generate a D6 RIN (this is the lower valued RIN that corn-based ethanol can generate). There is a significant amount of RD being imported in to California that is generating a D6 RIN and an LCFS credit. Since D6 RINS are much less valuable than D4 RINS, this signals that the RD is made with PFAD. Once the PFAD is turned into Renewable Diesel, it is indistinguishable from any other renewable diesel, so it is impossible to test.
Our industry recommended that ARB specifically exclude all Palm Oil products (with the exception of UCO) from being utilized as feedstock for any fuel under the LCFS program. This would provide assurance that there is no economic gain for the Palm Oil industry resulting from the LCFS program.
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(National Biodiesel Board)
NBB Collaborating with UC Davis to Update
NBB's Don Scott and Ryan Lamberg (California Biodiesel Initiative) met with the
Institute of Transportation Studies on the campus of the University California at Davis (ITS-Davis) in February. ITS-Davis is the leading university center in the world on sustainable transportation. It is home to more than 60 affiliated faculty and researchers and 120 graduate students. ITS-Davis partners with government, industry, and non-governmental organizations to inform policy and advance discourse on key transportation, energy, and environmental issues including low carbon fuels.
NBB is collaborating with UC Davis researchers to update the Advanced Biofuel Market Report formerly produced by Environmental Entrepreneurs. These reports collect data on the planning, construction, completion, and operation of biofuel production facilities. The data presented in these reports is key to policy makers who look upon this data to scale the volume of biofuels in the Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) and the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). If you should happen to be contacted by these researchers please help them collect accurate data about our industry, or contact Don Scott if you have questions. Don and Ryan emphasized to the study team that the US already has ample biodiesel production capacity, and our economic modeling shows that feedstocks exist to increase biodiesel production by at least 300 million gallons each year. As policy makers review this data to consider more ambitious carbon reduction goals in the LCFS or higher volume obligations in the RFS, it should be clear that the biodiesel industry is ready to grow. Production capacity should not be a hindrance to growth. Rather, our industry awaits consistent policy to foster sustainable demand for biodiesel in the market.
Don Scott also shared with the ITS team the most recent thoughts on Food and Fuel. This presentation explaining how biodiesel is a co-product of protein production appeared to be impactful with these West Coast researchers. In absence of this explanation, it has been commonplace for authors to assume that biofuels could be in competition with the food supply. Illuminating the fact that 30 pounds of protein and 22 pounds of carbohydrates and dietary fiber are co-produced with every gallon of soy biodiesel adds important context. When we grow protein to feed the world, we get more fats and vegetable oils than we can eat.
The distinction of how biodiesel is produced in synergy with the food supply and with unmatched reduction in greenhouse gas emissions earns it special consideration in transforming the heavy duty transportation sector. This was confirmed by the comments of Dan Sperling who founded ITS and sits prominently on the Air Resources Board. As Dr. Sperling welcomed us to the planned carbon-neutral community in Davis, which was constructed to show off all of the most advanced technologies in energy efficiency and conversion of solar energy, Dr. Sperling commented that we need to get more biodiesel in the market to displace petroleum in the heavy duty sector.
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Farmers Help Prove Biodiesel Sustainability for California
Posted March 18, 2016
It was a beautiful summer day when soybean farmer Ron Heck climbed up to the top of his 45-foot grain bin in Iowa with a group of somewhat skeptical Californians.
They were skeptical about biodiesel - specifically about whether biodiesel is sustainable when it's made from soybean oil.
The California Air Resources Board (CARB) had spent years searching for a solution to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions, and biodiesel was a contender ... if it could prove to be sustainable.
At first, Heck couldn't understand where their sustainability concerns were coming from. But after having conversations with them, both in Iowa and in California, he began to see things from their point of view.
"They were experiencing a major drought, so it makes sense that they'd be concerned about how much water we're using," said Heck. "We need to show them that we're sustainable."
When Heck went to California with the National Biodiesel Board (NBB), he was able to have more discussions about sustainability.
"It turned out that they had been referencing some outdated information when determining the carbon score of biodiesel," said Heck. "For example, while many farmers used to till their fields, the figures the Californians had been working with didn't reflect how much our tillage has reduced over the years. That, combined with how our yields have improved, affects the carbon score dramatically."
With funding from the soy checkoff, NBB conducted research to provide CARB with the most accurate data on biodiesel. The efforts proved to be worthwhile.
On Sept. 25, 2015, California affirmed that biodiesel reduces greenhouse-gas emissions by at least 50 percent, allowing for its use under the state's Low Carbon Fuels Standard. It was a major win for America's Advanced Biofuel considering California is the biggest diesel-using state in the country.
But there's still work to be done.
"It was great to see how excited the Californians were about biodiesel," says Heck. "But we haven't gotten the message out to everyone."
Heck believes that U.S. soybean farmers need to continue showing the world how sustainable they really are. He notes that giving that group of Californians a tour of his farm was a key turning point.
By taking them to the top of his grain bin, they were able to gaze out at the picturesque Iowa countryside and see fields of soybeans in their prime. "These soybeans are grown with natural sunshine and rainfall," Heck told them.
"That's sustainability."
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(California Air Resources Board)
California Small Businesses Recognized
for Implementing Climate-smart Strategies
Release #:1608a Date:02/23/2016
SACRAMENTO - Today the California Air Resources Board (CARB) announced the winners of the sixth CoolCalifornia Small Business Awards, recognizing small businesses that demonstrate leadership and make notable, voluntary achievements toward reducing their carbon footprint.
"These businesses illustrate the California story," said CARB Chair Mary Nichols. "From Eureka to San Diego, from an auto body shop to a winery, small businesses throughout the State are showing that environmental protection, innovation, and profit go hand-in-hand."
The 19 award winners were selected from competitive applicants, representing a variety of business sectors from across the state. These businesses took a number of different actions to save money and improve their business operations while reducing their greenhouse gas emissions and environmental impacts. Some of the steps they took included installing LED lights, solar panels, and energy-efficient equipment; manufacturing biodiesel or using biodiesel fueled vehicles; eliminating toxic chemicals and solvents; using eco-friendly, recycled/reused/repurposed products; composting food scraps and plant material; and starting or enhancing recycling and water conservation programs.
Three businesses received the Business of the Year award for demonstrating exceptional climate change management practices and emission reductions, while documenting their cost savings, return on investment and benefits received from taking specific actions. Sixteen businesses were acknowledged as Climate Leaders for taking proactive steps to reduce their impact on our climate and communicating this information to their employees and customers.
The winners come from 15 California cities across the state and represent different industries including manufacturing, catering, fitness, transportation services, dental healthcare, personal care products, solar installation, waste recycling, vineyard/winery, hospitality, and animal healthcare.
2015 CoolCalifornia Small Business Award Winners
Businesses of the Year
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Luxury Auto Body
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San Diego
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Surplus Service
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Fremont
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Wolff Vineyards
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San Luis Obispo
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Climate Leaders
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City
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Affirmative Wealth Management
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El Cerrito
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Aussie Pet Mobile Sonoma County
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Santa Rosa
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Clean Solar
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San Jose
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Crown Paper Converting
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Ontario
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Dental Healing
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Los Angeles
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Elevated Fitness
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South Lake Tahoe
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Global Gourmet Catering
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San Francisco
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Granlibakken Tahoe
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Tahoe City
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Incredible Adventures
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San Francisco
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Natoma Technologies
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Sacramento
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New Leaf Biofuel
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San Diego
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Nori's Eco Salon
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Encino
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Santa Barbara Airbus
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Goleta
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SHN Engineers & Geologists
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Eureka
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ShowPro
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Los Angeles
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The Refill Shoppe
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Ventura
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The award winners were scored by two-person teams comprised of staff from public agencies and private businesses. ARB staff and leadership further reviewed scores, conducted site visits and performed environmental reviews to select the 2015 winners.
Awards will be presented to the winning businesses at a ceremony on March 2, 2016, at The Citizen Hotel, 926 J Street, Sacramento, CA 95814.
CoolCalifornia.org is an online resource providing all Californians with the information and tools they need to take climate action. The website features money-saving actions, climate calculators, case studies and links to financial incentives to help individuals, small businesses, local government and schools gain the knowledge needed to take simple steps for a sustainable future. For more information, visit www.coolcalifornia.org.
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Scientists Seek Key to Converting Algae to Biofuel
Posted March 10, 2016 by Brad Buck
University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences researchers may have found a key to converting algae to fuel.
The scientists have found what researchers call a "transcription factor," called ROC40. Bala Rathinasabapathi, a UF/IFAS professor of horticultural sciences, likened a transcription factor's role in controlling the expression of many genes inside the algae cells to a policeman controlling a large crowd.
To draw lipids out of algae, scientists must starve the algae of nitrogen. Among the hundreds of proteins modulated by nitrogen starvation, the synthesis of ROC40 was the most induced when the cells made the most oil. The high induction of that protein suggested to scientists that it could be playing an important biological role, said Elton Gonçalves, a former UF/IFAS doctoral student in the plant molecular and cellular biology program. In fact, the team's research showed that ROC40 helps control lipid production when the algal cells were starved of nitrogen.
"Our discovery about the ROC40 protein suggests that it may be increasing the expression of genes involved in the synthesis of oil in microalgae," Rathinasabapathi said.
"Such information is of great importance for the development of superior strains of algae for biofuel production," Gonçalves said. "We conducted this research due to the great socioeconomic importance of developing renewable sources of fuels as alternatives for petroleum-based fuels for future generations. In order to advance the production of algal biofuels into a large-scale, competitive scenario, it is fundamental that the biological processes in these organisms are well understood."
Rathinasabapathi said this information is valuable for the future for engineering algae so it overproduces oil without starving the algae of nitrogen.
Lipids from microalgae provide an excellent renewable source for biofuels. The algae grow quickly, tolerate extreme weather conditions and do not pose the same issues as biofuel crops that are grown both for fuel and food.
The rub was if algae are deprived of nitrogen, the cells become stressed and begin to produce lipids, but their growth rate slows. And if alga is going to become a commercially viable fuel source, scientists must ensure that not only can it produce as much oil as possible, but also that it can grow as fast as possible.
Rathinasabapathi and Gonçalves co-authored the study, which has been accepted for publication in The Plant Journal.
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(BIOFUELS DIGEST)
University of Illinois Researchers Develop Oil from Sugarcane
for Biodiesel and Aviation Biofuel
Posted March 21, 2016 by Meghan Sapp
In Illinois, under the guidance of University of Illinois scientists, a research team changed the metabolism of sugarcane to transform sugars into oils or lipids, which can then be used to produce biodiesel. The sugarcane usually contains 0.05% of oil. In less than a year of this project initiation, the researchers successfully increased the oil production 20 times, up to roughly 1%.
Currently the oil-cane plants generate 12% of oil, but the team aims to obtain 20%. The group has also introduced additional benefits to the oil cane plants which include more efficient photosynthesis and better cold tolerance. This will result in higher quantities of oil and higher biomass production.
During their study, the researchers considered the technology, land area, and the associated expenses needed to convert oil-cane biomass into a sustainable biodiesel within different oil production situations, from 2% oil in the plant to 20%. This data was evaluated against soybean and standard sugarcane, which can be used to produce ethanol. A major benefit provided by oil-cane plants is that the plant's remaining sugars can be changed into ethanol, offering a dual sources of fuel in one.
The study also revealed that if oil-cane plants that contain 20% of oil in the stem are cultivated on under-used acres in the southeastern region of the US, over two-thirds of the nation's use of jet fuel and diesel can possibly be replaced.
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CALIFORNIA INDUSTRY NEWS
(FLEET OWNER): Vocational Profile: Sustainable Practices
Posted March 7, 2016
Starting with its name, everything about GreenWaste Recovery points to the company's desire to integrate sustainable and environmentally friendly practices into every aspect of its operation.
Headquartered in San Jose, CA, GreenWaste is a privately owned and locally operated company that specializes in residential and commercial trash, recyclables and organics collection, and processing services in a number of counties and municipalities.
"One way we accomplish this is by having our fleet run on alternative fuels," says COO Frank Weigel. "For that reason, when we recently started servicing seven different cities on California's Monterey Peninsula, we decided to field an all-new compressed natural gas [CNG] fleet in those service areas. In other areas, as collection vehicles near the end of their useful life, we're replacing traditional diesel with either biodiesel or CNG-powered vehicles."
According to Weigel, the decision to use CNG was based in part on environmental regulations because natural gas trucks help satisfy clean air regulations and local ordinances.
"We will continue to utilize biodiesel and look to expand our alternative fuels profile," Weigel states. "With the cost of oil plummeting, it's hard to pinpoint cost savings at the moment, but we do expect the price of CNG to be less volatile over time than diesel."
The GreenWaste CNG fleet in use in Monterey Peninsula cities consists of Peterbilt Model 320 trucks fitted with Heil bodies. Rear and front loaders and fully automated side loaders are included. A company facility is under construction so the trucks are temporarily stationed and fueled with CNG at the Monterey Regional Waste Management District.
Four technicians in a company shop perform routine maintenance on the fleet's CNG trucks. "Our technicians must be certified to work on CNG vehicles, and they undergo safety training to understand the properties of the fuel, components of the CNG fuel system, and basic repair procedures," Weigel relates. "Coast Counties Peterbilt provides that training and certification, which was a factor in our purchasing decision."
Weigel also notes that the commitment by GreenWaste to continually improve the environment in which it operates and the quality of life and health of the communities it serves includes voluntary reporting of greenhouse gas emissions to The Climate Registry. The nonprofit organization operates the only carbon footprint registry in North America.
"We believe that reporting GHG emissions accurately and transparently is part of our commitment to being an environmental leader," Weigel states. "By understanding what emissions are being generated by our operations, we can see where processes can improve and emissions can be reduced through fleet fuel changes, as well as energy efficiency at all of our facilities."
(Biodico): Biodico Trains Future Bioenergy Leaders to Excel in Green Economy, Drive Local Job Growth
FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. & VENTURA COUNTY, Calif.- To train students for the next-generation of green collar jobs, sustainable biofuel and bioenergy company Biodico today announced the expansion of its internship program in Fresno and Ventura Counties. Biodico is seeking up to 10 interns for the summer of 2016, four students who will be based at the company's laboratory at Naval Base Ventura County at Port Hueneme, Calif., and six students who will be based at the company's "Westside" facility in the San Joaquin Valley located at Red Rock Ranch in Five Points, Calif.
"This program represents our commitment to create green energy jobs in economically depressed areas, as well as provide opportunities for the next-generation of bioenergy professionals to gain experience," said Biodico President and Founder, Russ Teall. "Students who share our passion for the environment and finding economically viable solutions to power the future are encouraged to apply."
Following completion of the internship, students may be considered for employment opportunities. Biodico Westside, the world's first liquid biofuel production facility that operates entirely on renewable heat and power generated on-site, is expected to create 45 direct jobs in the next two years. Interns are exposed to an array of biofuel and bioenergy technologies, including biodiesel production, anaerobic digestion, gasification, solar cogeneration and wind, as well as cultivation of biofuel crops and laboratory work. Students will be placed based upon their field of study and interests.
Several of the jobs at Westside were created in partnership with West Hills Community College in Fresno County, a region with historically high employment rates. Biodico developed an internship program specifically for West Hills' students, and hires graduates of the school's two-year Industrial Technology Program.
"Biodico and West Hills Community College share a common vision, to help students get the experience they need for a fulfilling career," said Dr. Frank Gornick, Chancellor of the West Hills Community College District.
"We look forward to helping Biodico find highly qualified students who are interested in careers that have a positive impact on the very communities in which many of these students live."
Biodico has also partnered with University of California Santa Barbara to provide internships for environmental studies majors.
"Having the ability to intern with a company on the cutting edge of sustainable technologies is the equivalent of hitting 'pay dirt' for our students," said Eric Zimmerman, lecturer and academic coordinator with the environmental studies department at UCSB. "The innovation and values demonstrated by Biodico are key ingredients for ensuring a successful internship program."
For more information about applying for the internship program, please email [email protected]. Applications for the summer of 2016 are due March 31.
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