Company News – December 2025 | |
Highlights of 2025 & Looking Ahead to 2026
from Pacific Biodiesel Director of Operations Jenna Long
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As we wrap up the 30th Anniversary year of Pacific Biodiesel, it has been gratifying to look back at the history of our pioneering company and many of those who have supported us throughout the years which helped us reach this milestone.
As has been the case before, 2025 has been a year of both challenges and highlights, some of which we feature in this newsletter:
- Company Co-Founders Bob and Kelly King received the Lifetime Achievement Award from Pacific Edge Magazine
- Our sister company launched the rebrand of its Kuleana Hawaiʻi Grown culinary oils
- Our Agriculture Division reached both farming and milling milestones at the Kauaʻi operation
| | Pacific Biodiesel Director of Operations Jenna Long | | With an increase in the material received at our Sand Island facility along with the addition of storage capacity, this dedicated work force has processed over 30% more grease trap waste this year than last year. As a result, in 2025 this plant will create over half a million gallons of usable biodiesel feedstock out of Oahu’s grease trap waste. This means even more local material stays out of our landfills and becomes renewable energy! | | A 16,000 gallon biodiesel storage tank was added on Oʻahu to meet the needs of the operation and its fuel customers. | | |
Our collections teams across the state have done a great job this year servicing our existing restaurant customers and adding new clients who choose to recycle their used cooking oil into renewable fuel. Our Keaʻau refinery continues to produce some of the highest quality biodiesel in the country and we have continued to upgrade our facility this year by installing new equipment, including a new methanol storage tank.
This holiday season, we are grateful for the support of our customers; those who continue to use our locally produced renewable fuel and those in the restaurant and food service industry who recycle their waste oils for the production of biodiesel. Also this holiday season, it has been our honor to team up with Hawaiian Electric for a rice drive with our employees around the state; read about that meaningful collaboration in this issue.
I am extremely proud of the dedication and hard work of each and every one of our employees. As we close out our 30th Anniversary year, we look toward the future - continuing to produce biodiesel and expanding our regenerative agriculture projects to support Hawaiʻi's circular economy.
My wish list for 2026:
- If you can use biodiesel, please do.
- Choose to recycle your used cooking oil into locally produced renewable fuel.
- Support local farming and local food producers.
Wishing each and every one of you a wonderful holiday season!
| | Celebrating 30 Years of Pacific Biodiesel | | A look back at three decades of support | | Throughout this year, we took the opportunity on social media to recognize those who have been instrumental in Pacific Biodiesel’s 30-year history, with a series of Kākou posts. Here are just a few of those important supporters: | | Pacific Biodiesel received the support of Hawaiʻi's senior senator Daniel K. Inouye in the company's mission to provide community-based renewable fuel for our state. In 2008, Senator Inouye was in Honolulu to witness the signing of the Hawaiʻi Clean Energy Initiative (HCEl) which established the most aggressive clean energy goals in the nation at that time. | | |
A longtime supporter of Pacific Biodiesel, Willie Nelson deserved a week of recognition.
"As a music legend and a respected advocate for America's farmers for decades, Willie Nelson was instrumental in building credibility for our emerging fuel technology, especially among America's truckers," Kelly King explained. "Willie helped make biodiesel trustworthy and cool!"
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Documentary film editor Stephen Strout became a fan of Pacific Biodiesel when he began researching renewable energy for his own first documentary film project in the mid-2000s.
His documentary "Revolution Green" about Pacific Biodiesel, had its Maui premiere 18 years ago.
| | Kings Honored with Lifetime Achievement Award | | |
In October, Pacific Biodiesel was recognized by Pacific Edge Magazine at their 2025 Business Achievement Awards.
Pacific Biodiesel founders Kelly & Bob King received the Lifetime Achievement Award, and our Director of Operations Jenna Long was recognized as a finalist for Business Executive of the Year! Pacific Biodiesel was also a finalist in the category for Sustainability and Conservation in Hawaiʻi.
| | Pacific Biodiesel founders Bob and Kelly King received the 2025 Lifetime Achievement Award. | | Attending the Business Achievement Awards Gala are (L to R) Jenna Long, Bob and Kelly King, Pacific Biodiesel Controller Jan Alejandro and Director of Agriculture Operations Jamie Twigg-Smith. | | |
As 2025 comes to a close and we conclude our companyʻs 30th anniversary this year, Pacific Biodiesel was honored to team up with our longtime customer Hawaiian Electric for a special holiday program to support local food banks and encourage local ingredients for holiday meal preparation. The collaboration – Kākou for the Holidays – included a rice drive and a holiday recipe contest.
Earlier this week, team members from both companies together delivered the donated rice to food banks on Maui, Oʻahu and Hawaiʻi Island. Pacific Biodiesel also donated to the food bank on Kauaʻi where our company expanded its agriculture operations last year.
In total, more than 2,775 pounds of rice was donated by employees of both companies – well over ONE TON of rice for local families. Along with the rice, Pacific Biodiesel donated a supply of Kuleana Sunflower Culinary Oil to each food bank.
Next week, the Holiday Recipe Contest wraps up – entries are due by Monday, December 15. For more information on the recipe contest rules, visit our website.
Mahalo to Hawaiian Electric and our Pacific Biodiesel employees around the state for sharing their aloha spirit and helping to support local food banks to feed our communities this holiday season.
| | Employees from Pacific Biodiesel and Hawaiian Electric combined efforts to collect bags and boxes of rice for donation to food banks on each island for holiday meals. To learn more about each food bank and how you donate this holiday season, click the logos below. | | Partnering with Mālama Maui Nui to recycle Maui's household UCO | | |
On November 15 – National Recycling Day – Pacific Biodiesel announced its new partnership with the non-profit agency Mālama Maui Nui to collect used cooking oil (UCO) from Maui households.
Residents can now recycle their family's UCO at the Mālama Maui Nui baseyard in Pu‘unēnē for easy drive-through drop-off. Pacific Biodiesel will donate to Mālama Maui Nui $1 for each gallon of household UCO we recycle from their collection efforts.
Every drop matters! For each gallon of UCO recycled, Pacific Biodiesel is able to produce nearly one gallon of our 100% renewable biofuel!
Learn more in this video, and read our blog for recycling tips and drop-off locations around the state where you can recycle your household UCO.
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At the Hawaii Transportation
Annual Conference
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In August, Pacific Biodiesel turned out in force for the Hawaiʻi Transportation Association Annual Conference on Oʻahu where the company's Director of Operations Jenna Long was inducted as President for the 2025/2026 year.
"I look forward to giving back to the transportation community that we are part of as both a renewable fuel provider and a logistics fleet," she said.
On day two of the HTA Conference, Pacific Biodiesel fleet team supervisors participated in seminars for an update on current trucking trends and compliance requirements.
| | Members of Pacific Biodieselʻs team attended the 2025 Hawaii Transportation Association Annual Conference. | |
A guest speaker at the conference, Pacific Biodiesel President Bob King outlined the many benefits of readily available, locally produced biodiesel for diesel fleets.
King shared findings from the report by University of Southern California ("Comparative Analysis of Life Cycle Assessment - Electric versus Biodiesel Buses in Hawaii," April 2024) with a life cycle assessment of an electric bus vs. a biodiesel bus in Hawaiʻi that showed:
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Biodiesel buses demonstrate a substantial reduction in environmental impact, consuming 48% less energy and 89% less water compared to their electric counterparts.
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Biodiesel buses emit 41% fewer greenhouse gas emissions and present a 7% lower total cost of ownership.
Find the full published report here.
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Pacific Biodiesel Hosts the
Hawaiʻi Youth Transportation Council
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In August, Pacific Biodiesel co-founders Bob and Kelly King met with a very special group of students and advisors at the Kings' Maui sunflower farm to share their companyʻs regenerative agriculture and renewable fuel production model.
The students are members of The Hawaiʻi Youth Transportation Council, which formed in January and consists of 20 youth from across the state who advise the Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation on climate mitigation and adaptation.
“The Council hopes to see in-person examples of emissions reduction and carbon sequestration strategies from HDOTʻs Draft Energy Security & Waste Reduction Plan, including clean fuels, and locally produced clean fuels,” explained Laura Kaakua, Outreach Manager for the HDOT's Office of Energy Security & Community Outreach.
The Kings outlined the Pacific Biodiesel mission to provide community-based biodiesel for Hawaiʻi sourcing local feedstock both from used cooking oil and agriculture. Bob King explained that while all renewables for transportation were important to include in the mix, biodiesel has a significant benefit for vehicles with existing diesel engines including heavy trucks, marine vessels and off-road equipment.
What did these students think after meeting Bob and Kelly? Hear their comments in this video!
| | Ag Operations Year-End Update | | |
Production is blooming at Pacific Biodiesel's Kaumakani mill and farming operation. Over the course of the last 12 months, the company's Ag Operations team has successfully grown and harvested:
- 200 acres of sunflower, marking the largest total seed harvest to date
- 100 acres of grain corn for animal feed, sparking increased local interest in food crops
"A common misnomer is that producing energy from local agricultural sources comes at the expense of local food production," said Pacific Biodiesel Director of Agriculture Operations James Twigg-Smith. "In fact, it is quite the opposite: the production of local energy in the form of oilseed crops relies on the complementary production of food crops for both humans and animals, and when coupled, forms a foundational model for commodity scale production of food and energy within the state of Hawaiʻi."
To learn more about our Ag Operations this year and see photos of the recent harvests, read our blog post.
Another milestone was the launch last month of new branding for the culinary oils produced by Maiden Hawaiʻi Naturals, LLC – a company created in 2015 by Pacific Biodiesel founders Bob and Kelly King. The all new Kuleana® Hawaiʻi Grown culinary oils include Sunflower Oil and Macadamia Oil in dark-glass bottles with pour spout and bulk "bag in box" options for restaurants, food manufacturers, spas and cosmetic formulators. For information and to purchase online, visit KuleanaHawaiiOils.com and watch the video below.
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Green Drinks Kauaʻi - July 23
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Pacific Biodiesel was proud to support the July Green Drinks Kaua’i event at Puakea Grill in Lihue.
We joined other local sponsors — including KIUC, The Cliffs at Princeville, Green Magazine Hawai’i and Salty Wahine – at this quarterly pau hana that has an aim of working towards forging a sustainable future for Hawai’i.
| | | At the Green Drinks event (above L to R) Pacific Biodiesel Kauaʻi Operations Manager, George Twigg-Smith, Pacific Edge Publisher Naomi Hazelton, Pacific Biodieselʻs Marketing Director Joy Galatro, Agriculture Operations Director Jamie Twigg-Smiith and Sales Manager Chris Long. | | KHF's Farm to Table Dinner - August 22 | Pacific Biodiesel was happy to support Kokua Hawaii Foundation by donating sunflower culinary oil from our sister company for the nonprofitʻs August Farm to Table dinner. Monkeypod Koʻolina Executive Chef Jose Gonzalez-Maya incorporated the oil into the eveningʻs Cucumber Tomato Salad as well as his Hawaiian Fish & ʻUlu Tamales dish. | | Executive Chef Jose Gonzalez-Maya with some of his Monkeypod Koʻolina team. | | Chef Joseʻs Cucumber Tomato Salad with locally grown and produced sunflower oil. | | He Ala Pono Sustainability Fair - September 29 | | |
In September it was truly "girl power" for Pacific Biodiesel at the He Ala Pono Sustainability Fair in Hilo.
Pictured here staffing the Pacific Biodiesel info table were Director of Operations Jenna Long (at left) who brought her two daughters along with Hawaiʻi Island Dispatcher Christina Texiera and her three daughters.
| | | The annual event is an opportunity for local organizations that contribute to Hawaii Island’s sustainability, community resilience, and climate action to share their work with the community. As Noel Morin, one of the event organizers said, "Pacific Biodiesel's products and contribution to our energy resilience are essential to share!" | | Smoke it Up! - October 25 | | |
The October Smoke it Up! festivalʻs goal was to transform Puna's feral pig challenge into a celebration of local food innovation and community solutions.
Chefs from across Hawaiʻi Island created and served unique dishes with the local pork product, with many incorporating the newly branded Kuleana® Hawaiʻi Grown Sunflower Oil, donated for the event.
The festival explored how feral pig can support food security and value-added product development, positioning Hawaiʻi as a leader in regenerative food innovation. Proceeds will help advance efforts to establish a USDA-certified processing facility in Pāhoa, strengthening long-term community and economic resilience. Go to smokeitup808.com for more info.
| | Hawaiʻi Farm Bureau Annual Convention - November 3-4 | | |
Pacific Biodiesel Sales Manager Chris Long was on hand at Hawaiʻi Farm Bureauʻs 78th Annual Convention held at the Outrigger Kauaʻi Beach Resort in November.
The companyʻs regenerative agriculture operations and mill at Kaumanakani, Kauaʻi was of great interest, including the production of feed corn and meal for Hawaiiʻs livestock.
| | Pacific Biodiesel Sales Manager Chris Long readies for attendees at HFBʻs convention. | | Rotary Lahaina Sunrise - December 9 | | |
Pacific Biodiesel Vice President Kelly King was the featured speaker at the December 9th meeting of Rotary Club Lahaina Sunset.
King presented an overview of Pacific Biodiesel’s 30 year history, including its recycling roots, its mission to promote locally produced renewable fuel and the company's expanded agriculture projects in the state.
The audience engaged in a robust Q&A session with Kelly following her presentation.
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Pacific Biodiesel Vice President Kelly King
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John Deere Announcement Boosts Demand for Biodiesel
The leading farm equipment manufacturer now approves use of B30 biodiesel blends in all its Tier 4 John Deere Power Systems engines ─ a 10% increase over the previously approved B20 biodiesel blend. Details in this article from Biofuels International.
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Advanced internal-combustion engines are a sustainable solution for student transportation
With over 85% of the approximately 540,000 school buses on the road today powered by diesel engines, the most accessible and available option is switching their fleet from diesel to biodiesel and renewable diesel fuels that reduce CO2 and other emissions by 50 to 75 percent. Read the article in Biobased Diesel Daily.
| | Founded in 1995, Pacific Biodiesel is the nation's longest operating and most experienced biodiesel producer, and the only commercial producer of liquid biofuels in the state. A Maui-based company with nearly 100 employees statewide, we established the first retail biodiesel pump in America and for three decades we've been an innovative leader in the renewable energy industry. With a nameplate production capacity of 5.5 million gallons annually, our refinery on Hawaiʻi Island utilizes advanced technology to produce premium distilled biodiesel. Our company has always focused on recycling with a zero waste philosophy that incorporates development of value-added co-products. Today, our collaborative, community-based "regenerative agriculture and renewable energy" production model demonstrates a circular economy approach to fighting climate change and helps Hawaiʻi achieve a clean, sustainable energy future. | | |
Founded on Maui in 1995, Pacific Biodiesel is Hawaiʻi's only commercial producer of liquid biofuels.
Our Mission: To promote a clean, sustainable energy future through the community-based production of renewable fuels
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Pacific Biodiesel
2050 Main Street, Suite 3B
Wailuku, HI 96793
Editor: Joy Galatro, Marketing Director
Staff Writer & Layout: Beth Mathias, Marketing Associate
For more information visit our website
biodiesel.com
or contact Beth Mathias at
bmathias@biodiesel.com
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