Fleet Experiences
Portland Water Bureau Leads the Way with B99
Oregon's Portland Water Bureau (PWB) is committed to using the highest blend of biodiesel available. Since 2006, it has been using B99 (99% biodiesel, 1% diesel) in its city-owned, diesel-powered vehicles and equipment from spring through fall and B50 (50% biodiesel, 50% diesel) in the winter.
PWB's switch to B99 is the latest in a string of initiatives aimed at building alternative fuel infrastructure in the region and state. "We're doing our part to increase biodiesel demand and help spur the development of Oregon-based production facilities, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and decrease reliance on foreign oil," says Portland City Commissioner Randy Leonard. A long-time biodiesel advocate and an instrumental leader in the bureau's switch to biodiesel, Leonard promotes B99 as a cleaner-burning renewable fuel and an opportunity to boost the local economy.
To that end, the biodiesel used by PWB is locally produced. The city's partners in the effort--Oregon-based Star Oil and SeQuential Pacific Biofuels--blend and distribute the fuel, while regional farmers (from Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Montana) grow the seed crops that eventually become the feedstock for B99. PWB and its project partners are stakeholders in the local Columbia Willamette Clean Cities coalition.
With PWB's approximately 144 vehicles--ranging from backhoes and forklifts to dump trucks and tractors--running on B99, the emissions benefits are adding up. During the first quarter of 2007, the fleet offset:
- 1.5 million pounds of carbon dioxide.
- 1,800 pounds of carbon monoxide.
- 519 pounds of sulfur oxides.
- 170 pounds of particulate matter.
- 126 pounds of hydrocarbons.
Contact: Rick Wallace, Columbia Willamette Clean Cities coordinator, 503-378-3265.
