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Apr 1, 2006 6:41 pm US/Central
Crooner Nelson Breaks Ground On BioDiesel Refinery
by Eileen Gonzales
(CBS 11 News)
A music legend and an Oscar-winning actor were on hand Saturday to break ground on a new refinery many hope will help ease the pain of rising gas prices.
Willie Nelson, a partner with Pacific Biodiesel Texas, has backed alternative sources of energy for a few years with his alternative fuel BioWillie.
The new location at Carl's Corner Truck Stop, on Interstate 35 near Hillsboro, is the company's ninth plant and is expected to produce more than a couple of million gallons of fuel per year.
"The first thought," Nelson said, "is it a way to help the farmer, help the trucker, the environment and keep us from going around the world spending trillion of dollars fighting for oil."
During the past month, gasoline prices have increased nearly 30 cents a gallon in some places and there is speculation those numbers could continue climbing through April.
In the Dallas-Fort Worth area, the cheapest price at the pump is about $2.43, which is a rare find. Most regular unleaded fuel sells for nearly $2.70 a gallon.
E-85 is a blend of 85-percent ethanol and 15-percent gas. Locally, Kroger grocery stores will start adding E85 ethanol to eight stations in May.
Ethanol is a high octane, liquid, domestic and renewable fuel, produced by the fermentation of plant sugars. In the United States, ethanol is typically produced from corn and other grain products.
Developers hope this biodegradable source of energy is safe and will process different feedstocks into the fuel for diesel engines, starting with locally grown cottonseed oil.
"We're going to be able to sell the fuel right here at Carl's corner for maybe even cheaper price as diesel," explained Kelly King of Pacific Biodiesel.
"It's a better model that enhances and enriches communities."
Oscar-winner Morgan Freeman was on site to support the effort.
"I think that all of us have a pressing obligation to start thinking about global warming, about alternate forms of energy."
Nelson and Freeman are one third of the Earth Biofuels board of directors.
Nelson says he's already using it for his personal vehicle and tour buses and so far, he said, things are working out just fine.
(CBS 11 News)
