Biodiesel revisited

Whatever happened to biodiesel? Once--not so long ago--it was hailed as an immediate and sustainable way to alleviate dependence on oil and reduce CO2 emissions. But lately biodiesel seems to be living in the shadow of other green technologies, like spotlight-stealing electric cars. However, the absence of fanfare hasn't deterred Santa Cruz's Kings of Biodiesel, Green Station owners Bill Le Bon and Ray Newkirk, from continuing the fight. While forced to lease U-Hauls out of the Green Station lot to make ends meet (and sell some of those sly electric cars, which they also agree are great eco-choices), they remain committed to keeping the biodiesel pumps alive and accessible for Santa Cruz.

Despite their prime location on the corner of Ocean Street and Soquel Avenue since 2008, the Green Station has struggled to find a large client base of biodiesel customers. To make matters worse, the tax credit for biofuel producers that helped propel the industry and keep prices low was put on hold, resulting in large numbers of biofuel producers and distributors going out of business.