Why It's Good for Everyone

It's clean. It's green. It's often made from a bean. It's ... and it's one of the "hottest" things happening in home comfort.

Biofuel - heating oil blended with biodegradable substances such as soybean oil - is renewable and non-toxic, making it not only kind to Mother Earth, but kind to heating systems, too.

• Domestically produced, soy-based Biofuel can literally be grown at home - helping to support our nation's farmers and reducing our dependence on foreign oil.
• Extremely clean burning, Biofuel means fewer service calls.
• Biofuel has the highest BTU content of any alternative fuel.
• Biofuel requires no furnace modification.

Testing conducted by the Brookhaven National Laboratory found that a blend of 80% low-sulfur heating oil and 20% biodiesel (B20) reduced sulfur oxide emissions by as much as 80% or more. Nitrogen Oxide emissions were lowered by about 20%. In addition, carbon dioxide emissions can be lowered by 20%.

Officials at the U.S. Department of Agriculture estimate that if everyone in the Northeast with an oil furnace used a B5 blend (5% biodiesel/95% heating oil), 50 million gallons of regular heating oil could be conserved.

Did You Know ... The idea of using vegetable oil as a fuel source isn't a new one. In 1900, Rudolph Diesel, a German engineer for whom the diesel engine is named, used peanut oil to power one of his engines at the World Exposition. Today, Rudolph Diesel's original idea of using vegetable oils as a fuel source has been revived with the development of biodiesel.

In the United States ...

In February 2008, Congress passed the Renewable Energy Bill. The bill includes tax incentives for renewable energy and fuel, energy efficient homes and buildings, and hybrid cars. There will also be incentives for the production of renewable energy which could yield nearly $18 billion in tax credits.

In New York State...

Governor David Paterson is making New York a "greener" state with the Bioheat Tax Credit. With this incentive, heating oil consumers will receive a tax credit on each gallon of biofuel they purchase.
Gov. David Paterson has restored the tax credit that was originally enacted by Gov. George Pataki but had lapsed in mid-2007. For each gallon, consumers will receive a $.20 tax credit AND this is retroactive as of January 1, 2008...
Furthermore, the New York state Biofuel tax credit will extend for "Four More Years!" to 2012.

In New York City ...

To reduce greenhouse gas emissions from heating oil combustion, the City of New York plans to implement of The Bioheat Act of 2007. Under the act, all heating oil sold in New York City will be required to contain 5% biodiesel by June 2009 and steadily increase to 20% by June 2013.