Biofuels are renewable fuels made from various plant materials, collectively known as biomass. These fuels can be blended with petroleum fuels or used alone, and are cleaner-burning than pure gasoline and diesel fuel. Examples of biofuels include ethanol, biodiesel, renewable diesel, and renewable natural gas.
Also check out Incentives and Funding for each of the biofuels below.
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Renewable Natural Gas
Biodiesel
Renewable Diesel
Ethanol
Renewable Natural Gas
RNG is created by capturing methane released by landfills or through anaerobic digestion of
animal manure or solids removed in wastewater treatment processes.
Renewable natural gas (RNG), also known as biomethane, is produced from organic materials—such as waste from landfills and livestock—through anaerobic digestion and is considered an advanced biofuel under the Renewable Fuel Standard. RNG is chemically identical to fossil-derived conventional natural gas, so it can be channeled directly through existing natural gas pipelines and can be compressed or liquified for use as vehicle fuel without any alteration to vehicle or fueling systems. RNG is readily available and cost comparable to conventional natural gas.
RNG has the greatest greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions benefits of all vehicle fuels! According to Argonne National Laboratory’s (ANL) GREET modeling tool, average greenhouse gas emissions for RNG made from various feedstocks (landfill gas, wastewater, animal manure and food waste) are approximately 150% lower than ultra-low-sulfur diesel (ULSD) and 145% lower than fossil natural gas. ANL shows the greatest emissions reductions coming from RNG made from food waste, at 196% and 191% lower than ULSD and fossil natural gas, respectively.
RNG Links
AFDC – information from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Alternative Fuel Data Center
EPA – further reading, resources, and tools related to renewable natural gas
Energy Vision – learn more and explore RNG case studies
Biodiesel
Currently, U.S. biodiesel is primarily produced using oil from soybeans such as these or from recycled restaurant cooking oil.
Biodiesel is a renewable fuel that can be made from any fat or oil, including vegetable oils, animal fats, or recycled restaurant grease. Biodiesel is blended with petroleum diesel to create a cleaner-burning alternative to petroleum diesel alone. Biodiesel can be used in diesel vehicles or any equipment that operates on diesel fuel such as cars, trucks, tractors, boats, and even electrical generators, without any alteration to the diesel engine.
Biodiesel Links
AFDC – information from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Alternative Fuel Data Center
FuelEconomy.gov – biodiesel information from the U.S. Department of Energy’s fuel economy website
National Biodiesel Board – the national trade association representing biodiesel
Biodiesel.org – information from the National Biodiesel Board
Renewable Diesel
Renewable diesel is a drop-in alternative to petroleum diesel produced using biomass waste or residue, usually vegetable oil, animal fat, waste cooking oil, and algal oil. Renewable diesel is chemically identical to conventional diesel fuel and can be put directly into an engine, unlike biodiesel which is blended with petroleum diesel.
Renewable diesel offers benefits of lower carbon emissions and reduced maintenance costs. According to the EPA, renewable diesel produced from distillers sorghum oil is 63% less carbon intensive than petroleum diesel.
Ethanol
Current ethanol production is primarily from the starch in kernels of field corn.
Ethanol is a renewable, alcohol-based alternative fuel produced by fermenting and distilling plant-based materials known as biomass. Nearly all ethanol produced in the world is derived from starch- and sugar-based feedstocks including corn, barley, and wheat. Ethanol is commonly added to gasoline to increase octane ratings and improve emissions quality, such as in the common blend E10 (10% ethanol and 90% gasoline). More than 98% of gasoline sold in the U.S. contains some ethanol. E85, a blend of 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline, and blends containing even higher concentrations of ethanol such as E95, qualify as alternative fuels under the Energy Policy Act of 1992 (EPAct). Vehicles that run on E85 are called flexible fuel vehicles (FFVs) and are offered by several vehicle manufacturers.
Dependent upon the type of feedstock used, lifecycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of ethanol are between 34% and 108% lower than gasoline or diesel. Emissions reductions credited to ethanol result from the capture of carbon dioxide that occurs when the feedstock crop is grown, which offset a portion of emissions created during combustion.
Check out E85 stations in the Tulsa area using the Station Locator below!
Ethanol Links
AFDC – Learn the basics about ethanol as a fuel from the Department of Energy’s Alternative Fuel Data Center
Growth Energy – Find E85-capable flexible fuel vehicles
