By Leif Skodnick

April 15, 2014

“[Biodiesel] River take my mind/Don’t let [used cooking oil] torture me.” – Willie Nelson (sort of)

If you’ve read anything about alternative fuels, you probably have heard of biodiesel, an alternative to petroleum-based diesel fuel that can be produced from cooking oil. Got questions? AltEnergyNYC has answers!

So what exactly is Biodiesel?

The simple answer: biodiesel is a fuel made mostly from plant oils that can be burned for energy. But it’s actually more complex than that. According to the National Biodiesel Board’s website, www.biodiesel.org:

“Biodiesel is a renewable, clean-burning diesel replacement that is reducing U.S. dependence on foreign petroleum, creating jobs and improving the environment. Made from a diverse mix of feedstocks including recycled cooking oil, soybean oil, and animal fats, it is the first and only EPA-designated Advanced Biofuel in commercial-scale production across the country and the first to reach…