Biodiesel production tops 1 billion gallons

The U.S. biodiesel industry broke the billion-gallon mark in 2012 for the second consecutive year, according to year-end production figures from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The National Biodiesel Board (NBB) noted that the total volume of nearly 1.1 billion gallons exceeded the 2011 production by 6 million gallons.

December production totaled just 59 million gallons, the lowest monthly volume of the year. The National Biodiesel Board attributed the produc­tion drop to uncertainty over the biodiesel tax incentive. Congress renewed the $1-per-gallon incentive on New Year’s Day as part of the so-called “fiscal cliff” ­legislation.

Biodiesel production is reported under the EPA’s Biomass-based Diesel ­category in the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). The fuel is made from a mix of resources, such as recycled cooking oil, soybean oil and animal fats.