Clean Energy Resource Teams

At the Eco-domes Conservation ™ Campus in Brainerd, MN, used fryer oil has a new purpose—to powerengines. When David Winkelman wanted to run a diesel engine on a clean fuel, he didn’t grow energy crops. Instead, he went to a local restaurant. He discovered that an abundant energy source sitting in restaurants—used fryer oil.

Biodiesel and ethanol may not be hot topics in energy circles, but what does the public know about hese fuel srouces? To answer this question and to help develop a new marketing campaign for these locally-grown fuels, the Three Rivers Resources Conservation and Development Council (Three Rivers RC&D) decided to conduct a knowledge survey about ethanol in Southern Minnesota.

A survey was sent to County Highway Departments in Southern & Southwest Minnesota to ask about their fleet biodiesel use. The purpose of this study was to learn the percentage of fleet biodiesel use in various Southern & Southwest Minnesota counties.

The City of Brooklyn Park didn’t wait around for a biodiesel mandate. When members of the National Association of Fleet Administrators started talking in 1998 about alternative fuels and alternative fuel vehicles.

Voyageurs National Park began its biodiesel program in September 2000 as part of a Department of Energy pilot program.