The legislature is considering another big boost for the biofuels industry in Missouri. The general assembly passed a law last year requiring almost all of the gasoline sold in the state a year from now will be ten percent ethanol–alcohol made from corn. Senator Bill Stouffer of Napton wants almost all of the diesel fuel sold in the state TWO years from now to be a biodiesel mix–five percent of it to be diesel fuel made from soybeans or other substances. He says it’ll cut down on pollution, reduce use of foreign oil, and create jobs. But the retailers who will sell the blended fuel have some misgivings. Ron Leone, the executive director of the Missouri Convenience Stores association, says the bill encourages production of biodiesel but does not require it be sold in Missouri. Another spokesman for the industry is not sure terminals will want to spend one-to-two million dollars to install the big heated storage tanks they’ll need for biodiesel mixing—and fuel stations required by the new law to pump the blended fuel will not be able to get enough to meet demand. Leone says his association is working with Stouffer to iron out the kinks in his biodiesel bill.
