Later today, we'll be taking a look at whether Willie Nelson is slightly misleading people with his biodiesel promotion tactics. But for now, let's just talk about how the Red Headed Stranger will bring the word to the Hard Rock Cafe NYC in the near future.

Nelson, along with hosts Woody Harrelson and Daryl Hannah, will perform at the cafe on September 10. Other bands on the bill include 40 Points and Folk Uke, both fronted by Willie's children. The "exclusive V.I.P. event" is a benefit for the Sustainable Biodiesel Alliance, a group started earlier this year (even though press material for the NYC show says it will "Launch The Sustainable Biodiesel Alliance"). Since it's such a VIP event, the way in is to bid on a ticket package.

Aside from the biodiesel-friendly performers, the Hard Rock Cafe "will make every effort to be eco-friendly, and 'do the right thing,' including an offering of food from family farms, using recycled materials for invitations and marketing materials, and more," right there in Times Square. After the event, the Cafe will start giving its everyday waste grease to Tri-State Biofuel to use as biodiesel fedstock.

[Source: Hard Rock International, Coyne PR]

The best musician friend biodiesel ever had, Willie Nelson, is scheduled to roll up to the SeQuential-Pacific Biodiesel plant in Salem, Oregon in a few hours for a celebration of that plant's second anniversary and the ground-breaking for an expansion.

This plant was Oregon's first (and only) commercial plant, and Willie likes the forward approach the state takes towards biofuels.

"Oregon has always been progressive in its thinking, and has been out front in every way about most major issues. This is just another example of Oregon setting a good example for the rest of the country," he said in a statement.

Using recycled cooking oil from Northwest restaurants and food processors, SeQuential-Pacific Biodiesel currently makes about a million gallons of biodiesel a year. The expansion will up this to about 5 million, and the plant is moving to use more virgin canola, grown in Oregon, to meet demand.

Willie, of course, will be arriving in his biodiesel-powered tour bus.

Related:

• Governor Kulongoski of Oregon to sign biofuels bill
• Oregon biofuel study: Slow down!
• Washington State farmers experiment with canola as biodiesel cash crop

[Source: SeQuential-Pacific Biodiesel LLC]

Forbes is digging deep into Earth Biofuels, the company that brought BioWillie to the market. According to a story in the latest issue, Earth missed a deadline for finding $80 million in financing to restart an ethanol plant. Based on financial reports, the company had just under $42,000 in cash last September. But that's not all that concerns Forbes. CEO Dennis G. McLaughlin III apparently hasn't been disclosing his "colorful background" that includes lawsuits and a company bankruptcy. Forbes also questions some insider transactions. Even if you don't understand financial language, this story is a dimming force on biodiesel's brightest star. The big questions loom: What are the risks in investing in alternative fuels? And who's next?

Related:

• Earth Biofuels will sell biofuels across America at its own stations
• Earth Biofuels invests in Illinois' largest biodiesel plant

[Source: Dan Fisher / Forbes]