Photo by Kopper. Licensed under Creative Commons license 2.0.

Missouri has its fair share of complicated biodiesel relationships. On the one hand, there is the side that's against the biofuel. On the other, hand we have the state's push for a biodiesel mandate of five percent. As part of that push, fifty "agricultural economists, truck drivers and petroleum specialists" (as described by KOMU) spoke about the state's B5 mandate yesterday. While some see the environmental and economic benefits of using B5, others who spoke at Holt's Summit said the mandate was unfair. One complaint is that the biofuel only gets blended in if biodiesel is cheaper than standard petroleum diesel. One reason to pay special attention to the Missouri case is that it would match the highest biodiesel mandate in the country, if implemented.

[Source: KOMU]

Photo by Skidrd. Licensed under Creative Commons license 2.0.

Two small updates today on the status of biodiesel in the U.S.

First, Missouri is looking at setting a biodiesel mandate of five percent, which could match the highest biodiesel mandate in the country. New Mexico will be B5 by 2012 and four other states have B2 mandates. The Missouri bill passed the first preliminary approval hurdle this week and now needs to be voted on in the state House and Senate before moving forward.

Meanwhile, in South Dakota, the Governor has signed into law a piece of legislation that drops the tax on diesel fuel by two cents a gallon if it contains at least five percent biodiesel blended in. But don't start counting your pennies just yet; the law only kicks in once South Dakota can make at least 20 million gallons of the biofuel a year.

[Source: AP, Energy Current]

Missouri Governor Matt Blunt, Ford's Nancy Gioia and CEO Great Plains Energy Michael Chesser with E85 Escape Hybrid in Kansas City

Four of the twenty E85 Flex-Fuel Escape hybrids that Ford is building to for real world evaluations of flex-fuel hybrid performance were delivered to the State of Missouri and Kansas Power & Light this week at the Kansas City assembly plant where they are built. Ford's director of Sustainable Mobility Technology Nancy Gioia turned them over spoke about bringing together biofuel and hybrid technologies to both reduce reduce greenhouse gas emissions and reduce petroleum dependence.

Compared to the standard production Escape hybrid, the flex fuel version reportedly puts out twenty-five percent less greenhouse gases. Ford will be monitoring the test fleet as they continue to research the technical issues with E85 hybrids such as evaporative emissions. The Ford press release is after the jump.

[Source: Ford]

If you're the first responder to a traffic accident involving a hybrid, does the fact that there are batteries on-board make it more dangerous? Missouri seems to think so and will be putting nearly 1,800 first responders through essential training during the next two months so that they will know how to deal with this potentially dangerous situation. High-voltage hybrid vehicle battery systems won't be the only technology covered by the training though, issues around undeployed airbags will also be dealt with.

Analysis: The dangers of petrol and diesel spills in vehicle crashes are pretty well known by this point, even with Hollywood's enthusiasm to blow them completely out of proportion. But if you're using the Jaws Of Life to cut a door out and the side curtain airbag deploys, that could be a big problem, likewise with on-board hybrid battery systems. Training of this type will only have to increase in the future if the use of hydrogen fuel cells and related technologies become wide spread.

Related:

• Besides having a cute keister, Prius is also safe
• DOE figures it's time to understand the dangers of hydrogen

[Source: Moberly Monitor]

The Missouri Department of Transportation is the first government agency to be testing a new diesel-electric bucket truck. The bucket truck, used to lift maintenance workers in the air to install signs, fix traffic signals or replace streetlights, is expected to cut fuel costs and smog-producing emissions in half, while also reducing maintenance costs, reducing noise and providing an alternative power source in emergencies. Traditional bucket trucks require the engine to remain running to operate the hydraulic arm that moves the bucket. The new hybrid-electric bucket truck allows the engine to be shut off at a work site, reducing emissions and saving fuel. The trucks are produced by International and Eaton Corporation, and use lithium ion batteries.

[Source: Kansas City InfoZine]