20 percent in 2034, that
will be like taking 175,000
cars off the road
Policymakers in New York City
are determined to reduce
harmful emissions from en-ergy
sources, and they have
made biodiesel a linchpin in
that effort.
New York City Council Member Costa
Constantinides, who represents a por-tion
of the Borough of Queens, has
achieved tremendous success in his
ongoing campaign to increase biodiesel
usage in the nation’s largest city.
The City Council’s landmark achieve-ment
was the enactment in 2016 of
Intro. 642, a local law he introduced that
will eventually make B20 Bioheat® the
city’s standard for heating oil. Passed in
2016, the law increased the biodiesel
content of all heating oil sold within the
city to 5% effective in 2017. Over the
next 17 years, the standard will increase
incrementally, reaching B20 in 2034.
Biodiesel is an apt solution for New
York because heating oil provides winter
warmth in many buildings and homes
in a densely packed environment. Local
policymakers have been quick to see the
health and environmental benefits of
incorporating clean-burning biodiesel
in the fuel supply.
Constantinides is passionate in his
support. “I look at biodiesel as one of
the main solutions in New York City
to reduce emissions,” he said. “Going
to a 5% biofuel blend was the equiva-lent
of taking about 40,000 cars off
the road. When we go to 20% in
2034, that will be like taking 175,000
cars off the road. As we work to go
green and fight climate change, this is
a huge deal. We are burning less pe-troleum
by replacing it with fuel that
can emit up to 90% less greenhouse
gas and 10% less particulate matter.”
While climate change is the
issue that gets the headlines,
health is another critical issue for
Constantinides and his allies in city
government. “Particulate matter is
what gets in your lungs and causes
asthma. We have communities that
have large power plants and other
environmental detriments,” he
Policy
8 Biodiesel Success Stories