AppalCART may run one of its buses on biodiesel fuel this summer. MT file photo AppalCART Considers Biodiesel By Frank Ruggiero With the price of fuel continuing to skyrocket, talk of alternative fuels has also been on the rise. Talking the talk is one thing, but walking the walk is another. That talk and walk could become a reality sooner than later, as AppalCART may run one of its buses on biodiesel fuel this summer. The Boone Town Council discussed AppalCART and the potential of biodiesel at its annual retreat April 7. Council member Bunk Spann first reported on renewing funding for a fare-free AppalCART system. Last year, the town set aside funding for the local transit authority to offer fare-free rides. Spann was pleased to report that, since then, ridership has increased. This couldn’t have been done at a better time, he noted, considering the ever-rising cost of fuel. Spann said he heard the diversity of AppalCART’s ridership is also increasing. “I hope we’d continue to support AppalCART and keep the fare system free,” he said. Council member Lynne Mason agreed that the effects have been beneficial, but said she’d like to communicate with AppalCART regarding routes when Appalachian State University is not in session. When school is out, AppalCART temporarily cuts certain routes, Mason explained, adding that people have approached her about this, as they rely on such routes for the commute to work. “If we’re funding this, our citizens should be able to use it,” she said. Council member Janet Pepin said she’d like to see AppalCART funded for fare-free rides, but that she’d also like to see an expansion plan for more routes. Spann said AppalCART director Chris Turner is considering this notion. Council member Rennie Brantz asked about AppalCART’s other funding sources, and town manager Greg Young said the transit authority is also funded by ASU and Watauga County. The town, as such, is a third partner. Town to buy biodiesel? With the topic of rising fuel costs on the table, Spann presented the next agenda item: biodiesel. He told of a biodiesel experiment being conducted at Appalachian State University. “There’s a movement all over the country for doing something with alternative fuels,” he said. Biodiesel is a fuel produced from renewable resources that can also be blended with petroleum diesel. Spann said that this summer, AppalCART will experiment with the fuel itself and run one of its buses on biodiesel. ASU will do the same with some of its vehicles, Spann said, adding, “I hoped we could do the same with some of our trucks and see how it works.” Blake Brown, director of Boone Public Works, said his department has been looking at biodiesel for some time now, but has been wondering how it could be cost-effectively transported to town. Right now, he said, there are only 53 biodiesel plants in the United States and another 100 or so being built. The plants closest to Boone, though, are located in Alabama and Virginia, while the closest distributor is in Asheville. There’s also an issue with the types of biodiesel, Brown said, referring to the ratio of biodiesel to petroleum diesel. He added that biodiesel must be used within six months or it can “gel” back to its original state. Council member Dempsey Wilcox asked if the town had a spare tank to hold biodiesel fuel from Asheville, and Brown said one wasn’t available at the time. A local soon-to-be nonprofit organization, Appalachian Cooperative for Progressive Sustainability, would be willing to purchase a truck and haul biodiesel from Asheville if it could justify the use, Spann said. Brown said 200,000 gallons of biodiesel will be produced at the Asheville plant when it comes on-line this spring, and that the trend is expected to expand throughout the nation. Brantz asked if there were other limits to biodiesel, such as cold weather. Brown said if the town goes with the B-20 alternative, which is 20 percent bio to diesel, the fuel will gel at 32 degrees Fahrenheit. The town uses fuel additives in the winter, as it is, so he said biodiesel would probably do well. Pepin said biodiesel didn’t really seem cost-effective at this time, but that the town should probably move toward using it in the future. Spann noted that it’s also an environmental issue. Even though it costs two to three cents more than regular fuel, it’s better for the environment, he said. Regarding ASU’s biodiesel demonstration, Spann suggested the town should also take part. There are three entities that could help secure a supply, he said, mentioning the town of Boone, Watauga County and Appalachian State University — all of which have vehicles that could use the alternative fuel. Brown noted that the conversion to biodiesel would not require any retrofitting on vehicles.