socalbug.org is a non-profit (501c3) California Corporation which serves the Southern California Biodiesel Community as a registry of biodiesel users. The 3,100 + group members who are listed on the Membership List page have complied with the legal requirements for authorization to purchase biodiesel and biodiesel blends under the developmental fuels variance program. Membership in socalbug.org is a voluntary method for individual biodiesel users to maintain their access to this renewable fuel. There are no membership dues or fees.
socalbug.org Membership List
Biodiesel Information
Los Angeles Biodiesel Picnic
At a site yet to be determined, perhaps the Elysian Park on May 17th 10am to 2pm. Keep the date open to meet up with others in the biodiesel community.
San Diego
The EcoCenter is having another Movie Night. This will be the first screening in San Diego of GAS HOLE, a documentary film hosted by Peter Gallagher. The film is about the history of oil prices and the future of alterative fuels. The film takes a wide and detailed examination of our dependence on foreign supplies of oil.
The event is being held in the EcoCenter Auditorium Friday May 9, 2008 at 6:30pm. Food and beverages are included along with the Friday night Premiere with a Q&A discussion with the Producer and Director and actor, Peter Gallagher.
The Premiere event is $25 per person and the next day, Saturday there will be 5 showings for $12 a ticket. As always, we appreciate your support. Tickets are available on line at the EcoCenter web site at www.sdecocenter.org
The Flyer @ EcoCenter Movie Night
However, there is hope as the issue of the pump and meter listing and UL certification statement is being worked out. Several of your fellow biodiesel users, including myself are working with both state and county officials, Tesoro and the National listing agencies to initiate a work around solution. Unfortunately, this takes time, but we are keeping this active on our got to do lists. Hang in there with us, we have got to get this solved so that it does not effect other biodiesel resources in the state. It is indeed a big issue. Kent
Biodiesel (B99.9/B100) is a clean burning renewable fuel, which since August 18, 2004 has been sold in California as a development fuel. Sales are restricted through the variance procedures to centrally fueled fleets, at controlled access fueling systems, through co-op organizations or to qualified members of biodiesel users groups.
The California Department of Measurements Standards (DMS) requires that all vendors of biodiesel and biodiesel blends apply through the variance procedure to receive authorization to sell non-specification fuels. This variance procedure will be in place until ASTM issues stand-alone fuel standards for B100 and/or B20 as fuels. Although biodiesel currently has an ASTM standard (D-6751), the standards title is " Biodiesel Fuel (B100) Blend Stock for Distillate Fuels ". Without standards, which identify biodiesel as a fuel, special interest groups have been able to prevent the sale of B100 to the public and further require that biodiesel blends conform to petroleum distillate (D-975) standards. At this time California Business and Professional Code section 13450(a) requires that all diesel fuel sold in the state "shall meet the specifications set forth in ASTM D-975"
Socalbug.org is a biodiesel users group that was formed to educate biodiesel users, to ensure the dissemination of critical information to members, to provide a regional registry of qualified members and to provide advocacy for the use of biodiesel as a motor fuel. In addition, your membership in socalbug.org will comply with the DMS requirement that biodiesel users be warned in writing of any potential risk associated with the use of the development engine fuel. There are no membership costs or dues.
When you join socalbug.org, the membership application that you sign is your acknowledgement that you have received in writing the potential risk statement and that you will comply in providing user experience as required to you biodiesel vendor. By working with your fuel vendor, you are continuing to maintain your ability to purchase and use biodiesel and biodiesel blends as a motor fuels.
Socalbug.org is independent of ties to the biodiesel vendors, the industry and proactive biodiesel orginizations. This separation maintains our neutrality and defines socalbug.org as a Biodiesel Users Group. Effective October 31, 2006, the Southern California Biodiesel Users Group, Inc. is a non-profit (501c3) California Corporation. With the skyrocketing, 10 fold increase in membership since March 18, 2006, the out of pocket costs to administer socalbug as a community service have become prohibitive. Thus of course, any donations, gifts of stamps or supplies will of course be appreciated and are fully tax deductible.
Socalbug.org is not intended to provide the valuable community interaction provided by associations such as the Yahoo Groups socalbiodiesel and Biodieselcouncil or the California Biodiesel Council.
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socalbug.org has been operating out of pocket by the founder. If you would like to support the cause, donations are always appreciated. Donated funds will only be used for postage, supplies and for web hosting. socalbug.org has been registered as a 501c3 and any donations are fully tax deductible. There are two easy options to send in your donations -
Donate via PayPal
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Biodiesel Information including sales locations, local resources and reference materials.
On October 11, 2004 the US Senate passed a "Jobs" bill which was signed into law by the President on October 22. One attachment, Section 301, the Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax Credit includes provisions which will reduce the cost of biodiesel and biodiesel blends.
The potential savings after January 1, 2005 were anticipated to be $.50 cents for B100 made from non-virgin oils (yellow grease/WVO) and $1.00 for agri-diesel (virgin vegetable oils and animal fats). However the tax code is written that this is a tax credit for the supplier or user of the fuel in trade or business. This tax credit is also included in the current years income, so in reality the savings that could be passed to the consumer is only the portion above their tax bracket. For example if you sold 10,000 gallons of biodiesel you would file form 8864 claiming the tax credit. Than you would include the $10,000 credit for the tax year in your gross income for that year.
If you are in the 30% tax bracket, you would only get $7,000 dollars back.
The bottom line for us consumers of B100, Biodiesel Used as Fuel is that your vendor does not get the full $1.00 back for agri-fuel sold, only the portion differential above their tax bracket.
For biodiesel blends such as B20, the savings will be in proportion to the amount of biodiesel in the blend. For B20, the savings will be $.10 for biodiesel and $.20 for agri-diesel (don't you just love this new term).
The full text of Section 301 is avaliable here 2004 Tax Bill
Although there exists a $1.00 income tax credit for the seller if the fuel is sold as B100. The excise tax credit is immediate and is not taxed like the B100 credit. Therefore the seller of a biodiesel blend up to B99.9 recieves a quarterly payment of one cent per percent of biodiesel for every gallon sold.
See these links for the new IRS Tax publications and the forms to be used by the seller. In some cases, the user on form 8864 can claim the income tax credit if the B100 is used in business or trade. This does not apply to B99.9 or and blend of fuel, only B100.
Fuel Tax Credits and Refunds http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p378.pdf Chapter 7 is biodiesel used as fuel (B100)
Form 8864 http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f8864.pdf B100 form
Form 8849 http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f8849s3.pdf Mixture form
Form 720 http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f720.pdf
Although I am a B100 advocate, using B99.9 may be the way it has to be for now. The one gallon in a thousand is sort of like denaturing the fuel. Just look at it as a .001% tax additive.
I'm either going to install a petroleum magnet in my tank or use a petroguard fuel filter system. :)
Send your check for $4.50 (inc. S&H) for each magnet made out to:
Sustainability Council of Ventura County
Attn: Magnets
PO Box 7817, Ventura County, CA 93006-7817
Your Support the Earth magnet will be sent by return mail.
Site Created and Managed by Kent Bullard
URL http://www.socalbug.org
Last Update 04-27-2008
