Safeway Converts Fleet to Biodiesel

Safeway announced on Friday that it has converted its entire California and U.S. truck fleet to cleaner-burning biodiesel fuel. Safeway's trucks will use a blend of biodiesel that is 20 percent vegetable-based, in this case mostly from soy oil produced in the Midwest, and 80 percent petroleum-diesel-based. "We picked soy because it is domestic, it creates jobs, it's clean and it's renewable," said Joe Pettus, Safeway's senior vice president for fuel and energy.

Biofuels' effectiveness in reducing greenhouse gas emissions are still in question because of the amount of energy that goes into growing crops that will be converted into biofuels. In addtion, costs of a broad range of products are increasing because the biofuel industry is competing with food companies for corn and other crops. For example, prices of soybean oil have skyrocketed because many farmers who had farmed the crop have switched to producing more corn for ethanol. The European Union is considering a ban on certain biofuel imports that don't meet "a minimum level of greenhouse gas savings."

Safeway is also utilizing solar and wind power, ramping up recycling and utilizing technology such as LED lighting to help conserve.

Safeway has committed to reducing its carbon emissions by 1.5 percent each year from 2006 to 2010, for a 6 percent reduction, Pettus said.

sources: sfgate, mercury news, bizjournals, safeway