News and Updates from Pacific Biodiesel

Quarterly News & Updates

In keeping with their lifelong commitment to the environment, Pacific Biodiesel Cofounders Bob and Kelly King participated as delegates at COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt.

February 2023

Message from the President

Pacific Biodiesel's Bob King looks toward 2023

"In the past year we’ve seen a significant increase in support for clean energy on the national front. The federal Inflation Reduction Act includes substantial incentives for clean energy and is considered one of the most significant spending packages in history for climate change mitigation and adaptation. One benefit to us is that the federal biodiesel production tax credit has been extended through 2024. Meanwhile, the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) program has new obstacles to overcome, and I recently provided testimony to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) suggesting changes to the onerous used cooking oil reporting requirements for the RFS program.

Pacific Biodiesel Founder and President, Bob King.

We know our work is not done. Kelly and I were honored to be delegates at COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh late last year. The UN’s IPCC reports continue to underscore the dire state of our planet’s climate in crisis.

As demand continues to outpace our local supply, we remain committed to our Agriculture for Energy focus. Our goal is to source our biodiesel feedstock – either UCO or virgin plant oils – 100% locally. It will then be recycled in Hawaii for our fuel produced and used in Hawaii – the key to supporting energy security and food security in our state. I’m grateful for the support of our Executive Team and all our employees as we take this journey together." - Bob King, President, Pacific Biodiesel

Pacific Biodiesel Cofounders Serve as Delegates at COP27

At the Sharm el-Sheikh Climate Change Conference (COP27) in November 2022, Pacific Biodiesel Cofounders Bob and Kelly King participated as delegates of “ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability."

“ICLEI USA is one of 24 Secretariat offices around the globe, all working with local cities, counties, regional municipalities on environmental initiatives, creating climate action plans and helping with baseline data tools for developing plans,” Kelly King explained. King, who was wrapping up her third term as a Maui County Councilmember, added, “We are elevating these sub-national actions while also trying to encourage and highlight the importance of multi-level collaboration.”

Kelly King participated in numerous panels, interviews and other speaking engagements with county and city officials from around the globe. “It was really interesting to be on a panel with a mayor from Brazil and see the excitement for their new leadership: a president who is not into burning down the rainforest for financial gain,” she reported.

Kelly King, second from left, was a featured speaker at a number of sessions at COP27. King is seen here speaking on the topic of Good Practices for Multilevel Action for Climate Emergency.

At a panel presentation about how local governments can unite to fight climate change, King, second from right, joined mayors from Brazil, California and Texas in the Earth Day Pavilion.

“It is imperative to keep things going at a city and county level, especially in light of what happened with our last president who pulled us out of the Paris Climate Agreement," King said. "Immediately, there was a wave across the country of cities and counties passing resolutions declaring ‘We’re Still In’ and we kept the actions going.”

King was invited by the delegates from Tuvalu to discuss Hawaii’s initiatives at a session entitled Treaty Talanoa: Pacific Champions for a Managed Phaseout of Fossil Fuels. The group discussed the need for a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty. As King explained, “This is a collective effort of island communities to make our voices heard because we are ground zero for climate change disasters.”

The Kings heard addresses from notable speakers like John Kerry, Al Gore and President Biden. Bob King recalled a session with Ali Zaidi, the new White House National Climate Advisor. “He gave a very articulate talk about how excited the administration was and how they really want to get things done – not just talk about it,” reported King. “After the presentation he was more than happy to walk around and talk to people. It was the kind of access you really don’t get when you go to DC,” King said.

US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry was among the dignitaries to inspire attendees at COP27.

Pacific Biodiesel President Bob King had the opportunity to speak one-on-one with White House National Climate Advisor Ali Zaidi.

“I spent some time in the Indonesia pavilion,” said Bob King. “Their delegates shared how they are replanting the rainforest that was knocked down 20 years ago, and using over 90% of the biodiesel they make in Indonesia for their own fuel, locally, on the island where it was made,” King recounted. “So, they are kind of getting it over there. I hadn’t really understood how they’d changed since the early days of the biodiesel industry.”

Bob King recaps the main points to come out of COP 27 according to the United Nations Framework Convention for Climate Change (UN FCCC):

The historic decision to establish a dedicated fund for loss and damage. “While the actual money that’s going into this hasn’t been established yet,” explained King, “the mechanism is very well established – how they are going to manage this fund.”
A clear intention to keep 1.5ºC within reach. “We have to be realistic,” said King. “We have to keep working on everything we can to reduce greenhouse gas, but the reality is that we’ve gone too many years doing nothing. Achieving 2.5ºC is probably a best-case scenario as to where we’ll end up.”
Holding businesses and institutions accountable. The Climate TRACE program, launched at COP27 by former Vice President Al Gore, is a privately funded program designed to make independent emission inventories for 241 countries and territories and ensure their accuracy. This global satellite system looks at indicators of emissions so reports of carbon emission reduction can be verified.
More financial support. “A lot of countries did step up at COP27 to commit to some very big programs for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and the coordination of financing between banks, governments - not just for loss and damage but for technology sharing and support,” King reported.
Making the pivot toward implementation. “I think enough people understand the severity and the breadth of this problem – now we actually have to get things done,” said King. “At COP27 we are preaching to the choir. Most of the people were there because they are passionate about it. Getting back out and away from it and getting enough people to come along to start implementing the changes is the critical piece,” he noted.

Kelly King added, “Maui is getting a reputation for being at the forefront of a lot of solution-based legislation. I hope this continues under the new Council term!”

At the close of the conference, UN Secretary-General António Guterres gave his address. “Unlike the stories from the Sinai peninsula, we cannot wait for a miracle from a mountaintop,” he said. “It will take each and every one of us fighting in the trenches each and every day. Together, let’s not relent in the fight for climate justice and climate ambition. We can and must win this battle for our lives," he concluded.

Find the decisions that were made at COP27, along with some webcasts and all the documents that were generated or distributed at the conference, at this website: https://unfccc.int

Following COP27

Saitama Sustainable Cities Summit

Immediately following COP27 in Egypt, Kelly King virtually attended the Saitama Sustainable Cities Summit as part of the E-KIZUNA Global Summit in Japan. Co-hosted by ICLEI Japan, Kelly King was an invited panelist on the topic: Realization of energy efficiency and adoption of microgrids together with on-site renewable energy. Among the other panelists were the mayors of Kuala Lumpur, Hamamatsu, Japan, Saitama, Japan and the Lord Mayor of Newcastle, Australia. You can find video of the full panel presentation here.

COP15 – Montréal, Quebec, Canada

While in Egypt at COP27, Kelly King was invited to COP15 – UN Biodiversity Conference which took place in December 2022 in Montréal, Quebec. COP15 focused on protecting nature and halting biodiversity loss around the world. With the urgent need for international partners to halt and reverse the alarming loss of biodiversity worldwide, the Government of Canada’s priority was to ensure that COP15 was a success for nature. “I was able to share a lot of Maui’s earlier pieces of legislation that addressed biodiversity,” said King. “It’s being brought into the climate talks as essential to our survival in our sustainability.”

King, second from left, was recruited as a delegate for COP15, the UN Biodiversity Conference.

Kauai Climate Action Coalition

The Kings were invited to share their experience and takeaways from COP27 at the December virtual meeting of the Kauai Climate Action Forum. The Kings mentioned that Kauai got high marks at the Sharm el-Sheikh conference for their utility (KIUC) far exceeding the other Hawaiian islands in the move to renewable energy. To view the Kings' full report, click here and enter this passcode: ?rdrAX2r

2022 Operations Summary

Director of Operations Jenna Long recaps the year's accomplishments

In December, for the first time in three years, Pacific Biodiesel employees from all three islands were able to come together to celebrate their accomplishments. “We were so grateful to gather together last year to celebrate our team,” said Director of Operations Jenna Long. “It gave all of us an opportunity to connect with those we don’t see on a regular basis and recognize how each employee contributes to the success of our company.”

New tanks at Pacific Biodiesel's Sand Island facility on Oahu increase storage capacity and help improve efficiency.

Among the year’s accomplishments:

On Oahu, the company made innovative upgrades to its Sand Island facility including new storage tanks, piping upgrades and other efficiencies, increasing storage capacity and reliability at that plant. As Long explained, “In 2022, the Sand Island plant produced 325,000 gallons of extra used cooking oil recovered from collected grease trap waste, diverting it from the landfill while providing needed feedstock for our Hawaii Island refinery.”

On Maui, Pacific Biodiesel installed its first off-grid biodiesel fueling station and now has three of these stations operational in the state. “These innovative stations bring new capabilities to our customers, like the ability to remotely check pricing on their smartphones and provide free fleet management software access for commercial customers,” said Retail Fueling Manager Chris Long.

2022 saw a significant maintenance project at the company’s Hawaii Island refinery. Plant Manager Al Leung headed up the refurbishing of the high vacuum distillation column, resulting in major improvements in efficiency with almost 10% better yield at faster speeds.

“Despite logistics challenges and supply chain issues, our Hawaii Island refinery team kept the biodiesel flowing,” Long noted. “We continued to provide our fuel to customers throughout the state.”

“We’ve got additional capital improvement projects in the works this coming year as we keep focused on improving our feedstock supply and production efficiencies,” she added.

We've Moved!

After more than 15 years at Pacific Biodiesel’s 40 Hobron office and pump station in Kahului, the Maui team has moved. The marketing team transferred to the nearby administrative office, while trucking operations are temporarily based at the owners' Central Maui farm.

Maui fuel customers can now fuel up with B99.9 at our new off-grid fueling stations 24 hours a day at 194 Lau'ō Loop in Kahului (near Costco) and at Ma'alaea Harbor. Download the App here to fuel up with clean, local biodiesel!

Pictured here are several members of the Maui team, posing for one last photograph as the 40 Hobron pump station was taken offline.

Retail Fueling Manager Chris Long prepped the new biodiesel fueling station in Kahului late last year.

King Concludes Three Terms on Maui County Council

Kelly King honored for her focus on Maui's environment

After serving 6 years on the Maui County Council, Pacific Biodiesel Co-founder Kelly King is pursuing new horizons. King served in a number of leadership roles while on the council, including as Chair of the Maui County Council; Chair of the Climate Action, Resilience and Environment Committee; and Chair of the Planning Committee. During her time on the Council, King also served at various times as Secretary, Treasurer and Vice-President of the Hawaii Association of Counties.

In leading the fight against the impacts of climate change, King championed many bills that were passed by the Council including:

Bill 21: Updating the outdoor lighting ordinance to protect dark skies and wildlife
Bill 23: Requiring energy and water use performance bench marking for our county facilities
Bill 72: Chemical and synthetic pesticide ban for county properties and roadways
Bill 91: Wetlands protection and restoration
Bill 106: Requiring large homes to be Net-Zero
Bill 135: Chemical sunscreen ban
Bill 153: Proposing local updates to the energy conservation code to become eligible for grant funding to implement the changes

King, in center with fellow departing Councilmember Mike Molina, was surrounded by other members of the Maui County Council in December 2022 as they bid aloha to the duo for their many years of dedicated service. Photo credit: Maui County Council

During its December 16^th session, the Maui County Council presented King with a copy of Resolution No. 22-266 expressing appreciation for her time on the council. A copy of the resolution can be found here.

At the annual meeting of the Maʻalaea Village Association in January, Senator Angus McKelvey honored King as he presented a resolution of appreciation from the State Senate.

Maui’s new mayor, Richard Bissen, sent a letter of approval for King to remain on the Board of ICLEI USA. King will also return to a more active role as Vice President of Pacific Biodiesel and will be focused with her husband Bob King on the couple's expanding agricultural operations.

Pacific Biodiesel Once Again Named Among "Best Places to Work" in Hawaii

Some accolades never get old, especially those that are driven by employee input. For the 13^th consecutive year, Hawaii Business Magazine has named Pacific Biodiesel one of the "Best Places to Work in Hawaii” based in large part on feedback from employee surveys.

“We are grateful to be recognized once again as one of Hawaii’s Best Places to Work,” said Jenna Long, Pacific Biodiesel’s Director of Operations. “We are proud of our employees, their commitment to our values and to supporting each other. It motivates us to work even harder to provide great working environments for our teams.”

Mauna Loa Erupts on Hawaii Island

On Sunday November 27, 2022 Mauna Loa started to erupt for the first time in 38 years. It had been stirring for months. By late morning on November 29, the fissures active on the Northeast Rift Zone had fountains that were measured at 115-148 ft in height.

Visitors and residents alike headed to Saddle Road, also known as Daniel K. Inouye Highway, to view the eruption. The highway, which runs between the summits of Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea, is the main road between Hilo and West Hawaii, the route taken by most commercial traffic, including Pacific Biodiesel’s trucks.

Madame Pele shows her magic. Photos by Pacific Biodiesel CDL drivers Milton Crutchfield and Brandon Waiohu taken before sunrise on their way to the Hilton Waikoloa, shortly after the eruption began and before the crowds began to gather.

According to Supply Chain Supervisor Kealii Kahaapea, “Traffic was unbelievable. Especially in the evenings, cars were parked all along the highway near the viewing area. People were walking on the road and crossing the highway, so focused on the eruption they weren’t paying attention to traffic,” he said. “During the height of the visiting crowds, our CDL Transport drivers, Perry Keohuloa and Shelton Moniz, are very experienced and kept safety top of mind. On the route from Hilo to in Kealakehe, they had to drive 1-10 miles per hour in that area, flashing lights and honking horns as necessary.”

The Mauna Loa lava flow stopped in mid-December, just 1.7 miles short of the highway, returning operations back to normal for Pacific Biodiesel and all the other drivers on the Saddle Road.

Pacific Biodiesel Story Engages Students of all Ages

Hawaii State Department of Education Video

Pacific Biodiesel Director of Operations Jenna Long was interviewed in November for an informational video produced by the Hawaii State Department of Education to promote its new Alternative Fuels Technology program of study in Hawaii’s high schools. The video will be shown to 8th and 9th graders in middle and high schools with the goal of increasing student enrollment in the program.

Filmed at the company’s Hawaii Island refinery, Long described occupations within the biofuel industry and the benefits of working in Hawaii’s renewable energy industry. She also shared information about Pacific Biodiesel’s company culture and its sustainable agriculture and renewable energy production model that’s providing a variety of circular economy benefits to help Hawaii fight climate change.

The variety of jobs available in the renewable energy sector is one of the topics Jenna Long covered in her interview for the DOE's Alternative Fuels Technology program.

James Campbell High School Environmental Science Class

Environmental Science teacher Spencer Alexanderʻs students had just finished up a unit of study on alternative fuels and renewable energy when, realizing that biodiesel hadn’t entered the conversation, he reached out to Pacific Biodiesel for information about the companyʻs locally produced renewable fuel.

A virtual class was scheduled with the Retail Fueling Manager Chris Long who provided background on the pioneering company, explained what biodiesel is, how it is made and the many benefits of this locally produced fuel.

Additionally, since the class had recently discussed agriculture from the perspective of food sovereignty and sustainability, Long was able to share Pacific Biodiesel’s agriculture and energy model and its important role in Hawaii's renewable energy mix. Students also learned of the varied types of careers available in these industries.

"Chris was amazing," reported Alexander. "I sent him a list of questions that I wanted the students to be able to answer. He did a great job of answering most of them as he talked about Pacific Biodiesel. But he did an even better job of intentionally leaving some unanswered so that the students could ask them. It was a great way of keeping them engaged and pulling them into the conversation."

Hongwanji Mission School Robotics Program

In November, after reading about Pacific Biodiesel’s new off-grid fueling stations, the middle school robotics students at the Hongwanji Mission School in Honolulu had an inspiration for their Energy-focused Innovation Project. Their vision was to partner with Pacific Biodiesel and the DLNR to open a B.O.A.T. (Biofuel-Ocean-Alternative Technology) Shop that would sell biodiesel and other renewable energy marine technology along with sustainable cleaning supplies. But they had questions and needed more information.

Librarian and robotics coach, Lori Okamura, scheduled a virtual class with Pacific Biodiesel’s Marketing Associate, Beth Mathias, who gave the students a better understanding of biodiesel, how it’s made and why it is better than fossil fuel for our ocean environment.

“Thank you again for meeting with our FIRST LEGO League team via Zoom,” said Okamura in an email to Mathias. “They learned a lot and are still excited about talking to you ‘long distance’ from Maui.”

Hongwanji Mission School LEGO robotics students, Mika and Katy, share their presentation board and model of the biofuel process.

“I also coach a team of younger students in grades 2 to 4 and their biofuel model is made completely of LEGO pieces,” she continued. “One little girl spent a weekend work period creating fields of crops that will be used to make biofuel. Another girl made trucks to transport from the farm to the "factory" and two girls made the biofuel plant modeled after Kahe Power Plant. We now have a biofuel station, a truck and a boat using biofuel, and buildings using electricity from the power plant in their "village" made entirely of LEGO. Thank you again for inspiring our robotics kids.”

Two of the students created the biodiesel plant for the project.

Highlighting the biodiesel cycle, their LEGO display included a biodiesel plant, fields of biofuel crops including sunflowers, and a truck fueled by biodiesel.

Wiliwili Warrior Award Presented to Kelly King

In November, Kelly King was honored by the Kihei Community Association with the 2022 Wiliwili Warrior Award noting her many contributions to the community.

“The Wiliwili Warrior award recognizes individuals whose community service goes beyond the ordinary and embraces the embodiment of KCA’s mission – e mālama pono,” noted KCA director emeritus, Daniel Kanahele. “Dedicated to protecting, sustaining and enhancing our ʻāina, kai and ʻohana,” he explained. Click on the image above to enlarge.

King, who represented South Maui on the County Council, attended the meeting via zoom from COP27 in Cairo, Egypt. Also receiving the award were fellow community advocates, former State Representative Tina Wildberger and Dr. Jonathan Scheuer.

King recently signed on to serve as a Board member of the Kihei Community Association.

Around Town - Where Else We've Been

• Made in Maui County Festival - Nov. 2022

The Made in Maui County Festival returned to the Maui Arts and Cultural Center for the first time in 3 years. An estimated 7,000 residents and visitors attended the two-day event featuring nearly 140 vendors from Maui and Molokaʻi with locally made products, including clothing, art and food items.

The team at the Maiden Hawaii Naturals booth offered the company’s locally produced premium culinary oils which sold out before the event concluded.

• ReTree Hawaii - Nov. 2022

Pacific Biodiesel employees and supporters joined forces to plant kukui keiki for the founders’ Maui Sunflower farm in November as part of Retree Hawaii’s annual tree planting events around the state.

The team planted 100 kukui keiki donated from Maui Cultural Lands that will grow to create a windbreak at the farm to help shield farm structures and minimize other effects of high winds.

Employees and supporters of Pacific Biodiesel had fun as they planted kukui keiki at the owners' sunflower farm in central Maui.

• Hawaii Island Sustainability Summit - Dec. 2022

The Summit, hosted by Hawaii County Mayor Mitch Roth, was an “invitation only” event bringing together leaders from across the community to focus on building a set of policy priorities for the county. The summit was structured around six key areas: natural resource management, local food, smart sustainable communities, clean energy transformation, solid waste reduction, and green workforce and education. Pacific Biodiesel Retail Fueling Manager Chris Long attended on behalf of the company. Maiden Hawaii Naturals provided culinary oils to the resort chefs for event meal preparations.

• HFUU Convention Powered by Biodiesel - Dec. 2022

Hawaii Farmers Union United held their annual convention at the Hawaii Taro Farm in Waikapū, Maui with a focus on regenerative agriculture. Pacific Biodiesel donated use of its generator and all the biodiesel to power the 3-day annual convention, which included workshops, cultural practices and live musical performances.

Industry Roundup

Biodiesel, renewable diesel reduce emissions in California

An increase in the use of biodiesel and renewable diesel was a major reason for the decrease in emissions. Read the article in Biodiesel Magazine here.

Iowa Renewable Fuels Association launches on-farm biodiesel credit program

In Iowa, a new statewide program gives back to farmers dedicated to using biodiesel. Read the full article here.

Chicago-area school buses transport children on 100% clean-burning biodiesel

“Children exposed to the fumes and chemicals of petroleum diesel on a regular basis have a higher chance of developing negative respiratory conditions like asthma,” the article notes. Read how this school bus fleet is changing that in this article from Biobased Diesel Daily.

Portland to phase out 99% of fossil fuels for medium and heavy trucks by 2030

Portland will become the first city in the nation to replace 99% of fossil fuels with biofuels. Find the article here.

Missouri governor signs bill with ethanol, biodiesel tax credits

Missouri House Bill 3 creates tax credits for retailers of biofuels and a tax credit for biodiesel producers. Details can be found here.

UL safety standard for liquid-fuel burners amended to include biodiesel blends up to B100

As reported in Biobased Diesel Daily, the liquid fuel heating industry applauds this long awaited update. Read the details here.

McDonald’s UAE vehicles hit biodiesel landmark

Operating on 100% biodiesel, this McDonald’s fleet traveled more than 22 million kilometres (almost 14 million miles). Find the article here.

RBF supplies biodiesel to marine vessel pushing feedstock barges

In Port Neches, Texas, biodiesel powers barges which supports farmers, while reducing emissions. Find the article in Biodiesel Magazine here.

Biofuels cut Germany’s 2021 CO2 emissions by 11.1 million tons compared to just 25,000 tons from EVs

Biofuels make a huge impact in Germany’s CO2 emission reductions, as noted in this article published by Biobased Diesel Daily.

Founded in 1995, Pacific Biodiesel is the nation's longest operating and most experienced biodiesel producer, and the only commercial producer of liquid biofuels in the state. A Maui-based company with nearly 100 employees statewide, we established the first retail biodiesel pump in America and for nearly three decades we've been an innovative leader in the renewable energy industry. With a nameplate production capacity of 5.5 million gallons annually, our refinery on Hawaii Island utilizes advanced technology to produce premium distilled biodiesel. Our company has always focused on recycling with a zero waste philosophy that incorporates development of value-added co-products. Today, our collaborative, community-based "agriculture and energy" production model demonstrates a circular economy approach to fighting climate change and helps Hawaii achieve a clean, sustainable energy future.

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Founded on Maui in 1995, Pacific Biodiesel is Hawaii's only commercial producer of liquid biofuels.

Our Mission: To promote a clean, sustainable energy future through the community-based production of renewable fuels

Pacific Biodiesel

16 Hobron Avenue, Kahului Hi 96732

Editor: Joy Galatro, Marketing Director

Staff Writer & Layout: Beth Mathias, Marketing Associate

For more information visit our website

biodiesel.com

or contact Beth Mathias at

bmathias@biodiesel.com

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