Nelson Displays His Bio-Willie for Oregon

But it's a good thing:

Entertainer Willie Nelson will help Oregon's first commercial biodiesel plant celebrate its two-year anniversary in a big way, headlining a press conference and ground-breaking of the expansion of the plant. Also scheduled for concert dates in the area that week, Nelson will arrive in his biodiesel-powered tour bus for the July 6 event, which will begin at 10:30 a.m. at the SeQuential-Pacific Biodiesel plant in Salem (at Mill Creek Junction, 4725 Turner Road, Salem, Oregon).

"Oregon has always been progressive in its thinking, and has been out front in every way about most major issues. This is just another example of Oregon setting a good example for the rest of the country," said Nelson.

My man Otis...er, Willie--he LOVES us! The Inside Greentech blog offers a little context:

In best hippie fashion, Pacific Biodiesel's Salem, Oregon plant has been converting recycled cooking oil from restaurants and food processors in Oregon and Washington, such as Burgerville and Kettle Foods. It's now starting to use canola oil grown elsewhere in Oregon.

(We're not slagging hippies. Heck, if anything, we love pointing out that they got it RIGHT... witness organic fuel, organic food, home schooling, etc.!)

When in-state production reaches its five million gallons per year capacity using raw materials from the Pacific Northwest, the statewide RFS included in the Biofuels Bill (HB 2210) will be enacted. The RFS will increase annual demand for biodiesel by approximately 10 million gallons, to total nearly twenty million gallons of biodiesel per year.

Notwithstanding the debate on the environmental efficacy of biofuels that I waded into over at Blue Oregon yesterday, the significant up-ramping of Oregon's production in service to our long term goals is well worth a tip of the hookah from the influential music icon. Oh, and I didn't make up the name "Bio-Willie" just to be salacious; it really exists, and they sell--what else--fine British Columbian marijuana. I mean, premium biodiesel.