Government Incentives And Tax Credits For Biodiesel Production & Sale

Biodiesel production, distribution, and use, as with manyas a fuel;othe biodiesel production company sells the
emerging alternative energies, has been aided in largebiodiesel retail which is then used in the fuel tank of the
part by recent government incentives making biodieselbuyer.
fuel production and distribution more attractive. TheseThe tax credits on Straight Biodiesel are equal to $1
tax incentives put money back in the pockets ofper gallon of agri-biodiesel and $0.50 per gallon of
biodiesel producers who, presumably, pass the benefitswaste grease biodiesel. The tax credits on Biodiesel
on to you, the consumer, with lower biodiesel prices.Mixtures are $0.01 (a penny) per percentage point of
Not just any biodiesel is eligible for tax incentives. Theagri-biodiesel and $0.005 (half-a-cent) per percentage
definition of biodiesel fuel, as its used for tax purposes,point of waste grease biodiesel.
is monoalkyl esters of long chain fatty acids. BiodieselThat is, unless the amount of credit approved to
production companies seeking any of these creditstaxpaying biodiesel companies applying for the credit in
must ensure that they are making biodiesel fuel thata given year exceeds the annual cap of $1.5 million, in
meets the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)which case the Department of Revenue will prorate
requirements for registration of fuels and fuel additivescredits to biodiesel production companies accordingly.
as described in the Clean Air Act, as well asThese tax credits, however, are currently temporary,
requirements put forth by the American Society ofand set to expire in 2008 an added incentive to get
Testing and Materials.started now on that biodiesel production company of
All companies, whether a biodiesel productionyour own that youve been dreaming about. Theres
company or not, that are selling or using biodiesel mayliterally no time to waste.
qualify for the Biodiesel and Ethanol (VEETC) TaxAnother Federal Tax Credit, the Small Agri-Biodiesel
Credit, on their income taxes. There are two suchProducer Credit (Section 1345: Energy Policy Act of
types of credit.the Straight Biodiesel Credit (considered2005), grants $0.10 per gallon on up to 15 million gallons
a general business credit by the IRS) the biodiesel into small agri-biodiesel production facilities producing less
question must not have been mixed with anythan 60 million gallons per year.
petroleum-based diesel fuel, and the company itselfIncidentally, there are local and state tax credits all over
must be the biodiesel production company making it;thethe country available on biodiesel cost and costs on
Biodiesel Mixture Credit the biodiesel in question mustother alternative fuels. Visit: to find out what your
contain only biodiesel fuel and petroleum-based diesel,locality offers.
with absolutely no kerosene added, and the companyAccording to recent U.S. Department of Agriculture
itself must be the biodiesel production company making(USDA) study, demand for biodiesel production is set
it.to increase by at least 124 million gallons per year,
Additionally, for either tax credit on biodiesel cost, onehowever fears about the rapidly rising prices of crude
of the following criteria must also be met;othe biodieseloil suggest that facilities might be making biodiesel fuel
production company actually uses the biodiesel itselfin even larger amounts and at an even faster rate.