Pittsboro-based Piedmont Biofuels is cutting the ribbon on a new tank location in Saxapahaw. The new tank at the Saxapahaw General Store will provide biodiesel to Piedmont’s members. Biodiesel is a renewable fuel made from cooking oils that’s cleaner than pure petroleum. It typically sells for around 3-fifty per gallon making it slightly more expensive than regular diesel.
But McCayne Miller with Piedmont Biofuels says there are many reasons to go with biodiesel.
"to get yourself off the petroleum grid, and the dependency on foreign oil, to support economically your community. We have an oil collections department. So we go out and we collect the used cooking oil within a 100 mile radius of where we’re located. We bring it back to our plant. We actually manufacture it here. And then we put it on trucks and distribute it to our over 250 members. Using our biofuel means investing in the community."
Miller hopes the coop’s new tank will increase the group’s membership.
"Saxapahaw is kind of this community on the rise. It just felt like an organic and natural place to go next. Several of our members use lots of different tanks, depending on where they live and what they’re doing with their business. And so it’s convenient because we would like people to be able to use our fuel every time."
Piedmont Biofuels also has tanks in Raleigh, Carrboro, Burlington, and at the location in Pittsboro, among others. The ribbon-cutting ceremony is Friday, January 28th at 4 pm.
Visit the website for Piedmont Biofuels here: www.biofuels.coop/