Biodiesel heating fuel soon to be the norm in New York City

The heat you get in your dorm or apartment will soon be a little greener.

Mayor Bloomberg signed a bill last month that calls for all heating oil used in New York City to contain 2 percent biodiesel by 2012. Heating oil is usually made from plant oils or animal fats instead of crude oil.

Although 2 percent of biodiesel in heating oil seems immaterial, it will replace approximately 20 million gallons of petroleum that New York usually consumes annually.

The new law also requires residents and utilities use low-sulfur fuel.

Since low-sulfur fuel and biodiesel are both cleaner burning fuel sources, the bill meets one of the 14 air quality programs from PlaNYC 2030, a plan to improve New York City’s urban environment. According to Bloomberg, this new law not only will promote the use of alternative fuels, but create more green collar jobs and reduce pollution.

“Burning this small amount of biodiesel is probably a good thing as it reduces noxious emissions from building heating systems,” said Cecil Scheib, director of energy and sustainability at NYU.
Scheib added that Bioheat will not cause a noticeable increase in energy prices or decrease boiler performance.

While the law may be new to the legislature, biodiesel itself is not such a novel concept.

“When I made my first batch of biodiesel in 1997, to run in an old Chevy diesel van, it seemed like no one had ever heard of biodiesel,” Scheib said. “Now it’s going to be the law in New York City. It really shows how much things can change through concern for the environment and human health in our cities.”

CAS junior and Environmental Studies Club President Steven Rasovsky called the law “a step in the right direction.”

“Once in effect, I predict the law will both boost the biodiesel market in New York, and send out a message to other cities that yells our slogan, ‘If it works here, it can work anywhere,’ ” Rasovsky said.