Oakhurst Dairy will have transitioned 130 delivery trucks--or more than 90% of its fleet--to biodiesel fuel by the end of 2006. The announcement was made in a ceremony in Portland ME with the state’s Gov John Baldacci.
This switch will make the Oakhurst fleet the largest private biodiesel fleet in New England, reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 1,332 tons per year.
The company made the switch as part of its commitment to the Governor's Carbon Challenge, a voluntary carbon dioxide emissions reduction program initiated in 2004. Oakhurst was one of the first corporations in Maine to sign on to this challenge, agreeing to cut direct emissions by 15% and indirect emissions by 5% below year 2000 levels.
Oakhurst also cited the 8 cent per gallon reduction in the excise tax for motor fuel that contains at least 2% biodiesel, a provision of Baldacci's energy bill this past legislative session, as a reason for the switch to biodiesel.
The firm's goal is to increase the biodiesel ratio in its fuel beyond 20%, as long as no engine problems arise.
