Gov. Rendell this week announced 14 Pennsylvania business and community leaders have been presented with Governor’s Biofuels Leadership Awards.

The awards were presented at the “Biofuels – A Pennsylvania Reality” event focusing on biodiesel and ethanol fuel development and deployment. The seminar was hosted by the Governor’s Agriculture Renewable Energy Council and the Regional Economic Development District Initiatives of Southcentral Pennsylvania in York.

The winners are:

· Philadelphia Fry-O-Diesel LLC -- Nadia Adawi, president. Philadelphia Fry-O-Diesel is an industry leader, proving that it is technically and economically viable to produce high-quality biodiesel from restaurant trap grease. Fry-O-Diesel is currently working toward development of a commercial production facility.

· Keystone BioFuels Inc. -- Race Miner, chief executive officer. Cumberland County-based Keystone BioFuels shipped the first commercial load of biodiesel made in Pennsylvania and has been an industry leader in promoting the utilization of biodiesel-blended fuel to the general public.

· Worley & Obetz Inc. -- Jeff Lyons, chief executive officer. Lancaster County-based Worley & Obetz has worked hard to grow Pennsylvania’s renewable fuels industry. Worley & Obetz has installed the only two injection blending facilities in the commonwealth, greatly facilitating access and utilization of biodiesel blends. They are pioneers in offering ethanol to the transportation industry, and have played a key role in incorporating biofuels into the Northeast home heating oil market.

· York City -- Mayor John Brenner. Mayor Brenner has been a leader in advancing biofuels use by city government. York, under the mayor’s leadership, has made major commitments to use biofuels in every department. The city began using a 20 percent biodiesel blend (B20) in October 2005 and has committed to using 56,000 gallons of B20 over a three-year period.

· United Oil Co. -- Charles Cross, president. This 100-year-old, family-owned company based in Pittsburgh was Pennsylvania’s first commercial biodiesel producer.

· United Biofuels -- Nicholas Kukrika, founding partner. York-based United Biofuels was founded in 2005 and anticipates producing close to 2 million gallons of biodiesel by October 2007. UB has worked closely with Rabbit Transit, West Shore EMS and York City to set up storage and delivery at their locations and to secure state funding for their biodiesel projects.

· Cumberland County -- Commissioner Rick Rovegno. The commissioner has introduced county government to biofuels. Under his leadership, Cumberland County has taken great strides to incorporate biofuels into its generators and trucks.

· West Shore Emergency Medical Services -- H. Larry Roberts, chief operating officer. The West Shore EMS in Camp Hill, Cumberland County, initiated a project in 2005 to use B20 in 25 of its emergency vehicles. It has committed to using 41,100 gallons of B20 over a three-year period.

· John W. Gleim Jr. Inc. – John W. Gleim Jr. The Carlisle, Cumberland County-based excavating contractor is committed to using biofuels in its business operations. Gleim has also been a major advocate for biofuels and energy independence and has taken every opportunity to educate the public about biofuels.

· Sheetz Inc. -- Mike Lorenz, vice president of petroleum and supply, and Colleen DeVooris. Altoona-based Sheetz has demonstrated its commitment to biofuels by offering 85 percent ethanol blends (E85) at three retail locations in Allegheny County.

· Rabbit Transit -- Richard H. Farr, executive director. The authority is responsible for introducing biodiesel to the public transportation sector, a heavy user of petroleum-based diesel fuel. Its project to use almost 1.3 million gallons of B20 over a three-year period was launched in Oct. 2005. Those efforts have helped to reduce costs and improve air quality in York County.

· The Pennsylvania State University -- Glen R. Cauffman, manager of farm operations and facilities. Under Cauffman's leadership, Penn State has switched all their tractors and trucks to biodiesel. They have also switched most campus elevators and heavy equipment to biodegradable hydraulic fluid. Cauffman had dedicated a large amount of his time to public speaking and educational outreach on biofuels.

· Export Fuel Co. – Richard Morchesky, co-owner. Export Fuels was the first company in Pennsylvania to begin selling biodiesel to the public.

· Moyer Plumbing and Heating Co. – Steven T. Moyer, president. Moyer Plumbing and Heating has been offering a B10 heating oil blend to its customers for several years, and its heating oil is low sulfur, voluntarily exceeding minimum specifications for the fuel.

10/27/2006