Who are we?

The San Francisco Biofuels Cooperative is a community-oriented Not-for-Profit organization with a mission to advance the use of biofuels in San Francisco. Find out more about the co-op here.

What is biodiesel?

There is often some confusion about the difference between biodiesel and vegetable oil. Though derived from biological sources, biodiesel is a processed fuel that can be readily used in any diesel-engine without modification (though rubber seals in older models should be replaced as they will be degraded by the biodiesel). Conversely, diesel vehicles must be specially modified in order to run on straight vegetable oil (see our Links page for resources).

Biodiesel is a much cleaner burning fuel than petro-diesel, as you can see on this chart. In addition, biodiesel is much lower in terms of most green house gas (GHG) emissions than is regular gasoline, as seen here. And though biodiesel is a little more expensive on a per-gallon basis, diesel engines get significantly better mileage than gas engines, so you save both money and GHGs. And it smells yummy.


Where can I get biodiesel?

In order to buy biodiesel in California, you need to be a member of a biodiesel user group that has obtained a variance to dispense biodiesel. Members of our group can obtain fleet cards to fuel via card-lock system 24/7 at San Francisco Petroleum. However, fuel is also available from People's Fuel who fuel behind Rainbow Grocery from 5-7pm on Tues, Thurs and Sundays (with occasional cancellations around heavy shopping holidays). And in Berkeley, fuel is available from the Biofuel Oasis (check their website for fueling times). People's Fuel and Biofuel Oasis have their own member lists, so membership with SFBC is not required to fuel with them.

Where can I get a diesel car?

eBay, Craigslist, and autotrader are all good sources for diesel vehicles. Due to the fact that these cars can run on biodiesel, they are in high demand!

Search the following sites for diesel vehicles:
Craigslist
AutoTrader
eBay motors


How do I join?

Any questions about the new membership orientations, or other membership concerns should send correspondence to info@sfbiofuel.org