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Illinois Lawmakers Extend Biofuel State Excise Tax Incentive

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Illinois Lawmakers Extend Biofuel State Excise Tax Incentive

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Headquartered in Utah, Washakie Renewable Energy is a firm dedicated to sustainable solutions spanning chemicals and advanced biofuels. Washakie Renewable Energy has a reputation for meeting the needs of clients throughout the Intermountain West, where one important factor driving growth is federal and state-level incentives that make renewable fuels more cost competitive.

In an encouraging industry development, Illinois lawmakers recently approved a five-year extension of a major biofuel incentive. Set to expire in 2018, the current law provides retailers of blends with under 10 percent biodiesel content with an exemption of 20 percent of the state excise tax. Blends containing 11 percent biodiesel and over receive a full exemption of the tax, which stands at 6.25 percent.

The extension was passed by the Illinois House and is part of an effort that has overridden Governor Bruce Rauner’s tax package veto. The move is described by the renewable energy industry as benefiting home-grown fuel producers and expanding economic benefits statewide.

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Google Engineers Admit Renewable Energy Will Never Slow Climate Change

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Renewable Energy Sector | Washington Post

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At WRE we believe in a high quality product delivered on time and meeting specifications. Research and development are what keep us on the cutting edge of biofuel innovation. Our technicians, engineers, and chemists work together to push the boundaries of what biodiesel can do.

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WASHAKIE RENEWABLE ENERGY AWARDS SCHOLARSHIPS

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WASHAKIE RENEWABLE ENERGY AWARDS SCHOLARSHIPS

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The College of Engineering at the University of Utah

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Fourteen University of Utah graduate and undergraduate students from the College of Engineering received a total of $50,000 in scholarships from Washakie Renewable Energy, part of the Salt Lake City biofuel company's Kingston Energy Scholarship Fund.
The scholarship was founded by Dr. Jacob Kingston, the chief executive of Washakie Renewable Energy, and his wife, Sally, as a way to give back to his alma mater, the University of Utah. Washakie and its partner, the Utah Jazz, each have been donating $5 for every point the NBA team made from the paint. This year's recipients were honored during halftime at a Utah Jazz - Sacramento Kings game in April.

The scholarship recipients were joined on the court by Kingston and Senior Vice President Corporate Partnerships Chris Baum and Corporate Revenue Officer Don Sterling of LH Companies.

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Washakie Renewable Energy Awards Scholarships - The College of Engineering at the University of Utah

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Fourteen University of Utah graduate and undergraduate students from the College of Engineering received a total of $50,000 in scholarships from Washakie Renewable Energy, part of the Salt Lake City biofuel company's Kingston Energy Scholarship Fund.

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This is "Washakie Renewable Energy" by Color Red Media on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them.

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Jazz and Partners Contribute Nearly $240,000 in Charitable Donations This Season

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SALT LAKE CITY (April 15, 2015) -- As part of a shared commitment to giving back, the Utah Jazz and six different partners teamed up this season to provide community assists through an array of outreach programs. By the conclusion of the 2014-15 Jazz season, nearly $240,000 in charitable donations will be distributed to a variety of schools, non-profit organizations and residents to enhance the lives of youth and families.

The Jazz organization, including players Trey Burke, Alec Burks, Derrick Favors and Gordon Hayward, purchased about $75,000 worth of tickets to every home game this season for its community ticket donation program, enabling local residents from more than 200 different community groups and schools to attend Jazz home games.
AAA
For every assist that a Jazz player recorded this season, Triple-A Utah donated $5 to support Safe Kids Salt Lake County, which provides vehicle safety programs that are designed to keep kids safe. A total of $8,000 was donated to this program.
CenturyLink
The CenturyLink STEM Excellence Award program awarded $10,000 to STEM Utah and also recognized six K-12 students based on their excellence or significant improvement in Science, Technology, Engineering or Math. The selected students each received four tickets to a Jazz home game, a personalized jersey and in-game recognition at Energy Solutions Arena.
Utah Ford Stores
Utah Ford stores pledged $50 to the Utah Food Bank for every successful dunk a Utah Jazz player made during the season. A check totaling $18,400 was presented to the Food Bank during the Jazz game on April 10.
Mountain America Credit Union
The Jazz and Mountain America's "Pass It Along" program provided a total of $25,000 to five local charitable organizations ($5,000 each): Camp K, Neuroworx, South Davis Community Hospital, The Sharing Place and Utah Foster Care Foundation.

For the sixth consecutive year, the Jazz and Mountain America partnered with the Huntsman Cancer Foundation to help fight cancer. Mountain America donated $50 to the Huntsman Cancer Foundation for every three-point shot made by a Jazz player during the 2014-2015 season. A donation of $30,000 was presented to the Foundation during halftime of the Jazz game on April 13.
Washakie Renewable Energy
For every point the Jazz scored in the paint during the 2014-15 season, Washakie contributed $5 towards the Kingston Energy and Engineering Scholarship Fund with Miller Sports Properties matching this amount. The total contribution resulted in a $50,000 donation that was presented during the Jazz game on April 8.
Western Governors University
The Utah Jazz and Western Governors University teamed up again this season to grant one year of free tuition to four students, valued at $6,000 each.

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Jazz and Partners Contribute Nearly $240,000 in Charitable Donations This Season | Utah Jazz

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SALT LAKE CITY (April 15, 2015) -- As part of a shared commitment to giving back, the Utah Jazz and six different partners teamed up this season to provide community assists through an array of outreach programs. By the conclusion of the 2014-15 Jazz season, nearly $240,000 in charitable donations will be distributed to a variety of schools, non-profit organizations and residents to enhance the lives of youth and families.

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CRS Engineers

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Washakie Renewable Energy - CRS Engineers

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Waste materials are brought into Washakie Renewable Energy (WRE) and the refined bio-fuel is shipped out via rail on the UP owned Malad Subdivision mainline. The original project consisted of a 1,500 ft siding and a 600 ft tail track for unloading, loading, and storage purposes.

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Washakie Renewable Energy celebrates Utah plant opening

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Washakie Renewable Energy LLC hosted local and state dignitaries on Sept. 1 for an open house event and plant tour celebrating the start of its 10 MMgy biodiesel production facility near Plymouth, Utah.

According to WRE spokesman Sam Powell, the open house drew about 150 attendees who witnessed the production of methyl esters from low-grade feedstocks such as yellow and brown greases and animal fats.

"We had a great turnout," Powell told Biodiesel Magazine. "As we were taking people through the open house tour, we were actually producing some biodiesel. It was great for people to see and feel and hear what a biodiesel plant is like."

The plant features state-of-the-art process technology designed in-house by WRE and the site includes a rail loop on site for inbound feedstock collection and outbound transport of product to local companies and fuel distributors. WRE sources about 80 percent of its low-grade, high-FFA feedstock from yellow grease and tallow processing facilities located within a 500-mile radius of the plant. Plans are to incorporate refined virgin oils such as camelina and/or safflower oil in the future. The plant was under development and construction for nearly a year, according to Powell, prior to producing its first batches of biodiesel in August.

"That's actually been one of the challenges we've been able to overcome," Powell said. "By starting construction in a bad year, constructing during a good year and then kind of getting into the tail end of a good year. We feel with our low-grade FFA feedstocks we'd be able to make good money even without that tax credit-if it doesn't get extended into next year. We're prepared for that."

Powell said to his knowledge, WRE's plant is the only one of its kind in the area, which pits the company as the largest biodiesel producer in the intermountain west.

"A lot of people have said it's impossible to have a biodiesel facility in Utah because we don't have the capacity to grow soybeans or anything like that," he said, "but we've engineered a way around that and I think that's what the industry needs to do. If we're going to brand ourselves as this sustainable, advanced biofuel, then we need to have advanced engineering and processes to make ourselves sustainable to prove to the American public that we're real."

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Washakie Renewable Energy celebrates Utah plant opening

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Washakie Renewable Energy LLC hosted local and state dignitaries on Sept. 1 for an open house event and plant tour celebrating the start of its 10 MMgy biodiesel production facility near Plymouth, Utah. The event drew about 150 attendees to the site.

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Founded by Jacob Kingston, PhD, Washakie Renewable Energy is named in honor of a far-sighted and environmentally-minded Shoshone tribal chief that lived in the Utah area over a hundred years ago. Supportive of environmental preservation, Washakie Renewable Energy produced biodiesel in the Intermountain West at its plant in Plymouth, Utah.

Biodiesel is a renewable, cleaner-burning diesel fuel substitute that is biodegradable. It is produced domestically from recycled restaurant grease, animal fats, and vegetable oils such as soybean oil. Manufacturing biodiesel involves a chemical procedure known as transesterification which separates glycerin from the grease, vegetable oil, or fat, producing glycerin and methyl esters (biodiesel).

Biodiesel, like petroleum-based diesel, is used as fuel for compression ignition engines and complies with overall advanced biofuel requirements of the Renewal Fuel Standard. Washakie Renewable is capable of producing 20 million gallons of biodiesel annually that meets ASTM D6751 industry specifications. This amount of fuel can decrease carbon dioxide emissions by over 194,000 tons annually.

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Washakie Renewable Energy Scholarship Programs

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Washakie Renewable Energy Scholarship Programs

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With operations spanning oilseed processing, waste oil recycling, and biodiesel refinement, Washakie Renewable Energy (WRE) is a major player in the renewable energy sector of the Intermountain West. Working out of manufacturing facilities in Plymouth, Utah, and administrative headquarters in Salt Lake City, Washakie Renewable Energy plays an active role in the local community through initiatives such as academic scholarships.

Each year, WRE donates over $25,000 to help Utah students pursue their academic goals. The company’s scholarship programs include the Kingston Energy Scholarship, a fund established by WRE CEO Dr. Jacob Kingston and his wife, Sally Kingston. A University of Utah alumnus, Dr. Kingston created the scholarship to support students within the school’s College of Engineering, establishing separate categories for scholars within four chemical and mechanical engineering departments. Dr. Kingston and his firm have also partnered with the Utah Jazz NBA team to facilitate the scholarship fund, establishing a donation matching program based on the team’s performance. In 2015 alone, WRE awarded $50,000 to 14 undergraduate and graduate engineering students from the University of Utah.

WRE’s scholarship program also includes the Washakie Renewable Energy Applied Science Scholarship, which is open to graduating students at Salt Lake City’s Bear River High School. A former Bear River student, Jacob Kingston also led the creation of this scholarship, which provides awards of $1,000 to help students pursue interests in applied science and renewable energy at the collegiate level.