Once fluctuating gas prices become a regular fixture in a hard-hit economy, people look for ways to save money, and sometimes they run into alternative fuels.        “When the gas prices are up, the phone rings off the hook,” said Steve Bash, buying coordinator at Sacramento Biofuels Network. “A few years ago, when gas prices went up, my phone was ringing so solidly that whenever I hung up, I had to pick up another call. If you want to save money from buying biodiesel, I say you can’t.” In March, the average price for B100, or 100 percent biodiesel, reached $4.25 a gallon and tied with gas prices in Sacramento. In April, the average price of B100 rose ten cents as local gas prices thi

The first time Steve Bash put fuel made from vegetable oil in a truck, he was surprised to see that the truck started right up, the motor ran quietly and the smell of french fries permeated the air. The revelation that a diesel engine can run on vegetable oil-based fuel was a revelation which led Bash in a whole new direction. From that point Bash spent the next ten years establishing and building the Sacramento Biofuels Network (SBN)-- an organization that provides local access to commercial quality biodiesel. The SBN was formed-out of a group of individuals who wanted to make access to ASTM quality fuel that’s third party tested and reassured, more local, Bash said. More recently, Ba

The Sacramento Clean Tech Showcase keynote speaker Daniel Sperling is an internationally-renowned expert on transportation, energy and sustainability issues. In December he co-authored the book Two Billion Cars which projects that within 20 years the number of motor vehicles on the planet will double from its current total of one billion due primarily to growth in India and China. Sperling is a Professor of Engineering and Environmental Science & Policy at the University of California, Davis, and Founding Director of the university's Institute of Transportation Studies. He also serves on the California Air Resources Board, chairs the Future of Mobility Council of the Davos World Economic