The City of Lincoln’s Climate Action Plan includes a commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2050, with a goal of converting the city fleet to 100% electric, renewable, or alternative fuels by 2040. To help reach this goal, the City of Lincoln began using B20, a blend of 80% petroleum diesel and 20% biodiesel, during the summer of 2024. B20 results in a 15% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions compared to petroleum diesel, helping to move the city fleet significantly closer toward their goals.
Their biodiesel journey began in January of 2023 when Patrick Wenzl, City Fleet Manager, and Bill Fleisher, Superintendent of Fleet Services, attended the Clean
Fuels Conference as guests of the Nebraska Soybean Board (NSB). NSB has been bringing fuel suppliers and fleet managers to the conference for several years to be immersed in all aspects of the biodiesel industry, to network and explore opportunities to expand biodiesel use in Nebraska. Patrick and Bill brought back what they learned and encouraged the city to investigate biodiesel as an option for meeting the city’s sustainability goals. The City of Lincoln partnership is a product of this successful program.
NSB offers an incentive for fleets to conduct a trial of B20, with the hope that they will continue to use it once the trial is complete. It was no surprise that the City of Lincoln had a successful experience with B20. Over the summer, the city used nearly 80,000 gallons of B20 in 130 pieces of equipment. It then used B5 all winter without issue, proving biodiesel can be used in all seasons when managed correctly. They now intend to use B20 again this summer, estimating an additional 215,000 gallons will be used between May and September. They are even looking into specialized equipment that can be installed on their current vehicles that will allow them to operate on 100% biodiesel year-round.
We are trying to get the message out that using sustainable fuels in the city fleet is not just an option but a necessity, in order to meet the city’s sustainability goals. We appreciate the support from NSB and hope as others see the success demonstrated by our city fleet, that they consider renewable B20 for their own applications. — PATRICK WENZL, CITY OF LINCOLN FLEET MANAGER
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These diesel engines, as part of the City of Lincoln's fleet, began incorporating B20 biodiesel as a fuel source last year.
