WESTERN UNITED DAIRYMEN PRESS RELEASE

Feb. 13, 2009 - - The nation's first "cow-powered" truck debuted at the World Ag Expo in Tulare this week and received very positive media attention, as well as interest from those stopping by the booth. Two trucks that normally run on diesel have been converted to run on biomethane produced from cow manure at Hilarides Dairy. This renewable fuels model reduces global warming emissions (methane from manure), air pollution (from diesel emissions) and dependence on fossil fuels, without a food-fuel trade-off in land use.

Watch Hilarides explain the process and benefits: view video

Rob Hilarides, owner of Hilarides Dairy in Lindsay, addressed a throng of media representatives, government officials, and interested onlookers at Wednesday's press conference. "For us it made sense to invest in this technology," he said. "Now we can utilize the dairy's potential to power our trucks, in addition to generating electricity for our operations. This will significantly reduce our energy costs and give us some protection from volatile energy prices."

"This project demonstrates the pride California dairy families have in providing innovative leadership while trying to solve the energy and air pollution issues facing our valley," said Michael Marsh, chief executive officer of Western United Dairymen. "Rob Hilarides is a great example of a Western United Dairymen member who cares for the environment and is willing to take a financial risk on a new approach to providing transportation fuel."

This break-through came from a public-private partnership which aims to develop a new model for replacing diesel fuel with renewable biomethane-generated from agricultural sources such as manure and biodegradable waste products. "The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency invested in this important project because of its significant potential to reduce diesel pollution in California's San Joaquin Valley and other comparable regions, and because of the tremendous co-benefits for greenhouse gas reduction and energy security," said Kerry Drake, associate director, U.S. EPA air division. "All of the partners contributed to the process of identifying and removing obstacles to widespread use of biomethane to fuel trucks and other vehicles."

California Deputy Secretary of Energy Policy Coordination Dan Pellissier said, "Biomethane gives California a renewable fuel that is locally produced and consumed, clean burning, and carbon negative. Not only does it help California meet our targets for reduced greenhouse gas emissions, it provides clean, renewable energy without competing for the state's fertile farmlands-which are crucial to feeding people around the world."

"In California, the manure is plentiful, the technology is here and public-private partnerships can make this work," said Allen Dusault, Sustainable Conservation's director of sustainable agriculture. "Biomethane is the only vehicle fuel that is carbon negative. The production process prevents greenhouse gases from reaching the atmosphere, and the resulting fuel is clean burning. Across the nation, the benefit to the climate could be as great as taking 16 million cars off the road."

Partners in the project are: Hilarides Dairy; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; Western United Resource Development, Inc.; Western United Dairymen; Sustainable Conservation; California Air Resources Board; CalStart; California Department of Food and Agriculture; Hilmar Cheese Company; Kustom Products; Phase 3 Renewables; and University of California, Davis.