Renewable diesel is now available at pumps in Jackson at the Shell station off West Broadway.
The alternative fuel – made from fats and oils – produces up to 75% fewer greenhouse gas emissions compared to traditional diesel.
Environmental group Yellowstone-Teton Clean Cities helped bring the fuel to the Wyoming station, as well as ones in Montana and Idaho.
Executive director Alicia Cox said it’s a step in the right direction since electric cars can still be expensive and some heavy-duty vehicles will never change over to electric.
“It’s just a drop in fuel for diesel vehicles,” Cox said.
She added that it’s slightly more expensive than traditional diesel — about 10 cents more at the Shell station — but users will make that money back in the long run.
According to Cox, vehicles using the renewable fuel see five fewer hours of maintenance a month: “In the end, it’s a better fuel for that vehicle.”
This is the first time the fuel is publicly available in Wyoming, Montana and Idaho, Cox said.
Until now, she said it was largely only offered in West Coast states: California, Oregon and Washington.
“It’s produced in Wyoming and Montana, and a lot of that fuel has been transported to the West Coast,” Cox explained. “So, we’re happy to keep it here within the region that it was produced in.”
Cox said that also means fewer fossil fuels will be used transporting the renewable diesel to consumers.
In addition to the Jackson Shell, the fuel is also available in Belgrade, Montana and Nampa, Idaho.
