Groundbreaking for Biodiesel Plant Expansion

Willie Nelson visits Salem fuel plant

MICHAEL ROSE
Statesman Journal

July 7, 2007

Willie Nelson made an appearance in Salem on Friday to sing praises for biodiesel.

Nelson is among the minority investors in a biodiesel production plant in southeast Salem, which intends to expand its production from 1 million gallons per year to 5 million gallons per year. The country music star joined an event to commemorate the project.

"Once again, Oregon shows the rest of the people how to go, where to go, how to think," Nelson told a crowd of more than 100, who gathered at the plant site on 4725 Turner Road SE.

Earlier this year, the plant received a $6 million state loan to expand its capacity. The plant's operators, Oregon-based SeQuential Biofuels and Hawaii-based Pacific Biodiesel Inc., expect to complete the upgrades by early next year.

Nelson became interested in biodiesel a few years ago, after his wife, Annie, was shopping for a car that "runs on vegetable oil," he said. "I said, 'Have you been in my stash,' and she didn't laugh much about that."

His wife bought a diesel-powered Volkswagen Jetta.