Excerpt from Knoxnews.com Article with video of ribbon cutting below

Going for the grease with biofuels initiative

CleanEnergy looks to turn residue into energy

• By Ed Marcum

Once a week, J.P. Plumlee makes the rounds of Knoxville restaurants on a quest for grease.

They are usually happy to oblige, he said. They have to do something with the residue that amasses from frying food.

A waste issue common to nearly every restaurant promises to help ease the University of Tennessee’s vehicle fuel concerns if a new hybrid energy program is successful.

“The restaurants are usually eager to participate in this program,” Plumlee said. “A lot of times, this actually saves the restaurant money. They are having to pay for people to pick up this waste.”

The program is CleanEnergy Biofuels, an initiative run by the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy to convert restaurant grease into biofuel. Restaurants store used grease in special bins that the Southern Alliance provides and Plumlee collects the grease into a 1,500-gallon tank truck. Knoxville restaurants participating include Cafe 4, Crown N Goose, La Costa, Moe’s and others.

Read Article and View Pictures of Ribbon Cutting