Coming Sunday

Earlier this month, the Northwest’s first commercial biodiesel refinery opened in Seattle.

The move could herald a new opportunity for Northwest farmers — or not. Farmers are leery of committing acreage to the canola, mustard and rapeseed crops used to make the alternative fuel, but crushing operations and refineries won’t proliferate until there is a steady supply. “There’s a lot of chicken and egg going on,” admits one expert.

Read more about the promise and the challenges of biodiesel in a story by John Stucke on Sunday.