WE ARE GOING TO RAISE OUR PRICES.
WE HAVE TO RAISE OUR PRICES.
EVERY CONVERSATION I HAVE WITH ANYONE INTERESTED IN USING OR PROMOTING BIOFUELS ALWAYS IS ACCOMPANIED WITH A BRIEF SEGMENT RELATED TO PRICING. USUALLY THE
PROBLEM STARTS AFTER I HAVE NAMED THE CURRENT PRICE AND I RECEIVE A LOOK OF HONEST SURPRISE FOLLOWED BY A STATEMENT AKIN TO “I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE CHEAPER THAN DIESEL”.
IN MY HEART OF HEARTS I ALWAYS WANT TO REPLY “IF YOU CALL THE TRAGEDY OF 9/11, THE IRAQI WAR, THE SIEGE OF AFGANISTAN, AND THE LOSS OF OUR ABILITY TO BOARD A PLANE WITHOUT THE NECESSITY OF A THOROUGH SEARCH CHEAPER
THAN PAYING AN EXTRA $1 AT THE PUMP, OUR SORT OF REVOLUTIONARY GAME CHANGING APPROACHES TO SOLVING SOME OF AMERICAS ENERGY PROBLEMS MAY BE LOST ON YOU.
IF YOU CALL 4,400 FALLEN SOLDIERS AND AN ADDITIONAL 31,929 WOUNDED LESS EXPENSIVE, OR CONSIDER THE 1 TRILLION DOLLARS WE AS A NATION HAVE SPENT, MUCH OF IT BORROWED
AGAINST OUR CHILDRENS FUTURE, AN INEXPENSIVE ROUTE TO THE CONTROL OF OUR ENERGY DESTINY, OUR MISSION MAY NOT SUIT YOU.
I WISH I COULD TELL OUR MEMBERS THAT THEY WOULD BENEFIT FROM A TAX DEDUCTION, OR SOME OTHER VALUE ADDED OPTION TO MAKE UP FOR THE OBVIOUSLY DIFFERENT AMOUNT YOU PAY FOR OUR BIOFUEL.
I CAN TELL YOU THAT I BELIEVE PROFOUNDLY THAT IT IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO.
It’s October.
Oh my how the time has flown.
There have been so many changes on project the last two months. We have been working all hours of the day and night.
The plant has become my surrogate home. Â I’m sure more than a few of us feel the same.
Overall as an industry we have been waiting for a variety of factors to make the biofuels sector a sustainable industry. The list is long: congressional and legislative support of our true costs, RINS (renewable identification numbers), state and local mandates, as well as a change in the tone of consumer thinking.
Of course the waiting is our problem. In many cases for our brothers in arms, the waiting has been terminal.
WE ARE GOING TO RAISE OUR PRICES.
We have to raise our prices.
Nearly every conversation I have with anyone interested in using or promoting biofuels always is accompanied with a brief discussion related to pricing. Usually the opportunity starts after I have named the current price of fuel and I receive a look of honest surprise followed by a statement akin to “I thought it would be cheaper than diesel.”
In my heart of hearts I always want to reply by saying, “If you call the tragedy of 9/11, the Iraqi War, the Siege of Afghanistan, and the loss of our ability to board a plane without the necessity of standing in line for the privilege of a thorough search cheaper than paying an extra $1 at the pump, our sort of revolutionary game changing approaches to solving some of America’s energy problems may be lost on you.”
If you call more than 4,400 fallen soldiers and an additional 31,929 wounded less expensive, or consider the $1 trillion we as a nation have spent, much of it borrowed against our children’s future, an inexpensive route to the control of our energy destiny, our mission may not suit you.
I wish I could tell our members that they would benefit from a tax deduction, Â or some other value-added option to make up for the obviously different amount paid at times for our biofuel.
I CAN TELL YOU THAT I BELIEVE PROFOUNDLY THAT IT IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO.
Only time will tell.
Make it a better place!
Todd