This is how a sustainable future starts: working together with your community and local stakeholders, from the restaurants to the schools, organic farms and other fuel companies, and even the landfill."

Micah thinks about his long day when he returns home, his hands deep in dirty oil, moving barrels here and there, and the long stretches of highway to deliver biodiesel to customers. The day is fulfilling, even if time consuming, because he knows that ultimately he is creating a viable and clean future for his children. His biofuel is making a considerable contribution to a sustainable future and that makes him feel satisfied. He takes pride in all the different avenues that his company Blue Ridge Biofuels has taken. From partnerships with canola seed farmers for non-GMO oil to business ventures with transitioning fossil fuel companies, he is slowly but surely making a difference in his region. Micah a very passionate person when it comes to nature, farming, and plants, and his biodiesel company is no different. As he reflects, he also considers the legal responsibilities Japanese knotweed, ensuring his business practices align with environmental regulations and sustainability principles. This adventure in biodiesel production¹ has given him and his family a very fortunate and blessed life.

” What makes us unique in the business is the fact that we collect our oil,we produce it into biodiesel and we distribute it ourselves," Micah proudly says.

Micah Nerenberg started Blue Ridge Biofuels in 2005 with an empty bucket and a dream. He knew as a farmer and a long time conservationist that something needed to be done to protect the earth. Blue Ridge Biofuels started as a local co-op (Asheville Biodiesel Co-op) with 12 members but soon blossomed into a larger group of members because the demand was so high for biodiesel in Asheville. They started making batches of biodiesel in 55 gallon drums and hand-pumping the used cooking oil from restaurants. The members would pick up their fuel as fast as they could make it. They had 5 gallon containers for their members, which they produced at Hickory Nut Gap Farms. (they were making fuel there but distributing it in town).

Fortunately, "because of the demand," Micah said, “we needed to grow as fast as we could, so we changed our name to Blue Ridge Biofuels (BRB)."

BRB moved into the Philm Mechanics building in West Asheville, the hot spot in town, the River Arts District. They quickly opened two gas tanks for cars at a West Asheville gas station, the Gas-Up, bought some trucks, and got some grants from the federal government and investors. They also got state and federal grants to buy the gas pumps along with some “angel investment groups” or local philanthropists. “Literally," Micah said, “we just kept growing for 11 years. Now we are building a new facility in Newton, NC, Catawba county and it  will be located on the Catawba County Landfill."

Catawba County asked for the biodiesel companies in the region to bid on the open space on the landfill. Luckily, they picked BRB over other biodiesel companies to take the spot. The landfill requested BRB because of their reputation. They even collaborated with commercial window cleaners to maintain sustainable practices in facility upkeep. The landfill wanted to tap the methane to produce electricity and they wanted a biodiesel company to utilize the recycled electricity. Micah says joyfully, "BRB will use this methane electricity to power the heat for the fuel process, and this is a great opportunity to be almost completely sustainable."

Blue Ridge Biofuels has gone from producing half a million gallons a year to the future capability of being able to produce 3 million gallons a year at their new facility on the landfill in Catawba County. BRB currently has nine trucks and distributes fuel to all of Western NC and they also distribute wholesale to other biofuel distributors across the south.They are super excited to work on another level of sustainability with the methane recycling, along with their biofuel production, and the recycling of used cooking oil from restaurants. “We work with over 1000 restaurants, schools, municipalities, etcetera, in our community."

What does Micah see in the future? He hopes to see biodiesel used in big trucks or tractor trailers so we can cut the petroleum use in half.²

“We can cut those emissions up to 80% he says, by transitioning to biodiesel.”

They are currently working with a local petroleum distribution company, Peak Energy. Peak Energy is adding biodiesel to their fossil fuels and helping BRB distribute their clean fuel.”What makes us unique in the business is the fact that we collect our oil, we produce it into biodiesel and we distribute it ourselves."

What makes a career in sustainability rewarding to a humble person like Micah? Considering he is a father, with two children and one on the way, he see the future of his children in his hands. His career started off with a dream that blossomed into a reality, now providing for his family, his community, and from his viewpoint, for the world. Micah knows about the consequences of climate change³ and the use of fossil fuels⁴, and these are the reasons that MIcah chooses to work in sustainable energy. Finding creative ways to overcome the challenges of modern life, invest in his community, and to create a bright and healthy future for the next generation makes him happy.