COLUMBUS, OH – Ohio’s Auditor of State Dave Yost stated in a new report that the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) has spent an extra $3.3 million on biodiesel fuel over the last four years in order to meet ODOT’s mandated use of biodiesel in its fleet vehicles.

By using regular diesel fuel over biodiesel, the report states, ODOT would save roughly $800,000 per year going forward.

The auditor issued the interim performance report to ODOT Director Jerry Wray and recommended that the Ohio General Assembly revise the biodiesel requirement and instead let State agencies use regular diesel fuel in its fleet vehicles. The report found that State agencies paid $0.36 more per gallon than they would have paid for regular diesel fuel. ODOT used 2,568,359 gallons of biodiesel, or 202.4 percent of its yearly mandated amount of 1,268,983 gallons, in 2011.

However, the Ohio Soybean Association (OSA), whose members’ products are used in the production of biodiesel in the state, opposes the auditor’s recommendation. Click here for more details.