Vegetable oil as fuel gets boost from law

Friday, August 17, 2007 11:48 PM CDT

SPRINGFIELD — Gov. Rod Blagojevich signed legislation Friday that was inspired by a Decatur man who ran into trouble with Department of Revenue agents for running his car with vegetable oil.

Revenue agents told Dave Wetzel he needed to buy a $2,500 fuel-supplier license because he was refining the vegetable oil to power his 1986 Volkswagen Golf. He had been doing so for five years before he was confronted.

Lawmakers approved legislation this year that would let Wetzel and others like him avoid that permit as long as they pay taxes to maintain roads like typical drivers do when they buy gasoline.

“It sure was gratifying,” Wetzel said of the efforts to help him out. “There were no negative votes.”

State Rep. Bob Flider, the Mount Zion Democrat who sponsored the plan, said innovators such as Wetzel who try to use alternative energy sources should be rewarded.

“We should look up to people like him with appreciation rather than trying to tax him,” Flider said.

The legislation is Senate Bill 267.