The National Biodiesel Board, the U.S. trade association representing the biodiesel and renewable diesel industry, announced in a member town hall Sept. 7 that it will change its name to Clean Fuels Alliance America, part of a larger rebranding effort. The formal rollout of the new name will be unveiled at the 2022 National Biodiesel Conference in Las Vegas.

The organization has been working internally on rebranding for the past year, following discussions with board members, staff and stakeholders. The town hall was the first public announcement about the name change.

“With a membership that spans North America, we represent some of the most sustainable fuels on the planet,” NBB CEO Donnell Rehagan said, “and this new name will position us for growth as we strengthen our position in the clean energy complex.”

The Minnesota Soybean Growers Association is a longtime member of NBB.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has declared biodiesel as the first advanced biofuel in the industry. The biodiesel industry now supports nearly 60,000 jobs nationwide and more than 5,000 jobs in Minnesota alone, and it contributes nearly $1.7 billion toward economic activities in the state. It also boosts demand for soybeans by an estimated 13%. Minnesota supports biodiesel plants in Albert Lea, Brewster and Isanti, which produce approximately 85 million gallons of the renewable fuel each year.

Made from a diverse array of feedstocks, biodiesel and renewable diesel are renewable, clean-burning diesel replacements that reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 74% on average while creating domestic jobs and reducing air pollutants linked to cancer, asthma and other health conditions. These fuels are the first commercially available nationwide to meet the Environmental Protection Agency’s definition of an advanced biofuel under the RFS

NBB has rebranded itself before. In 1994, the National SoyDiesel Development Board changed its name to the National Biodiesel Board.