A study by the US Department of Energy has found that biodiesel production and use, in comparison to petroleum diesel, produces 78.5% less CO2 emissions.

Biodiesel has a positive energy balance, meaning that more energy is produced with the fuel than is used to create a fuel.

Biodiesel fuel can also be used in combination with heating oil to heat residential and industrial buildings.

A study completed in 2001 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture found that an average annual increase of the equivalent of 200 million gallons of soy-based biodiesel demand would boost total crop cash receipts by $5.2 billion cumulatively by 2010.