Here’s a blast from the past, the name BioWillie hasn’t been heard on these pages since 2008, and its reappearance today isn’t a bit of good news. The ambitious plan from country music singer WIllie Nelson to help American farmers by turning their crops into American fuel for American truckers (are you noticing a theme?) has officially come to an end.

Sparked by a discovery on Maui, biodiesel became the Texas singer-songwriter’s mission. He literally wrote a book all about it and started a company, BioWillie, that turned the famous Carl’s Corner truck stop into Willie’s Place and he got involved with biodiesel producers. Then things went south, with more producers entering the pictures, the end of government subsidies and the price of petroleum diesel dropping from its incredibly high average US price of $4.82 a gallon back in July 2008 (it’s at $3.49 today). There were money problems with Willie’s Place, too, with the group building it defaulting on a loan. In all, this is a good story that the Houston Chronicle tells about Willie and his quest – and biodiesel is something he still cares about – and you can read it here.

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