School Bus Fleet
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

Company helps Calif. district ‘green’ fleet with biodiesel

Buster Biofuels partners with Legoland California, the San Diego Padres and other entities to collect their grease and oil, recycling it into biodiesel to power San Dieguito Union High School District buses. The district is currently powering two buses with a B20 biodiesel blend and plans to eventually run its entire fleet on the fuel.

November 21, 2011
2 min to read


ESCONDIDO, Calif. — Buster Biofuels has partnered with several entities in San Diego County to collect their grease and oil, recycling it into biodiesel fuel to power San Dieguito Union High School District buses.

Buster Biofuels was founded in 2009, and its mission is to initiate, establish and service green initiatives for restaurants and companies in the county that will reduce carbon emissions. The company partnered with Legoland California, the San Diego Padres and hundreds of restaurants, hotels and resorts in the area for this effort at the Encinitas, Calif.-based school district.

"Organizations like Legoland and the Padres have a huge amount of oil, and there is just no way they can use it all themselves in the form of biofuel," said Buster Halterman, CEO of Buster Biofuels. "The concept is to take that oil and recycle it into biodiesel, then to reduce carbon emissions locally by putting the fuel into the buses of the San Dieguito Union High School District."

San Dieguito Union High School District is currently powering two buses with a 20-percent biofuel/80-percent petrodiesel (B20) blend and plans to eventually run its entire fleet on B20.

"We want to be at the forefront of green technology," said Daniel Love, the director of transportation for the district. "It's really exciting to work with Buster Biofuels and to know that we are some of the first ones making this change."

Burger Lounge, Wahoo's Fish Taco, Hennessey's Tavern, Oggi's, Alphonso's of La Jolla, Calif., Las Olas, Wavehouse, Urban Mo's, Chronic Tacos, La Costa Resort & Spa, and Sheraton Carlsbad Resort & Spa are a few of the local restaurants and resorts that have joined the Buster Biofuels alliance to help fuel the school buses and improve air quality in San Diego.

More Alternative Fuels

School Bus Fleet graphic showing two yellow electric school buses parked beside a charging station, with the headline “Bipartisan Bill Seeks to Extend Clean School Bus Program Through 2031.”
Alternative Fuels•by Elora Haynes•October 14, 2026

Bipartisan Bill Seeks to Extend Clean School Bus Program Through 2031

The proposed legislation would renew federal support for cleaner school buses as districts navigate funding uncertainty, rising fuel and infrastructure costs, and fleet replacement needs.

Read More →
School Bus Fleet graphic reading “Alt-Fuel Moves: Bidirectional Charging & Propane” alongside an electric school bus and charging station.
Alternative Fuels•by Elora Haynes•October 5, 2026

Alt-Fuel Moves: Electric Bus Rollouts, Bidirectional Charging & Propane Growth

See which fleets are adding electric and propane school buses as districts and operators invest in charging infrastructure, bidirectional technology, and alternative-fuel expansion.

Read More →
School Bus Fleet graphic reading “When Fuel Prices Change the Math: What rising diesel costs mean for fleet planning,” illustrated with a fuel pump and oil barrels.
Alternative Fuels•by Steve Mitchell•October 4, 2026

Nobody Told Diesel Prices They Were Supposed to Come Down

With diesel prices surging, school bus fleets have new reason to stress-test fuel costs, consider diversification, and calculate what each route really costs to operate.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Yellow full-size school bus traveling along a tree-lined road beneath the words “Gas is Back!” in a School Bus Fleet graphic.
Alternative Fuels•Cover Story•by Amanda Huggett•October 2, 2026

Why Gasoline School Buses Are Making a Comeback

Gasoline is gaining ground in full-size school buses. See how today’s options stack up against diesel on cost, maintenance, emissions, performance, and more.

Read More →
EPA DERA funding graphic featuring a yellow school bus beneath a blue sky with the EPA logo and the words “DERA Funding Returns!”
Alternative Fuels•by Amanda Huggett•September 25, 2026

EPA Opens $180M DERA Funding Round for Diesel Upgrades

The 2026 Diesel Emissions Reduction Act program seeks applications from eligible organizations to accelerate the retirement of legacy diesel vehicles.

Read More →
A yellow RIDE Type D electric school bus is parked along a tree-lined street outside a school.
Alternative Fuels•by Elora Haynes•September 25, 2026

The Secret Life of an Electric School Bus Battery

Batteries change throughout years of daily routes, but degradation doesn’t necessarily mean the end. Here’s what operators should know about performance, safety, and second life.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Catalyst Mobility: Building Clean Transportation Together
Management•by Alex Roman•September 14, 2026

CALSTART and Forth Combine to Form Catalyst Mobility

The new name represents a renewed vision for the nonprofit focused on advancing clean, equitable, and affordable transportation solutions that move people and goods.

Read More →
An orange and yellow graphic with a black and white image of a propane deployment event with text reading "Charging Hubs & Real World EV Testing."
Alternative Fuels•by Elora Haynes•September 3, 2026

Alt-Fuel Moves: New Buses, Charging Hubs & Real-World EV Testing

Propane and electric school bus deployments continue to grow as districts add new vehicles, expand charging infrastructure, and gather more real-world operating data.

Read More →
Electric school buses parked in a parking lot.
Alternative Fuels•by Elora Haynes•August 24, 2026

Fewer Electric School Bus Models Reshape the U.S. Market

WRI’s latest buyer’s guide points to a consolidating electric school bus market, but fewer options may reflect a maturing industry rather than fewer meaningful choices for school bus operators.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
A yellow school bus with its red stop arm extended is stopped to load or unload students as a blurred child crosses in the foreground, illustrating the importance of motorists stopping for school buses and protecting students in the loading zone.
Alternative Fuels•August 12, 2026

The Fuel Budget You Can Actually Predict: How Propane Autogas Keeps Money in the Classroom

Learn how propane autogas helps school districts manage fuel costs with predictable pricing, lower maintenance, and reduced emissions from former transportation director Joel Stutheit.

Read More →