Nashville Electric Service to use soybean oil in transformers

Tennessean September 2, 2009 DAVIDSON COUNTY Nashville Electric Service is going to start using biodegradable soybean oil in all new transformers instead of petroleum-based oil. "We are eliminating the need for over 150,000 gallons of petroleum-based mineral oil annually," Paul Allen, NES Vice President of Operations, said in an e-mailed statement. Soybean oil is biodegradable, non-toxic and more fire-resistant than the oil NES has been using, according to Nashville utility. The switch was a recommendation of the Mayor's Green Ribbon Committee on Environmental Sustainability. Mayor Karl Dean said he thanked NES "for taking a leading role with this initiative and showing us we can implement renewable energy alternatives to better our environment and achieve a greener Nashville." Soybean oil use is part of the city's plans to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. NES, one of the 12 largest public electric utilities in the nation, distributes energy to more than 355,000 customers in Middle Tennessee.