Shaq turns leftover wine into fuel

Shaquille O'Neal invests in an alternative fuel company that makes a portable in-home system that turns waste into fuel for your car.

Fri, Aug 14 2009 at 8:43 AM EST

That last bit of red wine that has sat on my kitchen counter for a few days and is no good to drink anymore usually goes down the drain. Turns out, I could be turning it into ethanol to fuel my car. GreenHouse recently released the E-Fuel MicroFueler, a “portable in-home micro-refinery system that turns organic waste into a high performance ethanol fuel for cars.” NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal has invested in the company and is praising its new fuel system.

The OCRegister reports that Shaq, who has always had in interest in being green, flew to Southern California to check the system out.

"I believe in this company and invested in it," said O'Neal.

"I tried it, I liked it," said O'Neal. "I flew to Southern California to see it first-hand. It's cost effective and it works. Hopefully, with my presence people will look at (the fuel system) and they'll try it."

For as little as $1 gallon, the E-Fuel MicroFueler works just like the gas station pump and works with all cars that run on gasoline.

How much will the fuel system cost? I found one source that lists the cost as $10,000. That’s a big upfront investment for the average family, even if it will save money in the long run. I also know that I don't leave nearly as much wine at the bottom of a bottle as it would take to create enough fuel for my car, and neither do most people. Waste would have to be brought in to use the fuel system, and that is sure to add to the cost of creating the fuel.

I don’t imagine we’re going to see an E-Fuel MicroFueler™ in everyone’s driveway anytime soon, but it’s an intriguing concept. Like most new technologies, if it takes off it will be tweaked and perhaps eventually come down to a price that is more reasonable for individuals.

Until then, I’ll try not to waste any wine now that I know how valuable that inch of wine left at the bottom of the bottle is.