The Grand Folly of Progress

Millions for Fuel, Not a Dime for History

Hrrumph! The wheels of progress turn, but not always in the right direction. Here we stand in Storey County, where fortunes are made as barrels of fuel roll out like a never-ending river of gold, and yet—the Virginia and Truckee Railroad, the very bones of our history, is left to rust like a forgotten tin can in a sagebrush thicket.

Here’s a bit of modern marvel for you–XCF Global Capital Inc. has seen fit to announce that New Rise Renewables LLC is churning out what they call ‘neat sustainable aviation fuel’ –which I assume means it is very tidy and does not spill. They have also secured a grand corporate purchase order for more than three million gallons of this miracle liquid, headed to some anonymous buyer.

And, if that wasn’t enough to make one’s mustache curl, the first shipments are already set to roll out faster than a politician changes his principles—early March, to be exact.

“Reaching commercial production at New Rise is an exciting milestone,” declares Mihir Dange, the fine gentleman at the helm of XCF.

He further expounds upon ‘dedication,’ ‘engineering excellence,’ and a ‘commitment to innovation’—all phrases indeed. But I reckon Storey County folks might swap some of that engineering excellence for a touch of common sense, namely in the form of a few pennies scraped together to preserve the Virginia and Truckee Railroad, rather than consign it to oblivion while barrels of this new-fangled flying juice roll out the door.

In its infinite wisdom, New Rise saw fit to convert its renewable diesel plant into a SAF-producing juggernaut churning out 3,000 barrels per day. The original plant, which sprang to life in 2022, sits on a sprawling 10-acre site within the Reno-Tahoe Industrial Complex, or the TRIC—a grand and modern name for a place that does nothing to remind one of silver strikes, steam whistles, or the charm of a locomotive rattling through the hills.

Of course, none of this could have come to pass without the generous backing of the USDA’s loan guarantee program, proving once again that when the government wishes to fund something, they do so with remarkable efficiency—so long as it doesn’t involve anything sentimental like preserving a piece of Western history. The facility, which has changed hands more times than a gambler’s last dollar, was dreamed up under the name Ryze Renewables Reno LLC and has since been subject to at least two acquisition agreements, both of which fell apart faster than a cardboard outhouse in a stiff wind.

And so, while fortunes get made and barrels of aviation fuel soar toward the heavens, our beloved Virginia and Truckee Railroad remains where the County sees fit to leave it—on the verge of ruin. Here’s a toast to progress–let us hope we live long enough to learn whether it was worth the price of our past.