Burke receives award for biodiesel leadership
- Dennis K. Burke Inc.
- Oct 10, 2025
- 2 min read
AltWheels has named Ed Burke, chairman of the board of Dennis K. Burke Inc., the 2025 recipient of the AltWheels Green Fleet Award, honoring his trailblazing leadership in biodiesel.
For more than two decades, Burke has been at the forefront of clean-fuel innovation in Massachusetts.
Long before “renewable” became a household word, Burke was opening doors that would change how fleets, universities and even the federal government thought about energy.
In the early 2000s, he worked hand-in-hand with Harvard University, piloting some of the first biodiesel programs in the region.
Recognizing the need for standardization, Burke also played a critical role in the development of an ASTM specification for biodiesel, helping to set national benchmarks for quality and performance.
“Ed was the foundation that gave us the opportunity to use biodiesel,” said David Harris Jr., director of Harvard University transit and fleet management.
“His energy and enthusiasm for this fuel, the support provided by Dennis K. Burke Inc., and our joint efforts with the National Biodiesel Board (now Clean Fuels Alliance America), were instrumental in the adoption of biodiesel in Boston and the region,” Harris added.
His family’s service station in Chelsea, Massachusetts, became the birthplace of new fuels in the state, becoming the first retailer of both biodiesel and E85 ethanol.
In fact, it was from that very station that the U.S. EPA announced its groundbreaking nonroad, locomotive and marine (NRLM) regulations, underscoring Burke’s reputation as a trusted partner in progress.
Burke didn’t stop there—he carried his vision all the way to Washington, D.C., testifying before the U.S. Senate on the importance of E85 regulations and infrastructure, giving a voice to early adopters and ensuring policymakers heard from those on the ground leading the transition.
Through his longstanding involvement with AltWheels, Burke has helped cultivate a community of innovators, from fleet managers to clean-energy advocates, always pushing the conversation forward.
His leadership at Dennis K. Burke Inc. reflects the same balance of tradition and innovation—a company rooted in service yet unafraid to pioneer the fuels and technologies of the future.
Burke was honored at AltWheels Fleet Day Oct. 6 in Norwood, Massachusetts, where leaders across the energy and transportation sectors again gathered to celebrate innovation and progress toward a cleaner future.
