Green-biz wiz

Entrepreneur Tom Quinn, who patented the popular Nintendo Wii controller, recently visited Chico State to talk with young entrepreneurs about how he’s now focusing his business smarts on the green sector.

Quinn (pictured) is founder, chairman and CEO of E-fuel, an invention that will allow consumers to pump fuel in their own driveways. During a lecture Dec. 2 at the Bell Memorial Union, Quinn described how the special refueling stations will convert waste—such as grain from the Sierra Nevada brewery—into ethanol, which is compatible with diesel engines.

Customers with E-fuel will purchase natural waste for the conversion. The estimated cost of the resulting cleaner fuel is 75 cents a gallon. Quinn said Chico will be one of the first cities where E-fuel will be sold in 2009, and the product will help to solve some environmental issues plaguing the nation.

“We are addicted to the convenience of the corner-store gas station,” said Quinn, whose visit was sponsored by the Collegiate Entrepreneurial Association. “This will allow us to break free from the oil infrastructure, save money and utilize natural resources.”