Ed Burke Receives AltWheels Green Fleet Award for Leadership in Biodiesel
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, Ed 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 the federal government thought about energy.
Ed Burke speaking at the opening of E-85 retail pump at the Burke Biofuels Center, Chelsea MA, in 2008. (PRNews/Dennis K. Burke Inc.)
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, were instrumental in the adoption of biodiesel in Boston and the region.”
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 E-85 ethanol. At that station, the EPA announced its groundbreaking Nonroad, Locomotive, and Marine (NLRM) regulations, underscoring Burke’s reputation as a trusted partner in progress.
Burke carried his vision to Washington, testifying before the U.S. Senate on the importance of E-85 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. 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 the AltWheels Fleet Day on October 6, 2025, at the 22nd Anniversary AltWheels Fleet Day in Norwood, Massachusetts, where leaders across the energy and transportation sectors gathered to celebrate innovation and progress toward a cleaner future.