Press release from SD Corn Growers:
(March 16, 2005) – The South Dakota Corn Growers Association applauds the committee passage of an upgraded Renewable Fuels Standards bill, sponsored by South Dakota Senator John Thune, which increases the RFS from 5 to 6 billion gallons by 2012, a 20 percent increase over similar legislation in Congress last year.
Senate Bill 606 passed out of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee today, clearing the way for more of the nation’s fuel supply to be provided by renewable, domestic fuels such as ethanol. Enacting an RFS would be an important step in reducing consumer fuel prices, increasing energy security and bolstering rural economies. Sen. Thune and EPW Committee Chair James Inhofe, R-OK, introduced the bill last week along with Kit Bon, R-MO and George Voinovich, R-OH.
“The South Dakota Corn Growers Association is thrilled at Sen. Thune’s initiative in stepping up the minimum usage for renewable fuels, including ethanol, in the RFS by a billion gallons and we congratulate him on this important first step toward securing an energy policy for the United States,” said David Gillen, White Lake, S.D. producer and president of the SDCGA.
The ethanol industry’s production capacity has experienced extraordinary growth since the original RFS agreement was reached in 2001. Thune’s ethanol bill reflects a growing industry consensus that the original RFS schedule must be updated to reflect the ethanol industry’s growth.
“The SDCGA has worked diligently with our Congressional delegation on an energy policy for years and we recognize this is only the initial phase in a lengthy legislative process,” said Gillen. “The ball is now rolling with Senate bill 606 and with that groundwork we look forward to affecting this legislation in coming months and will continue to work with members of Congress to adopt further improvements to the RFS package.”
Thune’s RFS bill also includes a phase out of methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) in the U.S. fuels marketplace in four years, eliminates the federal oxygenate requirement in reformulated gasoline (RFG) and enhances RFG air quality requirements.
Krystil Smit
Communications Director
S.D. Corn Growers
605-334-0100
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