Senate Panel Advances Ethanol Blending Bill
The South Dakota ethanol industry got a boost when a Senate panel approved a renewable fuels bill sponsored by U.S. Senator John Thune.
The bill passed the Senate last year but died when it was tied to a big energy bill that failed.
The measure would require refineries to blend six billion gallons of ethanol into gasoline by 2012. It also increases the use of biofuels produced from agriculture products.
Also see this from a Sioux Falls ethanol group:
Sioux Falls, South Dakota [RenewableEnergyAccess.com] The US Senate Environment & Public Works Committee passed legislation to enact an improved Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS). Led by Chairman Senator Jim Inhofe (R-OK) and Senator John Thune (R-SD), the RFS bill adopted by the committee increases the amount of ethanol and biodiesel to be used in the U.S. to 6 billion gallons by 2012. The RFS pending in the 108th Congress called for 5 billion gallons of renewable fuel by 2012.
"This is a critically important first step to ensure that ethanol plays a more significant role in our nation's energy policy, and we applaud Senator Thune's leadership in working with Chairman Inhofe to make passage of an improved RFS a top priority," said Brian Jennings, Executive Vice President of the American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE). "We look forward to strengthening the RFS schedule to reflect the ethanol industry's long-term growth pattern as this legislation moves through the U.S. Senate."
ACE convened a meeting of the ethanol industry in December 2004 where it was determined that the RFS schedule needs to better reflect the industry's rate of growth. U.S. ethanol producers are poised to supply approximately 4 billion gallons of clean burning performance fuel by the end of 2005.
"Today's development opens the door for ACE and other RFS supporters to work with all Members of Congress to improve the schedule and move another step closer to passing a more robust RFS," stated ACE President, Bob Scott.
Other committee members instrumental in supporting the improved RFS today were Senators Kit Bond (R-MO), Max Baucus (D-MT), George Voinovich (R-OH), and Barack Obama (D-IL).
And see this from the Wisconsin Ag Connection--note the Dineen quotes:
Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) President Bob Dinneen Wednesday praised Senator John Thune (R-SD) and Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee Chair James Inhofe (R-OK) for spearheading the effort to pass an improved renewable fuels standard (RFS) package through the EPW Committee.
The legislation is similar to an RFS fuels agreement included in prior comprehensive energy bills, but increases the RFS from 5 to 6 billion gallons by 2012.
"Senator Thune displayed tremendous leadership in encouraging Chairman Inhofe to support a greater role for ethanol in solving our Nation's energy challenges," stated Dinneen.
"Their combined efforts, along with other members of the committee like Sens.
"Kit Bond (R-MO), George Voinovich (R-OH), Max Baucus (D-MT), and Barack Obama (D-IL), will help maximize the use of renewable fuels in the years ahead.
"Raising the RFS target from 5 to 6 billion gallons by 2012 is a big step forward and demonstrates the emerging consensus that the original RFS schedule, which was established four years ago, needs to be updated to reflect the extraordinary growth in U.S. ethanol production since that time.
"To that end, the RFA will continue to work with RFS coalition members and Members of Congress to adopt further improvements to the RFS package as the legislative process continues."
The Thune/Inhofe bill creates an RFS that requires a small percentage of our nation's fuel supply to be provided by renewable, domestic fuels such as ethanol and biodiesel.
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