BioFuels Journal

The National 25x'25 Steering Committee commended Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and the USDA leadership for steps announced Oct. 21 that will boost domestic production of renewable biofuels.

Vilsack and the department recognize that the acceleration of biofuel production is a national imperative that will reduce our dependence on foreign oil, create jobs and boost our economy, improve our environment and help maintain our global leadership in a clean energy economy.

The measures announced by the secretary today go a long way toward fulfilling the promise of the U.S. biofuels industry by encouraging the development of a national network of regional biomass research centers and biorefineries, building market demand by using USDA Rural Development funds to install 10,000 blender pumps over the next five years, and giving farmers greater incentives to grow new bioenergy crops.

Vilsack said the final rule implementing the Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP) will appear in the Federal Register next week and open up an initiative that will offer broad support for biofuels feedstock production.

The secretary also should be commended for reasserting his support of extending tax credits that will expand ethanol and biodiesel production.

Also, a report released today by Vilsack from USDA's Economic Research Service mirrors the findings of a University of Tennessee report commissioned by 25x'25 that shows that replacing more petroleum with cost-competitive domestic biofuels reduces our demand for oil imports, generates revenues and boosts wages.

The Alliance will release Nov. 10th another study from the University of Tennessee that will assess the impacts of various energy-related legislative scenarios on the U.S. agriculture and forestry sectors.

For additional information, contact 25x'25 Project Coordinator Ernie Shea at 410-952-0123, or by e-mail at EShea@25x25.org.

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• 25x'25

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