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ACGA asks Congress to retain Renewable Fuel Standard (June 17, 2002 -- CropChoice news) -- The following is from an American Corn Growers Association press release.
The American Corn Growers Association
(ACGA) today joined with a coalition of over a dozen other farm, rural and
environmental organizations to call on the U.S. Congress to retain the Renewable
Fuel Standard recently passed by the Senate in The Energy Policy Act of 2002.
"The Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) contained in the Senate energy bill
would ensure that renewable fuels such as ethanol, from both starch and
cellulose, and biodiesel provide part of our nation's fuel supply, gradually growing
to 5 billion gallons by 2012," according to Keith Dittrich, President of ACGA
and a corn farmer from Tilden, Neb. "By establishing domestic renewable
sources of energy, we will improve air quality, reduce greenhouse gases,
diversify and increase our fuel supply, and promote investment and job creation in
rural communities."
On Tuesday, April 23, the Senate overwhelmingly approved the inclusion of
the RFS by a vote of 69 to 30. Enactment of the RFS will more than double the
demand for ethanol, thus creating almost a billion bushels of new corn
demand. In the next few weeks, conferees from both houses of Congress will meet
to negotiate the differences between the House and Senate versions of the
energy bill. In a letter to those conferees, ACGA and the coalition expressed
their strong support for the RFS provisions.
"ACGA fully understands that the initiatives in this bill will greatly
benefit America's farm families," concluded Dittrich. "Requirements for a
portion of the nation's motor fuel to come from renewable bio-based sources will
give additional market opportunities and flexibility to farmers of corn,
soybeans, and other crops. This measure will diversify and decentralize America's
energy production, help move our country toward energy independence, provide
jobs and economic stability to rural communities, and add new revenue sources
for farmers."
In addition to ACGA, the letter to the energy bill conferees included the
signatures of National Farmers Union, American Farm Bureau Federation,
National Farmers Organization, Women Involved in Farm Economics, American
Agriculture Movement of Arkansas, American Bioenergy Association, American Coalition
for Ethanol, Clean Fuels Development Coalition, Environmental and Energy Study
group, National Biodiesel Board, National Grain Sorghum Producers, and
Renewable Fuels Association. | |
