NCGA
Hails Senate Passage of Energy Bill (7-29-05)
Calls
Senate Action One of the Most Significant Votes on Energy Policy
National Corn
Growers Association (NCGA) President Leon Corzine today thanked
the Senate for its swift action, calling Senate passage of the
energy bill containing a 7.5-billion-gallon renewable fuels standard
(RFS) “one of the most significant votes on national
energy policy in over a decade.” The bipartisan bill passed
74-26 and now heads to President George W. Bush for his signature.
Corn growers
have championed for the RFS for five years, Corzine said. The
7.5-billion-gallon RFS will advance the ethanol industry, provide
potential increases to farm income, foster economic and job growth
in rural communities, increase potential gains for U.S. feed
exports. and decrease the nation’s dangerous reliance
on crude oil and gasoline imports.
“Not since 1992 has the United States Congress enacted a
comprehensive national energy policy. We are delighted that this
legislation promotes more diverse and domestically based energy
sources and we are particularly happy that this bill will expand
the use of domestic renewable fuels,” said Corzine. “Everyone
wins with the Energy Policy Act of 2005.”
The RFS schedule
calls for 4 billion gallons of ethanol being blended into the
nation’s
fuel supply in 2006, increasing to 7.5 billion gallons by 2012.