House Agriculture Committee Introduces Bipartisan 8-billion-gallon
RFS Legislation (6-29-05)
Introduction
of the bipartisan Renewable Fuels Act of 2005, H.R. 3081, in the
House yesterday re-emphasizes the importance of domestic renewable
fuels in our national energy policy, noted National Corn Growers
Association (NCGA).
The introduction on Tuesday of H.R. 3081 comes at an important time
in the RFS debate. With House and Senate conference negotiations
expected to begin after the July 4 recess, increasing support from
the House for an 8-billion-gallon RFS will be critical.
Rep. Gil Gutknecht (R-Minn.), chairman of the House Subcommittee
on Department Operations, Oversight, Dairy, Nutrition, and Forestry,
and Rep. Stephanie Herseth (D-S.D.) introduced H.R. 3081 establishing
a renewable fuels standard (RFS) requiring 8 billion gallons renewable
fuels, like ethanol and biodiesel, be blended into our transportation
fuel supply by 2012. Agriculture Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte
(R-Va.), Ranking Member Collin Peterson (D-Minn), Reps. Tom Osborne
(R-Neb.), and Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) cosponsored the bipartisan legislation.
The legislation would also call on the U.S. Department of Agriculture
(USDA) to monitor the supply and demand of renewable fuels, report
on the economic impact of renewable fuels production on rural America,
consult with the U.S. Department of Energy on renewable fuels blending,
and strengthen USDA's Bioenergy Program, which promotes agricultural
commodities as sources of ethanol and biodiesel.
Goodlatte said
an RFS will open the door to new economic opportunities for the
entire nation, while at the same time continuing to ensure there
is ample supply of feed for our livestock producers. He also encouraged
support for this new legislation as it works the RFS works its way
through the next step of the energy bill debate in conference committee.
"The renewable fuels standard, the hallmark provision of this
bill, opens the door to new economic opportunities in congressional
districts across the country,” Goodlatte said. “I
support the use of products such as forestry biomass, livestock
waste and commodities such as sugar cane and beets, wheat, corn
and soybeans, in the manufacture of renewable fuels, and I intend
to work hard as the chairman of the Agriculture Committee to ensure
that we continue to have an affordable and ample supply of feed
for our livestock producers."
“A comprehensive energy program with a renewable fuels standard
provides additional markets for all Virginia grown commodities while
lessening U. S. dependence on foreign oil supplies,” said
Ellen Davis, Virginia Corn Growers Association executive director.
“The resulting coproducts will continue to provide a quality
food supply for the livestock industry, which is the primary consumer
of Virginia-grown products.”
The House has
two other bills that include an RFS: a 5-billion gallon introduced
and passed in the House energy bill, H.R. 6 and an 8-billion-gallon
RFS introduced by Reps. Tom Osborne (R-Neb.), Collin Peterson (D-Minn.),
Steve King (R-Iowa) and Stephanie Herseth (D-S.D.) on April 13.