USDA Report Will Provide Roadmap for Achieving Renewable Energy Goals
Vilsack is confident that U.S. can reach threshold of Renewable Fuel Standard.
Compiled by staff
Published: Jun 23, 2010
The RFS2 will officially go into effect next week on July 1. The rule mandates the use of 36-billion gallons of biofuels per year in the nation's fuel supply. Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack says he is confident the U.S. can reach that threshold by 2022 and that the farm sector is ready, willing and able as well as capable of producing a wide array of feedstocks that will make the biofuels industry a truly national effort.
On Tuesday Vilsack announced that USDA is releasing a report Wednesday that will serve as a roadmap for building the renewable fuels industry and meeting the RFS2 mandate. He expressed confidence that the U.S. can meet and even exceed the goals of the Renewable Fuels Standard.
"When we meet that threshold and that goal we're going to revitalize economic development in rural parts of this country," Vilsack said. "We are going to create a multi-regional distribution of biofuel production capacity, we're going to bring together various departments of the federal government in an effort to address issues that will allow this industry to expand and thrive."
According to Vilsack the U.S. is already closing in on the threshold for producing 15 billion gallons of corn-based ethanol. As for meeting the 21 billion gallon threshold for advanced biofuels, Vilsack says it will take a strong partnership between the federal government and the industry. Wednesday's report will look at the various feedstocks that are available across the country and will outline rough estimates of what could be produced in each part of the country in terms of the possibilities."
USDA's report will also call for investment in research and development, provide data on the impact the ethanol industry will have on job creation and look at the consumption side and barriers, including current infrastructure needs like blender pumps and encouraging the production of flex-fuel vehicles.
Permalink: Click here
Tagged: biofuels, usda, ethanol, farm
|