Wednesday, October 11, 2006

LIBERAL, MO – U.S. Senator Kit Bond today congratulated Ozark Ethanol for winning $300,000 in federal grant dollars to build a new ethanol plant in southwest Missouri. At the ceremony at Liberal High School, Bond stressed the importance of alternative fuels to Missouri and America’s economic future.

"Value-added agriculture is a key tool for the economic sustainability of rural communities and agricultural producers," said Bond. "I applaud Ozark Ethanol's efforts to take the initiative to start and grow this new business."

Ozark Ethanol secured the $300,000 competitive grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s Rural Development agency. The USDA’s Value-Added Producer grant will be used to construct and operate at 50-mgy ethanol manufacturing facility in southwest Missouri. The plant will produce energy by converting local corn and corn from outlying regional areas of Missouri and Kansas to fuel-grade ethanol.

Bond noted that renewable fuels like ethanol and biodiesel will play an increasingly important role in meeting America’s energy needs. Renewable fuels are cleaner than traditional fuels, and safer for the environment.

“The emphasis on renewable fuels is an important part of the comprehensive energy policy we need to address the high cost of energy, provide additional opportunities for energy production and U.S. jobs, and reduce our growing dependence on foreign oil,” said Bond.

Bond praised Senator Jim Talent for his success in including a renewable fuels provision in last year’s energy bill which requires refiners to blend in 7.5 billion gallons of renewable fuels by 2012. Talent’s renewable fuels standard has already opened up opportunities for producers and businesses, like Ozark Ethanol. In Missouri, 3 ethanol plants are already in operation and 5 more in the construction and planning stages.

As a strong supporter of renewable fuels, Bond worked with Senator Talent to establish the Volumetric Ethanol Tax Credit (VEETC) which provides an incentive of 51 cents for every gallon of ethanol used in fuel. This credit has caused ethanol production to increase significantly.

A key author of the recent highway bill, Bond included funding in bill for research on bio-diesel feedstocks and byproducts and funded a bio-diesel training program to ensure that petroleum refiners, terminal operators and distributors blend and handle the bio-diesel properly.

Bond also took the opportunity to encourage students to be involved in the political process.

“Most of you are old enough to vote or are on the brink of being old enough to vote,” said Bond. “Your vote counts. You have the power to elect people who share your point of view, who understand the needs of rural communities and the importance of a forward-looking energy policy.”

###