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News from Rep. Stephanie Herseth
For Immediate Release
Contact: Russ Levsen, 202-226-4449

AS SENATE PASSES ENERGY BILL, HERSETH, GUTKNECHT LEAD HOUSE EFFORTS FOR 8 BILLION GALLON RFS

Join with Ag Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) to Demonstrate Bipartisan House Support for Renewable Fuels

June 28, 2005, Washington, DC – Representatives Gil Gutknecht (R-MN) and Stephanie Herseth (D-SD) today joined with Agriculture Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte to demonstrate bipartisan House support for an 8 billion gallon Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS). Today’s announcement represents a significant commitment to renewable fuels from House Agriculture Committee leadership, and is the first time that Chairman Goodlatte, a Republican from Virginia, has cosponsored renewable fuels legislation.

Earlier today, the Senate approved energy legislation with an 8 billion gallon RFS, however, the version that previously passed the House included a 5 billion gallon requirement. The bill now moves to conference to reconcile this difference. Today’s announcement makes clear to the conference negotiators that there is broad bipartisan support for an 8 billion gallon RFS in the House.

Rep. Herseth said, “Renewable fuels such as ethanol and biodiesel are clean, homegrown energy sources that decrease our dependence on foreign oil, enhance our national security, and drive rural agricultural economies. For all of these reasons, Congress should care about renewable fuels, and renewable fuels should be a major component in our nation’s long-term energy policy.”

Herseth also noted that this partnership demonstrates that support of renewable fuels is not limited to one party or to one region of the country: “I’m pleased to join with my Republican colleagues who understand that the support of renewable energy isn’t a partisan issue. Neither is it a regional issue. It is simply good national energy policy. It’s also good farm policy, rural policy and environmental policy and impacts our foreign policy.”

“As gas prices continue to rise, renewable fuels are not part of the problem. They’re part of the solution,” Rep. Gutknecht said. “By implementing a national renewable fuels standard, we can lower fuel costs, enhance our environment and reduce our dependency on foreign oil. The good news is we have farmers all across the Midwest who are producing renewable fuels, including ethanol and biodiesel.”

Chairman Goodlatte added, “The renewable fuels standard, the hallmark provision of this bill, opens the door to new economic opportunities in congressional districts across the country. 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.”

The Renewable Fuels Act would mandate the use of at least eight billion gallons of renewable fuels per year by 2012. It would also call on the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to monitor the supply and demand of renewable fuels, report on the economic impact renewable fuels production has on rural America, consult with the United States Department of Energy on renewable fuels blending and strengthen USDA’s Bioenergy Program, which promotes agricultural commodities as sources of ethanol and biodiesel.

The bill was introduced with 16 bipartisan cosponsors, including Representatives Tom Osborne (R-NE) and Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Collin Peterson (D-MN).

South Dakota is one of the top five ethanol producing states in the nation, with the capacity to produce more than 450 million gallons of clean, renewable ethanol per year.

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