U.S. Flag and Missouri State Flag Kit Bond, Sixth Generation Missourian
 

BOND-TALENT-HULSHOF APPLAUD OPENING OF MISSOURI’S FIRST COMMERCIAL BIODIESEL PLANT IN MEXICO

Tuesday, October 24, 2006

(MEXICO) U.S. Senators Kit Bond and Jim Talent and U.S. Representative Kenny Hulshof, today applauded the opening of Missouri’s first commercial biodiesel production plant, Mid-America Biofuels in Mexico. The members said the renewable fuels package in last year’s Energy bill has paved the way for increased demand for biodiesel and other renewable fuels. The facility is projected to produce 30 million gallons of biodiesel a year from the processing of 20 million bushels of soybeans.

“Gas prices have fallen quite a bit recently but we should not be lulled into a false sense of security. Too much of our energy supply is still oil imports. The Middle East, a primary source of oil, remains unstable,” said Sen. Kit Bond. “We need to think and act creatively about our energy future and Mid-America Biofuels is helping to lead the way. Our energy future is in Middle America, not in the Middle East.”

“I am pleased to be here for the opening of Missouri’s first biodiesel production facility,” said Sen. Talent, a member of the Senate Energy Committee and Co-Chair of the Senate Biofuels Caucus. “I’ve worked with farmers and industry leaders to extend tax incentives for biodiesel as well as secure funding for programs to help develop improved diesel engine technologies. Biodiesel is a cleaner burning alternative to standard diesel fuel. I applaud all of the farmers and agribusiness leaders for coming together to build this biodiesel plant.”

“This is truly an exciting day for the renewable fuels industry in Missouri,” said U.S. Representative Hulshof. “I’m proud to work on behalf of biodiesel as a member of the House Ways and Means Committee. It’s a win-win for farmers and consumers. The tax incentives we’ve put forth have expanded the market for homegrown fuels like biodiesel. Today, we’re celebrating the fruits of those efforts.”

“There is not a single person in U.S. Congress who has been more supportive of the renewable fuels effort than Senator Talent,” said Dale R. Ludwig, Missouri Soybean Association Executive Director and CEO. “He has played a key role, specifically, in steering legislative issues in favor of biodiesel and ethanol.”

Sen. Talent championed the Renewable Fuels Standard, which will add 7.5 billion gallons of ethanol, biodiesel and other renewables to the nation’s fuel supply by 2012. He has been instrumental in extending a federal tax incentive for biodiesel. In the last Energy Bill, he led the charge to include an income tax credit for retail biodiesel refueling infrastructure. More than 400 major fleets use biodiesel commercially nationwide. About 300 retail filling stations make biodiesel available to the public, and more than 1000 petroleum distributors carry it nationwide. ###

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