By Senator Tom Harkin


As many of us are all too aware, America imports and consumes a lot of oil, and that dependence is both costly and a threat to our economy.  While over two-thirds of that imported oil is used to fuel our cars and trucks, many folks don't realize that another 20 percent of that oil is used as raw material to make a variety of products, from paints and solvents to fabrics and plastics, as well as a wide variety of industrial chemicals. But that is starting to change.

Just as Iowa is leading the way to produce biofuels that displace gasoline, enterprising entrepreneurs in our state and across America are beginning to manufacture thousands of materials and products using homegrown agricultural and forestry crops and byproducts known as biobased feedstocks.  The benefits of these products are clear: we are saving money and reducing the need for foreign oil; we're improving and protecting our environment; we're creating new income sources for the farmers who produce these crops; and we're generating American jobs in manufacturing these products.  Biobased products hold especially significant economic opportunities for our rural communities, far too many of which are struggling today.

To help promote these biobased products, USDA recently launched the "Biobased" label to let consumers know when a product is made of these materials.  Starting in the next month, companies can choose to put this label on their qualifying products so consumers will know what percentage of an item is biobased.  This is great news.  Iowans like to know the story behind the products we purchase - in a hardware store we might look for a "Made in the U.S.A." imprint on tool, or buy a new appliance that bears the "EnergyStar" seal of approval.  And soon, by looking for a "USDA biobased" label, we will be able to easily judge a product that is good for the environment, the U.S. economy and jobs, and doesn't rely on foreign oil.

The new "Biobased" label is part of an initiative I successfully worked to enact into law  and is another step in a campaign that began almost 10 years ago. As the former chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, I was proud to establish a biobased product promotion program in 2002.  The program directed the federal government to give a preference to biobased products in its extensive purchasing actions - so long as it made financial sense.  Already, USDA has designated about 5,100 biobased products for preferred purchasing.  And now, consumer demand for products labeled "Biobased" should provide a major boost to develop and market more of these products, starting an expanding cycle of job creation for both biobased feedstock production and product manufacture and sales.

Additionally, to help expand the use of biofuels in place of gasoline, I just introduced legislation aimed at expanding markets for biofuels.  The bill would  increase the number of vehicles that use a blend of ethanol and gasoline, increase the number of pumps at gas stations dispensing this blend and authorize loan guarantees for the construction of renewable fuel pipelines. I am hopeful the Senate will move forward and pass this bill.

All these efforts are helping to develop and produce products that are made from crops and forests products, instead of expensive overseas oil, and I proud that Iowa is leading the way.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. - January 25, 2011 - Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) today led a group of senators in introducing legislation aimed at expanding markets for biofuels.  The bill will increase the number of flex-fuel vehicles on the road, increase the number of blender pumps dispensing biofuels and authorize loan guarantees for the construction of renewable fuel pipelines.  As the former Chairman and now senior member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, Harkin has been a long-time leader in promoting the production and use of biofuels as an important part of the nation's energy strategy.  

"Because we import 60 percent of the petroleum we consume, our country is vulnerable to disruptions in the supply of petroleum and our economy faces a constant threat from volatile oil prices. With more than two-thirds of our petroleum supply consumed by our transportation sector, there is a tremendous opportunity to expand the production and use of biofuels, which is good for our American security and for our economy," said Harkin. "Biofuels displace close to 10 percent of our gasoline supplies, and they have the potential to make significantly larger contributions.  The bill I am introducing today is an important step in our overall energy policy and a job generator for Iowa and our nation as a whole."

Co-sponsors of the bill are: Senators Tim Johnson (D-SD), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), and Al Franken (D-MN).

A copy of the bill can be found here. A summary of the bill follows:

Flex-fuel Vehicles

Mandates that increasing fractions of vehicles manufactured for sale in the U.S. be flex-fuel capable.  Those fractions are
50% in 2014 and 2015
90% in 2016 and beyond
The mandate doesn't include vehicles that operate only on electricity

Blender Pumps

Defines "major fuel distributor" as a person that owns or directly markets the output of a refinery, but not including any person that directly markets through less than 50 retail fueling stations.

Requires major fuel distributors to install at least one blender pump at an increasing number of the refueling stations which they own or through which they market, according to the following schedule:
10% by 2014
20% by 2016
35% by 2018
50% by 2020 and thereafter
Allows trading of credits for excess blender pump installations to major fuel distributors with less than the required number.

Authorizes grants for installation of retail ethanol blend fueling infrastructure including blender pumps, tanks, and associated equipment.  Grants may be up to 50% of project costs.  These are not available to major fuel distributors.  Authorizes these amounts for appropriations:
$50,000,000 in 2012
$100,000,000 in 2013
$200,000,000 in 2014
$300,000,000 in 2015
$350,000,000 in 2016

Renewable Fuel Pipelines

Authorizes loan guarantees under the DOE Loan Guarantee Program for guarantees for loans covering 80% of project costs for renewable fuel pipelines.

Davenport, IA - If "Going Green" is the wave of the future, consider Russell Construction ahead of the curve.  Russell Construction is proud to announce the accreditation of 20 LEED Professionals in the area of Building Design and Construction (LEED AP BD+C) by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC). Currently, 90% of Russell's project management staff is LEED AP BD+C accredited. Russell Construction currently has the most LEED AP BD+C Accredited Professionals in the entire state of Iowa.

Developed by the USGBC, the Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) program provides building owners/operators a framework for identifying and implementing practical and measurable green building design, construction, operations and maintenance solutions into every project. LEED Accreditation serves to help companies and professionals improve the quality of construction and its impact on the environment. By passing an extensive LEED exam, individuals and their affiliated companies are able to demonstrate their knowledge and abilities in constructing an environmentally conscious project.

As an advocate of "Going Green", Russell Construction and our LEED AP BD+C professionals are dedicated to protecting construction project resources and locations. Currently, Russell is finishing up the new $13M First Army Headquarters, located on the Rock Island Arsenal (front lobby pictured left). In order to "Go Green" and have a minimal impact on the environment, an extensive waste management plan was implemented to reduce the amount of job-site waste generated.

This plan entailed the Russell project team to recycle an assortment of jobsite materials such as: carpet, metal, wood, glass, drywall, ceiling tile, paper, cardboard, concrete and other general waste materials. In total this project generated 1,123.237 tons of waste materials. However, 916.942 tons, or 81.63%, of construction waste was diverted from landfills for this project alone. First Army is scheduled to take possession of their new environmentally friendly facility in February 2011.

Russell's corporate office has also taken steps to "go green." All offices are equipped with occupancy sensors on all overhead lights and switches and an energy efficient HVAC unit. Internal recycling programs for office paper, bottles, pop cans, newspapers, computers, and unused job site materials, such as scrap wood or metal, are in place and enforced. In addition, digital imaging of project information into a main secure database has saved and estimated 15 cases per month of paper, which allows for additional storage space
and lower office supply costs.

At Russell, we are dedicated to LEED-ing the "Going Green" movement. For more information on Russell Construction, visit their corporate website at www.russellco.com.

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WEST BRANCH, IOWA–The National Park Service is beginning the development of an Exotic Plant Management Plan and an Environmental Assessment (EA) that includes Herbert Hoover National Historic Site in West Branch, Iowa. The EA will address management of the park's natural areas that are home to native plant communities.  Particular attention will be placed on eradication, control, and containment of exotic (nonnative) invasive plants. A similar planning effort, for a Vegetation Management Plan for Herbert Hoover National Historic Site, will resume upon the findings of this EA.  The Exotic Plant Management will be incorporated into the overall Vegetation Management Plan for Herbert Hoover National Historic Site.

The public may review and comment on the project online though PEPC (Planning, Environment and Public Comment), the online collaborative tool that gives the public unprecedented, easy access to documents used in developing and tracking projects within the National Park Service.  The project is titled #31771 Heartland Exotic Plant Management Plan and may be
found at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/projectHome.cfm?projectID=31771 . Comments may also be sent by mail to: Superintendent, Herbert Hoover NHS, P.O. Box 607, West Branch, IA 52358.

"The National Park Service relies heavily on feedback from the public to guide its stewardship of America's great natural and cultural resources," said Pete Swisher, acting superintendent of Herbert Hoover National Historic Site. "PEPC makes it easy for people to track projects at a nearby park or a favorite park several time zones away. It gives the public unprecedented access."

Herbert Hoover National Historic Site and the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum are in West Branch, Iowa at exit 254 off I-80. Both are open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central Time. For more information go to www.nps.gov/heho or call (319) 643-2541.

Herbert Hoover National Historic Site
110 Parkside Drive
PO Box 607
West Branch, Iowa  52358

319 643-2541 phone
319 643-7864 fax
www.nps.gov/heho
WASHINGTON - January 21, 2011 - Senator Chuck Grassley said the Environmental Protection Agency has done the right thing in expanding eligibility for its E15 waiver, which lets ethanol be blended with gasoline at 15 percent.

EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson called Grassley this morning to say that a decision had been made to grant the waiver to vehicles going back to model year 2001.  This expands the agency's decision of last October, which applied the waiver to model year 2007 and newer vehicles.

"I've been frustrated with the amount of time it's taken the EPA to reach these decisions, and I'd still like to see a waiver for E15 use in all vehicles, but I also appreciate that the EPA Administrator has made certain to base the decisions on sound science, which puts the waiver decision in a very strong position against court challenges from opponents," Grassley said.

Grassley has been a leading advocate for increasing blends of ethanol in gasoline.  He's met personally with the EPA Administrator about the merits of the waiver request from a group of ethanol producers, and he's urged President Obama to take action to grant the waiver request.

Domestic ethanol producers have concluded that a complete waiver for E15 would reduce America's dependence on fossil fuels by replacing 7 billion gallons, or five percent, of fossil fuels with ethanol.  Replacing this much fossil fuel with ethanol would also create an estimated 136,000 jobs in the United States.

Grassley supported legislation passed by Congress in 2007, creating the Renewable Fuels Standard, which calls for 36 billion gallons of renewable fuels to be used by 2022.

"It's important to expand opportunities for ethanol use to meet this goal and to help develop advanced biofuels such as cellulosic ethanol.  These initiatives are aimed at greater energy independence for the United States and the savings and security that comes with energy independence, along with the opportunity to create jobs by expanding an important domestic industry," Grassley said.

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A group of "Lights ON for Learning" students are focusing on engineering for the next 8 Saturday mornings. According to the Lights On site coordinator at John Deere Middle, Chad Potter, 40 students will be attending classes from 8 am until noon every Saturday until February 26th.

Potter says the students will focus on the process of engineering, "The students will weigh out design options and make choices based on the available materials and their own imagination.  They are going to build, test, collect data, and refine.  Many of our students start the program with no understanding of how math and science are used to make lives better and more comfortable."

According to Potter the program offers students an opportunity to experience different aspects of the field of engineering through hands-on problem solving activities. Potter says the students will be producing a mousetrap powered race car that will travel twenty five meters.  The students will also be creating a technical drawing and a detailed report explaining how it works. The students must also be able to explain how their car works in front of a multi-judge panel.

Bruce Boardman, a retired John Deere engineer and volunteer for the program, says working with the young students is as satisfying as seeing a product he helped design succeed in the marketplace.

Boardman says what the kids will learn each week is a life experience that goes well beyond multiple choice and true/false questions.  "While the concept of a mousetrap powered car appears, on the surface, to be simple, it is not.  The students need to balance several conflicting design and material considerations.  It is an exercise in merging both the art and science of mechanical devices to achieve the best overall performance within a demanding set of rules and criterion for success.  It is an exercise where there is no one correct answer - rather there are several solutions from which they must choose."
Caroline Anthony is a former John Deere student who participated in the program last year and was a part of a national winning team.  Anthony says science was not her favorite subject before, but now it is.  "I think that it would be a good idea for anybody to participate in Saturday Science even if they don't like science because it's fun and it's a great way to meet the most interesting people. We met several amazing engineers who came and helped us with anything that we had trouble with. All of them made it a great experience".

The John Deere Middle Engineering Program is made possible through two grants and the generous donation of time by Deere and Company engineers.  John Deere Middle is in year three of a five year 21st Century Lights on for Learning federal grant.  This grant funds academic and enrichment programming beyond regular school hours at the school and covers a substantial part of the Saturday Science program.  Deere and Company also provides funds making travel, team shirts, and morning breakfast possible.  The volunteer engineers work with teams of students each Saturday.  The program would not exist without their help.

Contracts Will Create Green Jobs, Expand Use of Sustainable Energy

CHICAGO - December 22, 2010. Governor Pat Quinn today announced that long-term agreements have been executed to advance the state's ongoing efforts to expand renewable energy use, create green jobs and increase sustainability. The winning wind and solar energy vendors will supply Ameren and ComEd with renewable electricity to provide to consumers throughout the state. The 20-year agreements will help ensure long-term cost and rate stability for consumers across Illinois.

"Today's announcement means that we will be increasing our use of renewable energy in Illinois, which will boost our economy and put more people to work," said Governor Quinn. "Illinois is a leader in developing the green economy, and this support for renewable resources will keep us on the cutting-edge."

The long-term agreements will help Illinois meet the goals established in 2007 by the Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS). The RPS requires 25 percent of electricity provided to smaller customers by the state's major utilities to be generated from renewable resources by 2025, with incremental percentage increases each year leading up to 2025.

The Illinois Power Agency (IPA) administered the vendor bidding process. By guaranteeing a lower rate over a longer period of time, the long-term contracts allow providers to mitigate financial risk and pass the benefit of lower rates on to consumers.

"ComEd supports the Renewable Power Standards passed by the Illinois Legislature in 2007," said Anne Pramaggiore, President and Chief Operating Officer of ComEd. "With the modifications made last year, the standards have served the state well by integrating wind and renewable resources and protecting consumers by balancing the need for clean energy supply with the impact on rates."

"We congratulate Governor Pat Quinn for his leadership in making the development of renewable energy resources a priority of his administration," said Scott Cisel, President and Chief Executive Officer of Ameren Illinois. "Illinois' continued leadership has been reinforced by IPA Director Mark Pruitt and the Illinois Commerce Commission, who have assured a long-term future supply of renewable power at fair prices."

"Investing in renewable energy will provide long-term economic benefits by creating good-paying jobs and attracting development to our communities," said Michael T. Carrigan, President of the Illinois AFL-CIO.  "Wind and solar development are good for the environment, good for Illinois workers, and should be a part of the state's energy plan now and into the future."

The winning wind projects:

  • Bishop Hill Energy
  • Blackstone Wind Farm
  • FPL Energy Illinois Wind
  • Grand Ridge Energy
  • Meadow Lake Wind Farm
  • TianRun Shady Oaks
  • New Harvest Wind Project

The winning solar projects:

  • Invenergy Illinois Solar
  • Rockford Solar Partners

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Roof Top Sedums just received a national certification as a Women's Business Enterprise (WBE).  The certification is given by the Women's Business Development Center/Chicago.  Roof Top Sedums has also recently received their certification as an Iowa Targeted Small Business (ITSB).  This certification helps women, minorities, or persons with disabilities overcome some of the major hurdles of starting or growing an Iowa small business.

Co-founder of Roof Top Sedums, Teresa Nelson stated, "We are excited to receive these certifications.  They show the dedication and commitment we have as a company.  We look forward to what the future has in store, thanks in part to these certifications."  Certifications like these two will help to elevate awareness of Roof Top Sedums minority ownership, so corporations and government agencies seeking to demonstrate their continued commitment to fostering diversity among their suppliers and vendors may consider it in their decision making process.

WBE's national standard of certification is a meticulous process including an in-depth review of the business and site inspection.  The Women's Business Enterprise National Council is the nation's largest third party certifier of businesses owned and operated by women in the United States. WBE is a resource for the more than 700 US companies and government agencies relying on WBE's certification as an integral part of their supplier diversity programs.

Certification to become an Iowa Targeted Small Business is conducted by the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals.  In order to become certified as a ITSB, a company must be located in Iowa, operate as a for profit company, and be owned, operated and actively managed by one or more women, minorities or persons with a disability.

Co-owners and sisters, Teresa Nelson and Roxanne Nagel, decided to fill a void in the growing green roof industry with the creation of Roof Top Sedums.  Today, this 100% women-owned business provides custom grown green roof vegetation for LiveRoof® modules and green roof plugs from their family farm in Davenport, Iowa.  They serve Iowa, Western Illinois, Eastern Nebraska, Eastern Kansas, and most of Missouri.  To date, Roof Top Sedums has completed over 20 LiveRoof® projects including the Genesis Medical Center, East Rusholme Street green roof located in Davenport, Iowa.


www.rooftopsedums.com

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Floor Speech of U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley

Home-Grown Ethanol

Delivered Thursday, December 2, 2010

 It seems like every few weeks or so that there are a lot of misleading and misinformed accusations launched at our nation's renewable fuels producers.  It's impossible to come to the Senate floor and respond to all of them, but sometimes the claims are so outrageous that they require an informed response. So, I'm here to give that response with emphasis upon the words informed.

Earlier this week, a number of my colleagues here in the Senate, including a few of my fellow Republicans, sent a letter to the majority and minority leaders expressing their opposition to extending the tax incentives for home-grown ethanol.  Home-grown means that we're less dependent upon people like Dictator Chavez and the oil sheiks.  My colleagues argued that the tax incentive for the production of clean home-grown ethanol is fiscally irresponsible.  They express their support for allowing the 45-cent-per-gallon credit for ethanol use to expire.  It's important to remember that the incentive exists to help the producers of ethanol compete with the big oil industry, and remember the big oil industry has been well supported by the federal treasury for more than a whole century.

Many of the Republican senators who signed on to that letter have also been leading the effort to ensure that no American sees their taxes go up on January 1, 2011, which will happen automatically if we don't do something this very month.  The largest tax increase in the history of the country can happen without even a vote of the Congress because of the sunsetting law.  And, of course, in that regard, I support the position of my Republican colleagues. But, a repeal of the ethanol tax incentive is a tax increase that will surely be passed on to the American consumer.

I'd like to remind my colleagues of a debate that we had earlier this year on an amendment offered by Senator Sanders.  The amendment that he offered would have, among other things, repealed the $35 billion in tax subsidies enjoyed by oil and gas.  Opponents of the Sanders amendment argued that repealing the oil and gas subsidies would reduce domestic energy production and drive up our dependence upon foreign oil.  Now, opponents to the Sanders amendment argued that it would cost U.S. jobs and increase prices at the pump for consumers. Now, I agreed with the arguments of the opponents.  All of my Republican colleagues and more than one-third of the Democrats did as well.  Thus, Senator Sanders' amendment was defeated.

That majority against the Sanders amendment knew that if you tax something, you get less of it. Repealing incentives on ethanol would have the very same result. Well, guess what?  I know that removing incentives for oil and gas will have the same impact as removing incentives for ethanol.  We'll get less domestically produced ethanol and be more dependent upon those oil sheiks.  But it will also cost U.S. jobs.  It will increase our dependence on foreign oil.  It will increase prices for American consumers.  So whether it's jobs or increased dependence or increasing the price of gas, no American would like that to be the result.

Madam President, we're already dependent on foreign sources for more than 60 percent of our oil needs.  We spend $730 million a day on imported oil.  That money is leaving America for the Middle East and nutty dictators like Chavez.

Why do my colleagues want to increase our foreign energy dependence when we can produce that energy right here at home?

So I'd like to ask my colleagues who voted against repealing oil and gas subsidies but support repealing incentives for renewable fuels, how do you reconcile such inconsistency?

The fact is, it's intellectually inconsistent to say that increasing taxes on ethanol is justified, but it's irresponsible to do so on oil and gas production.  If tax incentives lead to more domestic energy production and the result is good-paying jobs, why are only incentives for oil and gas important, but not for domestically produced renewable fuels?

It's even more ridiculous to claim that the 30 year-old ethanol industry is mature, and thus no longer needs the support that they get, while the century-old big oil industry still receives $35 billion in taxpayers' support.  Regardless, I don't believe we should be raising taxes on any type of energy production or on any individual, particularly during a recession.  Allowing the ethanol tax incentive to expire will raise taxes on producers, blenders and ultimately consumers of renewable fuel.

A lapse in the ethanol tax incentive is a gas tax increase of over five cents a gallon at the pump.  I just don't see the logic in arguing for a gas tax increase when we have so many Americans unemployed or underemployed and struggling just to get by.

On Tuesday this week, all of my Republican colleagues and I signed a letter to Majority Leader Reid stating that preventing a tax increase, meaning mostly income tax increases, and providing economic certainty, should be our top priority in the remaining days of this congress.  I know that we all agree that we cannot and should not allow job-killing tax hikes during a recession. Unfortunately, those members who have called for ending the ethanol incentive have directly contradicted this pledge because a lapse in the credit will raise taxes, costing over 100,000 U.S. jobs at a time of near 10 percent unemployment.  The taxpayer watchdog group, Americans for Tax Reform, considers the lapse of an existing tax credit for ethanol to be a tax hike.

Now is not the time to impose a gas tax hike on the American people.  Now is not the time to send pink slips to more than 100,000 ethanol-related jobs.

A year ago at this time, I came to the Senate floor to implore the democratic leadership to take action to extend expiring tax incentives for the biodiesel industry.  They failed in their responsibility to extend that incentive and provide support for an important renewable industry.   So, while 23,000 American jobs were supported on December 31 last year, nearly all those jobs have disappeared.  An industry with a capacity to produce more than two billion gallons of renewable fuel a year is on track to produce less than 20 percent of that capacity this year.

Ethanol currently accounts for 10 percent of our transportation fuel.  A study concluded that the ethanol industry contributed $8.4 billion to the federal treasury in 2009, $3.4 billion more than the ethanol incentive.  Today the industry supports 400,000 U.S. jobs.  That's why I support a home-grown renewable fuels industry, as I know the Obama administration does as well.  I would encourage anyone who is unclear on the administration's position to contact Agriculture Secretary Vilsack.

I'd like to conclude by asking my colleagues if we allow the tax incentive to lapse from where should we import an additional 10 percent petroleum?  Should we rely on Middle East oil sheiks or Hugo Chavez?

I would prefer to support a renewable fuel based right here at home rather than send it a pink slip. I would prefer to decrease our dependence on Hugo Chavez, not increase it, and I certainly don't want to support raising the tax on gasoline during recession.  I would respectfully ask my colleagues to reconsider their support for this job-killing gas tax increase.

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Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Senators Urge Action for Energy Security and Job Creation

WASHINGTON - Saying that ethanol offers the most effective alternative to foreign oil and supports hundreds of thousands of jobs in the United States, Senators Chuck Grassley and Kent Conrad have gathered signatures for a letter to Senate leaders urging action this year on legislation to extend renewable fuel tax and tariff provisions.

The senators said immediate action is warranted to "provide stability and certainty for producers and consumers of renewable fuels."

"Ethanol has proven its value as a homegrown, renewable fuel and, in light of the hundreds of billions of dollars shipped abroad as a result of foreign oil dependence, ethanol is a relative bargain," Grassley said.

"Our country is spending over $730 million a day on imported petroleum this year, money that often ended up in the hands of unstable or unfriendly governments," Conrad said.  "This is not the time to reduce the supply of a domestic source of fuel and place at greater risk the thousands of well-paying jobs that the renewable fuels industry has created."

The senators said that ethanol is the only renewable fuel that is substantially working to reduce U.S. dependence on oil.  Domestically produced ethanol displaces millions of barrels of imported oil every year from Saudi Arabia, Venezuela and Nigeria and now accounts for almost 10 percent of the U.S. fuel supply.

Last April, Conrad and Grassley introduced a bill to extend, through 2015, the volumetric ethanol excise tax credit, or VEETC, which is also known as the blenders' credit; the small ethanol producer tax credit; the cellulosic producer tax credit; and the ethanol import tariff.

Ethanol is good for rural economies, and a recent study found that the failure to extend the VEETC credit and the secondary tariff would result in the loss of more than 100,000 jobs nationwide and reduce ethanol production by nearly 40 percent.

The lapse of the separate tax credit for biodiesel, which expired at the end of 2009, has cost nearly 23,000 jobs. "We can't risk a repeat performance with ethanol, where 112,000 jobs are at stake," Grassley said.  Of the ethanol tariff, he said, "the United States already provides generous duty-free access to imported ethanol under the Caribbean Basin Initiative, but the CBI cap has never once been fulfilled.  In fact, last year, only 25 percent of it was even used by Brazil and other countries."

Grassley and Conrad are longtime advocates for tax incentives for biofuels such as ethanol and biodiesel.  Grassley is Ranking Member of the tax-writing Finance Committee.  Conrad is a senior member of the Finance Committee and Chairman of the Senate Budget Committee.  Grassley is a senior member of the Budget Committee.

The text of their letter is below.  It also was signed by Senators Tom Harkin, Kit Bond, Ben Nelson, Amy Klobuchar, John Thune, Sam Brownback, Byron Dorgan, Tim Johnson, Al Franken, Mike Johanns, Mark Kirk, Debbie Stabenow and Claire McCaskill.

November 30, 2010

The Honorable Harry Reid

Majority Leader

United States Senate

S-221 United States Capitol

Washington, D.C. 20510

 

The Honorable Mitch McConnell

Minority Leader

United States Senate

S-230 United States Capitol

Washington, D.C. 20510

 

Dear Majority Leader Reid and Minority Leader McConnell:

We are writing to ask that you make an extension of renewable fuel tax and tariff provisions a high priority on the Senate's legislative agenda for the remainder of the year. Allowing the provisions to expire or remain expired would threaten jobs, harm the environment, weaken our renewable fuel industries, and increase our dependence on foreign oil.

Our country is spending over $730 million a day on imported petroleum this year, money that often ended up in the hands of unstable or unfriendly governments. The price tag for our dependence on foreign oil is likely to rise even higher as the economy recovers. This is not the time to reduce the supply of a domestic source of fuel and place at greater risk the thousands of well-paying jobs that the renewable fuels industry has created. Congress should demonstrate that it continues to recognize the need to develop domestic, renewable sources of fuel.

Next year the Senate will be in a position to debate alternative legislative proposals for developing renewable fuels, including proposals to invest in biofuel infrastructure. In advance of this debate, we believe that, in an effort to provide stability and certainty for producers and consumers of renewable fuels, Congress must act to extend biofuels tax and tariff policies for the longest term possible. We ask that you place such an extension high on the Senate's upcoming agenda.

Sincerely,

Kent Conrad

Chuck Grassley

Kit Bond

Tom Harkin

Amy Klobuchar

Ben Nelson

Sam Brownback

John Thune

Tim Johnson

Byron Dorgan

Mike Johanns

Al Franken

Debbie Stabenow

Mark Kirk

Claire McCaski

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