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RFA President Bob Dinneen was present at the signing ceremony for the energy bill and here is an interview with him shortly after the bill was signed.
Listen to the Ethanol Report here: 
Ethanol Report 4 (7:00 MP3 file)
Today, President Bush signed into law the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (H.R. 6) and ushered in a new era in the way America produces and uses energy. Joining President Bush at the signing ceremony, Renewable Fuels Association President Bob Dinneen issued the following statement:
“History will look back upon the enactment of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 as the moment America chose a new energy policy path. By coupling increases in vehicle efficiency and renewable fuel use, America is taking the most immediate steps available that will have the greatest impact in securing a more sustainable energy and environmental future.
“Make no mistake, the road to greater environmental sustainability and energy independence will be long. It will require the adoption of new technologies as well as the continued investment in renewable energy industries with a proven record in helping to mitigate global climate change and reduce our dependence on foreign oil.
“One such group providing environmental and energy security benefits today is America’s domestic ethanol producers. The use of ethanol today is reducing greenhouse gas emissions by the equivalent of taking 1.2 million cars on the roads and reducing foreign oil imports by 206 million barrels annually. And those were just 2006 contributions. By increasing the use of ethanol produced from a variety of feedstocks, these benefits will only continue to increase.
“This legislation takes the responsible approach needed to ensure that America’s renewable fuels industry continues to prosper. By requiring that nearly 60 percent of the new Renewable Fuels Standard be met by advanced biofuels, including cellulosic ethanol, Congress has provided the necessary assurance for ethanol producers and investors that a market for their product will exist. As a result, the commercialization of these important next generation ethanol technologies will develop far sooner than conventional wisdom suggests.
“We have been paralyzed for too long in the country by the rhetoric of tradition energy producers telling us we can’t do to make America’s energy future stronger. The enactment of this bill is a testament to what we can do when we work together toward a shared vision of the future. Without question, more work will be needed and the U.S. ethanol stands ready to do its part. But don’t be fooled by the naysayers. This bill takes historic steps toward a new energy dawn.�
President George W. Bush is expected to sign the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 into law on Wednesday, after passage of the Senate bill by a vote of 314 to 100 in the House today.
Renewable Fuels Association President Bob Dinneen praised the House’s action. “Getting an energy bill across the finish line is no small accomplishment and one in which this Congress should take great pride,” said Dinneen in a statement. “By coupling increased renewable fuels use with improved efficiency standards for automobiles, Congress is making a bold statement about the future direction of energy policy in this country. By seizing on the potential that renewable fuels offer to reduce foreign oil dependence and greenhouse gas emissions and provide meaningful economic opportunity across this country, this Congress has put America firmly on a path toward greater energy stability and sustainability.â€?
Ethanol industry leaders are excited about the potential the bill’s passage creates for future ethanol sources. Jeff Broin, CEO of POET, said, “Passage of this Act will also hasten the development of cellulosic ethanol. An expanded RFS gives confidence to companies like ours who are making a sizable investment in cellulosic ethanol. With the market in place, our industry can do even more to improve the environment, develop rural economies and lessen our country’s dependence on foreign oil.”
President Bush plans to sign the bill into law during a ceremony at the Energy Department Wednesday morning.
One of the features of the Ethanol Report blog is a news feed of our updates. This allows you to automatically receive our updates on your computer!
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After stripping the bill of a $21 billion tax package, he U.S. Senate has passed an amended energy bill that includes an expansion of the Renewable Fuels Standard to 36 billion gallons of annual renewable fuel use by 2022. The bill now goes back to the House of Representatives for approval before it can be sent to the president for his signature. Removal of the tax increases for oil companies should remove the threat of a presidential veto.
Following Senate passage of this energy bill, Renewable Fuels Association President Bob Dinneen issued the following statement:
“The Senate has taken a big step forward in making this nation more energy stable and environmentally sustainable. By passing energy legislation that couples the benefits of renewable fuels with conservation measures like higher vehicle efficiencies, Congress will deliver to the American people the map to chart a new energy direction in this country.
“For too long, traditional energy companies have told us everything we can’t do with respect to our energy future. This bill, and the Renewable Fuels Standard specifically, is an affirmation of what is possible when we work together to achieve a common goal. By relying more heavily on domestically produced renewable fuels, including next generation technologies such as cellulosic ethanol, we can begin the hard work necessary to mitigate the impact of global climate changes, reduce our dependence on foreign oil, and leave a more stable and sustainable future for generations that follow.�
The Senate fell one vote short in a procedural vote to move the Energy Bill passed by the House that includes tax increases for oil companies. The White House had threatened to veto the bill over that issue.
Majority Leader Harry Reid now says they will eliminate the tax title to get a revised energy package approved later today. “We must begin to break our country’s addiction to oil,” Reid said.
The bill will still include an increased Renewable Fuels Standard and higher CAFE standards.
Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky predicted the revised bill would be approved with wide bipartisan support.
The legislation, if passed by the Senate, would have to be voted on by the House.
The latest “Ethanol Report” podcast features comments from Informa Economics CEO Bruce Scherr and Renewable Fuels Foundation chairman Bill Lee on the report that “puts to bed” the food versus fuel debate.
One of the key findings of the report is something that most people in agriculture already know – that prices farmers receive for the commodities they produce are only a fraction of the price of food at retail level. Scherr calls that portion of food costs “the marketing bill” and he explains what all that includes.
The report was commissioned by the Renewable Fuels Foundation, but chairman Bill Lee of Chippewa Valley Ethanol in Minnesota says it was very important to them to use a company that was known to be highly credible and objective. Informa has a 30 year history and is well-known in agribusiness for its integrity.
Listen to the Ethanol Report here: Ethanol Report 3 (6:00 MP3 file)
The Renewable Fuels Now Coalition has launched a unique tactic to reach out to consumers. A renewable fuels cartoon series, promoting the benefits of biofuels, has been developed and a new edition is released twice a month. These cartoons are being distributed to media across the country and ethanol industry representatives are being urged to contact their local newspaper about printing them.
This example is the latest cartoon to be released. The cartoon focuses on increasingly high energy costs that are passed on to consumers while “big oil� continues to post record profits. All the cartoons are available and you can sign up to receive future cartoons by email at www.renewablefuelsnow.org.
The new report released today by Informa Economics on consumer food prices runs over 50 pages and ultimately shows that there are lots of other factors besides corn that affect the U.S. Consumer Price Index for food.
Here’s the conclusion of the report:
While there have been a number of stories in the media over the last year indicating that consumer food prices are being driven higher by an ethanol-induced increase in corn prices, there is little evidence of such a simplistic cause-and-effect linkage. In reality, a complex set of factors drives the food CPI. In fact, the marketing bill, defined as the portion of the food dollar that is not related to the farm value of raw materials, has a stronger relationship with the food CPI than does the cost of corn. While an increase in corn prices will affect certain industries – for example, causing livestock and poultry feeding margins to be lower than they otherwise would have been – the statistical evidence does not support a conclusion that there is a strict “food-versus-fuel� tradeoff that is automatically driving consumer food prices higher.
The Informa study was funded by the Renewable Fuels Foundation and during a morning press conference chairman Bill Lee commented that “our friends in the food, livestock and petroleum industries have been you could say “super sizing” the impact commodity prices have on food,” and he hopes this report will “be the end of the disingenuous comments from the food and livestock industries about the impact of corn prices and ethanol on food prices.”
Some links for reference:
The U.S. House of Representatives took another important step Thursday toward making America more energy stable and sustainable. Of particular note, this energy bill responsibly expands the Renewable Fuels Standard by requiring 36 billion gallons of renewable fuel be used annually by 2022. Importantly, 21 billion gallons of that goal must come from advanced biofuels such as cellulosic ethanol.
Commending those supporting this shift in energy policy direction in this country, Renewable Fuels Association President Bob Dinneen issued the following statement:
“The House of Representatives took an important step forward today in ensuring a stronger and more sustainable energy and environmental future for this country. This bill recognizes the critical importance of diversifying our nation’s motor fuel supply by increasing the use of renewable fuels like ethanol.
“Importantly, the renewable fuels provisions of this bill take a pragmatic approach to ensuring that the promise of advanced biofuels like cellulosic ethanol is realized. By requiring that nearly two-thirds of the new 36 billion gallon goal must come from advanced biofuels, House leaders have provided the necessary market to foster the continued investment and development of the cellulosic arm of the U.S. ethanol industry.
“Additionally, this bill moves ethanol and renewable fuels beyond being just a blending component in gasoline. It guarantees that sufficient volumes of ethanol will be available to support the meaningful expansion of E85 and flexible fuel vehicle technology. And, it puts America in a stronger position to weather the antics of despots in oil-rich nations because we are no longer so heavily reliant on their petroleum for our energy needs.
“I strongly encourage the Senate to continue its leadership, ignore the taradiddle coming from opportunistic ethanol critics, and ensure this important piece of America’s energy strategy becomes a reality. The price of waiting any longer to address our nation’s energy crisis is too great. The time for action is now.�
However, the Senate Friday failed to on a vote to cut off debate on the Energy Bill passed by the House. The tax and renewable electricity provisions of the bill raised the threat of a veto from the White House and Sen. Pete Domenici of New Mexico, the ranking Republican on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, said, “This is not a good bill, but it can be turned into a great bill.”