(April 26, 2012) Washington - Today, the Senate Agriculture Committee marked up the 2012 Farm Bill, including an amendment to reauthorize mandatory funding for a number of critical energy title programs designed to spur the development of homegrown, renewable energy in rural America. The Advanced Ethanol Council issued the following statement:

“The Advanced Ethanol Council (AEC) applauds the leadership of the Senate Agriculture Committee, and specifically Chairwoman Stabenow and Senators Conrad and Lugar, in assuring continued mandatory funding for critical USDA energy title programs. There is no more urgent need in this country today than creating new jobs and reducing our dependence on foreign oil. The programs reauthorized and streamlined today are doing just that, and will continue to help the United States create jobs and replace foreign oil with homegrown, renewable energy production when signed into law. While it is very important to also address the tax piece for advanced biofuels by the end of the year, this is a critical first step toward providing continuity for American farmers and advanced biofuel producers while exceeding the committee’s goals for deficit reduction.”

The executive members of the Advanced Ethanol Council (AEC) include: Abengoa BioEnergy, Beta Renewables, BlueFire Renewables, Coskata, Enerkem, Fulcrum BioEnergy, Inbicon, Iogen, Mascoma, Osage BioEnergy, Qteros and ZeaChem.