Washington, DC —
Senator John Thune today applauded the extension of a 54-cent-per-gallon tariff on imported ethanol through January 1, 2009.
"This tariff promotes ethanol production here at home and guarantees a greater market to corn-growers," said Thune. "Our existing federal incentives have energized renewable fuel production here in the U.S. You don't need to look beyond the borders of South Dakota to see what ethanol production is doing for this country."
Senator Thune signed a letter to President Bush in May, stating that the tariff did not need to be suspended or temporarily lifted.
Last year Congress passed a Renewable Fuels Standard as part of the Energy package requiring the use of 7.5 billion gallons of renewable fuels by 2012. U.S. renewable fuel production is well on its way to meeting this requirement. Currently, nationwide there are 109 ethanol facilities that produce 5.2 billion gallons of ethanol with 53 additional plants under construction and seven that are expanding.
"Clean, reliable, homegrown energy has to be a goal of not just Congress but every American and this is another step in that direction," Thune said.
Without this extension the ethanol tariff was scheduled to expire in October of 2007. This legislation will now go to the President for his signature.
"This tariff promotes ethanol production here at home and guarantees a greater market to corn-growers," said Thune. "Our existing federal incentives have energized renewable fuel production here in the U.S. You don't need to look beyond the borders of South Dakota to see what ethanol production is doing for this country."
Senator Thune signed a letter to President Bush in May, stating that the tariff did not need to be suspended or temporarily lifted.
Last year Congress passed a Renewable Fuels Standard as part of the Energy package requiring the use of 7.5 billion gallons of renewable fuels by 2012. U.S. renewable fuel production is well on its way to meeting this requirement. Currently, nationwide there are 109 ethanol facilities that produce 5.2 billion gallons of ethanol with 53 additional plants under construction and seven that are expanding.
"Clean, reliable, homegrown energy has to be a goal of not just Congress but every American and this is another step in that direction," Thune said.
Without this extension the ethanol tariff was scheduled to expire in October of 2007. This legislation will now go to the President for his signature.