Bill to up renewable fuels introduced

WASHINGTON, March 28 (UPI) -- Sens. Jeff Bingaman and Pete Domenici have introduced legislation to increase the mix of renewable fuels in the U.S. fuel supply.

Under the legislation, introduced Tuesday, U.S. fuel supply would contain higher amounts of renewable fuels -- from 8.5 billion gallons in 2008 to 36 billion gallons in 2022. From 2016 to 2022, the bill requires an increasing portion of renewable fuels consumed to be advanced biofuels, such as cellulosic ethanol and biobutanol.

"One of the biggest energy policy questions facing us is how to diversify energy supplies for transportation," Bingaman, D-N.M., chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, said in a statement. "As our first committee hearing of the year demonstrated, the United States faces significant energy security challenges stemming from our dependence on foreign oil. Biologically derived fuels will have an important role to play in promoting our energy security."

The bill - Biofuels for Energy Security and Transportation Act of 2007 (S.987) -increases U.S. Energy Department funding for bioenergy research by 50 percent over fiscal years 2007 to 2009.

"I'm pleased to be introducing this landmark legislation which will dramatically expand the use of renewable fuels in America," Domenici, R-N.M. "The time has come for clean-burning biofuels like ethanol to join the mainstream. By doing so, we will reduce our dependence on foreign oil and secure our nation's energy future."

I look forward to quickly moving this legislation through the Energy Committee and bringing it to the floor," Domenici said.