U.S. Senate urged to support biofuels

WASHINGTON, March 31 (UPI) -- Biofuel advocates urged members of a U.S. Senate panel to increase support for an industry touted as one that will help wean the country from oil imports.

In a hearing designed to air out concerns in advance of the 2012 Farm Bill, Jeff Broin, chief executive officer of Poet LLC, an ethanol producer, told the Senate Agriculture Committee that farmers required consistent support for biofuel production, The Detroit News reported Thursday.

"If (farmers) see the government wavering in support of a government program, they back away," Broin said.

Earlier this week, President Barack Obama said sharp reduction in oil imports required "biofuels made from things like switch grass, wood chips and biomass."

At the Senate hearing, Michigan State University chemical engineering Professor Bruce Dale said, "There's no way to a sustainable transport sector without sustainable biofuels."

Dale said government support is needed for delivery infrastructure for biofuels, such as fuel pumps dedicated to new fuels, the newspaper said.