Ethanol mandate information.  Phyllis Mains

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ENVIRONMENT & ENERGY DAILY (portion)

Tuesday, July 19, 2005 




5. ENERGY POLICY 


House agriculture panel to weigh effect of ethanol mandate on industry 

Alex Kaplun, E&E Daily reporter 

As industry groups and Midwestern lawmakers begin to press energy bill
conferees to accept a higher ethanol mandate, the House Agriculture
Committee will hold a hearing this week to examine the influence of
renewable fuels on the domestic agriculture industry. 

A spokeswoman for the committee said the hearing will focus on the
domestic production ramifications of an 8 billion gallon renewable fuel
standard, which is included in the Senate version of the energy bill.
With the House energy bill calling for the production of only 5 billion
gallons of ethanol by 2012, the size of the RFS mandate is one of the key
issues that the energy conference must resolve in the next few weeks. 

Several members of the Agriculture Committee -- including Chairman Bob
Goodlatte (R-Va.) -- last month introduced a separate House bill calling
for the 8 billion mandate and have said they would try to use the
legislation to put pressure on House leaders to adopt the Senate's
position. 

And about two dozen agriculture and ethanol industry groups have sent a
letter to the conferees urging them to back the 8 billion gallon mandate.
The letter largely rehashes some of the arguments made by the industry in
recent months concerning increased ethanol production, such as reduction
of both foreign oil dependence and gasoline prices. 

A similar letter was also sent to conferees this week by the 31 members
of the Governors' Ethanol Coalition. The governors asked lawmakers to not
only to adopt the 8 billion gallon standard but also to approve a series
of Senate incentives for biofuels development and production. 

Schedule: The hearing is scheduled for 10 a.m on Thursday, July 21, in
1300 Longworth. 

Witnesses: A witness list has not been finalized but Minnesota Gov. Tim
Pawlenty (R) is expected to testify. 

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