GoodFuels

USDA Secretary Schafer champions biofuels

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Secretary Ed Schafer has written a letter to the editor that appeared in the Wall Street Journal this morning.

Secretary Schafer begins by applauding the EPA’s recent decision to deny Texas Governor Rick Perry’s request to waive the Renewable Fuels Standard.

This decision has recently generated some critical commentary in your pages. I, however, support and applaud the EPA’s decision. Renewable energy is a tremendous American success story. We are the world leader in biofuels. Since 2000, U.S. ethanol production has quadrupled. Biodiesel production soared from two million gallons to 450 million last year. Cellulosic ethanol, which will derive fuel from non-food feedstocks, is moving into production.

Schafer also points out that the rising cost of grain in recent months is attributable to skyrocketing gasoline prices and other factors.

Yes, there are ripple effects, but the sharp rise in global grain prices in recent years is driven primarily by soaring energy costs, improved diets in rapidly developing nations, two years of bad weather in some countries, and new export restrictions in several nations. U.S. biofuels production contributed only an estimated 0.2%-0.6% to the 5.1% rise in U.S. consumer food costs.

Read the entire letter online here.