GoodFuels

Ag Secretary Vilsack Speaks on Ethanol

Newly appointed Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack spoke out yesterday in favor of improving efficiency in ethanol plants in order to ensure that the industry survives the economic downturn.

The USDA should research, develop and promote “best practices” to improve efficiency at corn-based ethanol plants, which have been hit hard by volatile corn prices, followed by a sharp drop in demand for the biofuel, which is more expensive than gasoline, Vilsack said.

“We need to make sure that the biofuels industry has the necessary support to survive the recent downturn,” Vilsack told reporters.

Vilsack also talked about the development of cellulosic ethanol.

The USDA also needs to speed up work on biofuels made from non-food plant sources, Vilsack said, as well as wind energy and other renewable sources of power.

The 2008 farm bill has several measures that should be quickly implemented to boost demand for new types of biofuels, he said, including tax credits, grants and loans for expanding plants and converting them to use new feedstocks.

The new administration is definitely a fan of biofuels and renewable energy, which should put this country on a good path for the future.