August 18, 2022

Duckworth, Deputy Energy Secretary Turk Visit Marquis Energy, Emphasize How U.S. Biofuels Can Save Consumers Money At the Pump

 

[HENNEPIN, IL] – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), along with U.S. Deputy Secretary of Energy David Turk, visited Marquis Energy, meeting with its leaders and touring the ethanol facility, highlighting the importance of ethanol production, the Federal Government’s support of homegrown biofuels—including Democrats’ efforts to make the Inflation Reduction Act law—as well as her commitment to helping drive down gas prices, support our farmers, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, strengthen our energy security and drive rural economic opportunity in Illinois. During the visit, Duckworth also emphasized Marquis Energy’s new Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) facility and other decarbonization projects. Photos from the visit are available here.

“I was glad to be at Marquis Energy with Deputy Secretary Turk today and see firsthand the work Marquis is doing to expand Sustainable Aviation Fuel production while keeping carbon emissions low—these are the kind of projects that the Inflation Reduction Act will help kickstart,” said Duckworth. “At a time when Big Oil has been profiting off the backs of hardworking Americans and our nation is facing a climate crisis, the Renewable Fuels Standard and the U.S. biofuel sector are as vital as they’ve ever been. From working on the Inflation Reduction Act, which includes historic support for renewable energy and will help bring down costs for working families, to reminding folks that supporting biofuels means supporting our farmers, I’ll keep working to make sure this sector gets the necessary support from Washington.”

“I grew up about an hour from Hennepin, so it was terrific to come back home and see such innovation and progress,” said Turk. “Thank you to Senator Duckworth for the invitation and all of the good she does including with the Inflation Reduction Act. Not only are we decarbonizing and leading the world in decarbonizing, we’re also increasing employment and helping communities see bright futures for decades and generations.”

Signed into law on Tuesday by President Biden, the Inflation Reduction Act will provide $500 million to expand the number of service stations that offer low-carbon ethanol and biodiesel, made from Illinois corn and soybeans and also has incentives to make these low-carbon biofuels even lower-carbon than today. These climate-smart investments in Midwestern-grown fuels will also reduce our reliance on Middle Eastern oil. The bill also includes biofuels tax credits and the new SAF tax credits provisions which are a direct result of Duckworth’s leadership. In June, Duckworth applauded the Biden Administration’s announcement that it will publish the ethanol blending mandates for 2020, 2021 and 2022 at levels that more closely resemble American consumption levels and help farmers and biofuel producers prepare for the future.

While Big Oil has been taking advantage of hardworking families, Duckworth has been diligent in working to save Americans money at the pump while continuing to be a long-time supporter of ethanol. Last month, she helped introduce the bipartisan and bicameral Next Generation Fuels Act to leverage higher-octane fuels to help improve engine efficiency and performance. Allowing the sale of fuels with greater octane levels would increase the amount of ethanol that can be utilized in the fuel supply, in turn lowering prices at the pump for consumers. In March, Duckworth also helped introduce the Home Front Energy Independence Act, which would make E15 available year round, establish an E15 and Biodiesel Tax Credit, direct EPA to finalize their E15 labeling rule and provide for biofuel infrastructure and compatibility with retailers. In a recent Senate hearing, EPA Administrator Michael Regan confirmed that this legislation would help bring down gas prices at the pump for working families. Also in March, Duckworth introduced her Gas Price Gouging Prevention Act to help prevent the oil industry from engaging in gasoline price gouging during periods of crisis, in an effort to protect working Americans from unnecessary price increases. 

Marquis Energy is currently developing a 120 million gallon per year Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) facility in partnership with another Illinois-based company, LanzaJet. This facility is expected to account for 5% of the Biden Administration's SAF Grand Challenge 2030 goal and will be produced in Illinois. Marquis is also developing a large-scale carbon capture and storage facility that will drastically lower the carbon intensity of the SAF that is produced at their facility.

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