July 19, 2023

Duckworth Discusses Importance of Ethanol Production and Increased Use of U.S. Biofuels with Illinois Corn Growers Association, Renewable Fuels Association

 

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today met with leaders and members of the Illinois Corn Growers Association as well as with members from the Renewable Fuels Association Board of Directors (RFA) to underscore her support for ethanol production, as well as her commitment to helping strengthen our national and energy security, drive down gas prices, support our farmers, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and drive rural economic opportunity in Illinois and across the country. Photos from the Illinois Corn meeting are available here, and photos from the RFA meeting are available here.

“America has always depended on our nation’s farmers to grow the food and fuel we need, and I’m proud to advocate for them on both the national and international stage,” Duckworth said. “When we prioritize homegrown biofuels, we’re encouraging job growth, prioritizing our national security, reducing gas prices, protecting our environment and securing Illinois’s leadership in the energy sector for years to come. I was glad to meet with members from the Illinois Corn Growers Association and the Renewable Fuels Association Board of Directors today, and I look forward to continuing to work together to ensure our farmers have the resources they need and we continue to support biofuels.”

Duckworth has been a local and national leader in supporting biofuels, including sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). The Senator has been outspoken about the necessity for the U.S. to utilize agricultural feedstock for SAF in order to meet President Biden’s ambitious emissions goals and the commonsense application of the Department of Energy’s Commissioned Argonne National Lab’s Greenhouse gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy use in Technologies Model (GREET) lifecycle analysis for global and domestic SAF evaluations.

To help increase the availability of E15 biofuels, Duckworth helped introduce the bipartisan Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act and the bipartisan Next Generations Fuel Act to allow the year-round, nationwide sale of ethanol blends higher than 10 percent. Duckworth additionally helped introduced the bipartisan Home Front Energy Independence Act to ban Russian oil and expand use and production of biofuel that’s grown in the American heartland, while providing American families with a less expensive option to fuel their vehicles. The Senator also created a pilot project in last year’s National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to promote the use of SAF at military installations and will continue to increase these efforts to expand the use on biofuels whenever possible in order to protect our troops and national security.

In April, Duckworth applauded the Biden Administration’s announcement that the U.S. will temporarily allow the sale of E15 gasoline during the driving season this summer to help lower costs for working Americans while providing a cleaner, more affordable option at the pump.

Signed into law last year by President Biden and championed by Duckworth, the Inflation Reduction Act provides $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 foreign oil. The law also includes biofuels tax credits and the new SAF tax credits provisions which are a direct result of Duckworth’s leadership.

Global exports of agricultural products from Illinois totaled over $10.6 Billion in 2022 alone and 96 percent of all Illinois farms are family owned. Duckworth has been a consistent supporter of this major industry and working families, including by helping introduce the Expanding Agricultural Exports Act of 2023, which would support the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Market Development Cooperator Program. 

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