Hi everyone, this week in the Senate we have been debating the energy bill and I’ve already gone to work by offering a couple of amendments to the bill.

One amendment I filed along with Sen. Salazar of Colorado is the ’25 x ’25 resolution. The resolution says that, “By 2025, America's farms, forests and ranches will provide 25 percent of the total energy consumed in the United States, while continuing to produce safe, abundant, and affordable food, feed and fiber.”

Another amendment to the energy bill that I am co-sponsoring would let the federal government take action against price fixing by OPEC, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries. Our legislation is called No Oil Producing and Exporting Cartels bill or NOPEC.

Senator Baucus and I are still developing the tax proposal to the energy bill, but we’re making good progress. Our goal is an extension of the alternative energy and conservation incentives, along with the clean coal provisions, from the 2005 energy bill. The energy bill I steered through the Senate two years ago as chairman of the Finance Committee was an historic package of renewable energy tax incentives. This year, as we look to extend the incentives that promote home-grown fuels, we’re also looking to expand the cellulosic ethanol provisions and include a study for an ethanol pipeline.

Once again, agriculture is at the fore-front of renewable energy policy. The value-added commodities we only imagined 20 years ago are being produced by our own farmers all across Iowa.