U.S. Senator Ken Salazar Member of the Agriculture, Energy and Veterans Affairs Committees 2300 15^th Street, Suite 450 Denver, CO 80202 | 702 Hart Senate Building, Washington, D.C. 20510
For Immediate Release May 25, 2005		CONTACT: Cody Wertz – Press Secretary 202-228-3630 Jen Clanahan – Deputy Press Secretary 303-455-7600
SALAZAR SECURES KEY WIN FOR COLORADO’S RURAL COMMUNITIES AND CONSUMERS WASHINGTON, D.C. – United States Senator Ken Salazar today secured a key victory for Colorado’s rural communities and energy consumers by helping lead the successful fight for expanded production of ethanol and other biofuels. Increased use of ethanol and biofuels is now part of the energy bill that will be taken up by the entire Senate later this year. As a member of the Energy Committee, which this week is debating the Senate energy bill, Sen. Salazar co-sponsored a bipartisan proposal with Sen. Jim Talent (R-MO), Sen. Tim Johnson (D-SD) and others to establish a renewable fuels standard (RFS) including expanded ethanol and biodiesel production. Sen. Salazar said, “This is an important step for communities in rural Colorado. A renewable fuels program centered around ethanol, a proven and reliable fuel, is not only good for consumers but also for agricultural communities that grow the corn, soy beans and other crops used in the production of ethanol and other biofuels.” The ethanol and biodiesel amendment will guarantee a revenue stream for the existing and planned ethanol and biodiesel plants in Colorado, such as the two already existing biodiesel producers in the San Luis Valley, the planned ethanol plants in Sterling, Evans and Windsor and another proposed biodiesel facility in Monte Vista. Under Salazar’s proposal, the U.S. will reduce America’s dependency on foreign oil by more than 2 billion barrels by 2012 (over five percent), or more than $64 billion. In addition, the combustion of biofuels such as ethanol and biodiesel produce less CO2 emissions than existing fossil fuels, preventing the release of more greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere. The Department of Energy would ensure that renewable fuels production and sales are increased in the U.S., starting with a goal of 4 billion gallons in 2006 and reaching 8 billion gallons in 2012 (and maintaining the 2012 production level as a minimum for the future). It would also create a fuel-credit-trading program for producers and refiners to encourage increased production of ethanol without punishing small refineries struggling to compete. The amendment would also create a cellulosic biomass program of 250 million gallons by 2013. Increased ethanol and biofuels production is also supported by a broad bipartisan coalition of America’s governors, including Gov. Bill Owens of Colorado, known as the Governors’ Ethanol Coalition. In late April, the Coalition expressed its support for a number of pro-ethanol goals contained in Sen. Salazar’s RFS proposal. # # #