WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Sam Brownback today applauded investment by the U.S. Department of Energy in six biorefinery projects, including a Kansas bioenergy plant.

"It is encouraging to see that the Administration is working to make cellulosic ethanol a reality for farmers and consumers alike," said Brownback. "Cellulosic ethanol has great potential to benefit our nation in many ways by creating jobs, often in rural America, and providing a market for farmers to sell their agricultural waste. It also makes our nation safer by helping to reduce our dependence on foreign oil." U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Samuel W. Bodman today announced that DOE will invest up to $385 million for six biorefinery projects over the next four years. When fully operational, the biorefineries are expected to annually produce more than 130 million gallons of cellulosic ethanol. Combined with the industry cost share, more than $1.2 billion will be invested in these six biorefineries.

Brownback continued, "Current estimates are that corn and sorghum based ethanol can eventually produce around 10 percent of our fuel needs. With the promise of cellulosic ethanol, we can potentially produce nearly 40 percent of our fuel needs from domestically produced ethanol. I am very pleased that Abengoa has been selected as a recipient of one of the DOE grants. It's critical that our nation move toward cellulosic ethanol and I'm delighted that Kansas will be leading the way." Abengoa Bioenergy Biomass of Kansas, was one of six recipients selected for the DOE award and will receive up to a $76 million grant. The proposed plant will be located in Colwich, Kansas. The plant will annually produce 11.4 million gallons of ethanol and enough energy to power the facility, with any excess energy being used to power the adjacent corn dry grind mill. The plant will use 700 tons per day of corn stover, wheat straw, milo stubble, switchgrass, and other feedstocks all pulled from area farms.

Brownback is a member of the Senate Judiciary and Appropriations Committees.