National Biofuels Action Plan Revealed

Secretary of Agriculture Ed Schafer and Secretary of Energy Samuel Bodman revealed the National Biofuels Action Plan today, an ambitious blueprint that would that would increase the level of biofuel production four times by the year 2022.

The plan would research how to integrate ethanol into the national economy, including the introduction of E-10, E-15 and E-20 gas (gasoline which is ten percent, 15 percent, and 20 percent ethanol, respectively) into the consumer market. The plan would also invest $1 billion into sustainable next generation biofuels.

We can’t rely on ethanol, said Secretary Boden, we need to accelerate the deployment of next generation biofuels. This included cellulosic fuel, in which non-feed crops were broken down and the sugars from the cellulose cell walls are converted into biofuel. A wide range of plants can be used to create cellulosic biofuel, including Switchgrass, Hybrid Poplars and Eucalyptus.