A need to use renewable energy

By Phil Cobb | May 4, 2016 |

U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill

Fluctuating oil prices and the environmental costs associated with the production and burning of fossil fuels underscore our nation’s need to develop and use renewable energy sources.

By diversifying our energy portfolio, America can reduce its dependence on foreign energy sources, lower prices, create new job opportunities in rural areas, and provide a cleaner environment for future generations.

I have long been a champion of first-generation biofuels, such as corn-based ethanol, since I first arrived in Washington.

I supported the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, which was landmark legislation ensuring that 36 billion gallons of renewable fuels will be in use by 2022.

Of that volumn, 15 billion gallons will be produced from traditional renewable biofuels like corn-based ethanol and biodiesel.

I have also continued to work with a bi-partisan group of my colleagues to urge the Environmental Protection Agency to approve an intermediate blend of ethanol for use in vehicles other than “flex fuel” vehicles, which are automobiles that run on gasoline with an 85 percent ethanol concentration.

As America researches and develops advanced biofuel technologies such as biomass, I will continue to work with my colleagues and Missouri producers to protect our nation’s investment in first-generation biofuels and the rural jobs they create, thus safeguarding our environment for generations to come.