Domestic Fuel

There were lots of ethanol issues to discuss at the National Association of Farm Broadcasting annual Trade Talk event in Kansas City last week. The topics included the lame duck session of Congress, importance of renewing biofuels tax incentives, doing more to invest in cellulosic ethanol, labeling for E15 at the pump, just to name a few.

Renewable Fuels Association president and CEO Bob Dinneen says it is one of his favorite events of the year. “I think farm broadcasters are doing a lot of hard work trying to make sure that Americans understand the important debates that are going on in DC,” Dinneen says. “I love these folks and I love being here.”

This edition of “The Ethanol Report” comes from the NAFB meeting and Bob comments on all of these important issues facing the ethanol industry. He says he is optimistic about getting biofuels tax incentives extended. “I think that there’s an opportunity to extend the ethanol tax incentive, the Bush tax incentives and also the biodiesel tax credit and other important tax incentives that need to be addressed before the end of this year.” RFA joined with several other ethanol and agricultural organizations in writing a letter to Congressional leaders about the need to address extension of the Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax Credit (VEETC) and the Alternative Fuel Infrastructure Credit, and to broaden the definition of the cellulosic ethanol producer tax credit to include additional feedstocks like algae.

Dinneen spoke at the Cellulosic Biofuels and Biorefineries Summit in Washington, DC today to stress the importance of encouraging investment in cellulosic ethanol. “I’m strongly supportive of a refundable investment tax credit, because you’ve got to do some innovative things to free up capitol and allow cellulosic ethanol to move forward,” he says.

Listen to the Ethanol Report here: Ethanol Report from NAFB