Vote to Cut Military Biofuels Disappoints Ag Secretary
Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack is “disappointed” in recent Congressional action that would cut the use of biofuels by the military.
“We are extremely disappointed in that vote because I think it fails to recognize and appreciate the enormous potential of this industry to revitalize the rural economy,” said Vilsack during a conference call today when asked specifically about a vote last week by the Senate Armed Services Committee that would prohibit the military from spending money on alternative fuels. “I certainly hope that as this process continues folks will understand the negative impact such a vote has on rural America and will decide that the Navy, USDA and Department of Energy are on the right track to produce these new fuels.” The House Armed Services committee is considering a similar amendment to the defense spending bill.
Vilsack, pictured here during a visit to Pearl Harbor earlier this year to talk about military use of biofuels, said it is the right policy for the country. “People have got to understand we should not be so overly reliant on others for the supply of fuel,” he said, noting that commercial airlines are also very interested in the development of aviation biofuels.
The secretary indicated that he believes the oil industry is behind the movement in Congress to keep the military from using alternative fuels, just as oil interests are working to get rid of the Renewable Fuel Standard. “Because it is becoming a competitive alternative, and that is a good thing,” he said.
Listen to Vilsack’s comments here: Vilsack press conference questions
2 Comments
Cliff Claven
The prices of liquid biofuels are never going to be competitive with fossil fuel because fossil fuel is used to make the fertilizer and to power the equipment that cultivates and refines them. The fact is it takes more fossil fuel to make a gallon of biofuel than it does to make a gallon of gasoline. This is why the price of biofuels tracks up and down with the price of oil, only in bigger swings. When crude oil went up 6% over Libya speculation, ethanol went up 8%. The U.S. Navy just paid $4,454.55 a gallon for biobutanol jet fuel, surpassing its previous record of $427.53 a gallon for Solazyme algae oil in 2009. The lowest price the U.S. military has paid for biofuels since 2007 is $26.75 a gallon for 450,000 gallons of Tyson chicken fat residue-based fuel from Dynamic Fuels. Amyris, one of the biggest biofuel ventures, just announced it is abandoning its signature biodiesel fuel for cosmetics and industrial chemicals because it couldn’t get its price below $29 a gallon, and even then was losing money. It follows in the footsteps of Gevo and Range Fuels. Too many politicians and ill-informed pundits rely on the “PC Institute of Technology” the “University of Hollywood” and “Encyclopedia Mainstream Media” to provide their talking points and narrative on these issues. The truth is out there in the science journals for those who genuinely want it.
Ed Geiss
thank you Cliff, you are not alone, foof to fuel is immoral, too many starving children in India…
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