The production of biofuels plays a key role in both rural development and national security for one Pennsylvania agriculture official. Executive Deputy Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture says investing in homegrown biofuels, such as biodiesel and ethanol, translates into the investment in domestic, local economies. Redding was referencing the benefits of biofuel production in the wake of PA Governor Edward G. Rendell’s PennSecurity Fuels Initiative.
Testifying before the state House Committee on Environmental Resources and Energy, Redding said that Governor Edward G. Rendell’s PennSecurity Fuels Initiative, part of his Energy Independence Strategy, will support the production of nearly one billion gallons of renewable transportation fuels annually.
“For every dollar we don’t send overseas, that’s another dollar we can use to grow Pennsylvania’s economy,” said Redding, noting that the United States imports 60 percent of its oil, with Pennsylvania spending $30 billion annually on liquid fuels produced beyond the state’s borders. “Depending on fossil fuels from countries that are politically unstable or controlled by regimes hostile to America’s interests is a danger to our national security. Under Governor Rendell’s plan, our farmers, local communities, biofuel manufacturers, and trucking and rail industries all win, while curbing our reliance on foreign oil.”
Under the Governor’s PennSecurity Fuels Initiative, every gallon of gasoline sold in Pennsylvania will include 10 percent ethanol once in-state production reaches 200 million gallons per year; with incremental increases up to 20 percent once annual production reaches 300 million gallons.