Press Releases - Sen. Talent Applauds Opening of Missouri's Fourth Ethanol Plant

Press Releases - Sen. Talent Applauds Opening of Missouri's Fourth Ethanol Plant

(LADDONIA) U.S. Senator Jim Talent (R-Mo.), a member of both the Senate Energy Committee and Senate Agriculture Committee, today applauded the grand opening of Missouri Ethanol, LLC, in Laddonia. The facility is projected to produce approximately 45 million gallons of ethanol per year from 17 million bushels of corn and create approximately 40 new jobs in the area. Sen. Talent said the renewable fuels package in last year's Energy bill has paved the way for increased infrastructure to produce ethanol and other renewables.

"I am pleased to be here for the grand opening of Missouri's fourth ethanol plant," said Sen. Talent, co-chair of the Senate Biofuels Caucus. "Missouri farmers continue to be leaders in the renewable fuels industry and I applaud their commitment to decreasing our dependence on foreign oil. I've worked in the Senate to push the Renewable Fuels Standard and was able to get it signed into law. We are seeing a boost in ethanol production in Missouri as a result of the new standard. Renewable fuels are at the heart of energy security, economic growth and job production."

Sen. Talent championed the Renewable Fuels Standard, which will add 7.5 billion gallons of ethanol, biodiesel and other renewables to the nation's fuel supply by 2012. He worked with U.S. Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) to add to the Energy bill a measure to increase the availability of fuels blended with 85 percent ethanol. Sen. Talent also partnered with U.S. Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.) to expand the ten-cent-per-gallon small ethanol producer tax credit to those who produce up to 60 million gallons annually.

http://talent.senate.gov/News/singleNews.cfm?NewsID=1797