News Releases for August 2003
August 1, 2003
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Hoeven Continuing To Push For Energy Bill
BISMARCK, N.D. - Gov. John Hoeven today said he’s pleased that the U.S. Senate has moved a comprehensive energy bill with a renewable fuel standard that doubles the use of ethanol in gasoline to five billion gallons by 2012. More work needs to be done, however, to include an ethanol and renewable fuels excise tax provision that replenishes highway funding money used to promote ethanol, Hoeven said.
Passage came late last night when Senators revived last year’s energy legislation. The bill now goes to a U.S. House-Senate conference committee before it arrives at the President’s desk.
Hoeven Wednesday announced plans by a Washington-based company to build a 17-million gallon ethanol plant in Williston. “We need to get Congress to move quickly in support of not only the renewable fuels standard, but also the ethanol excise tax credit to support our efforts in the state,” Hoeven said. “This is a good start, but we aren’t quite there yet.”
Hoeven said work still needs to be done to include an ethanol and renewable fuels tax provision that replaces highway tax funds that are used to support an ethanol production incentive. He said he expected the provision to be restored during conference committee. Sen. Charles Grassley of Iowa and other senators reportedly introduced the provision in a new bill last night, and it has already been passed in the Senate Finance Committee. An identical bill will be introduced next week in the House. It’s expected that both houses will promptly take up the ethanol and renewable fuels tax bills, so that the provision can be taken up in conference committee along with the renewable fuels standard.
As Chairman of the Governors’ Ethanol Coalition (GEC), Hoeven has worked nationally to secure passage of the bill, with particular emphasis on a strong renewable fuels standard and ethanol provisions. Last February, he organized a meeting between governors, Washington officials, the American Petroleum Institute, National Corn Growers Association, Renewable Fuels Association and Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use Management. He in addition had numerous contacts with top Energy Department and White House officials to secure support for the legislation.
“Passage of the bill is timely,” Hoeven said. “The ethanol provisions have garnered strong support for the bill and carried it this far, but much work still lies ahead. I expect the bill will be in conference by September, and it could be on the President’s desk by October, with good, strong ethanol and biodiesel provisions.”
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