National Biodiesel Board 3337A Emerald Ln. P O Box 104898 Jefferson City, MO  65110-4898 (573) 635-3893 phone (800) 841-5849 (573) 635-7913 fax www.biodiesel.org

NEWS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Amber Thurlo Pearson/NBB
800-841-5849

May 8, 2008

 

Congress Announces Final Farm Bill with Biodiesel Provisions
Agreement Addresses Key Biodiesel Industry Priority

WASHINGTON, D.C.– Members of Congress who have been working to craft the Farm Bill today announced negotiations have yielded a bipartisan final agreement. Among its many provisions, the Farm Bill will reauthorize the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) Bioenergy program, a key legislative priority for the U.S. biodiesel industry.

The bipartisan, bicameral group called the energy title of the Farm Bill “part of the solution” for energy security, and said the bill is “so much more than a farm bill; it’s also an energy bill to reduce our dependence on foreign oil.”

“The National Biodiesel Board thanks all the Senators and Congressional leaders who have worked hard to include provisions for biodiesel and the CCC Bioenergy program,” said Joe Jobe, National Biodiesel Board CEO. “These leaders are correct in describing this farm bill as a key element in America’s energy solution. I applaud these leaders in moving the bill and recognizing that agriculture plays an enormous role in America’s energy solution.”

The CCC Bioenergy program provides support to biodiesel producers to help offset the costs of the feedstock used to produce biodiesel. Over the past year, feedstock costs have doubled, reaching record highs and making it difficult to economically produce the fuel. The $300 million provided for the CCC Bioenergy program in the Farm Bill will help bring some stability to the industry so that biodiesel can continue to add to the nation’s fuel supply.

The NBB is the national trade association of the biodiesel industry and is the coordinating body for biodiesel research and development in the U.S. Its membership is comprised of biodiesel producers, state, national, and international feedstock and feedstock processor organizations, fuel marketers and distributors, and technology providers.

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For more details on biodiesel, visit biodiesel.org.