Gov. Rendell: Developing Cellulosic Ethanol Technology Key to Reaching Energy Independence, Protecting State’s Water Quality
HARRISBURG, Pa., March 17 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Speaking before the Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts today, Governor Edward G. Rendell said moving away from conventional fuels in favor of homegrown alternatives is important to the state’s economy and national security, but such a transition cannot come at the expense of Pennsylvania’s natural resources and water quality.
“Pennsylvania needs a comprehensive energy strategy that frees us from our dependence on foreign oil, grows our economy, and respects our natural resources,” said Governor Rendell. “Consumers are reeling from higher gas prices today and questioning how they’re going to manage when it reaches $4 per gallon, as expected later this year.
“If we invest in alternatives like ethanol and biodiesel–fuels that rely on domestically grown food stocks produced by Pennsylvania companies — we can lower the prices at the pump and put more of the $30 billion we spend annually on fuels from abroad in the pockets of our farmers, manufacturers, and rail and trucking industries.”
The Governor said the PennSecurity Fuels Initiative — part of his Energy Independence Strategy — will replace nearly a billion gallons of conventional fuels with homegrown alternatives by 2017. Reaching that goal, he said, will require that Pennsylvania promote sustainable practices that respect the state’s resources.
“There’s no question that corn-based ethanol is the near-term alternative to gasoline,” said the Governor. “It is a technologically and economically viable alternative that can be put into our supply today to reduce our dependence on foreign oil. Farmers have responded to this by planting more corn — 100,000 more acres last year.
“Planting more corn and the increased farming activity associated with it has caused concern among some that our water quality will be impaired. We recognize these concerns, and have used our resources wisely to help farmers avoid practices that could have negative impacts on the environment.”
The Governor said nearly half of Pennsylvania’s farmers now practice no-till agriculture, which reduces the amount of nutrient run off entering streams, and reduces the amount of fuel needed to produce crops. Further, more farmers are incorporating best management practices into their operation to be better stewards of the land.
Earlier this month, the Governor announced $22.3 million in Growing Greener grants, many for agricultural best management practices that will prevent nutrients and sediments from reaching the commonwealth’s streams. Of that total, $4.3 million was awarded to county conservation districts, $6.1 million to the Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts, and another $1 million went to organizations with projects that encourage and support no-till farming and agricultural best management practices.
Pennsylvania is home to the largest Conservation Resource Enhancement Program in the entire nation, which targets key edge-of-stream best management practices along 265,000 acres to maximize water quality. The commonwealth has also built the largest farmland preservation program in the country, preserving 382,845 acres on 3,450 farms to date.
“We’ll continue to invest in these conservation practices, however, I believe there is an even more promising approach just over the horizon that Pennsylvania could become a leader in developing and producing, and that’s cellulosic ethanol technology,” said the Governor. “Cellulosic ethanol can be produced from biomass materials like switchgrass, crop residues, small-diameter trees and agricultural waste — all things we have in abundance here in Pennsylvania.
At the Chesapeake Executive Council meeting last December, the Governor announced plans to convene a cellulosic biofuels summit in Pennsylvania later this year. The summit will include experts on the emerging issues and opportunities associated with cellulosic ethanol who will meet with state and federal policy makers. Together, the group will focus on issues such as sustainability, forest and wildlife health, energy demands, water quality and how best to develop the technology within the bay region.
The panel will build upon the Chesapeake Bay Commission’s Biofuels and the Bay report, which provides suggestions on how to proceed with the biofuel development in such a way as to not harm local waterways or the bay.
For more information, visit http://www.depweb.state.pa.us/, keyword: Alternative Fuels. For more information on the Energy Independence Strategy, visit the same Web site and click on the “Fueling Energy Savings” icon.
The Rendell administration is committed to creating a first-rate public education system, protecting our most vulnerable citizens and continuing economic investment to support our communities and businesses. To find out more about Governor Rendell’s initiatives and to sign up for his weekly newsletter, visit http://www.governor.state.pa.us/.
CONTACT: Chuck Ardo 717-783-1116 Neil Weaver (DEP) 717-787-1323
Pennsylvania Office of the Governor
CONTACT: Chuck Ardo of the Pennsylvania Office of the Governor,+1-717-783-1116; or Neil Weaver (DEP), +1-717-787-1323
Web Site: http://www.depweb.state.pa.us/http://www.governor.state.pa.us/