USDA Meets Obama’s Biofuels Directive

On May 5 President Obama asked USDA to expedite, within 30 days, the biofuels provisions of the energy title of the 2008 Farm Bill. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced recently that USDA has met the president’s challenge to help produce more energy from homegrown, renewable sources.

“Further developing the biofuels industry helps create jobs and stimulates rural economies, an important part of getting our economy back on track,” said Vilsack. Among the provisions to support the biofuels industry requested by Obama are loan guarantees for biorefineries, assistance for biorefineries replacing fossil fuels, increased production of next generation biofuels, Rural Energy for America program, and a biomass crop assistance program.