Bush signs for higher biofuels use
The US House gave final congressional approval to an energy bill that requires higher use of biofuels and increases auto fuel economy. President Bush yesterday signed the bill into law in a ceremony at the Energy Department.
The bill, which the House approved 314-100 requires that refiners buy 15
billion gallons of corn ethanol by 2015 and also requires use of new versions of
biofuels made from crop residue, grasses and other sources of plant
cellulose.
Mandate for biodiesel
There’s also a new
mandate for biodiesel, requiring up to a billion gallons of annual usage by
2012. The total biofuels mandate, including cellulosic fuels and biodiesel,
would reach 36 billion gallons by 2022. That could reduce US oil consumption by
up to 1.5 million barrels a day. The United States uses about 12 million barrels
a day for gasoline.
Under the bill, automakers would be required to increase
the average fuel economy of new cars and trucks to 35 miles per gallon by 2020
(14.8 km/l).
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