The
Two Key Provisions which Increases Renewable Ethanol Use and Authorizes the Exploration
and Production of the Petroleum of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR)
Will Reduce Our Nation's Dependence On Imported Oil. Currently
the House of Representatives and the US Senate are Meeting in Conference Committee
to Workout an Agreement on a Comprehensive National Energy Plan. At
This Critical Juncture, Please Contact Immediately Your Members of the House and
Senate and Ask Them to Support the Two Key Provisions! The
National Grange urged President George W. Bush to push the Congress to adopt balanced
national energy legislation that includes both increased production of ethanol
from our nation's farms as well as the development of the petroleum resources
from the Coastal Plain region of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) during
this session of Congress. The
ethanol provision is in the Senate legislation, S. 517. This provision would increase
flexibility in the formulation of gasoline by eliminating the Clean Air Act 2
percent oxygenate mandate. It would also establish a 5 billion gallon renewable
fuels mandate by 2012, with bank and trade program to allow for flexibility of
implementation. Arctic
National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) provision is in the House legislation, HR 4. By
adopting this provision, the ANWR region, near the famous Prudhoe Bay oil fields
of northern Alaska, could contribute more than 1 million barrels of oil a day
to our national energy security. Combined,
these two sensible programs could displace more than 20 billion gallons of imported
petroleum annually! Rural
America faces a complex energy crisis. Price instability for energy, due to increased
dependence on imported energy, threatens the economic health of U.S. farms. Increased
use of ethanol, which is derived from agricultural resources, will help economic
growth in rural areas. Opening restricted public lands in rural areas to energy
resource development in an environmentally sound manner will also vitalize the
rural economy. Action
Plan --- Please contact your members of the House and Senate and urge them
to adopt the ethanol and ANWR provisions of national energy legislation. If you
have any questions or comments please contact Legislative Research Analyst Chil-Sook
Hwang by fax: 202 347-1091 or by phone 1-888-4GRANGE, ext 109. Thank
you for your grassroots participation in the National Grange Legislative program.
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