Anna Eshoo: “I think what is important to understand in this debate is that there are significant technical obstacles that have to be…”

“I think what is important to understand in this debate is that there are significant technical obstacles that have to be addressed before biofuels can be widely deployed. Many Members this morning during this important debate have spoken about the importance of biofuels. This amendment to the amendment actually kind of drills down, as it were, into the specifics and I think strengthens a very good bill. The bill before us recognizes the specific infrastructure challenges that we are already facing in implementing the Renewable Fuels Standards program which was enacted in the 2005 Energy Policy Act. It anticipates the challenge of the more widespread use of biofuels, which I think most of us are for, by authorizing the EPA to initiate a research and development project to make biofuels more compatible with the existing petroleum storage and distribution system. If there is not distribution in this system, it simply is not going to work. Now, the reason I am offering this perfecting amendment to Mr. Burgess' amendment, along with my colleague Mr. Cardoza, simply requires the EPA, as part of this R&D program, to consider strategies to minimize emissions.”