Supporting Biodiesel

Six senators held a press conference on Wednesday with biodiesel producers as the National Biodiesel Board released a survey of 54 biodiesel producers showing nearly 80-percent have reduced production this year. Washington State's Maria Cantwell was one of those Senators urging the Obama Administration not to reduce the biodiesel volumetric requirement under the Renewable Fuel Standard.

CANTWELL: We've come a long way since 2005 when we first in the energy bill of 2005 introduced the standard for biodiesel that helped set the industry and the industry to move ahead. Since then we've gone from 25-million gallons to 1.7 billion gallons. So it's an increase of 7000%. But we're here today because we want to make sure that this product continues to grow.

Cantwell also points out that Washington State also exports biodiesel.

CANTWELL: For us here, we have some tremendous challenges because we need to make sure these biodiesel industry pioneers continue to have the incentives that will encourage their business to grow. One of these innovators here today, Jeff Haas from General Biodiesel in Seattle turns restaurant grease and fish oil into fuel and I can guarantee you that is a win/win situation.

She says that win/win is from utilizing waste products to help overcome our fuel challenges. More on Monday.

That's today's Line On Agriculture. I'm Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network.