Agriculture Helping to Secure our Energy Independence

As Pennsylvania’s largest industry, agriculture contributes greatly to our state’s economic success and also our culture. In addition to generating billions of dollars in commerce, agriculture plays an important role in preserving our environmental heritage for future generations.

I’m looking forward to again visiting the annual Ag Progress Days, Aug. 14-16, in State College. I value the many contributions of our agriculture industry and welcome the role it can play in helping to secure our state’s energy independence. As I’ve said before, reducing Pennsylvania’s reliance on foreign fuels is critical to our continued security and provides an opportunity for homegrown technology to take root.

Last year I launched the PennSecurity Fuels Initiative, which is designed to replace 1 billion gallons of transportation fuel used in Pennsylvania with domestically produced renewable fuels within the next decade. Incentive programs such the PennSecurity Fuels Initiative that stimulate investment in, and production of, biofuels – such as ethanol and biodiesel and other alternatives, like liquid fuels derived from coal – will have a significant positive impact for Pennsylvania.

Farmers and renewable fuel processors are already working hard to achieve the PennSecurity Fuels Initiative’s goals. By the end of the year, Pennsylvania is expected have an annual production of more than 60 million gallons of biodiesel and more than 230 million gallons by 2010.

In the area of ethanol production, we’re looking beyond ethanol that is produced using corn – which already is in high demand for livestock feed. Ethanol also can be produced from cellulosic materials including wood and other fibrous plant material, such as crop residues and waste materials like paper and cardboard. Pennsylvania’s vast forest resources provide a significant competitive advantage for cellulosic ethanol production.

The Department of Agriculture will showcase its programs and services at Ag Progress
Days, and it is sponsoring a renewable energy tent with some 16 exhibitors. I encourage you to learn more about how the agriculture industry is helping to secure Pennsylvania’s energy independence while creating jobs and economic opportunity in communities across our commonwealth.