By Herman Wang
Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON — A comprehensive energy bill, passed late Thursday, mandates a boost in ethanol usage to 36 billion gallons by 2022, and Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., said the state, with its potential for ethanol from switchgrass, stands to benefit.
Obviously Tennessee is really at the center of so much of what is happening in energy in this country, Sen. Corker said. We have in Tennessee a tremendous capacity for producing cellulosic ethanol.
Both Sen. Corker and Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., voted for the bill, which also hikes fuel efficiency standards from 25 miles per gallon to 35 miles per gallon by 2020.
But Sens. Saxby Chambliss and Johnny Isakson, both R-Ga., voted against the bill, saying it does little to promote domestic oil and gas production.
This bill does not provide an answer to our energy needs, Sen. Chambliss said. It does nothing to reduce our dependence on foreign sources of oil or increase domestic production of energy resources, and I think it’s an unfortunate, missed opportunity for all Americans.
E-mail Herman Wang at hwang@timesfreepress.com
