For Immediate Release: February 8, 2007
Rep. Barrow Meets with Energy Secretary Bodman to Discuss Treutlen County Ethanol Plant
Georgia's 12th District Congressman urges the Secretary to provide additional funding and grant support to the future plant; hand delivers a personal letter of support
Washington, DC - One day after it was announced that Range Fuels, Inc., plans to build Georgia's first ever wood-based ethanol plant in Treutlen County, 12th District Georgia Congressman John Barrow (D-Savannah) today met briefly with Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman to discuss ways to expedite federal funding and grant opportunities for the company's work in Georgia.
"Yesterday 's announcement that Range Fuels plans to build an ethanol plant in the 12th District is welcome news to rural Georgia, and I believe it's a good sign of future investments to come," Barrow said. "Georgia grows more tress than any other state, in part because we can grow trees just about faster than any other state. This gives us an enormous economic advantage when it comes to leading the way on renewable energy production."
Barrow, who is currently the only Member of the House of Representatives to serve on both the Energy and Commerce Committee and the Agriculture Committee, met with Secretary Bodman prior to the Secretary's scheduled testimony this morning before a full meeting of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
"Secretary Bodman is committed to making domestic ethanol and bio-diesel production a priority, and he realizes the potential that rural Georgia offers the rest of the country," Barrow said after the meeting. "Using clean and green Georgia agriculture to help meet our country's energy demands is a top priority for me, and the Secretary promised to give the company full consideration for future funding."
During their discussion, Barrow hand delivered a letter to Secretary Bodman discussing the plant's current grant application:
Hon. Samuel Bodman
Secretary , U.S. Department of Energy
1000 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington , D.C. 20585
Dear Secretary Bodman:
I'm writing to urge that you give strong consideration to the application of Kergy, Inc. in selecting "Funding Opportunity Number: DE-PS36-06GA96016" - Commercial Demonstration of an Integrated Biorefinery System for Production of Liquid Transportation Biofuels, Biobased Chemicals, Substitutes for Petroleum-based Feedstocks and Products, and Biomass-based Heat/Power. The application is awaiting an official selection from the Bio-Mass Program Office at DOE Headquarters.
As you may know, Kergy, Inc. (now known as Range Fuels) has announced today that it will break ground quickly in a few months on a new cellulosic ethanol plant, which will be located in Treutlen County, Georgia. This cutting edge plant would be a boon to the rural economy of the 12th Congressional district and will be an excellent example of the commercialization effort proposed by the President in last month's State of the Union Address. I'm sure you are aware that Kergy, Inc. is backed by some of the most innovative and informed investors in America, who have carefully considered and planned for contingencies that can occur in this emerging technology. Awarding this grant to Kergy, Inc., will go a long way in facilitating a rapid demonstration of commercial cellulosic production as outlined in your Department's funding strategy.
Wood waste from Georgia's plentiful and indigenous pine trees will be the main fuel source for the plant's ethanol production. Those natural resources, in combination with our strong workforce and job training initiatives and robust state sponsored tax credit incentives, make the 12th District a particularly well-suited home for such a facility.
I look forward to facilitating this effort in any way that I can. Please let me know if you have questions or if I can be of service to you or your staff.
Sincerely,
John Barrow
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Contact: Harper Lawson, (202) 225-2823