[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 51 (Friday, March 23, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E628]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page E628]]
   CONGRATULATIONS TO INDEPENDENCE RENEWABLE ENERGY CORPORATION FOR 
                    BEGINNING PRODUCTION IN ALABAMA

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. JO BONNER

                               of alabama

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, March 23, 2007

  Mr. BONNER. Madam Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to recognize 
Independence Renewable Energy Corporation on the occasion of the 
opening of its Alabama biodiesel plant. After breaking ground in 
October 2006, Independence Renewable Energy Corporation produced its 
first gallon of biodiesel earlier this month.
  From this first trickle of biodiesel, the plant is in the process of 
increasing its capacities and will soon boost production to 40 million 
gallons a year by May 2007, making it not only the largest producer in 
the State, but the largest producer in the Southeast.
  Located in the town of Claiborne, in Monroe County, this plant 
currently converts soybean oil into biodiesel fuel, although its design 
flexibility provides for the use of alternative feedstocks. 
Independence Renewable Energy Corporation will use more than 27 million 
bushels of soybeans a year, which is nearly 1 million acres worth of 
soybeans.
  The plant currently employs seven and will employ ten when at full 
operation in May. These 10 jobs will support up to an additional 150 
jobs in agriculture, as well as an estimated 100 jobs in transportation 
and petroleum blending industries. The biodiesel plant is expected to 
generate annual revenue of $120 million by distributing fuel to markets 
in Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, Georgia, and Louisiana.
  This new facility is not only important for the economic impact that 
it will have on the State and region, but also for leading the way in 
the development of alternative fuels that are less harmful to the 
environment, while reducing our dependence on foreign oils and gas. 
Biodiesel, when blended with conventional fuels, reduces greenhouse gas 
and toxic emissions associated with petroleum derived diesel. This 
facility will benefit not only the people of Alabama but the entire 
Nation.
  I ask my colleagues to join me today in recognizing Independence 
Renewable Energy Corporation. The people of Claiborne--and Monroe 
County--are extremely proud to be part of the solution to our Nation's 
energy crisis.

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