[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 12]
[Senate]
[Page 16948]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                            RENEWABLE ENERGY

  Mr. BURNS. Mr. President, I rise today to join Senator Grassley and 
other distinguished Senate colleagues in cosponsoring S. Con. Res. 97. 
Under this concurrent resolution, the United States sets a goal to 
provide at least 25 percent of the total energy consumed in the United 
States from renewable resources by January 1, 2025.
  I have said many times and very firmly believe that our energy future 
will be grown on our farms, ranches, and forests.
  In my State of Montana, our farmers are already producing food and 
fiber for our country. Before long, they will be producing food, fiber, 
and fuel as agriculture will become part of the energy business. It is 
important we have the technology available so we do not have to choose 
between producing food or fuel. In Montana and elsewhere, technology is 
already being developed to produce cellulosic ethanol. Unlike 
traditional corn-based ethanol, cellulosic ethanol will use materials 
such as wheat straw and barley straw. These materials, once discarded 
as waste, can now be turned into energy.
  On August 8, 2005, this Congress passed one of the most comprehensive 
energy research, development, and conservation bills this country has 
seen in decades: the Energy Policy Act of 2005. Now, just 1 year later, 
the initial outcomes are impressive. Twenty-seven new ethanol plants 
have broken ground. Over 400 E85 pumps have been installed. New wind 
power production has spurred over $3 billion in economic activity and 
generated 2,000 megawatts of new usable wind power online. These 
figures are staggering but pale in comparison to the accomplishments 
that are possible in the next 20 years.
  We have set an ambitious goal. I am pleased this resolution does not 
include mandates for how to achieve this energy vision. The combination 
of American ingenuity and widespread public support for this initiative 
will move the free market toward achieving this attainable goal.

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