E3 in the News
Homegrown Ethanol Praised
Southwest Nebraska News
June 28, 2007
Congressman Lee Terry offered his congratulations to the town of Mead, Neb., which today will hold a dedication for E3BioFuels’ closed-loop ethanol plant – the first in the world – producing ethanol using agricultural waste instead of fossil fuels to run the plant.
“It is a priority of mine to advance Nebraska’s success story in the ambitious and positive vision of energy security,” Congressman Terry said. “I believe the methods employed at Mead’s facility should be encouraged and expanded.
“Energy security is a great challenge of our time. We need a diversified energy portfolio in which each piece does not stand on its own, but the various alternative energy sources contribute to our goal of reducing our dependence on fossil fuels, particularly those imported from overseas,” he said.
A member of the Energy and Commerce Committee, Congressman Terry is actively working to expand the American energy portfolio through increased renewable energy, increased domestic production, conservation and efficiency. He praised the Mead ethanol facility for its part in increasing renewable fuel production while reducing negative impacts on the environment. While many ethanol facilities use coal or natural gas to fuel the process, the Mead E3BioFuels’ plant uses manure and a “closed-loop” process.
Congressman Terry remarked on the innovative process while in Washington this week participating in the House Energy and Commerce Committee debate on energy legislation. Congressman Terry introduced legislation (H.R. 2858) Tuesday to promote the use and production of ethanol. H.R. 2858 would also allow closed-loop plants, like the one in Mead, to qualify for existing Department of Energy loan guarantees.
Congressman Terry said: “These facilities are worthy of federal support because they strive to maximize ethanol production while minimizing greenhouse gas emissions. Future generations should not look back and ask why we did not do more when we had the chance. Now is the time to act. I am proud of E3 Biofuels and innovative Nebraskans for acting now to assist America’s energy independence.”