FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEAugust 10, 2010CONTACT: Vince Leibowitz512.705.7001vince@hankgilbert.com

Gilbert Unveils Biofuels Policy, Calls For StateInvestment To Make Texas Energy Independent

WOODVILLE—Hank Gilbert, the Texas Democratic Party’s nominee for AgricultureCommissioner, on Tuesday released his biofuels policy for the Texas Department of Agricultureon the first leg of a three-day, 13-city tour to highlight Texas’ potential to become a leading player in biofuels thanks to agricultural diversity.“Texas has the potential to become a major biofuels producer,” Gilbert said. “There arecrops—like cassava—which we can grow in areas of West Texas where nothing else is beinggrown right now that can produce alternative fuels and not increase the cost of the foods we bring to our family’s dinner table,” Gilbert said. “Too, land near the Gulf Coast in South EastTexas is perfect land on which we can grow sugar cane to use to manufacture fuels,” Gilbertcontinued.Under Gilbert’s plan, entitled the Field to Pump Biofuels Initiative, the Texas Departmentof Agriculture would utilize funding from the Texas Agricultural Infrastructure & EconomicDevelopment Fund (proposed by Gilbert under his previously released reform plan for theagency), to provide start-up funding to agricultural producers to help grow new, non-foodstock  biofuel crops and to refiners to help develop refining capacity for those products.“The state would also help assist agricultural producers to help establish newcooperatives which would allow them to seek funding from outside sources to grow, market,transport—and even refine—their biofuel crops,” he continued.Gilbert also noted that biofuels made from cassava and sugar cane will result in less pollution, cleaner air, and even additional money for farmers—should a market develop for thesale of carbon credits.

 

My Fellow Texans:Today I am releasing “

Re-Powering Texas: Energy Diversity, Biofuels, and Texas-StyleEnergy Independence,”

my alternative energy and biofuels roadmap for the Texas Departmentof Agriculture.In terms of securing energy independence for our state and our nation, the Texas Department of Agriculture is truly an untapped resource. In spite of the fact that the Texas Legislature has giventhe department oversight of two biofuels and bioenergy committees, to date they have done littleexcept spend $75,000 on a report--which has yet to be delivered—and will likely simply tell uswhat we already know: Texas is ready to become our state’s leading biofuel and bioenergy producer.One of the biggest problems this state and our nation face is our dependence on fossil fuels,especially those sourced outside of the United States. As we've seen in the Gulf, drilling our wayout of this problem can be extremely dangerous and it ignores one simple fact: the well will, atsome point, 'run dry'.The solution to this problem will come from agriculture.Two centuries ago, economist Thomas Malthus postulated that the population of people on earthwould rapidly exceed the ability of the planet to sustain that population. Agriculture, time andagain, has made tremendous advances that have led to our ability to feed a population that nownumbers in the billions.It is to agriculture that we must turn now to solve our future energy needs, end our dependenceon foreign oil and provide cleaner burning fuels to protect the air and water on which we alldepend.In Unity,Hank Gilbert

 

FIELD TO PUMP BIOFUELS INITIATIVE

Hank proposes launching the Field To Pump Biofuels Initiative, which will involve stakeholdersincluding growers, refiners, distributors, and retailers and the promotion of cooperatives to moreeffectively generate crop production by creating a stable, efficient marketplace.

HOW IT WORKS:

Under the Field to Pump Biofuels Initiative, the Texas Departmentof Agriculture will make use of grant funding from Texas Agricultural Infrastructure &Economic Development Fund (proposed under his TDA reform plan) to provide seedfunding to producers and refiners to help producers grow new, non-foodstock biofuelcrops and help refiners develop refining capability for those products.In addition, the Texas Department of Agriculture will work to help promote partnershipsand cooperatives between growers, refiners, distributors, and funding partners to helpmake new biofuel crops and refining capability a reality in Texas.

WHAT CROPS ARE INVOLVED?

Cassava and sugar cane are two crops that aresuited to both growing condition and land availability in Texas. Cassava can be grown invast areas of West and South Texas which are not presently engaged in significantagricultural production of any kind. Sugar Cane can be grown in land currentlyencumbered under the Conservation Reserve Program because it is not soil degrading andwould provide landowners a far better income stream than they receive from the USDA’sCRP payments.

DOES THIS ENDANGER OUR FOOD SUPPLY?

 No. New sugar cane crops in Texaswould be strictly for biofuels. Cassava is not considered a food staple in the United Statesand its growing and use wouldn’t alter food supplies. Cassava is used in both China andBrazil for ethanol production.

WON’T BIOFUEL CROPS IN WEST TEXAS NEED IRRIGATION TO GROW?

 No. Cassava is a crop that requires little water to grow and is well-suited to the climate of West Texas and produces more ethanol per bushel than corn and doesn’t effect the worldfood supply.

WHAT IT DOES:

The Pump to Fuels initiative will produce biofuels at a price that'scompletely competitive in the open market. Because of the significant amount of landavailable in Texas to produce biofuel crops, coupled with existing biofuel production inWest Texas, Texas can and will become a biofuels leader and secure our state’s energyindependence.This will also help put our country on the track to energy independence and reducing our dependence on foreign oil.

THE TEXAS ADVANCED BIOFUELS RESEARCH INCUBATOR 

Hank proposes to create the Texas Advanced Biofuels Research Incubator at one of our state’smajor four-year universities in order to foster additional research in areas such as using algae to