The initiative responds to a directive from the president issued in March as part of his Blueprint for A Secure Energy Future, the administration's framework for reducing dependence on foreign oil. The biofuels initiative is being steered by the White House Biofuels Interagency Work Group and Rural Council, both of which promote cross-agency collaboration to strengthen rural America.
'Biofuels are an important part of reducing America's dependence on foreign oil and creating jobs here at home,' said Obama in a statement. 'But supporting biofuels cannot be the role of government alone. That's why we're partnering with the private sector to speed development of next-generation biofuels that will help us continue to take steps towards energy independence and strengthen communities across our country.'
The White House has been a proponent of advanced biofuels, but there is a lack of U.S. manufacturing capability for 'next-generation drop-in biofuels.' To accelerate the production of bio-based jet and diesel fuel for military and commercial purposes, the administration has developed a plan to jointly construct or retrofit several drop-in biofuel plants and refineries.
'These pioneer plants will demonstrate advanced technologies to produce infrastructure-compatible, drop-in renewable fuels from America's abundant biomass resources,' said Energy Secretary Steven Chu. 'It will support development of a new, rural-focused industry that will replace imported crude oil with secure, renewable fuels made here in the U.S.'
The United States spends more than $300 billion on imported crude oil per year.
