MADISON, IL — Today, Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski (D-IL-13) toured the Green Plains Inc. biorefinery in Madison, Illinois to learn more about biofuels production in Illinois’ 13^th Congressional District and highlight her bipartisan legislative efforts to support homegrown sustainable fuels. 

“By expanding our nation’s use of biofuels, we can support our family farmers, bring down fuel costs, cut carbon emissions and improve our nation’s energy independence,” said Congresswoman Budzinski. “It was wonderful to tour Madison’s Green Plains facility to learn more about how folks right here in our community are driving ag tech innovation. I’m proud to be a strong supporter of ethanol, biodiesel and sustainable aviation fuel as ways to support our region’s economy and address our climate challenges.” 

“Green Plains is grateful for the efforts of Congresswoman Budzinski to ensure that the American farmer and biofuels industry are a part of our clean energy future. As we continue to innovate and decarbonize, it is imperative that we use the latest and best life cycle modeling to recognize progress already made while properly incentivizing continued innovation at both the farm and biorefinery level. American agriculture has a critical role to play in producing new fuels like SAF, and we appreciate Congresswoman Budzinski’s leadership in this area,” said Todd Becker, President and CEO of Green Plains Inc.

As a member of the House Committee on Agriculture, Congresswoman Budzinski has established herself as a bipartisan leader in supporting biofuels production and family farmers across Central and Southern Illinois. Her Next Generation Fuels Act, Sustainable Aviation Fuels Accuracy Act andFuels Parity Act would take significant steps to support the future of homegrown biofuels. Additional information on Budzinski’s biofuels legislation can be found below: 

• The Next Generation Fuels Act would phase in higher gasoline octane levels through the greater use of ethanol beginning with a 95 Research Octane Number (RON) standard for automobile model year 2028 and increasing to 98 RON by model year 2033. For a new vehicle to receive certification from an automaker, the bill would require the automobile to operate with an E25 blend for model year 2028 and an E30 blend for model year 2033 onwards. The bill would also require fuel retailers to carry these higher blend fuels.

• The Sustainable Aviation Fuels Accuracy Act would require the federal government to use the most up-to-date lifecycle emissions models—including the U.S. Department of Energy commissioned, Argonne National Lab’s Greenhouse Gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy Use in Technologies Model or GREET model—that accurately considers crops, land uses and carbon reduction practices in the U.S and does not arbitrarily prevent our American farmers and crops from contributing to the green economy.

• The Fuels Parity Act would allow corn to qualify as an advanced biofuel – incentivizing lower emissions from ethanol production and allowing corn to access another bucket of the RFS. If ethanol can meet the scientific thresholds, then it should be allowed to qualify as an advanced biofuel and generate an advanced biofuel renewable identification number.

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