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92_HR1118
LRB9218312KFkfA
1 HOUSE RESOLUTION
2 WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3 Representatives recognize that Illinois produces more ethanol
4 than any other state in the United States; and
5 WHEREAS, Illinois produces around 40% of the United
6 States' ethanol production; and
7 WHEREAS, Illinois currently produces around 710 million
8 gallons of ethanol annually from 275 million bushels of corn;
9 and
10 WHEREAS, At least one out of every six rows of corn grown
11 in Illinois is used for ethanol production; and
12 WHEREAS, Domestic, renewable, and alternative fuels such
13 as ethanol and biodiesel offer hope for America's future; and
14 WHEREAS, Ethanol contains oxygen, and fuel blended with
15 ethanol reduces harmful exhaust emissions from vehicles; and
16 WHEREAS, Ethanol, when blended with gasoline, acts as an
17 octane enhancer, reducing the need for such harmful
18 substances as benzene and toluene in gasoline; and
19 WHEREAS, Ethanol-blended fuels extend current supplies of
20 petroleum; and
21 WHEREAS, The continued growth of renewable energy will
22 continue to be important in delivering larger supplies of
23 clean, domestic power for America's growing economy; and
24 WHEREAS, Illinois has enacted legislation to implement
25 the phase-out of the alternative motor fuel additive methyl
26 tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE) in this State; and
27 WHEREAS, An agreement was reached between oil companies,
28 environmentalists, and agricultural interests that may help
29 increase the use of ethanol and other biofuels over the next
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1 decade; and
2 WHEREAS, The agreement includes the phasing out of MTBE;
3 and
4 WHEREAS, The agreement brought many major interested
5 groups toward a consensus on the motor fuel composition
6 issue; and
7 WHEREAS, The renewable fuels standard (RFS) was
8 considered by congressional conferees as part of the 2002
9 energy bill; and
10 WHEREAS, The renewable fuels standard may boost ethanol
11 production from the 2001 level of 1.7 billion gallons to 5
12 billion gallons of renewable fuels by 2012; and
13 WHEREAS, An energy bill will not see any action until
14 2003 when the 108th United States Congress convenes;
15 therefore be it
16 RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
17 NINETY-SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
18 the State of Illinois needs to protect and expand the
19 production and use of ethanol and other biofuels in this
20 State; and be it further
21 RESOLVED, That we urge the members of the United States
22 Congress to continue to support the ethanol and biofuel
23 industries by enacting the renewable fuels standard and
24 eliminating MTBE; and be it further
25 RESOLVED, That we urge the United States Congress to make
26 the renewable fuels standard (RFS) a priority and act on the
27 initiative as quickly as possible; and be it further
28 RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
29 delivered to U.S. Senator Peter Fitzgerald, U.S. Senator
30 Richard Durbin, and each member of the Illinois delegation in
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1 the U.S. House of Representatives.