Pennsylvania biofuels mandate imminent as state leaders near deal on energy policy

In Pennsylvania, the state legislature is set to reduce Governor Rendell’s proposed $850 million investment in renewable energy package to $650 million. The State Senate passed a $650 million bill last December, and the legislature an governor’s staff have been hammering out a compromise since then. Observers say that state leaders have agreed on a biodiesel and ethanol mandate for the state, and that solar and wind funding is currently holding up finalization of the bill.

Pennsylvania background

Last month, Governor Ed Rendell and Economic Development Secretary Dennis Yablonsky called for passage of the $850 million dollar state clean-energy plan, which includes $250 million for businesses for clean energy project assistance, $30 million for grants and loans for wind projects, $200 million for solar rebates and incentives, and $56 million in early-stage support for new clean energy technologies.

Last December, the Republican-controlled State Senate passed a $650 million energy package, more than $200 million short of Gov. Rendel’s proposed energy plan.

The bill provides $380 million in incentives for research and manufacturing in biofuels and other renewable energies such as wind and solar. $170 million was earmarked for consumer rebates on purchase of energy-saving items such as energy efficient appliances, hybrid cars or solar panels. $100 million would go to emergency aid for poor families for assistance with rising utility bills.

In March, BioEnergy commenced construction on its two plant complex, a 100 Mgy corn ethanol facility and a pilot cellulosic ethanol plant in Clearfield County that will both commence production in 2010. The project received $17.4 million in assistance from the Pennsylvania state government, and Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell was on hand for the groundbreaking ceremony. “America’s future lies in cellulosic,” he said in commencement remarks.

BioEnergy International closed financing for its two ethanol plants in Clearfield. The $201 million in debt financing was provided by TD Banknorth and WestLB, with tax exempt bond financing by Sterns Brothers. Equity funding was provided by BioEnergy and its investors Plainfield Asset Management, Camulos Capital, Itera Ethanol, LLC, Context Capital Management and NGP Capital Resources.

“The corn and cellulosic pilot plants to be built in Clearfield are core to BioEnergy’s mission of integrating the development of novel biocatalysts for use in innovative, state-of-the-art biorefineries,” the company said.

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