BIO Lauds Funding Request for Military Biofuel Program

The Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) today echoed the request by the Secretaries of Energy, Agriculture and the Navy for funding and transfer authority for the Department of Energy to participate in the public-private partnership to commercialize biofuels for military use. On Thursday Jan. 2, the secretaries signed a joint letter to Congressional leaders of appropriations committees requesting funding and transfer authority. The agencies signed a Memorandum of Understanding in March 2011 to jointly support the project.

Brent Erickson, executive vice president of BIO’s Industrial & Environmental Section, stated, “The price of oil is controlled by other countries, some of which are not friends of the United States. Energy security is an important element for national security, and our military must establish a domestic, stably priced alternative to foreign oil. The Department of Energy also plays an important role in incubating new technologies that secure U.S. leadership in energy. Including transfer authority in Energy and Water appropriations to allow the DOE to participate in military biofuels is a prudent step.”