RS 3761 - Legislative findings and definitions
A. The legislature hereby finds and declares that the development of an advanced biofuel industry in Louisiana is a matter of grave public necessity and is vital to the economy of Louisiana. The use of advanced biofuel will expand United States and Louisiana fuel supplies without increasing dependency on foreign oil. The development of an advanced biofuel industry will help rebuild the local and regional economies devastated as a result of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita by providing: (1) increased value added to the feed stock crops which will benefit the producers and provide more revenue to the local community; (2) increased investments in plants and equipment which would stimulate the local economy by providing construction jobs initially and the chance for full-time employment after the plant is completed; (3) secondary employment as associated industries develop due to plant coproducts becoming available at a competitive price; and (4) increased local and state revenues collected from plant operations would stimulate local and state tax revenues and provide funds for improvements to the community and to the region. Blending fuel-grade ethanol with gasoline at the gas station pump will offer the Louisiana consumer a fuel that is less expensive, cleaner, renewable, and more efficient than unleaded gasoline. Moreover, preliminary tests conducted in Europe have proven that the use of hydrous ethanol, which eliminates the need for the hydrous-to-anhydrous dehydration processing step, results in an energy savings of between ten percent and forty-five percent during processing, a four percent product volume increase, higher mileage per gallon, and a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. Therefore, an advanced biofuel industry development initiative in Louisiana is vital to ensuring the broad-based rural economic development of Louisiana and is a matter of public policy.
B. The legislature finds and declares that the proper development of an advanced biofuel industry in Louisiana requires the following comprehensive "field-to-pump" strategy:
(1) Feedstock other than corn:
(a) Derived solely from Louisiana harvested crops.
(b) Capable of an annual yield of at least six hundred gallons of ethanol per acre.
(c) Requiring no more than one-half of the water required to grow corn.
(d) Tolerant to high temperature and waterlogging.
(e) Resistant to drought and saline-alkaline soils.
(f) Capable of being grown in marginal soils, ranging from heavy clay to light sand.
(g) Requiring no more than one-third of the nitrogen required to grow corn thereby reducing the risk of contamination of the waters of the state.
(h) Requiring no more than one-half of the energy necessary to convert corn into ethanol.
(2) The distributed nature of a small advanced biofuel manufacturing facility network reduces feed stock supply risk, does not burden local water supplies, and provides for a more broad-based economic development. Each small advanced biofuel manufacturing facility shall operate in Louisiana.
(3) Advanced biofuel supply and demand shall be expanded beyond the ten percent blend market by blending fuel-grade anhydrous ethanol with gasoline at the gas station pump. Variable blending pumps, directly installed and operated at local gas stations by a qualified small advanced biofuel manufacturing facility, shall offer the consumer a less expensive substitute for unleaded gasoline in the form of E10, E20, E30, and E85.
C. As used in this Section, the following terms shall have the meanings hereinafter ascribed to them:
(1) "Advanced biofuel" means hydrous ethanol derived from sugar or starch (other than corn starch) or anhydrous ethanol derived from sugar or starch (other than corn starch).
(2) "Anhydrous ethanol" means an ethyl alcohol that has a purity of at least ninety-nine percent, exclusive of added denaturants, that meets all the requirements of the American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM) D4806, the standard specification for ethanol used as motor fuel.
(3) "Hydrous ethanol" means an ethyl alcohol that is approximately ninety-six percent ethanol and four percent water.
(4) "Small advanced biofuel manufacturing facility" means an advanced biofuel manufacturing facility operating in Louisiana that produces no less than five million gallons of advanced biofuel per year and no more than fifteen million gallons of advanced biofuel per year with feedstock other than corn derived solely from Louisiana harvested crops.
Acts 2008, No. 382, §1.