Friday, June 3, 2005
Contact: Jessica Robinson, (573)751-0290
Blunt Celebrates Plant Opening; Announces 10 Percent Ethanol Requirement as Priority Bill for Next Session
MALTA BEND - Gov. Matt Blunt helped celebrate Mid-Missouri Energy’s (MME) grand opening and reiterated his commitment to help position Missouri as a national leader in ethanol production and utilization through a statewide ethanol standard.
"There is no reason to remain dependant on Middle Eastern oil when our farm families and farmer owned cooperatives can produce cheaper, higher quality fuel right here in our own backyard. One of my highest priorities next session will be to enact a 10 percent ethanol standard in Missouri," Blunt said. "Ethanol is good for our farmers, is good for our economy and is good for our state."
MME is a corn processing, farmer owned ethanol plant made up of 729 members from 45 counties. The plant will process 15 million bushels of corn annually into 40 million gallons of ethanol, creating nearly 1800 new jobs and increasing Missouri economic activity by more than $169 million.
In addition to positioning ethanol and renewable fuels at the center of his legislative and budget agenda, Blunt is also working with farmers to make rural economic development a reality in our state.
Blunt pledged to fund the Ethanol Incentive Fund and to ensure past promises made to farmers were kept. With his guidance, the fiscal year ’06 budget includes the full $5.3 million in funding this year as well as $2.7 million of the funds owed from previous years.
"I want to thank Governor Blunt for the leadership he has shown in ensuring full funding for the state's ethanol incentive fund," said Missouri Farm Bureau President Charles Kruse. "We appreciate the Governor keeping the state's promises to our farmers who have invested millions of dollars in ethanol production facilities."
"Governor Blunt is the first Missouri Governor to include full funding for the ethanol incentive fund in his budget to the General Assembly," said Gary Marshall, CEO of the Missouri Corn Growers Association. "Clearly his leadership on this issue is the reason we received full funding for the first time since 2001, not to mention $2.7 million in back payments."