A bi-partisan piece of legislation has been introduced that will dedicate some of the nation’s diesel supply to biodiesel. The Biodiesel Promotion and Quality Assurance Act of 2007, sponsored by U.S. Representatives Baron Hill (D-IN), John Shimkus (R-IL), Nydia Velazquez (D-NY), Kenny Hulshof (R-MO), Stephanie Herseth-Sandlin (D-SD) and Sam Graves (R-MO), puts aside some of the 60 billion gallons of diesel produced in the U.S. each year for biodiesel and other biobased replacement diesel fuels.

This press release from the National Biodiesel Board says it recognizes biodiesel’s contribution as a blend component to diesel fuel as well as creating a minimum usage requirement for biodiesel and “biobased replacement diesel” that increases from 450 million gallon in 2008 to 1.25 billion gallons in 2012:

“It is critical that we move America away from foreign fuels and become energy independent,” said Representative Hill. “Biodiesel and other biobased diesel replacements offer a domestic fuel source that can be used right now to displace foreign oil. It is important for our country to move forward in an economically and environmentally responsible way, and this legislation does just that.”

The legislation has gained the praise of the NBB:

“This legislation is good for America’s energy security, economic growth and the environment because it would set a floor for biodiesel demand,” said Joe Jobe, NBB CEO. “The young U.S. biodiesel industry can do more to expand America’s domestic refining capacity if this legislation is enacted. The biodiesel industry looks forward to working with Congress to pass a renewable requirement in the nation’s diesel pool as part of any effort to expand the Renewable Fuels Standard.”