Brockville - Gord Brown Member of Parliament for Leeds-Grenville today lauded Canada’s new fuel standards that came into force Dec. 15.

“Under our Renewable Fuels Standard, we will be adding some two billion litres of renewable fuels, such as ethanol and biodiesel, to the Canadian gasoline pool each year,” he explains. “By adding fuel from renewable green sources we are reducing Green House Gases, providing income for farmers and the forestry sector, and creating green jobs.”

He notes that as the organizer of the Conservative’s Renewable Fuels Caucus, he has worked with the industry to ensure the standards were attainable and that the implementation target was met.

According to a recent study, Canadian ethanol reduces GHGs by 62 per cent compared to fossil fuels and biodiesel generates a 99 per cent reduction. The new renewable fuels standard represents an annual cut of 4.2 megatonnes – the equivalent of removing one million cars from Canada’s highways.

The contribution of renewable fuels is a substantial source of economic and financial benefit to rural Canada. Farmers in Leeds-Grenville are benefiting from the market for their surplus feedstock which lessens their requirement for safety net programs.

The forestry sector will also benefit from the use of waste wood and by-products as cellulosic and advanced biofuels are commercialized.

“The Greenfield Ethanol plant in Johnstown employs 52 people on-site and provides an increase in local net economic spending of $89 million per year,” explains Brown.

That plant purchases over 22 million bushels of corn each year from farmers in the region and produces 170,000 tons of distiller’s grains to feed livestock.

“With the renewable fuel standard coming into effect Canada is now positioned to become a world leader in advanced biofuels,” says Gordon Quaiattini, president of the Canadian Renewable Fuels Association. “The production and the commercialization of next generation advanced biofuels using state-of-the-art technologies and a wide variety of feedstocks is underway.”

A second renewable fuels standard specifically for biodiesel is expected to be enacted in the new year.