Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns followed President Bush's State of the Union energy plan by announcing that the Administration's proposals for the 2007 farm bill will include $1.6 billion in funding for renewable energy.
The money would go towards research and production, with a focus on cellulosic ethanol.
"It remains a priority across USDA to support the development of biofuels. We will continue to build on current programs and turn the corner on renewable energy," says Johanns in a USDA release. "With biofuels coming to the forefront, American agriculture faces the greatest opportunity of a generation to lead a future in which we get our energy by the bushel and not by the barrel."
Johanns says he will provide more information about the funding proposal when he announces the Administration's full set of farm bill proposals.