New Bill to Expand Promotion of Biofuels Is a Welcome Boost for U.S.-Brazil Relations According to Brazilian Sugarcan...( SAO PAULO Brazil Sept. 23 /- A bi...)

SAO PAULO, Brazil, Sept. 23 /PRNewswire/ -- A bill designed to strengthen energy cooperation in the Western Hemisphere, approved today by the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, is a positive step to expands ongoing efforts by Brazil and the United States to promote the production and use of sustainable biofuels throughout Latin America, according to the Brazilian Sugarcane Industry Association (UNICA).

"It shows a clear desire by the U.S. Congress for a positive and long-term partnership between the world's top two producers of ethanol, the United States and Brazil," said UNICA president and CEO Marcos Sawaya Jank, who earlier today met with Senator Richard Lugar (R-IN) to express appreciation for this visionary legislation. "Consumers in Brazil and the U.S. are already learning the benefits of ethanol. This legislation will help expand the reach of sustainable and renewable biofuels that increase energy security for consumers and raise incomes for agricultural communities worldwide."

Senate Bill 1007, sponsored by Indiana's senior Senator, expands on an existing Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in March of 2007 by Presidents George W. Bush of the United States and Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva of Brazil, and virtually guarantees its longevity. The title of the legislation has also been changed, from "United States-Brazil Latin America Energy Cooperation Pact" to "The Western Hemisphere Energy Compact" indicating a growing interest in deepening and broadening the regional cooperation in energy issues.

Senator Lugar describes it as a significant piece of legislation, that directs the Secretary of the State Department to work with Brazil and other governments to develop partnerships in the region, especially Brazil, and around the world to promote energy security through the accelerated development of sustainable biofuels production, research and infrastructure, and to reach out to U.S. neighbors on broader energy security needs.
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