June 23, 2011 - Becoming the first U.S. Agriculture Secretary to attend a Paris Air Show, Sec. Tom Vilsack voiced his support of biofuels for powering fighter jets, commercial airlines, and trucks. He pointed out that the benefits of adopting biofuels into the the airline industry will be seen sooner rather than later.
The show featured an extensive "Alternative Aviation Fuels Showcase" in a Le Bourget exhibit hall. Vilsack's attendance came two months after President Barrack Obama's order for the U.S. Department of Energy and Agriculture and the U.S. Navy to work closely with the private sector to develop advanced biofuels to power airlines, jets, and trucks.
Sec. Vilsack advocates and promotes the expansion of biofuel usage among U.S. lawmakers, saying that the industry has seen some significant changes in the last 12 months and is on the verge of an even more significant expansion. He told ATW Daily News that if a market develops for biofuel to power aircraft, the infrastructure to produce and distribute it will quickly build up. "I think the infrastructure is going to be there if the market is there," he explained. "I'm sure if you have [airlines] interested, we'll get biofuel to airports."
The expansion of the biofuels market into the airline industry would also help to create jobs in rural areas, fighting unemployment and diversifying farming in the U.S., Vilsack says.
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