"Bioheat" & Biodiesel Supports Included in Massachusetts Legislative Package

from The Boston Globe:
New push for renewable energy
Cellulosic Ethanol also targeted; Massachusetts legislative package would promote development, use of biofuels to cut oil dependence
By Bruce Mohl
Globe Staff / November 6, 2007

Massachusetts political leaders yesterday proposed a combination of first-in-the-nation mandates and incentives to promote the development and use of biofuels, with the hope of reducing the state's carbon emissions and dependence on foreign oil.

The mandates would require all heating oil and diesel fuel to contain at least 2 percent of "renewable biobased alternatives" by the year 2010 and 5 percent by the year 2013.
Biofuel heating oil currently costs the same or more than regular heating oil, but state officials said they were hopeful the price advantage would tip in favor of biofuel heating oil by 2010.
The bill filed yesterday also would exempt from the state's 23-cent gasoline tax any gasoline that contains ethanol produced from plant products other than corn. The exemption would give gasoline dealers a financial incentive to buy fuel blended with the new type of ethanol and give a handful of Massachusetts high-tech companies an incentive to produce it.

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