U.S. biodiesel production reached a new monthly high of 81 million gallons in June, according to the latest EPA statistics, marking a third consecutive month of record volumes and continuing a remarkable turnaround in which biodiesel production in the first half of 2011 has already eclipsed production for all of 2010.

The new numbers - coming after Congress reinstated the biodiesel tax incentive this year - demonstrate the power that strong domestic energy policy can have in helping create jobs and economic activity.

Despite the weak economy, the biodiesel industry is on track to produce at least 800 million gallons this year, more than double biodiesel production of 315 million gallons last year, when Congress allowed the biodiesel tax incentive to temporarily lapse. According to a recent economic study, this year's rejuvenated production will support more than 31,000 U.S. jobs and generate income of nearly $1.7 billion to be circulated throughout the economy. It also is expected to generate an estimated $345 million in federal tax revenue and $283 million in state and local tax revenues.

"We've dramatically increased production and doubled our number of employees at a time when many industries are shrinking or treading water," said Ben Wootton, owner of Keystone Biofuels in Camp Hill, Pa.  "It's like night and day from 2010. I think that's a testament to biodiesel's staying power as an advanced biofuel and also to strong federal policy. We're a young industry, and we wouldn't be where we are today without the tax incentive - and a lot more people would be standing in the unemployment line."

Added Joe Jobe, CEO of the National Biodiesel Board, the industry trade association:

"Policy makers should take a look at our experience over the last couple of years. It's a textbook case in how sound energy policy equates to sound economic policy. Congress should not allow the biodiesel tax incentive to expire again at the end of this year. In this kind of economy, we need every tool we have."

Since the introduction of the $1-per-gallon biodiesel tax credit in 2005, U.S. biodiesel production climbed steadily until 2010, when Congress allowed it to lapse temporarily as the health care debate overshadowed other issues. Production immediately plummeted from a record of about 700 million gallons in 2008 to about 315 million gallons in 2010.

The industry has bounced back quickly this year, after Congress reinstated the tax incentive in December 2010 and the EPA included biodiesel as an Advanced Biofuel in its new Renewable Fuels Program (RFS2), requiring minimum volumes of biodiesel use in U.S. fuels. In the first six months of this year, U.S. biodiesel production already has exceeded 375 million gallons.

Tax credit expiration

The tax credit is again slated to expire in December of this year, threatening industry momentum and jobs. Sens. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., and Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, have introduced S. 1277 to extend the tax incentive for three years. Reps. Aaron Schock, R-Ill., and Collin Peterson, D-Minn. have introduced a similar bill, H.R. 2238, in the House.

Biodiesel is America's first advanced biofuel - a renewable, clean-burning diesel replacement that is reducing U.S. dependence on foreign petroleum, creating green jobs and improving our environment. Made from an increasingly diverse mix of resources such as agricultural oils, recycled cooking oil and animal fats, it is the first and only commercial-scale fuel used across the U.S. to meet the Environmental Protection Agency's definition as an advanced biofuel. It is produced in nearly every state in the country and can be used in existing diesel engines.

To see the EPA's production numbers, see the volumes numbers in the "Biomass-based Diesel" category on the EPA's website.

To see the most recent economic analysis on the biodiesel industry, go to: http://www.biodiesel.org/news/pressreleases/supporting_docs/20110615_Economic%20Impact.pdf