As Chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee, I understand that the demand for alternative sources of fuel has certainly of fuel has certainly generated a great deal of interest, enthusiasm and hope in rural America.

Interest in biofuels over the past few years has greatly increased in our country and for good reason. Recent global events continue to underscore why we can't afford to be dependent on foreign sources of oil. The demand for oil is on the rise in Asia's booming economy, while many of our primary oil suppliers in the Middle East continue to experience instability. The escalating crisis between Israel and Lebanon continues to adversely affect the price of oil as well.

Given the regrettable impact these circumstances have on our wallets, the United States must, and I believe can, meet these challenges and succeed in making our country energy independent for the future. From a federal perspective, I believe we are making progress and are taking the right steps to get us there.

For example, last year Congress passed the comprehensive 2005 Energy Policy Act which balances energy production at home with new conservation and efficiency efforts and increases investment in research and development. Two of the most notable provisions of the energy bill are the creation of a national Renewable Fuels Standard and the extension of the biodiesel tax credit.

In fact, we are already seeing the results of the energy bill. The Renewable Fuels Standard will require the production of 7.5 billion gallons of ethanol by the year 2012, and the industry is well on its way to exceeding that requirement. Biodiesel production in this country is growing at a fantastic rate. In 2004 the industry produced just 25 million gallons and this year it is expected to produce a minimum of 150 million gallons.

One of the more exciting aspects of this phenomenal growth is the ability for farmers throughout rural America and Georgia to take an ownership stake in this value-added enterprise towards energy security. Georgia, which traditionally has not been a large producer of biofuels, now has two biodiesel plants using a variety of feedstocks currently operating in Northwest Georgia.

In Southwest Georgia, the part of the state I call home, there are plans to build a 100 million gallon corn ethanol plant. It will be uniquely situated to tap into southeastern fuel markets and will bring significant economic development to the area.

While domestic ethanol and bioenergy production won't solve our energy problems overnight or replace our reliance on imports, it can certainly move us down the road towards a more rational energy policy and help shield us from energy shocks in any one part of the energy sector. We can continue to look at additional opportunities and expand our ability to produce ethanol from feedstocks other than grain and corn.

As the Senate Agriculture Committee begins to write a new farm bill, the energy title will take on added prominence. In addition, biofuels production is a topic I expect will take a larger role as well.

There is no question Georgia has a strong role to play in meeting our future energy needs and can stay on the leading edge of this debate. We can be a center of production, rather than just a consumer of biofuels, and Georgia's agricultural community has good reason to be excited about the opportunities on the horizon.

(Saxby Chambliss, Georgia's senior U.S. Senator, is Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.)