[All] Fw: Your correspondence to the Honourable Gerry Ritz- QTE 141778

[Louisette Lanteigne]

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--- On Tue, 1/26/10, Ministerial Correspondence - Correspondance ministérielle <MinisterialCorrespondenceCorrespondanceministerielle.MinisterialCorrespondenceCorrespondanceministerielle at AGR.GC.CA> wrote:


From: Ministerial Correspondence - Correspondance ministérielle <MinisterialCorrespondenceCorrespondanceministerielle.MinisterialCorrespondenceCorrespondanceministerielle at AGR.GC.CA>
Subject: Your correspondence to the Honourable Gerry Ritz- QTE 141778
To: butterflybluelu at rogers.com
Date: Tuesday, January 26, 2010, 12:02 PM


Quote: 141778







Ms. Louisette Lanteigne

700 Star Flower Avenue

Waterloo, Ontario  N2V 2L2



butterflybluelu at rogers.com





Dear Ms. Lanteigne:



Thank you for your email, also addressed to other officials, regarding your concerns about using diesel fuels for the proposed light rail transit system for the Waterloo Region. I appreciate being made aware of your views.



The Government of Canada has undertaken a wide array of initiatives over the past decade aimed at accelerating biofuels production and use in Canada. Significant opportunities provided by strengthening Canada's biofuels industry include making Canada more self-sufficient in energy and reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.  



The Government of Canada has developed an integrated renewable fuels strategy that lays the groundwork to build domestic production capacity with the ability to integrate these new fuels, including biodiesel produced from waste products, into our transportation fuel network. Our renewable fuels strategy contains four key elements: a regulation to establish minimum biofuels content, programs to support farmer participation in the industry, a production incentive to stimulate domestic production, and initiatives to support next-generation technologies.



As part of Canada's renewable fuel strategy, the Government of Canada has announced that Canada will require five per cent renewable content based on the volume of gasoline supply by September 2010. Diesel fuel and heating oil will be required to have an average of two per cent renewable content by 2011 or earlier, subject to technical feasibility. 



Biofuel is a significant area of interest to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC). Advances in technologies for making biofuels can open new agricultural markets, provide extra farm income, help to revitalize rural communities, and improve the environment at the same time. Currently, several AAFC branches work in this area and in combination support science, innovation, knowledge, demonstration and commercialization of biofuel-related technologies and processes.



To encourage farmer participation in the biofuels industry, the Government of Canada has initiated two programs: the $200-million ecoAgriculture Biofuels Capital Initiative (ecoABC) and the $20-million Biofuels Opportunities for Producers Initiative (BOPI). The ecoABC Initiative provides repayable contributions for creating or expanding biofuels facilities that farmers have invested in. BOPI was an initiative designed to help farmers and rural communities hire experts to assist in developing business proposals and feasibility and other studies necessary to create and expand biofuels production capacity by agricultural producers. 



As well, the ecoENERGY for Biofuels program provides up to $1.5 billion over nine years to boost Canada's production of biodiesel and ethanol. This initiative offers operating incentives to producers of renewable alternatives to gasoline and diesel.



In addition, AAFC's Agri-Environment Services Branch has recently created a division called Agri-green Technologies. This work unit's role will be to offer a sustained focus on promoting and advancing science and technology making use of agriculture bioproducts and bioprocesses to provide environmental solutions and enhance the profitability of the agriculture sector. Biofuel and bioenergy will be an ongoing area of focus of this work unit.  



The federal government is also supporting the development and introduction of next-generation technologies by establishing the NextGen Biofuels Fund(tm). This fund provides $500 million to Sustainable Development Technology Canada to invest with the private sector in large-scale demonstration facilities for the production of next-generation renewable fuels, such as cellulosic ethanol, made from non-food sources such as wheat straw, corn stover, and forestry residues.  



Analysis performed at Natural Resources Canada using the GHGenius life cycle model for transportation fuels estimates that under typical Canadian conditions, grain-based ethanol produces around 40 per cent fewer GHG emissions than gasoline, while biodiesel produces around 60 per cent fewer GHG emissions than diesel. As next-generation renewable fuel technologies make their way into the market, GHG emissions reductions could increase significantly-up to 90 per cent or more compared to crude oil-based fuels. 



I trust that this information is helpful to you. Again, thank you for taking the time to write with your comments and concerns. 





Sincerely,





Gerry Ritz, PC  , MP

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