In February President Barack Obama announced a series of steps his Administration is taking as part of its comprehensive strategy to enhance American energy independence while building a foundation for a new clean energy economy.

At a meeting with a bipartisan group of eleven governors, including Governor Baldacci from Maine, the President laid out three measures that will work in concert to boost biofuels production and reduce our dependence on foreign oil.

• The Renewable Fuels Standard requires biofuels production to grow from last year’s 11.1 billion gallons to 36 billion gallons in 2022, with 21 billion gallons to come from advanced biofuels.

• The U.S. Department of Agriculture has proposed a rule on the Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP) that would provide financing to increase the conversion of biomass to bioenergy.

• The President’s Biofuels Interagency Working Group released its first report – Growing America’s Fuel. The report, lays out a strategy to advance the development and commercialization of a sustainable biofuels industry to meet or exceed the nation’s biofuels targets.

“By 2022, we will more than double the amount of biofuels we produce to 36 billion gallons, which will decrease our dependence on foreign oil by hundreds of millions of barrels per year,” said President Obama. “We’re also working to make sure that we can start turning things like plants and woodchips into heat, power, and biofuels, and that will create new economic opportunities for rural communities. And our biofuels working group is releasing its first report that details the government’s strategy for supporting the biofuels industry.”

For Maine’s paper mills that have plans to diversify in biomass production the announcement could help ensure their survival, and growth, in a green energy economy.

Researchers at the University of Maine are developing technology to turn wood or the waste from the pulping process into fuels. They have been working closely with Old Town Fuel & Fiber (the former Georgia Pacific mill) and have won research and development grants.

Old Town Fuel & Fiber’s website says, “The extraction of hemicelluloses from wood chips and the process of converting the lignocellulosic extract to biofuels and other chemicals provide replacements for costly and less eco-friendly energy and transportation fuels. Using this technology, Old Town Fuel & Fiber is now one of the few existing pulp mills in the U.S. with the ability to produce 80% of its energy needs, with plans to produce 100% or more. Together with the University of Maine, Old Town Fuel & Fiber anticipates building a center of excellence for research and development of new technologies.”

Old Town Fuel & Fiber’s technology has been designed to be integrated into existing pulp facility infrastructure, which means more of Maine’s pulp mills can easily diversify into the biorefinery business.

With nineteen million acres of forests, Maine’s timberland owners and loggers will also benefit.

On a conference call Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said to protect woodlands used by the boat industry and other quality woodcrafts there would be a woodland prohibition in place.

“We want to protect forests as well, so the resource is sustainable. There is tremendous opportunity for the growth in these industries,” said Vilsack. “BCAP will stimulate biomass production and that will benefit producers and provide the materials necessary to generate clean energy and reduce carbon pollution.”

The USDA already provides grants, loans and other financial support to help biofuels and renewable energy commercialization. BCAP has already begun to provide matching payments to folks delivering biomass for the collection, harvest, storage, and transportation of biomass to eligible biomass conversion facilities.

Vice President Joseph Biden, said the $80 billion being invested in clean energy through the recovery act stimulus package includes $600 million for biofuels projects across the nation. Most of these funds are yet to be allocated.

“We’re now on track to go from zero — zero commercial-scale biofuel refineries — to 19 by the year 2012,” said Biden.

Increasing renewable fuels will reduce dependence on oil by more than 328 million barrels a year and reduce greenhouse gas emissions more than 138 million metric tons a year when fully phased in by 2022.

According to Vilsack the joint measures, of the announcement, provide a road map to leverage resources throughout the country building on regional strengths to establish America’s green energy fuels.

EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson said today’s announcements set the stage for entrepreneurs and innovators to progress their ideas in the green energy economy, will stabilize prices at the gas pump and help farmers and foresters with new markets while reducing carbon emissions.

“The actions President Obama has taken today will create jobs, slash greenhouse gas emissions and increase our energy security while helping to put America at the leading edge of the new energy economy,” said Jackson.

The President also announced a Carbon Capture and Storage Task Force that will be charged with the goal of figuring out how to deploy affordable clean coal technology on a widespread scale within 10 years.

“Even if you disagree on the threat posed by climate change, investing in clean energy jobs and businesses is still the right thing to do for our economy. Reducing our dependence on foreign oil is still the right thing to do for our security. We can’t afford to spin our wheels while the rest of the world speeds ahead,” said the President.