WASHINGTON, May 23, 2016 - Acting Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Michael Scuse will lead a team of U.S. ethanol industry leaders on a mission to Mexico May 24 to May 25, to explore opportunities to expand both the United States' and Mexico's renewable energy sectors.

"Our goal is to partner with Mexico to support the establishment of an economically viable ethanol industry there, where Mexican domestic production can be supplemented with imported product from the United States," Scuse said. "The increased use of ethanol in the North American fuel market will provide citizens from both countries with an inexpensive source of renewable energy that improves air quality, reduces greenhouse gas emissions, and stimulates the rural economy."

The United States is the world's leading manufacturer of ethanol, producing more than half of the global supply. U.S. ethanol has been an important driver of rural economic growth since 2007. The United States currently blends more than 14 billion gallons of ethanol into the transportation fuel supply each year, utilizing five billion bushels of corn and returning nearly $20 billion annually to the U.S. farm economy.

"Mexico, with the right policies in place, has the potential to achieve similar benefits producing ethanol from sugarcane," Scuse said. "We view this as a partnership that can provide benefits for both Mexico and the United States."

Mission participants will share their experiences with both ethanol production and the development of renewable fuels policies, with the goal of demonstrating how Mexico can implement its own renewable fuels program.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is committed to pursuing investments in renewable energy by creating new markets for U.S. farmers and ranchers, helping Americans save money on their energy bills, supporting America's clean energy economy, cutting carbon pollution, and reducing dependence on foreign oil and costly fossil fuels. Under the Obama Administration, USDA supports more than 2,200 wind and solar renewable electricity generation projects, enough to power over 130,000 homes annually; contributes to renewable energy research through $332 million in funding for projects ranging from genomic research to bioenergy feedstock crops, to development of biofuel conversion processes and costs/benefit estimates of renewable energy production; is working with 21 states as part of its Biofuel Infrastructure Partnership, providing a $100 million match to more than double the number of biofuel pumps nationwide; and more.

Investments in renewable energy and the biobased economy are a leading part of USDA's commitment to mitigating climate change and promoting a clean-energy economy. This month, the Department is examining what a changing climate means to agriculture and how USDA is working to reduce greenhouse gases. For more information, visit Chapter 5 of https://medium.com/usda-results.