Negotiators from the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives have dropped a controversial provision blocking the military's ability to develop and purchase advanced biofuels. The deal comes as legislators aim to finalize a bill authorizing the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) to spend $633 billion in 2013. The restrictions were adopted by the Republican-controlled House in May, but were left out of the version of the bill that the Democrat-controlled Senate passed late last month. The compromise language is expected to pass both houses of Congress later this week before landing on President Barack Obama's desk on Friday.
The military's use of biofuels originally sparked the ire of some GOP members of congress and the senate after it was widely reported that the military pays up to $26 a gallon for some "advanced" biofuels, which can be used as direct replacements for petroleum fuels used by ships and aircraft.
