March 12, 2002
The Honorable Tom Daschle
Majority Leader
United States
Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510
The Honorable Trent Lott
Minority Leader
United States
Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510
Dear Senator Daschle, Senator Lott:
On behalf of the 27 members
of the Governors' Ethanol Coalition, we are writing to express our strong
support for the provisions included in the Energy Policy Act of
2002 (S. 517), which will establish a national renewable fuels
standard.
The provisions set forth in the Manager's Amendment to S.
517 reflect an agreement negotiated over the last two years by the states,
agricultural interests, refiners, and the environmental community that
will address such important issues as MTBE water contamination and the
oxygenate requirement in reformulated gasoline while providing a
significant market for renewable fuels such as ethanol and
biodiesel. Specifically,we support those provisions in S.517
that:
- Create a national renewable fuels standard,
ensuring a growing part of our nation's fuel supply, up to 5 billion
gallons by 2012, is provided by domestic, renewable fuels;
- Eliminate the use of MTBE in the United States
within four years;
- Eliminate the oxygenate requirement in the
reformulated gasoline program; and
- Maintain the air quality gains of the
reformulated gasoline program.
By enacting these provisions, we
will strengthen our national security, displace imported oil from
politically unstable regions, stimulate ethanol and biodiesel production,
expand domestic energy supplies, and continue to reduce air pollution.
We encourage you to support these provisions
and to resist any amendments that would alter this landmark
agreement.
Sincerely,
Bob Holden
Governor of
Missouri and
Chair, Governors’ Ethanol Coalition
John Hoeven
Governor
of North Dakota and
Vice Chair, Governors’ Ethanol
Coalition
Mike Johanns Governor
of Nebraska and
Past Chair, Governors’
Ethanol Coalition
c. The Honorable Harry
Reid, Assistant Majority Leader
The Honorable Don
Nickles, Assistant Minority Leader
The Honorable
Jeff Bingaman, Chairman, Senate Energy & Natural Resources
Committee
The Honorable Frank Murkowski, Ranking
Minority Member, Senate Energy &
Natural Resources Committee
