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Governors' Ethanol Coalition P.O. Box 95085, Lincoln, NE 68509-5085, Phone 402.471.2867, Fax 402.471.3064
Internet: www.ethanol-gec.org
Louisiana, Virginia, and Maryland Governors Join the
Governors’ Ethanol Coalition
Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius announced today that Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco, Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine, and Maryland Gov. Robert Ehrlich are the newest additions to the 35-member Governors' Ethanol Coalition.
“We are very pleased to welcome so many new governors to the Coalition, but we are not surprised by the level of interest shown by the nation’s governors in the Governors’ Ethanol Coalition,” Gov. Sebelius said. “Typically, it is the nation’s governors who are usually first to address the nation’s substantive concerns. The governors realize that the nation must quickly implement an energy transportation policy to deal with the nation’s dangerous oil dependency, and they view the Governors’ Ethanol Coalition as an organization that can help get that job done quickly.”
“Within the past year, many have concluded that the near-term solution to the nation’s imported oil dependency lies with ethanol,” Sebelius said. “That’s why ethanol production records are being set monthly, and new ethanol refineries are being constructed at a pace never before seen.”
“The fact that we’re seeing new interest among our colleagues is an indication of ethanol’s growing status as a national fuel,” said Nebraska Gov. Dave Heineman who serves as Vice Chair of the Coalition. “Ethanol has the potential to reduce our reliance on foreign oil, while providing quality jobs and opportunities for economic development. It’s encouraging to see other states joining the discussion on the future of this home-grown fuel.”
Last year, the Coalition issued Ethanol from Biomass: America’s 21st Century Transportation Fuel (PDF). The report called for the creation of three national policy recommendations: a renewable fuels standard with a cellulosic component; increased ethanol research and development; and incentives for cellulosic derived ethanol production. The three recommendations were incorporated into the Energy Policy Act of 2005 passed by Congress and signed into law by the President.
Gov. Sebelius is the current chair of the Coalition and Gov. Heineman serves as vice chair. The Governors’ Ethanol Coalition works to promote ethanol market expansion across the nation, and includes the governors of 35 states and representatives from five nations.
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