Governors' Ethanol Coalition

The Honorable Robert Byrd
Chairman, Senate Appropriations Committee
S-128, U.S. Capitol
Washington, D.C. 20510

The Honorable Ted Stevens
Senate Appropriations Committee (Ranking)
S-206, U.S. Capitol
Washington, D.C. 20510

Dear Senator Byrd and Senator Stevens:

As you prepare the FY 02 Interior Appropriations bill, it has come to the Coalition’s attention that Senator Chuck Hagel, in his letter of May 15, requested your support for funding in the amount of $8 million for the National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition. This funding would be designated through the Department of Energy’s Transportation Sector’s Technology Deployment Program for the establishment of up to two hundred E85 ethanol vehicle refueling stations nationwide. I am writing to express the Coalition’s strong support for Senator Hagel’s request.

E85 is a renewable transportation fuel consisting of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline. E85 was developed as a way to address the nation’s pollution problems and dependence on foreign oil. As auto manufacturers are making significant investments to bring E85 capable vehicle technology to the marketplace, there is an urgent need to establish a long-term E85 refueling infrastructure in order to achieve the energy security, environmental, and agricultural economic benefits of renewable fuels.

The E85 infrastructure development project requested by Senator Hagel is critical to the farming communities represented by the Coalition and equally important in expanding the nation’s market for renewable fuels.

On behalf of the Governors’ Ethanol Coalition, I respectfully urge your favorable consideration of Senator Hagel’s request by including E-85 infrastructure funding in your final committee allocations.