In September 1991, Nebraska's governor asked other governors interested in creating a group devoted to the promotion and increased use of ethanol to join him in Lincoln, Nebraska. From that meeting, the Governors' Ethanol Coalition emerged. Membership in the Coalition doubled from nine to 19 states during the first year. Membership as of January 2008 stands at 36 representatives plus international representatives from Brazil, Canada, Mexico, Queensland, Australia, Sweden and Thailand.
  Illinois Governor and Coalition Chair 2008 Rod Blagojevich |
Coalition Chairs
1992 Nebraska Governor Ben Nelson
1993 Illinois Governor Jim Edgar
1994 Nebraska Governor Ben Nelson
1995 Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson
1996 Missouri Governor Mel Carnahan
1997 Iowa Governor Terry Branstad
1998 Indiana Governor Frank O'Bannon
1999 Kansas Governor Bill Graves
2000 Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack
2001 Nebraska Governor Mike Johanns
2002 Missouri Governor Bob Holden
2003 North Dakota Governor John Hoeven
2004 Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich
2005 Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty
2006 Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius
2007 Nebraska Governor Dave Heineman
2008 Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich
Opportunities
For environmental and health concerns, the nation has decided to clean-up the fuels which have powered America for nearly a century. The Clean Air Act identified numerous areas of the country which must reduce or eliminate their pollution levels.
Those areas must change the gasoline and diesel fuels used, either year-round
or seasonally. Now and through the next several years, cleaner and cleaner
fuels such as ethanol, natural gas and propane will be used in cars, trucks
and buses. Today's key issue is to determine which alternatives will replace
— or be added to — gasoline and diesel fuel to reduce pollution. The Governors'
Ethanol Coalition wants to make certain that as the decisions on America's
fuels are being made, ethanol and ethyl tertiary butyl ether, or ETBE as
its commonly known, have a role in the nation's transportation fuels market.
Accomplishments
In just a few years, the Coalition has:
- Embarked on an international initiative and now includes representatives
from Brazil, Canada, Mexico, 2006 Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius
Sweden and Thailand. These new alliances will help the Coalition share research and development information, explore import and export joint ventures and create an international climate to expand ethanol's production and worldwide use.
- Increased the awareness by local and national policy makers
of ethanol's environmental and economic
benefits, including global warming benefits.
- Cooperated on the development of marketing
activities, including siting 85 percent
ethanol pumps through the National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition.
- Participated in the creation of
the National Ethanol Vehicle Challenge that
gives engineering students design experience in converting vehicles to
operate on 85 percent ethanol.
-
Provided authoritative testimony or information to
Congress, the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency and other policy-making forums as well as the public.
- Provided a public forum for
key ethanol issues including a roundtable
discussion for environmental groups and policy
makers.
- Developed a comprehensive report of ethanol's economic benefits.
- Championed the
extension of the federal tax exemption for
ethanol to 2007.
- Supported the expanded use of
ethanol and renewable ether derivatives such
as ethyl tertiary butyl ether or
ETBE.
- Coordinated the purchase of flexible fuel vehicles, capable of operating on up to 85 percent ethanol, for use in member states.