About the Authors

The Clean Fuels Development Coalition is an innovative not-for-profit organization that actively supports the development and production of fuels with the demonstrated ability to reduce air pollution.

By combining the efforts of a variety of industry interests, the Coalition has played a crucial leadership role in the development of a national energy strategy, passage of clean fuel legislation and regulation and the fostering of new fuel technology and manufacturing processes.

The Clean Fuels Development Coalition is dedicated to an "energy mix" of environmentally sound fuels in the United States. At this time, Coalition efforts are focused primarily on renewable alcohols and their ether derivatives. The group is also supportive of other "alternative" fuels such as compressed natural gas, propane, electricity and hybrids or combinations of these.

The Coalition is comprised of ethanol producers, ether manufacturers, refiners, automobile manufacturers, agricultural organizations, design and engineering firms and others interested in the development of clean fuels.

Thanks to its broad-based membership, the Coalition has been an important player in the development of this country's energy strategy in recent years. The Coalition has

• Helped draft and support the oxygenated fuels, reformulated gasoline and "deposit control additives" provisions in the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990.
• Worked with General Motors, Chrysler and Ford to have oxygenated fuels included in reformulated gasoline provisions and to coordinate auto maker language recommending the use of oxygenated fuels.
• Supported corporate average fuel economy incentives for dedicated "neat" or variable fuel-powered vehicles as part of the Alternative Motor Fuels Act of 1988.
• Testified in support of oxygenated fuels programs in Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, Oregon and Texas.
• Working for the extension of the excise tax exemption and the blender tax credit for ethanol through 2007.
• Assisted in the implementation of the fuels provisions of the Clean Air Act as a committee member of the Environmental Protection Agency's Regulatory Negotiation.
• Served as a primary proponent of ETBE, including organization of the campaign to obtain Internal Revenue Service clarification regarding ethanol's eligibility for the blender tax credit when manufacturing ETBE.

The Clean Fuels Development Coalition has also published educational materials, successfully worked for the approval of uniform product labeling and specifications and led cooperative educational efforts with the U.S. Department of Energy, Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and many environmental groups.

In September 1991, Governor Ben Nelson of Nebraska 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.

In just a few years, the Coalition has:

• Proposed the Domestic Renewable Oxygenate Initiative which served as the basis for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's proposed renewable oxygenate rule. The proposed rule was announced December 15, 1993, and was expected to increase the annual demand for ethanol by about 630 million gallons.
• Undertaken the development of a comprehensive report of ethanol's economic benefits.
• 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 building an 85 percent ethanol fueling infrastructure.
• Coordinated the purchase of over 500 flexible-fuel vehicles, capable of operating on up to 85 percent ethanol, for use in member states.
• Created the National Ethanol Research Institute.
• Served as an authoritative source for ethanol and its uses.
• Provided a public forum for key ethanol topics.
• Provided testimony or information to Congress, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and other policy-making forums.
• Supported the expanded use of ethanol and renewable ether derivatives such as ethyl tertiary butyl ether or ETBE.
• Co-founded National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition.