05 January 2006

Governor Sebelius to lead Governors’ Ethanol Coalition
Kansas governor to promote increased use of biofuels

Promoting ethanol has been a key part of Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius’ efforts to create jobs and reduce the United States’ dependence on foreign oil.

Sebelius will continue those efforts this year in her new role as chair of the 32-member Governor’s Ethanol Coalition, succeeding Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty, whose term expired at the end of December. Nebraska Governor Dave Heineman will serve as vice chair of the organization in 2006.

“Ethanol has a real potential to create jobs, particularly in rural areas. It also can help reduce our dependence on unstable overseas oil supplies, and it burns cleaner than regular gasoline,” said Sebelius. “These are all great reasons to make ethanol a key part of our national energy strategy.”

Sebelius noted the nation is on track to replace 5 percent of the nation’s transportation fuel with domestically produced ethanol and biodiesel by 2012.

The Kansas governor said the coalition will continue to promote expanding ethanol production from a wider range of feedstocks, including cellulose sources, and that they will work with Congress to provide adequate funding for the federal government’s biofuels research, which was included in last year’s energy bill.

Sebelius and Heineman agree on the potential for the future of biofuels market.

“Increasing biofuels production can deliver real fuel diversity for the nation,” Heineman said. “The oil and natural gas supply disruptions in the Gulf of Mexico proved that diversification of supply and distribution are the building blocks of energy security.”

In a letter issued today, the two governors asked the U.S. secretaries of agriculture and energy to participate in a study that would examine how best to expand the nation’s biofuels industry.

The Governors’ Ethanol Coalition educates local and national policymakers of the environmental and economic benefits of ethanol and other biofuels They also provide authoritative background information and testimony to Congress, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and to other agencies and at policy-making forums.