28 February 2006

Sebelius leads promotion of ethanol
Governor Sebelius chairs annual meeting of Governor’s Ethanol Coalition

Saying increased use of renewable fuels will benefit Kansas and the country as a whole, Governor Kathleen Sebelius today chaired the annual meeting of the Governors’ Ethanol Coalition in Washington, D.C.

The coalition is made up of 32 governors from around the nation and is devoted to increasing production and use of biofuels such as ethanol and biodiesel. Sebelius is leading the coalition this year.

“There’s a new energy behind our efforts to promote biofuels,” said Sebelius. “The President has made them a key part of his energy agenda and automakers like General Motors are promoting vehicles that can use ethanol-based fuels.”

“Clearly, there’s a recognition of ethanol’s potential to create jobs, particularly in rural areas, while at the same time reducing the country’s dependence on foreign oil,” she continued.

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.

She said the coalition will continue to promote expanding ethanol production from a wider range of sources, and that it will work with Congress to provide adequate funding for the federal biofuels research.

During today’s meeting, Governor Sebelius was joined by the governors of North Dakota and Missouri. The governors passed a resolution calling on major automakers to produce more flexible fuel ethanol vehicles for consumers to choose from. Flexible fuel vehicles are able to use E-85, a blend of fuel consisting of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline.

Speakers at the meeting included former Senator Bob Dole, former Senator Tom Daschle, U.S. Senator Barack Obama, and Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman. Today’s meeting was also attended by representatives of coalition member states, as well as representatives from Ford, General Motors, Daimler Chrysler and Nissan.

Formed in 1991, the Governors’ Ethanol Coalition also includes representatives from Brazil, Canada, Sweden, Mexico and Thailand. It works to educate local and national policymakers of the environmental and economic benefits of ethanol and other biofuels. It also provides authoritative background information and testimony to Congress, the Environmental Protection Agency and to other agencies and policy-making forums.