New Ethanol Fact Book Highlights Benefits of U.S. Ethanol Program

6th Edition of the Ethanol Fact Book Underscores 30 Years of Bipartisan Support

WASHINGTON, June 29 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- According to a new report by a broad coalition of industry, government and non-profit organizations released here today, producing fuel ethanol in the United States generates jobs and wealth by processing domestic resources into clean burning transportation fuels.  Thousands of jobs, increased farm income, and tax receipts in the hundreds of millions of dollars flow from the ethanol industry as costly and polluting petroleum imports are replaced by American-made fuel.  

Published by the Clean Fuels Development Coalition and distributed through the Ethanol Across America campaign, the Ethanol Fact Book addresses issues regarding the ethanol tax incentive, energy security and oil import reductions, economic impacts and benefits to the U.S. Treasury, greenhouse gas reduction and environmental benefits, and advancements in cellulose conversion technologies.  In addition, developments in flexible fuel vehicle production and high level blends are addressed.

U.S. Senator Ben Nelson (D-NE) Co-Chair of the Ethanol Across America campaign said, "As Congress continues its work on an energy bill it is essential that it will continue to support and enhance our nation's use of renewable fuels.  Ethanol supports our efforts to create jobs, stimulate the economy, reduce the use of oil, and improve the environment.  Through the Ethanol Across America education program, we are getting the facts out and believe when people understand the wide range of benefits ethanol provides they will continue to support it.  The Clean Fuels Development Coalition has done a tremendous job in educating the public about this issue through this fact book."

U.S. Senator Richard Lugar (R-IN), Co-Chair of the Ethanol Across America campaign, said, "Energy is a vitally strategic national security issue for our country.  The real cost of petroleum includes the use of our military to defend shipping lanes and maintain geopolitical stability in oil producing regions. Increasing the development and production of renewable fuels such as ethanol will help ensure national and economic security. As the Ethanol Fact Book illustrates, with high oil prices ethanol production becomes even more important and farmers growing corn, and other energy crops, will add to our nation's energy security while helping our communities prosper."

According to Douglas A. Durante, Executive Director of the Clean Fuels Development Coalition, while ethanol has been widely covered in the media, the fact book illustrates that it is an issue that receives truly bi-partisan support and that it has become a critical part of the nation's fuel mix, providing more fuel to American consumers on a gasoline equivalent basis than such countries as Iraq, Mexico, and Venezuela.  "Ethanol is a complex and multi-faceted issue that needs to be viewed in its entirety.  Its value is truly the sum of its parts and this fact book clearly defines the energy security, economic, environmental, and national benefits derived from our ethanol industry," said Durante.

Tom Buis, Chief Executive Officer of Growth Energy, the coalition of U.S. ethanol supporters, said, "American farmers are the most productive in the world. There is no question that farming can play a greater role in diversifying our energy supply away from a reliance on foreign oil. Domestic ethanol is the only commercially viable alternative we have to foreign oil that creates U.S. jobs, cleans the air, and strengthens our national security. While some have questioned whether American farmers could meet both food and fuel needs, this fact book lays out the truth: America's farmers are up to the challenge and will continue providing the most abundant food supply in the world, while also contributing to our nation's energy solution.  It is time we turned away from the oil fields of the Mid East, and turn to the farm fields of the Mid West, for our energy future."

The Ethanol Fact Book is available through the offices of the Clean Fuels Development Coalition, the American Coalition for Ethanol, Growth Energy, the Nebraska Ethanol Board, and numerous other outlets.  For more information log on to www.ethanolacrossamerica.net or contact [email protected].  

Ethanol Across America is a non-profit, non-partisan education campaign of the Clean Fuels Foundation and is sponsored by industry, government, and private interests; U.S. Senators Ben Nelson (D-NE) and Richard Lugar (R-IN), Co-Chairmen.  For more information, log on to www.ethanolacrossamerica.net

SOURCE Clean Fuels Development Coalition