Dick Lugar
U.S. Senator for Indiana
Contact: Andy Fisher • 202-224-2079 • Date: 9/14/2007
http:// lugar.senate.gov • andy_fisher@lugar.senate.gov
Lugar Helps Open Two Ethanol Plants
U.S. Sen. Dick Lugar spoke today at the opening of the POET ethanol plant in (Portland) Jay County and will address the opening tomorrow at the Central Indiana Ethanol Facility in (Marion) Grant County.
“Biofuels offer the dual opportunity for an economic revitalization of rural America and a solution to a serious national security problem,” said Lugar, who has been a leading advocate for the use of biofuels to decrease our strategic dependence on foreign oil.
“The ethanol plant and all the work of the community to support it are parts of a vital effort to build a more secure and self-reliant America. Global competition for oil continues to grow as demand soars and oil-rich states tighten their control over supplies. Already, we have witnessed Russia cut its exports to selected countries for political gain, and the governments of Iran and Venezuela have both threatened to do the same. Each year, Americans spend hundreds of billions of dollars to import oil. Some of that money enriches authoritarian governments that suppress their own people and work against the United States. Meanwhile, oil infrastructure is being targeted by terrorists. The threat is so severe that Saudi Arabia has announced that it will organize a security force of 35,000 members to protect its oil infrastructure. In today’s tight oil market even a small disruption in oil supplies could cause shortages and send prices much higher. In the future, we might face a situation in which there simply is not enough oil available to meet our needs,” Lugar said.
“I continue to assert that making competitively-priced biofuels available to every motorist in America should be a national priority. Today there are 94 E85 pumps in Indiana. That is 93 more than two years ago when I helped to inaugurate Indiana’s first pump in Terre Haute, but it is not yet enough to give Hoosiers reliable access as they travel across the state. Stations are even rarer as you spread outside of the Midwest. Likewise, while some carmakers have pledged to increase production of flex-fuel vehicles capable of using E85 or regular gasoline, much more needs to be done to ensure that virtually every new car sold in America is flex-fuel capable,” continued Lugar.
“Commercializing the next generation of biofuels is urgently needed. That is one reason why I am particularly excited that the POET company is investing in Indiana. On June 27 of this year, POET announced their successful production of cellulosic ethanol from corn cobs. They also plan to retrofit an existing corn ethanol facility to make cellulosic ethanol. This is an exciting step toward expanding biofuels availability, and it offers the prospect that farmers will be able to turn today’s waste into a marketable commodity,” Lugar said. Lugar is the author of the federal cellulosic ethanol research program.
For more than a decade, Lugar has stressed the strategic importance of energy security and the economic and security risks of dependence on imported foreign energy sources. His legislative efforts promote sustainable energy production and use, incentives for renewable fuels like cellulosic ethanol and E85, increased fuel economy in cars, and clean coal. The Lugar Energy Initiative at http://lugar.senate.gov/energy highlights not only the repercussions of America's dangerous dependence on imported oil, but also provides information on energy legislation introduced by Lugar, commentary by outside experts and information on alternative and renewable energy sources.
