Pawlenty pushes ethanol in visit to D.C.

07/21/2005

WASHINGTON (AP) July 22, 2005 — Gov. Tim Pawlenty, who runs a state that is a leader in alternative fuels, urged Congress Thursday to adopt the higher of two ethanol standards before it.

A House-Senate conference committee is currently reconciling two versions of the energy bill. The Senate bill would require that refiners use at least 8 billion gallons of renewable components — almost all of it ethanol from corn — in gasoline by 2012. The House bill would require five billion gallons.

“Five billion is too low,’’ Pawlenty told Minnesota reporters after testifying in front of the House Agriculture Committee. “Some would say that we’re already there, or will be in a year or two.’’

The United States currently uses about four billion gallons of ethanol a year.

Pawlenty also suggested that the renewable fuel industry branch out to out other sources, such as wood and animal waste, to make it more attractive to other regions of the country.

“This doesn’t just benefit farmers,’’ he said. “It’s good for rural and economic development. It’s good environmental policy, and it’s good national security policy.’’

In May, Pawlenty signed a bill that doubles the amount of ethanol in Minnesota gasoline to 20 percent by 2013.