President Obama Voices Support for Biofuels Development and Continued Viability of...

President Obama Voices Support for Biofuels Development and Continued
Viability of Existing Ethanol Industry

GBC Asked to Contribute to Implementation of Presidential Biofuels Directive

WASHINGTON, June 1 /PRNewswire/ -- In his effort to develop a national
biofuels strategy to reduce America's dependence on imported oil, President
Barack Obama invited the Governors' Biofuels Coalition to partner with key
members of his Administration to achieve his vision for energy independence.

In a May 27, 2009, letter to Coalition Chair Gov. John Hoeven of North Dakota
and Vice Chair Gov. Chet Culver of Iowa, President Obama praised the
organization for its leadership in biofuels policy and public education. The
President asked the Coalition to join him in implementing his Presidential
Biofuels Directive, which was issued earlier this month. The directive
outlined the President's vision for biofuels development and his expectations
for key cabinet and administration officials to lead the Administration's
biofuels initiatives. The President noted that the Coalition's February 2009
recommendations helped form key points of the directive, and led to the
President's request for the Coalition to work with "members of my cabinet to
implement the directive."

In the letter, President Obama notes that his Administration is committed to
the rapid development of cellulosic ethanol. "But this transition will be
successful only if the first-generation biofuels industry remains viable in
the near-term, and if we remove long-standing artificial barriers to market
expansion...," the letter states.

"We cannot achieve the promise of cellulosic biofuels if we do not continue to
support and develop the first-generation corn ethanol industry and the
infrastructure needed to distribute and deliver biofuels today and in the
future," said Governor Hoeven. "This is an endorsement for our continued
commitment to the ethanol industry we have today, while moving forward with
the development of emerging cellulosic biofuels technologies."

"While the President's acknowledgement of the Coalition's leadership is
certainly gratifying, we understand that there is both a great responsibility
and a great challenge in helping the President implement his biofuels
directive," said Governor Culver. "The Coalition is up to the task. We are
very honored, and look forward to working with the Administration to achieve
the President's vision for a transition from petroleum-derived transportation
fuels to a sustainable, low carbon energy future."

The President also noted the important economic development role that biofuels
can play. "It is my hope that the Presidential Biofuels Directive will lead
to new jobs, new businesses and reduce dependence on foreign oil," he wrote.

"The governors in the Coalition have seen the profound and positive impact
that first-generation biofuels are having on our state and local economies,"
Governor Hoeven added. "They are the foundation for an even more robust and
sustainable domestic energy industry that will enhance our nation's economy
and energy security."

President Obama's Letter to the Coalition can be viewed at:
http://www.governorsbiofuelscoalition.org/

The Coalition's Letter and Recommendations to President Obama can be viewed
at: www.governorsbiofuelscoalition.org/assets/files/GBC_ObamaLetter1.pdf

For fifteen years, the Governors' Biofuels Coalition has provided national
leadership on biofuels issues. The Coalition's policy activities address all
biofuels, including ethanol, biodiesel, advanced biofuels, co-products, and
technologies yet to come. For more information, visit
www.GovernorsBiofuelsCoalition.org.

Contact:
Larry Pearce 402-651-2948
David Terry 703-395-1076
Phil Roeder (Culver) 515-281-0173
Lance Gaebe (Hoeven) 701-328-2200

SOURCE Governors' Biofuels Coalition

Larry Pearce, +1-402-651-2948, or David Terry, +1-703-395-1076, for Governors'
Biofuels Coalition, or Phil Roeder, +1-515-281-0173, for Governor Culver, or
Lance Gaebe, +1-701-328-2200, for Governor Hoeven