News ReleaseContact:
January 8, 2016Larry Pearce 402-651-2948
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEDavid Terry 703-395-1076
Channing Ansley (Nixon) 573-751-0290
Taylor Gage(Ricketts) 402-471-1970
Coalition WelcomesMissouri Governor Jay Nixon and Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts as the Coalition’s 2016Leadership Team
The Coalition announced today that Missouri Governor Jay Nixon will become chairman and Nebraska Governor Pete Rickettswill become vice chairman of Governors’ Biofuels Coalition this year.
“For more than 20 years, the Governors’ Biofuels Coalition has worked in a bipartisan way to strengthen American energy independence and create jobs in rural communities,” Governor Nixon said. “I look forward to working with Governor Ricketts to promote the production and use of biofuels because, in addition to diversifying our energy portfolio, they also give consumers more choices at the pump, reduce harmful emissions, and increase family incomes in rural America. I thank Governor Branstad for his outstanding leadership, and I look forward to building on his success.”
Now that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has issued its final biofuel blending rule, the Coalition will continue to advocate for policies that grow the biofuel industry such as, proposing legislation that will encourage investment in the nation’s advanced biofuel industry; asking EPA to enforce Section 202 of the Clean Air Act to limit aromatics and open the market for ethanol as a source of clean octane; dropping the obsolete vapor pressure restrictions on higher ethanol blends; and restoring the fuel economy credits (CAFE).
“I’m honored to serve as the next vice chairman of this organization, and will continue working to strengthen the energy independence of Nebraska and our country. Nebraska was one of the founding members of the Coalition, and the Coalition continues to play a major role in our nation’s energy policies, including the renewable fuel standard,” Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts said.
Governor Nixon and Governor Ricketts both thanked Iowa Governor Terry Branstad for not only his leadership of the Coalition last year but for his tireless national leadership on renewable energy policy, and making Iowa a model of renewable energy development for all our states.
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For over 20 years, the Governors’ Biofuels Coalition has provided regional and national leadership on biofuels policy development. The bipartisan Coalition is comprised governors from across the nation. The governors share a concern that the nation’s dependence on imported petroleum is both economically and environmentally unsustainable, and presents an unacceptable risk to our national security. The Coalition’s policy activities address all aspects of biofuels development and use. For more information, visit .
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