OHIO: Governor's BioFuels Energy Plan

The great thing about having 50 different states is that there are many opportunities to define policies and legislate alternative solutions to meet the same problems as every other state. And the rich geographic diversity of raw materials, climate, agriculture, and industry means that each state is a lab of possibilities for meeting the challenge in creative and globally duplicateable ways. Green Car Congress reports on Ohio Governor Taft's plan to make sure that Ohio is party to the coming wave of change. Who can blame him? The politician who doesn't address the energy dilemma for their constituency looks totally out of touch. The rubber hits the road during legislating.

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Ohio Governor Lays Out Energy Plan; Immediate Focus on Biofuels for Transportation
3 March 2006

Taft made the announcement last week during a visit to Greater Ohio Ethanol in Lima, Ohio, during which he presented a check for $5.9 million in state incentives. The $80-million plant, when full operational, will convert 20 million bushels of corn per year into more than 56 million gallons of ethanol.

Under Taft’s plan, Ohio will:

Double E85 ethanol use in the state fleet from 30,000 gallons to 60,000 gallons per year by January 1, 2007. After 2007, Ohio will increase E85 usage by 5,000 gallons each year;

Increase biodiesel use in the state fleet by 100,000 gallons annually starting in 2007. The state is currently committed to using one million gallons by 2007;

Purchase only flex-fuel vehicles that can run on both regular gasoline and E85 ethanol blend as state vehicles are replaced. Ohio already has 1,710 flex-fuel vehicles; and

Tripling the number of E85 pumps available to Ohio consumers by the end of 2006.

Taft drove up to the Greater Ohio Ethanol plant in a flex-fuel vehicle owned by the Ohio Department of Agriculture.



technorati bioenergy, biofuels, flex-fuel, legislation, ethanol, Ohio