President Obama's Secure Energy Blueprint – industry reaction

Mike McAdams, President, Advanced Biofuels Association

“I am hopeful the energy security blueprint the President unveiled today will keep America on track with his earlier challenge to our nation and to Washington of meeting ‘our generation’s Sputnik moment’.”

“America stands at a deciding juncture for deploying clean energy alternatives and particularly, the future of all biofuels, just as we were when our cellphones made the technological jump to today’s smart phones.“

“It is essential that our industry help the President and the Congress by identifying tangible and proven opportunities to invest in tomorrow’s clean energy fuels.  These opportunities are here today, but they require us to make smarter investments that can strengthen America’s energy security.  Advanced biofuels technologies can deliver ready to use, drop-in fuels that can be used in today’s planes, trains and automobiles without waiting for the day when costly changes are made for example on car assembly lines.”

“By taking a small fraction of the more than 20 billion dollars already invested in building the first generation biofuels plants, we can deploy new technologies to those existing facilities to successfully commercialize and produce next generation molecules that are energy efficient and usable in vehicles on the road today without significant changes.”

“I was encouraged to hear the President emphasize his continued commitment to the commercial deployment of advanced and cellulosic biofuels technologies and supporting the government’s role in helping bring these renewable gallons to the market sooner rather than later.  Many of today’s most promising and potentially impactful technologies will simply not be commercialized without the support of our government in the short term.”

“We support this effort and pledge to continue our work with the Administration and Congress to make sure the programs currently on the books, such as the loan guarantee programs at the Departments of Energy and Agriculture are workable and deliver on their promise. These programs should focus on the cost to the taxpayers and ultimately consumers who will buy these products, not picking a winning or losing technology.”

“Working together, the entire biofuels industry can find the right balance, so America will no longer be at the mercy of foreign interests every time we pull up to the gas station.”

Mary Rosenthal, Executive Director, Algal Biomass Organization

“On behalf of the U.S. algae industry, I want to thank President Obama for his forceful support of domestic biofuels. The President called today for increased production of domestic fuels, something our industry is well positioned to do. Our members are creating sustainable, scalable and long-term supplies of oil for gasoline, ethanol, diesel and jet fuel.

The major difference is that our oil “wells” are located aboveground, never need drilling and never run dry.  As our industry grows, we will create thousands of jobs in nearly every state in the U.S., drive economic development, and provide a long term supply of domestic oils for military and consumer use.

The success the armed forces and others have had with biofuels, including those made from algae, is an important indicator of the impact our industry will have in the coming years. We look forward to working with our member companies, the Obama administration, the Department of Defense, Department of Energy and U.S. Department of Agriculture to accelerate development and commercialization of biofuels made from algae.”

Brooke Coleman, Executive Director, Advanced Ethanol Coalition

“Advanced ethanol producers are eager to meet the goals put forward by President Obama. The entire ethanol industry welcomes his commitment to developing a thriving and diverse domestic biofuels industry. We are particularly encouraged by his recognition of the need for partnerships between public and private entities to construct the first advanced ethanol biorefineries. Similarly, we firmly support his calls for a responsible transition and transformation of current biofuel tax policy and investments in ethanol vehicle technology and fueling infrastructure.

“Challenging capital markets, economic uncertainty, and uncertain federal policy have worked to slow the commercialization of promising advanced ethanol technologies. By committing to policies that accelerate the commercial production of ethanol from a wide range feedstocks, the nation can gain more control over its energy future. Ethanol production from wood wastes, grasses, municipal solid waste, and other non-traditional feedstocks will go a long way to making America truly independent of a need to import oil.”

“President Obama deserves credit for identifying both short and long term solutions to reducing our nation’s dependence on foreign oil by encouraging the increased use of ethanol and next generation biofuels. He particularly recognized the role of America’s farmers in the production of corn ethanol today and next-generation biofuels in the future. Ethanol is part of the solution, whether that ethanol comes from grain or cellulosic biomass,” said Tom Buis, CEO of Growth Energy.

Ret. Vice Admiral Denny McGinn, former commander of the U.S. Navy’s Third Fleet and a member of the 25x’25 Steering Committe

“America’s energy posture– with its dependence on fossil fuels, including two-thirds of crude oil coming from foreign supplies– poses a serious and urgent threat to our nation. As we’ve seen in recent weeks, U.S. dependence on foreign oil weakens our international leverage, undermines our foreign policy objectives, and entangles America with unstable regimes. Home-grown transportation fuel that can never run out will help us beat our national addiction to foreign oil. Right now, we  send more than $1 billion to other countries each day to pay for oil—and much of that money goes to regimes hostile to the United States. Biofuels and other alternative energy sources will help make our nation more secure—militarily, diplomatically, and economically.”

Matt Horton, CEO, Propel Fuels

“We commend President Obama for outlining his plan for the further development of domestic energy sources. As the President calls for a one-third reduction in imported petroleum over the next decade, there are nearly 20 million Flex Fuel and diesel vehicles on American roads today that can fill up with renewable, American made fuels. These vehicles can offer an immediate and substantial reduction in the amount of oil we import from other countries. The problem is that there is currently limited access to these domestic fuels, so consumers have no voice in our national dilemma. At Propel, we are dedicated to solving this problem giving consumers a voice by building a network of high blend renewable fueling stations to offer Americans a better choice at the pump.”

Jason Pyle, CEO, Sapphire Energy

“I applaud President Obama’s continued support for alternative energy solutions.  Today, he set an ambitious, but necessary goal to reduce U.S. oil imports by one-third by 2025.  As the president and his administration understand, to do this we must have a longer-term energy strategy that includes the use of alternative energy solutions such as biofuels.

“It is readily apparent that our nation must reduce its dependence on foreign oil. With political instability in oil producing regions, energy security and national security risks on the increase, rising oil prices, and future supply implications, a tectonic shift is necessary.  There is a need for a portfolio of solutions which are scalable over the next several decades, economical, domestically produced, and, in the case of transportation fuels, compatible with our existing network of pipelines, refineries and transport systems.

“At Sapphire Energy, we’re inspired by the words and commitment of our President. It will continue to drive our work forward as we develop algae-based biofuels. We have the opportunity to keep America on the cutting edge of clean energy technology. If we can collectively keep our eyes on that prize, we will drive our economy, positively impact the environment, and secure our energy independence.”

Nicholas E. Calio, CEO, Air Transport Association

“We applaud President Obama’s leadership in furthering America’s energy security by directing accelerated production of commercially viable biofuels for use in aircraft. ATA and our members remain firm supporters of a comprehensive national energy policy that increases U.S. energy security, is climate-friendly, and results in more predictable and stable energy supply and costs. We look forward to stepping up our work with the USDA, DOE and the nation’s military in furthering advanced biofuels development and deployment. This will build on our work with the Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative, a coalition that ATA co-leads with the Federal Aviation Administration, the Strategic Alliance for Alternative Fuels initiative with the U.S. military, and our Farm-to-Fly program with USDA and Boeing to accelerate the availability of commercially viable, environmentally preferred alternative jet fuels.”

Manning Feraci, Vice President of Federal Affairs, National Biodiesel Board

“The biodiesel industry is already poised for a record year in which we will displace nearly a billion gallons of petroleum with a renewable fuel produced right here in the United States. We are ready and able to meet the nation’s Advanced Biofuel goals and in the process create new jobs, improve the environment and enhance the nation’s energy security.”