Gingrich “a flat out liar,” says National Algae Association, denying campaign contact, slamming Speaker’s algae numbers

In Texas, the National Algae Association called on presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich to issue a retraction of statements he made at a campaign speech in Pennsylvania, branding the Speaker’s claim that he contacted the NAA to discuss algae or algae-based biofuels “an outright lie”.

In a speech that was widely reported, Gingrich said: “[The National Algae Association] believe within 10 years they will probably be able to produce commercially usable petroleum products from algae and they believe they can produce them for somewhere between $140 and $800 a barrel.”

National Algae Association executive director Barry Cohen said, “neither Gingrich nor anyone from his campaign has contacted NAA and that is not our quote. He is a flat-out liar.”

In his speech, basing off what appears to be a fabricated conversation with NAA, Gingrich added, “Now, notice two things here: one is, they don’t think it’s gonna be available for 10 more years so you could argue that the Obama solution is walk for a decade and then algae will be ready. But notice also what they’re doing, once again as they did with solar power, they are for a solution so expensive it’s not economically rational.”

The National Algae Association spokeswoman Lisa Cohen added, “We have never taken the position that it’s 10 years away – why would there be over 3,500 gallons already in production at [our] Testing Center? $140 per barrel has never been in any of NAA’s plans, specs, financial models, and so on. Ever! And with a much smaller number on our worksheets, one of the struggles that the Engineering Consortium has worked with since Day 1 is to get the price lower, and lower, and lower.”