History
 Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds is the chair for 2018  Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton is vice chair for 2018 |
Coalition Chairs1992 Nebraska Governor Ben Nelson 1993 Illinois Governor Jim Edgar 1994 Nebraska Governor Ben Nelson 1995 Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson 1996 Missouri Governor Mel Carnahan 1997 Iowa Governor Terry Branstad 1998 Indiana Governor Frank O’Bannon 1999 Kansas Governor Bill Graves 2000 Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack 2001 Nebraska Governor Mike Johanns 2002 Missouri Governor Bob Holden 2003 North Dakota Governor John Hoeven 2004 Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich 2005 Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty 2006 Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius 2007 Nebraska Governor Dave Heineman 2008 Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich 2009 North Dakota Governor John Hoeven 2010 Iowa Governor Chet Culver 2011 Kansas Governor Sam Brownback 2012 Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton 2013 Iowa Governor Terry Branstad 2014 Illinois Governor Pat Quinn 2015 Iowa Governor Terry Branstad 2016 Missouri Governor Jay Nixon 2017 Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts 2018 Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds |
Opportunities
For environmental and health concerns, the nation has decided to clean-up the fuels which have powered America for nearly a century. The Clean Air Act identified numerous areas of the country which must reduce or eliminate their pollution levels. ethanol bus Those areas must change the gasoline and diesel fuels used, either year-round or seasonally. Now and through the next several years, cleaner and cleaner fuels such as ethanol, natural gas and propane will be used in cars, trucks and buses. Today’s key issue is to determine which alternatives will replace — or be added to — gasoline and diesel fuel to reduce pollution. The Governors’ Ethanol Coalition wants to make certain that as the decisions on America’s fuels are being made, ethanol and ethyl tertiary butyl ether, or ETBE as its commonly known, have a role in the nation’s transportation fuels market.
Accomplishments
In just a few years, the Coalition has:
- Embarked on an international initiative and now includes representatives from Brazil, Canada, Mexico, Sweden and Thailand. These new alliances will help the Coalition share research and development information, explore import and export joint ventures and create an international climate to expand ethanol’s production and worldwide use.
- Increased the awareness by local and national policy makers of ethanol’s environmental and economic benefits, including global warming benefits.
- Cooperated on the development of marketing activities, including siting 85 percent ethanol pumps through the National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition.
- Participated in the creation of the National Ethanol Vehicle Challenge that gives engineering students design experience in converting vehicles to operate on 85 percent ethanol.
- Provided authoritative testimony or information to Congress, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and other policy-making forums as well as the public.
- Provided a public forum for key ethanol issues including a roundtable discussion for environmental groups and policy makers.
- Developed a comprehensive report of ethanol’s economic benefits.
- Championed the extension of the federal tax exemption for ethanol to 2007.
- Supported the expanded use of ethanol and renewable ether derivatives such as ethyl tertiary butyl ether or ETBE.
- Coordinated the purchase of flexible fuel vehicles, capable of operating on up to 85 percent ethanol, for use in member states.