Corn Growers Bolstered by Bush Comments on Ethanol, Renewable Energy (2-1-06)

President George W. Bush displayed his confidence in the domestic growth of renewable energy in his State of the Union address last night when he called for a goal of replacing more than 75 percent of U.S. oil imports from the Middle East by 2025, said National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) First Vice President Ken McCauley.

McCauley, who viewed the president’s speech with policy makers from the White House Old Executive Office Building, said, “Corn growers witnessed firsthand the president’s firm commitment to our business. By highlighting corn ethanol, President Bush showed his confidence that America can count on corn growers and the ethanol industry.”

NCGA supports the president’s call to shift away from a hydrocarbon-based economy by advancing technology and research into ethanol. Corn has led the ethanol industry; the United States produced more than 4.3 billions gallons of ethanol in 2005, much of it coming from farmer-owned ethanol plants. Ethanol production is expected to double in the next three to five years.

“We are replacing foreign oil with domestically produced ethanol--made from corn--and we will continue to be a leader in the advancements of this industry,” McCauley said.