December 17, 2008 - Washington, DC – To clarify confusion as to the nature of discussion ideas for an economic stimulus aimed at green job creation submitted to the Obama transition team by the Renewable Fuels Association, the RFA released the following statement:

“Last week, at the request of President-elect Obama’s transition team, the Renewable Fuels Association submitted discussion ideas for consideration as the president-elect formulates an economic stimulus package partially designed to create green jobs and spur the green economy. Some have misconstrued this communication as a request for federal assistance or a bailout. To the contrary, the RFA recognizes that by stimulating increased production, innovation, and investment in new technologies and cellulosic feedstocks, a revitalized renewable fuels industry can help bail out the flagging US economy and lessen America’s dependence on foreign oil..

“America’s ethanol producers have long been at the cutting edge of the green economy, helping support the creation of more than 238,000 good paying jobs last year alone. Ethanol production has also been a rarely seen boon for struggling rural economies, providing the most important value added market for grains in more than a generation. And ethanol has been a critical tool to address air pollution, water pollution and global warming concerns created by the combustion of petroleum and other fossil fuels.

“America’s ethanol producers share the vision of President-elect Obama of a domestic industry that is innovating to include ethanol production from a wide array of materials including switchgrass, wood chips, and municipal solid waste. That vision can only become a reality if today’s ethanol technologies and producers are successful. As such, the RFA is having discussions with the Obama team on how ethanol fits into a green stimulus package.

“Today, ethanol is the only alternative transportation fuel having any impact reducing America’s dependence on foreign oil. Moreover, ethanol is uniquely poised to employ new technologies and scale up production significantly in the short term to greatly reduce imports of foreign oil and more meaningfully help address the issue of global warming. Ethanol production must be at the core of any green initiatives designed to reduce foreign oil dependence, create economic opportunity, and address climate change by changing how Americans fuel their cars.”