Americans Want Government Involved in Development of Alternative Fuels

Washington - According to a new nationwide poll released today by the Renewable Fuels Association, 85% of American voters think that the government should be involved in the development of alternative fuels.

The poll, which was conducted by The Winston Group prior to President Bush's State of the Union speech, also found that 84% of voters think that the government should provide incentives for the production of alternative fuels like ethanol to reduce dependence on imported oil.

"These poll results clearly demonstrate that the American public believes that ethanol and other biofuels are an essential component of meeting our future motor fuel needs and contributing to a reduction in our oil import dependency," said Bob Dinneen, RFA President.

In addition to their belief that ethanol contributes to reducing oil imports, 88% of American voters believe that the development of the domestic ethanol industry helps create jobs and is beneficial to the overall economy.

"The growth of the U.S. ethanol industry is helping to revive rural economies across the country and helping improve the quality of life for millions of Americans," said Dinneen. "It is gratifying to find that the vast majority of Americans understand the importance of our domestic ethanol industry and recognize the role it plays in spurring job growth and economic activity."

Another poll question found that 84% of American voters believe that producing domestic ethanol from corn is an important step to an expanded ethanol industry based on switch grass and other plant and waste materials.

"Clearly, Americans understand the connection between moving from an ethanol industry based solely on grain to one that includes cellulose - wood chips, corn husks, and switch grass. Only by realizing the production capacity of both grain-based and cellulosic ethanol can we meet the presidential and Congressional goals to reduce our foreign oil dependence," said Dinneen.

The poll with a margin of error of +/- 3.1% surveyed 1000 registered voters on January 8-9. The Winston Group is a national opinion research and strategy firm.

A complete look at the polling results including graphical representation of the findings can be found here.