01/14/05 Idaho ethanol bill is introduced

The Senate Transportation Committee will hold a hearing later this month on a bill that will require an addition of ethanol to gasoline sold in Idaho. Farm Bureau's Russ Hendricks says Idaho should follow the lead of Minnesota and Hawaii. HENDRICKS "And Oregon, Montana and North Dakota are also proposing this legislative session which is to implement a renewable fuel standard here in Idaho by having a ten percent ethanol blend in gasoline statewide." Hendricks says Farm Bureau members support the ethanol mandate beginning in 2010 for a variety of reasons. HENDRICKS "First is the clean air benefits for using the clean burning renewable fuel. The second thing is rural economic development opportunities. The third reason is to reduce out dependence on imported fuel." Hendricks says the bill does not require subsidies from the state for the construction and operation of ethanol production plants. HENDRICKS "We are creating a market for ethanol fuel in Idaho so that plants can be built here to supply that need." What about cost and farm crops, air pollution and fuel efficiency. More about that in our next report Voice of Idaho Agriculture Bill Scott