Former Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania was never a believer in ethanol, biodiesel and other forms of renewable energy until one devastating day in American history.
“I looked at this issue differently, until 9/11,” the senator said during an address at the Iowa Renewable Fuels (IRFA) Summit in Des Moines on Tuesday. “To me, 9/11 changed the game as we look at energy production in this country.”
Santorum believes that domestic production of renewable liquid fuels in critical to this country’s national security. “Post 9/11, I went from someone who was skeptical at best of developing domestic sources of energy, to being a grand proponent of such things,” he said. “My pledge to you is to work with this industry to create a bigger and bigger place in the market for domestically produced ethanol and biodiesel.”
Santorum, a conservative Republican who served two terms in the U.S. House and two terms in the Senate, is considering a run for president in 2012 – as is former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich who also spoke at the IRFA event this week.
Listen to or download Santorum’s address at IRFA here: Rick Santorum at Iowa RFA Summit