Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco has signed into law a bill requiring refineries to mix ethanol with some of the gasoline they produce.

The governor issued a statement about the bill, saying she was “proud to join President Bush, the federal government and dozens of other states in promoting a biofuels market. As the President has said on many occasions, America is addicted to oil and the best way to break through this addiction is through technology. Louisiana has a long history of helping to meet this nation’s energy needs through its exploration and production of oil and natural gas and will continue to do so. It is only fitting that we position ourselves to be a leader in the rapidly developing biofuels industry as well. By promoting the use of homegrown, environmentally friendly energy, we have a real opportunity to help the nation through its energy crisis and greatly assist Louisiana farmers.”