I have been going over some of the several hours of audio I collected last week at the Advancing Renewable Fuels Conference and picked out quotes from some of the major speakers.

ADM CEO Patricia Woertz
Ethanol derived from corn and vegetable oil based biodiesel are examples of here and now solutions that deserve investment support. We believe that corn ethanol and vegetable oil biodiesel will continue to account for a signficant percentage of biofuels for years to come.

Dupont CEO Charles Holliday:
We’re working with ethanol producers today to be sure we are perfecting the seed inputs that give the absolute best value for the chain and we see significant potential. Just think about it, even a five or ten percent improvement in overall yields for the systems can be a great result for everybody involved in this change.

USDA Economist Keith Collins:
We shall see where yields go in the future. But each 5 bushel increase in yield above the current trend level would be the equivalent of adding around 2.5 million acres to corn plantings, enough to produce that additional one billion gallons of ethanol each year that I spoke about earlier.
America’s undeniable need for energy today and tomorrow offers a great economic opportunity for biofuels. This opportunity makes me a biofuels cheerleader.

Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns:
We have started down the path towards a very bright future, a future in which we buy our energy by the bushel and not by the barrel.

Senator Jim Talent (R-MO)
Which would you rather gamble on? The productivity and the patriotism of America’s farmers, or the good will of people like Hugo Chavez, in terms of relying on our energy.

American Petroleum Institute CEO Red Cavaney:
In our view, ethanol is here to stay and it’s going to be a very important part of our nation’s gasoline pool. It is absolutely essential that ethanol and the entire biofuels industry become strong, vital and self-sufficient.

Investor Vinod Khosla, Khosla Ventures:
Despite nice words from the American Peteroleum Institute. There is no question that the oil interests have a strong interest in keeping us addicted to oil.

President George W. Bush:
Let me just put it bluntly – we’re too dependent on oil.
I welcome the low gasoline prices. However, it’s not going to dim my enthusiasm for making sure we diversify away from oil.
And then, of course, there’s a national security concern for oil. Why? Well, we get oil from some countries that don’t particularly care for us.

Sound Bites (2 min MP3)