The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries… better known as OPEC… is starting to feel the heat of the increased use of biofuels. And the National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition is asking you help keep them on the ropes.
In a release sent to Domestic Fuel, the NEVC outlined what OPEC is saying and how the NEVC wants you to get involved:
The European Union and nations around the world are looking at biofuels, made from plant and animal matter, to boost energy security, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and open new markets for farmers.
“We have great concerns about this … about policies which discriminate against oil,” Fuad Siala, alternative energy sources analyst at the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, said at a Hart energy conference in Brussels.
“We have legitimate concerns to revisit our investment plans,” he said.
The NEVC says you can help by talking to your U.S. Senator about how E-85 will help this country shake the yoke of foreign oil:
1. Send an email message to your Senators. Click here, edit the sample letter we have written for you, fill in your contact information, then click “Send My Message!”
2. Call your Senators. Express your support for E85 by calling the Senate switchboard at (202) 224-3121 or by looking up the number for your Senators’ offices by clicking here. Emphasize the following points with the staffer:
* With gasoline prices so high, promoting E85 will save consumers money.
* Using domestically-produced E85 reduces our dependence on foreign oil and helps the U.S. economy.
3. Tell a friend. Forward this email to your friends, colleagues, and others that have an interest in promoting E85 and ask that they too send a note to their Senators. The success of our campaign depends on getting as many people as possible to contact their Senators!
But one group that is pleased is the Renewable Fuels Association. In a statement e-mailed to energy.agwired.com, the group’s President Bob Dinneen praises the legislation, especially the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) of 36 billion gallons of renewable fuels, the majority of which must be the next generation such as cellulosic ethanol:
“Low carbon renewable fuels like ethanol are providing our nation a way forward to decreasing our dependence on foreign oil, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and creating new jobs and real economic opportunity. The bill Majority Leader Reid has brought to the floor of the Senate strikes the right balance between building on the progress the U.S. ethanol industry has achieved and providing the incentives necessary to realize the full potential of the industry in the future.
The CEO of the 
The slogan for the Indy Racing League is “I am Indy,” and that’s especially true for ethanol producers who are proud to be a part of this great sport.
“Energy costs have a much greater impact on consumer food costs as they impact every single food product on the shelf,” said Urbanchuk. “Energy is required to produce, process, package and ship each food item. Conversely, corn prices impact just a small segment of the food market as not all products rely on corn for production. While it may be more sensational to lay the blame for rising food costs on corn prices, the facts don’t support that conclusion. By a factor of two-to-one, energy prices are the chief factor determining what American families pay at the grocery store.”
The 
Much of the debate has been centered on the notion that the U.S. will not be able to produce enough corn to satisfy all markets, creating shortages and intensifying competition that will continuously drive the price of corn higher. However, industry officials say advancements in seed, farming and ethanol technologies are allowing American farmers to continue feeding the world while helping to fuel our nation. 
The Senate Finance Committee intends to discuss the tax plan on Tuesday, according to the committee chairman, Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont. The proposal would extend dozens of tax breaks, such the one for building wind turbines. It also would create incentives such as tax credits for technology to capture carbon dioxide – the leading greenhouse gas – from power plants.
“I’m not impressed with wind being the national energy source for America,” said Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., who led the opposition to the renewable fuels standard.
Blue Earth Biofuels, which is building a 40-million-gallon-a-year biodiesel refinery with capabilities to go to 120 million gallons, has gotten the green light from the Hawaiian legislature to move forward with the project. But, 
