Colin Achgill G2 5/4/2011 Senator Lugar: Before I voice my concerns, I would like to thank you for your introduction

of the Dual Fuel Vehicles Bill of 2011. In particular, I appreciate your ideas for reducing America's oil dependence, which has been brought into the spotlight as a result of the BP oil spill last year and the current multiple political crises in the Middle East. However, I believe we can do more. Even as we as we reduce our dependence on foreign energy sources, we need to be researching and producing more alternative fuels. I am requesting that you introduce a bill to Congress to have the ethanol industry be producing at least 35 billion gallons of ethanol annually by 2020. This year, the United States' ethanol industry will produce roughly five billion gallons of alternative and renewable fuel. To reach the goal that would be set with this bill would require a seven-fold increase in less than ten years. This is a clearly achievable goal, but only if we make major new commitments of federal resources. For starters, we know we won't reach our objective with corn-based ethanol alone. We need to rapidly develop technology to produce cellulose-based ethanol from corn stover, switchgrass, wood chips and other forms of biomass. You have been a strong leader on this issue already, but I believe this bill would be one of your greatest achievements if passed. But it's going to take dramatic new investments in R& D, and it's going to take the right incentives. At the same time, we need to promote a distribution network to get these large volumes of biofuels to consumers. Also, we need to convert the nation's vehicle fleet to alternative-fuel vehicles, capable of using blends that are higher than the 10 percent blend that's readily available right now. This bill, that I call the Biofuel Integration Act, would accomplish all of these things.

Yes, I have liked and agreed with what you have said so far regarding biofuels, but now it is time to put your money where your mouth is. According to a nationwide poll released by the Renewable Fuels Association, 85 percent of American voters think the government should be involved in the development of alternative fuels. In addition, 88 percent of American voters believe that the development of the domestic ethanol industry helps create jobs and would be beneficial to the overall economy. However, we can't make these goals on corn alone. Cellulosic ethanol has been talked about for a long time, but any research money provided for this has been deficient. So in order for change to come about, we must pass this legislation. Even after we have that ethanol from either corn, cellulose, or another source, we have to have cars that can use it. There are not many of them in America, less than ten million by most estimates, which is less than 10% of the entire fleet. Using this data, skeptics will say that yes, we can produce the ethanol, but who is going to use it? And this is a good point. Therefore, as part of the Biofuel Integration Act, you will mandate that by 2035, all of the cars in America should be able to run on alternative fuel. There is no excuse why any car should not be able to run on an alternative fuel, whether it be ethanol or some other. Now we have to take a step which some may feel is over the top, but I think is practical. By 2035 as well, we require that half of the filling stations in America have the capability of providing E-85 ethanol, or whatever may be the state of the art at that point in terms of using something beyond the 10 percent blend which is commonly used now. This proposal would make major headway towards building an entire ethanol infrastructure in the United States. Not only would this make terrific progress on ethanol production, but it would also make sure that both ethanol distribution and consumption are in place as well. And that's where the need to make sure that

pumps have E-85 fuel in them all across America and making sure that cars can accommodate these new blends are very important. If consumers have cars that they know will take E-85, and if they know that when they go to the gas station, they can fill up that car with E-85, I guarantee you that they will want to use E-85. But that's going to require a little bit of a prod, a catalyst by the federal government, and that's the intention of this legislation. It's an exciting moment. For so long you've simply talked about our addiction to oil and America's need for energy independence, and now you have the support and the chance to actually do something about it. The question has never been if there was a way, the question has been if there is a will. And now, you can be that will by introducing the Biofuel Integration Act. We use 140 billion gallons of fuel in this country a year. If we get to 35 billion or 40 billion or 60 billion gallons of ethanol, which I support, we're going to have to have blends much, much higher than 10 percent. We're going to have to have 20, 30, 40, or 50 percent blends at filling stations. We're going to have to use E-85 in a significant way in order to justify that production. But we should, and we must, in my judgment. However, it's much easier to say it than to do it, which is my purpose in writing this letter. You have the influence to make this happen, and I urge you to do so. As stated by President Obama during the days in which he was still a senator, Keep in mind that Brazil now has about 70 percent of its cars on the road as alternative fuel. Many of those are made by American automakers, Ford and General Motors. So there is no reason why car makers should not be able to respond to this legislation by increasing the number of flexible fuel cars on the road. However, I think the overall reason why flexible fuel has not been adopted by both car makers and oil companies in the United States is summed up best by Senator Harkin, as he says,

...I wrote a letter last year to the heads of all of the automobile companies asking them about flexible fuel vehicles. I got a very nice letter back from the heads, every one of them, saying: Yes, we understand this is the way to go, but you understand that there's not the pumps out there for them. Then... I wrote a letter to the heads of all the oil companies asking them why they don't have more pumps that have E-85. I got a very nice letter back from each of them saying: Yes, we think ethanol is going to play an important part in the future, but there aren't any cars out there that can use E-85. So, as you can see, there has been a lack of commitment in this area for some time, and the Biofuel Intergration Act is intended to break that. In conclusion, I believe that the Biofuel Integration Act would address well a very important issue in the United States currently. With the ongoing political crises in the Middle East, gas prices have soared, which has focused a spotlight on the issue of the United States' fuel problems. In my opinion, this sets the stage perfectly for the introduction of the Biofuel Integration Act, which would, over time, solve these problems for America. I hope that you seriously consider passing this bill, and I thank you for reading this letter.

Colin Achgill

Works Cited Crabtree, Vexen. "Vexen International." The USA Versus The Environment. 4 June 2002. Web. 11 May 2011. Koski, Olivia. "The Renewable Fuels Association Urges EPA to Approve E15 For Older Vehicles ." Popular Mechanics. N.d. Web. 15 May 2011. Lugar, Dick. "U.S. Senator Dick Lugar." U.S. Government. N.d. Web. 14 May 2011.