Biofuels

“The fuel of the future is going to come from apples, weeds, sawdust – almost anything. There is fuel in every bit of vegetable matter that can be fermented.”

- Henry Ford
(speaking about ethanol in the 1920s)

Senate Democrats believe that an investment in alternative fuels is an investment in the vitality of the state’s economy, families and future.

A bill (Senate Bill 6508) on its way to the governor’s desk is in line with that principle. It requires that gasoline and diesel fuel sold in Washington be mixed with fuels derived from farm crops, also known as biofuels.

Washington farmers are looking for a signal that there is a market for biofuels. And we’re looking for opportunities for farmers to succeed. With that aim, the bill – which has garnered bipartisan support – mandates that by the end of 2008, all automotive fuels sold in Washington contain at least 2 percent biofuels: either biodiesel – a fuel made from vegetable oil – or, in the case of gasoline, denatured ethanol.

The legislation has the added benefit of helping Washington wean itself from a dependence on foreign oil, and – because the fuels burn cleaner – improving our beautiful but fragile environment.

Developing the biofuels industry benefits – and unifies – our entire state. Farmers in Eastern Washington can grow the crops. Businesses in Puget Sound can refine the materials produced by farmers. And the fuel itself can be used by people in all communities throughout the state.

And if we don’t pursue biofuel opportunities in Washington now, someone from another state will, according to Valoria Loveland, director of the Washington Department of Agriculture.

There’s no question that we’re going to exhaust our supply of traditional oil sources – fossil fuels. And because of that, we have no choice but to assert our energy independence and make biofuels as available, affordable and easy to use for as many people as possible.

The Spokane Conservation District has 1,000 local farmers who could use a Spokane Valley location. Up to 500,000 acres in the Spokane region are suitable to produce biodiesel, according to the conservation district. If fully utilized, that acreage could create 25 million gallons of biodiesel every year.

An investment in biofuels is not only an investment in our economy. The more that biofuels are used, the cleaner our environment will be, the healthier our children will be, and the less-dependent we will be on a dwindling resource.

The legislation, which is backed by the governor, would make Washington the second state in the country to require the use of ethanol and biodiesel.