Gov. Heineman Promotes Ethanol as Alternative Fuel Good for Nebraska's Economy

(Lincoln, NE) (Lincoln, NE) Gov. Dave Heineman plans to meet this morning with corn growers near Minden and pump ethanol-blended gasoline for customers in Trenton as part of Ethanol Promotion Day.

The Governor will be joined by representatives from the Nebraska Department of Agriculture and will begin his visit with central Nebraska farmers, many of whom provide corn for the ethanol plant located near Axtell.

"Our rural communities already benefit from $37 million in annual pay linked to the operation of Nebraska ethanol plants," Gov. Heineman said. "State and local economies benefit whenever a new plant is built and you don't have to travel far to see the tremendous economic impact an ethanol plant can have on other businesses in a community."

State Sen. Tom Baker and a representative from Congressman Tom Osborne's office will join the Governor in serving the patrons of ethanol-blended fuel at the Trails West Sinclair station in Trenton, which is lowering its E-10 fuel price by 20 cents per gallon to promote sales in celebration of nationwide ethanol promotion in Nebraska.

"Here in Nebraska, ethanol is a home-grown, renewable fuel that consumers can feel good about using," Gov. Heineman said. "The hard work of our farmers and all those who work in our state's ethanol plants ensures that more and more Nebraskans are able to purchase this cleaner-burning fuel."

Ethanol plants provide more than 2,100 jobs in Nebraska. An estimated one in every four bushels of grain grown in Nebraska is processed into ethanol, and sales from Nebraska's 11 ethanol plants total more than $1 billion annually.

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