Ethanol: Made in America, creating jobs!

By: Russ Newman
CASSELTON, N.D. — Everyone in America is talking about jobs. From President Barack Obama to local officials, policymakers around the country are searching for a strategy that will put Americans back to work.

At the same time, America is facing an energy crisis.

With our economy so dependent on foreign oil, we risk a double-dip recession every time a crisis rises in the Middle East or an OPEC leader sends the price of oil skyrocketing.

As it turns out, the answer to both these problems has been right in front of us all along.

Ethanol — made right here in America — is already creating jobs that cannot be outsourced and displacing foreign oil with a clean, renewable and uniquely American fuel.

But we can do more.

Today, there are economic studies proving that the ethanol industry supports more than 600,000 American jobs directly and indirectly.

 You probably know someone who owes their job to this homegrown and renewable fuel. Those are jobs that never can be sent overseas.

At Tharaldson Ethanol, we directly support 70 jobs and indirectly support countless local farmers and producers.

Additionally, in 2010, American-grown ethanol replaced the need for 445 million barrels of foreign oil. That’s more oil than we import from Saudi Arabia.

But oil still holds a monopoly over our fuels market.

We continue to import nearly two-thirds of our fuel and spend more than $300 billion a year on foreign oil. That’s more than $1000 for every man woman and child in this country.

And unemployment in this country still is more than 9 percent.

It’s time to explore the full potential of ethanol. One study showed that simply by moving to E15 (a blend of 15 percent ethanol), we could create as many as 136,000 new jobs across the country. Long term, an investment in infrastructure would bring that number even higher and help free us from our addiction to foreign oil.

If every vehicle in the U.S. was Flex Fuel capable, and nearly every fueling station had Flex Fuel pumps, we could open the fuels market and give every American a genuine choice at the pump.

It’s time to invest in homegrown, renewable energy that will put Americans back to work and get our economy back on track.

With the right policy moves — moves that would open up the market to more first generation ethanol and next generation ethanol — America’s ethanol producers are ready to help lead the way.

Russ Newman
Newman is vice-president of Tharaldson Ethanol.

For more information visit:

http://www.tharaldsonethanol.com/