Jefferson City, MO - The Growth Energy (Growth Energy), the nation’s primary advocate of the use of E85 and high level blends of ethanol in flexible fuel vehicles (FFV's), today urged Congress and the Administration to act quickly to help U.S. automakers with financial assistance.

“U.S. automakers are leading the way in developing and marketing flexible fuel vehicles which run on E85, but without immediate financial assistance, those efforts may go by the wayside,” said Growth Energy Executive Director Phil Lampert. “I urge Members of Congress and the Administration to think not only about the job losses at facilities which produce flexible fuel vehicles, but also the negative impact on the Renewable Fuels Standard, which requires the use of 36 billion gallons of renewable fuels annually by 2022. In order to achieve this national goal, motorists must have access to large quantities of FFV's, primarily being produced by GM, Ford and Chrysler. The ripple effects of the failure of the auto industry would reach far and wide, and would devastate efforts to expand the use of domestic-renewable alternative transportation fuels such as E85.”

Support from Congress and the Administration will allow the domestic auto industry to continue research and development into vehicles which run on advanced biofuels like E85. The continued development of such vehicles—General Motors alone has 15 models designed to run on E85—will help the United States break our dependence on foreign petroleum and instead develop new sources of fuel and economic growth here in America.

Those efforts could severely be hampered without support for the auto industry, which will enable the industry to bridge what is arguably one of the country’s most difficult economic periods and to weather a financial storm not of its own making.

“The current economic crisis was not caused by U.S. automakers, but they are certainly feeling its ill effects,” added Lampert. “Congress and the Administration have responded to the crisis in financial markets and should also take immediate steps to assist the domestic auto industry, which is vital to America's well being.”

The Growth Energy is a non-profit organization. The Growth Energy is the nation’s primary advocate organization supporting the expanded use of E85 (85% ethanol and 15% gasoline) as an alternative motor fuel and the increased production of FFVs which can run on blends of renewable ethanol higher than the conventional 10% level.

Since 1996, the Growth Energy has worked tirelessly to assemble a broad-based Coalition of like-minded industry and government leaders, environmentalists, consumers and many other organizations and individuals interested in reducing oil imports, stimulating the economy and improving the environment.

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