Date: December 20, 2006    

Author: Jeb Bush

Source: Miami Herald 

Ethanol holds great promise for America. Greater use of ethanol can increase protection for our environment and reduce our nation's dependence on foreign oil.  While the price of gas at the pump has dropped in re- cent months, the ''ethanol exuberance'' has not subsided. Most Americans -- along with government and business leaders -- recognize ethanol's tremendous promise for energy security and a cleaner environment.

Reports on the U.S. ethanol industry estimate that American production will reach about 4.7 billion gallons this year and, considering announced investments in new ethanol plants, will likely meet the 7.5 billion gallon annual requirement by 2012 stipulated in The Energy Policy Act of 2005. While this increased production and use of ethanol is laudable, a far more ambitious goal should be set that is worthy of the American character of achievement. 

Increased ethanol consumption can strengthen the United States' relationship with Latin America, serving as a catalyst to remove barriers to free trade within the region. Ethanol can be a powerful catalyst for poor nations to ''grow their own energy'' and capitalize on trading partnerships to boost economic opportunity. 

To accomplish those far-reaching objectives, Brazil's former minister of agriculture and president of the Superior Council of Agrobusiness, Roberto Rodrigues; Luis Alberto Moreno, president of the Inter-American Development Bank; community leaders and I gathered in Miami yesterday to launch the Interamerican Ethanol Commission. 

The mission of the organization is to promote the use of ethanol throughout the Western Hemisphere. The commission will serve as a resource for policymakers and the public on ethanol production, distribution and investment. The commission will advocate policies and practices that encourage increased production and consumption of ethanol in the Americas and will conduct research to determine where export capacity is viable and consistent with sound environmental and economic precepts.

In April, I recommended to President Bush that the United States double ethanol consumption with a target of 15 billion gallons annually by the year 2015, which would meet nearly 10 percent of the current national demand for gasoline and benefit our national security, economy and environment. The ''15-by-15'' initiative not only would require an increase in domestic supply but also would promote the importation of ethanol from our neighbors in the hemisphere.

Launching this initiative along with our Brazilian friends makes sense. Brazil and the United States lead the world in ethanol production and technology, and ethanol has been central to Brazil's visionary accomplishment of energy self-sufficiency.

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva views an ethanol partnership with our country as one that would promote a global market for ethanol while assisting poor nations with energy development and job creation. In June, Minister Rodrigues and I met in Miami and discussed the possibilities of building an ethanol partnership. We resolved to join forces and bring together stakeholders throughout the Americas in an effort to consolidate a workable marketplace for ethanol that promotes development, energy security, a cleaner environment and regional cooperation.

Colombia, Argentina, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala and Jamaica are all reportedly exploring ethanol production and partnerships to improve their energy situations and build broader trading and economic relationships. The commission will seek to help advance these national projects by incorporating them into a regional framework and market. The commission will work with the IDB and other development-focused organizations to maximize the potential for renewable fuel for cars, but also for growth and opportunities in some of the poorest countries in the hemisphere, like Haiti and Nicaragua.

The Interamerican Ethanol Commission's creation comes at the convergence of a number of factors, including the demand for energy security, the market desire for environmentally-friendly energy alternatives and the reality that international partnerships can open doors to improving human conditions in the hemisphere. The commission is seizing on this enormous opportunity that ethanol presents to improve the face of hemispheric relations as we help fuel the future.

©2003 FTAA