J. Kalani English Election Committee
P.O. Box 791146
Paia, Maui Hawaii 96779
campaign@kalanienglish.com
http://www.kalanienglish.com
Contact: Chris Martelles 808 280 7567

PRESS RELEASE
September 21, 2004

Local Fuel to Move Hawai'i's Cars

Ethanol Production Receives Go-Ahead

Hawai'i drivers will soon be filling their cars with a fuel locally grown and processed - ethanol. Under new administrative rules signed by the Governor, 85 percent of all gasoline in Hawai'i will contain a 15 percent blend of ethanol by early 2006.

The new rules will help to jumpstart the lagging sugar industry on both Maui and Kaua'i, and could provide many additional jobs in the near future. Legislators passed a similar bill to the Governor for signature earlier this year, requiring the blending of gasoline with a 15 percent mix of ethanol, but the Governor failed to sign it into law.

Ethanol is a type of alcohol derived from the distillation of various grains, most notably from corn. In Hawai'i, three of the ethanol companies gearing up for production will use the molasses byproduct created from sugar production to create ethanol, while one company on Kaua'i will experiment with converting sugarcane material into ethanol through a new technique that involves the gasification of the plant.

Senator J. Kalani English, 6th district, (Hana, East & Upcountry Maui, Lana'i, Moloka'i, & Kaho'olawe), a chief proponent of the ethanol blending mandate, is pleased that the blend of ethanol and gasoline will soon become a reality. "Many people in both the business and environmental sectors supported the ethanol blending mandate legislators passed this last session, and I am pleased that we have taken another step closer to realizing energy independence for Hawai'i. As one of the most crucial problems facing our State, the pursuit of energy independence is an issue which demands our immediate attention and action. The ethanol industry will provide a boost in revenue for our sugar cane industry, create needed new jobs, and will help to process former byproduct materials into fuel for the transportation sector. It is a win-win situation that I am pleased to support."

While there is continued debate over certain specifics of ethanol use, such as its fuel efficiency ratings and particulate emissions levels, one thing is for certain, a fuel grown and produced locally can only help to foster Hawai'i's energy independence in an increasingly uncertain world.

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