WBIA: Bio fuels drive Wisconsin to Independence Day

Contact: Joshua Morby 414.791.9120

WBIA Declares “Energy Independence Week”

Milwaukee – As American consumers pinch their pennies to drive and celebrate the country’s Independence Day with family and friends this year, the Wisconsin Bio Industry Alliance (WBIA) is calling for the week of June 28 to July 4 to be celebrated as the third annual Energy Independence Week.

The WBIA first declared the week leading up to the Fourth of July as Energy Independence Week in 2008. The week is an opportunity to discuss the United States’ growing dependence on foreign oil and the positive opportunities that domestic fuels, like ethanol, can play in securing energy independence.

“We can no longer ignore the reality that our nation’s dependence on foreign oil is costing us dearly. While Wisconsin consumers are struggling with rising gas prices, they are frustrated and looking for solutions,” said Joshua Morby, Executive Director of the WBIA.

“Not only is this about saving the people of Wisconsin money and growing our economy, it’s also about improving our environment,” said Morby. “Biofuels must remain a key component of a long term renewable energy portfolio for this nation.”

Last year, just over ten percent of the U.S. energy supply was from clean and renewable domestic sources, but consumers can turn that tide. By 2011, U.S. ethanol consumption could displace the equivalent of 311,000 barrels of imported crude oil per day.

The United States spends more than $1 billion a day on imported foreign oil and depends heavily on the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), whose members produce more than 40 percent of the world’s crude oil and control two-thirds of the global oil reserves. In an effort to curb this dependence, Energy Independence Week underscores the nation’s drive toward domestic renewable fuel sources.

The Wisconsin Bio Industry Alliance is a diverse group of businesses, environmental groups, and statewide and local organizations that have come together to build both public and legislative awareness of the Bio Industry in Wisconsin.

For more information about the Alliance, or to find out how to join, please visit our website: http://www.wisconsinbioindustry.com.