For many Americans, the Middle East region is synonymous with oil. And Egypt controls the Suez Canal--an artery for its transport.That's why recent scenes are enough to give some pause.
“With what's going on in Egypt right now, it just underscores the vulnerability we have,” said Sen. Al Franken, DFL-Minn.
And Sen. Franken says the development of home-grown alternatives is a possibility right here in Minnesota and Iowa. “I think biofuels, ethanol, biodiesel are very important in weaning us from the need for foreign oil,” he said.
We also spoke with a local ethanol expert. He says the industry has seen ups and downs in recent years, but if it's going to expand in the future: “If we're going to go to 15 billion gallons of production, we're going to need to have a market for this,” said Walter Wendland, the president and CEO of Golden Grain Energy.
He says one boost could come from more flex fuel cars. “There is legislation in Washington, D.C. to push the car manufacturers to fifty percent of the cars that they make to be flexible fuel,” he said.
If a shift from foreign to home-grown energy were to occur, Sen. Franken says this area offers plenty of possibilities. “There's all kinds of great opportunities in Minnesota and in Iowa to create new jobs in energy,” said the Senator.
