RenewableEnergyAccess.com informs us that - “The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) opened trading on the NASDAQ stock exchange this week on Wall Street, in recognition of the growing importance of the U.S. ethanol industry to our nation’s energy and economic future. RFA President and CEO Bob Dinneen represented the U.S. ethanol industry during the opening bell ceremony.”

“Ethanol’s unique ability to help ensure our energy security, improve our environment, and stimulate our economy makes it a win-win for all Americans, Ethanol’s growing importance is being felt on Main Streets and more increasingly on Wall Street, and that is a good thing,” said RFA President Bob Dinneen. “While farmers have been and will continue to be the foundation of this industry, teachers, truck drivers, police officers and all Americans should have the opportunity to invest in our nation’s energy future.”

Currently, the U.S. ethanol industry has 101 biorefineries in production with an annual capacity of more than 4.7 billion gallons. An additional 32 biorefineries are currently being built and 8 are expanding, with a capacity of more than 2 billion gallons.

Last year, a nearly 4 billion gallon U.S. ethanol industry created 153,000 new jobs, added more than $32 billion to gross domestic product and put more than $5 billion in additional income in the pockets of American households. This year, the industry will produce some 5 billion gallons of ethanol, resulting in even greater economic benefits.

“There is no question that America’s ethanol industry is expanding to meet growing consumer demand, and the country is better off for it,” said Dinneen. “Not only does domestic ethanol production create jobs and raise incomes in this country, it reduces our trade deficit by eliminating the need to import millions of dollars of oil from overseas. Ethanol’s unique ability to help ensure our energy security, improve our environment, and stimulate our economy makes it a win-win for all Americans.”

NASDAQ is the largest U.S. electronic stock market. With approximately 3,300 companies, it lists more companies and, on average, trades more shares per day than any other U.S. market. It is home to category-defining companies that are leaders across all areas of business including technology, retail, communications, financial services, transportation, media and biotechnology. NASDAQ is the primary market for trading NASDAQ-listed stocks. Approximately 54% of NASDAQ-listed shares traded are reported to NASDAQ systems.

 www.SustainabiliTank.info applauds RFA for its activities, but has also has some difficulties with the RFA fighting to keep out imports of ethanol from outside the US - from countries the like of Brazil. These imports could in effect help decrease the US reliance on importing Middle East oil, but the RFA is not interested in this aspect of US energy policy - the national security aspect of this dependence. RFA is rather anextension of US farm interests into the fuel tank. As positive as their activities might be, let us nevertheless not forget this last factor when inevitable squirmishes will surface down the road.