Washington State Governor Christine Gregoire is fighting the federal government on the issue of automobile emission standards.

The average car manufactured in Europe gets 44 miles per gallon. Although the new US federal energy bill requires only 35 mpg for US cars, California and 16 other states want to adopt a higher standard. The Environmental Protection Agency has denied this option, ruling that California did not prove that it had a specific compelling need to go beyond federal law.

Although the California standards have not directly addressed gas mileage, US automakers claim the state regulations would force them to raise efficiency to 44 mpg. Seventeen states, constituting half of the US auto market, have announced they are suing the EPA.

Governor Gregoire insists that the EPA made the wrong decision, claiming that the ability of states to address global climate change is a very compelling need. She states there is no legislative solution to the disagreement with the EPA. In response, Washington State is joining a lawsuit initiated by California Attorney General Jerry Brown challenging the federal government's ruling.

"Our ability to reach our goals with regard to global climate change is really going to have to be how do we reduce emissions from our automobiles? So for [the EPA] to second guess and undermine us when we're trying to lead when they're not, is just really quite frustrating. So my opinion of it all is they either lead or get out of the way and let us lead, and they have decided that they're going to frustrate us, so we're going to have to take them to court."

Governor Gregoire claims she's witnessed the effects of global climate change.

"Every year one or more disaster declarations. It used to be unique. Now it's become routine and we've just been through one of our worst 150-year floods in southwest Washington. I don't know what it takes to convince them. It's real, it's a problem. We want to lead. We want to step up and face this challenge head on, and we need them to stop standing in our way."

Governor Gregoire also insists that global climate change should be one of the major issues discussed during the presidential elections.

"I would ask [everyone] to send that message, one, to this administration right away to allow us to move forward immediately, but to every presidential candidate. Get their statement on the record, challenge them to lead, and allow us states to take up the charge." --Mark Taylor-Canfield

The US Department of Energy has included Pacific Ethanol in a matching award totaling $24.32 million to build the first cellulosic ethanol demonstration plant in the Northwest. This pilot plant will be designed to produce 2.7 million gallons of ethanol annually, demonstrating the potential to produce ethanol from a diverse mixture of biomass readily available in the area: wheat straw, wood chips and corn stover. The new facility will be co-located at the site of the company's existing corn-based ethanol facility in Oregon. PE's partners in winning this competitive process are: BioGasol ApS and the Joint BioEnergy Institute (Lawrence Berkley National Laboratory and Sandia National Laboratory). BioGasol ApS has developed the proprietary technology and the Joint BioEnergy Institute will be providing support via specific enzyme technology research and development. Current plans call for the plant's completion in fourth quarter 2009.

Neil Koehler, CEO of Pacific Ethanol, stated,"Success in this industry-wide effort to commercialize cellulose for ethanol technology will allow our country to replace a significant proportion of imported oil with US-produced renewable resources and reduce CO2 emissions by millions of tons annually, delivering long-term value to the economy, the environment," He added, "Our strategy of destination plants has always been to exploit the vast amounts of biomass that are available for use in the regions where we operate."

Birgitte Ahring, CEO of BioGasol added, "The sustainability and flexibility of our process technology could set the standard for second generation biofuels production. The cost effectiveness of our proprietary process concept has already been validated […] and we believe that the future production cost can be competitive with other transportation fuels when the technologies are fully matured." --Patrick Mazza

Before we completely leave 2007 behind, let us turn back to remember November 14 as National Emergency Day:

--The Nov. 13, 2007 Federal Register (72 FR 63963) carried a notice by President George W. Bush (signed Nov. 8, 2007) extending a national emergency regarding the unusual and extraordinary threat to national security, foreign policy, and the US economy posed by nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons proliferation. This includes “weapons of mass destruction” and the means of delivering such weapons, and was first declared by Executive Order 12938 on Nov. 14, 1994 by President Clinton. This is now the 14th year of this national emergency. (Thank you President Clinton.)

--The Nov. 13, 2007 Federal Register (72 FR 63965) carried a notice by President George W. Bush (signed Nov. 8, 2007) extending a national emergency with respect to Iran, pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, to deal with the unusual and extraordinary threat to national security, foreign policy, and the US economy constituted by the situation in Iran. This particular emergency was first declared by Executive Order 12170 on Nov.14, 1979 by President Carter. This is now the 29th year of this national emergency. (Thank you President Carter.) --David Ortman