Governor Gregoire Signs Bill Making Washington First in Nation to Require Alternative Fuels

For Immediate Release: March 30, 2006

Measure sets requirement that two percent of diesel and gasoline sold in Washington be comprised of alternative fuels


MOSES LAKE � Governor Chris Gregoire today in Moses Lake signed into law a measure she requested that will require fuel suppliers to ensure that two percent of the diesel and two percent of the gasoline they provide for sale is biodiesel and ethanol, beginning in December 2008 (SB 6508).

�We are moving Washington forward as a leader of a dynamic, 21st century industry,� said Governor Gregoire. �Alternative fuels will help bridge the rural and urban divide in Washington: we can grow these crops in eastern Washington, crush the seeds in places like Moses Lake and ship them across the Cascades for use in busses in Seattle, Tacoma and Olympia.�

Biodiesel and ethanol will also lead to cleaner air - they reduce emissions and do not contribute to climate change.

Washington spends $25 million a day on oil, much of it imported from foreign countries. The bill ensures that the state will lead the way toward energy independence by requiring 20 percent of the state's diesel needs to be met with biodiesel by 2009.

For information on all bill action, please visit Governor Gregoire's website or the Washington Legislature website.


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