The editors of the Sun Journal got it right that ethanol subsidies shouldn’t be cut suddenly (“Time to cut fed subsidy for ethanol,” Dec. 10). Growth Energy’s position is that they can be phased out over time — if we commit to building out the infrastructure we need to open the market and distribute alternatives to foreign oil, like ethanol.  

That idea is at the heart of Growth Energy’s Fueling Freedom plan, which would redirect a portion of the existing tax credit toward building out a national infrastructure, including blender pumps and Flex Fuel Vehicles. By doing this, we can give Americans a real choice of fuels at the pump.

We believe that given an open market, ethanol can compete against oil: grain ethanol is 59 percent cleaner than conventional gasoline and getting cleaner every day. Meanwhile oil is getting dirtier, costlier and riskier to extract.

Every gallon of clean-burning domestic ethanol means less reliance on foreign oil — making our nation stronger, more economically secure and environmentally friendlier. In 2009 alone, the ethanol industry contributed $53.3 billion to the nation’s GDP, created and supported more than 400,000 U.S. jobs, and reduced oil imports by 364 million barrels.

Today we need to extend the current ethanol tax policy. Doing so will provide certainty in the market and give Congress the opportunity to consider longer term reforms, like our Fueling Freedom Plan, next year. As a result, consumers would have real choices.

Tom Buis, CEO of Growth Energy

Washington, D.C.