Obama backs corn ethanol, but urges biofuels variety

Des Moines Register
By PHILIP BRASHER • pbrasher@dmreg.com • March 12, 2009

Washington, D.C. - President Barack Obama says he wants to preserve the nation's ethanol industry while developing new versions of biofuels made from feedstocks other than corn.

Obama stopped short of saying whether his administration would bail out the struggling ethanol industry by increasing the amount of the additive that can be blended with gasoline.

"Corn-based ethanol over time is not going to provide us with the energy-efficient solutions that are needed," Obama said during a question-and-answer session in the White House on Wednesday with regional newspaper reporters.

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