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Ricketts supports funding of Nebraska ethanol project

Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts tells Brownfield he fully supports a decision by the Nebraska Environmental Trust to provide nearly two million dollars for the installation of ethanol blender pumps in the state.

“This is a win-win-win. I think this is a great use of the grant money,” Ricketts says.

The decision Thursday by the Environmental Trust’s board of directors has drawn criticism from some who say the money should be going to traditional conservation projects. 

But Ricketts says ethanol is part of conservation.

“Conservation is multi-faceted, right? Making sure we have clean air and that we are reducing the amount of emissions we’re putting into our environment is part of conservation,” he says. “So it is absolutely appropriate that the board has grants that go to gas stations to install these blender pumps, to be able to use higher blends of ethanol. Because long-term, that is going to be good for cleaning up our environment.”

The Nebraska Environmental Trust is funded by state lottery proceeds.