The ethanol industry has for years draped itself in the American flag, positioning itself as a cleaner, homegrown alternative to oil. Never has that been more true than today.

With regulators and legislators poised to decide issues that will shape ethanol's future for years to come, the ethanol lobby is increasingly making the scene unfolding in the Gulf of Mexico — with tens of thousands of barrels of crude still flowing daily from BP's deepwater well — a backdrop for the nation's energy debate.

"The choice between the dangers of our addiction to oil and the promise of American renewable fuels is as clear today as the contrast between the blackened estuaries of the Gulf Coast and the sparkling green fields of rural America," said Robert Dinneen, president of the Washington-based Renewable Fuels Association.

Dinneen made the remarks during his keynote speech last week in St. Louis at the International Fuel Ethanol Workshop & Expo, which bills itself as the world's largest and longest-running ethanol conference.

Click here to read more