New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, one of the Democrats seeking the presidency, unveiled a national energy plan Thursday that places a high priority on ethanol and other biofuels produced in Iowa.

"I would say that on a scale of 10, the use and promotion of biofuels and biodiesel and ethanol would be at about a 9.5 level," Richardson said in a conference call with Iowa reporters.

Richardson, who was secretary of energy in the Clinton administration, and his wife Barbara drive a Ford Escape hybrid and a Chevrolet Tahoe flexible-fuel vehicle that can run on E85 ethanol.

Richardson outlined his energy plan in a speech Thursday to the New America Foundation in Washington. He called for dramatically reducing oil consumption and oil imports, increasing the production of renewable energy, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and working internationally on energy issues...

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For more information on New America's energy efficiency event, please click here.