Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds has introduced a bill into the Iowa Legislature that sets a 10% minimum ethanol standard for gasoline fuel and an 11% minimum biodiesel standard for diesel fuel, reports Tri-State Livestock News.
The bill would step up the minimum to 20% biodiesel blends during the summers in 2024, and would give the governor discretion to increase the ethanol standard to 15% blends beginning in 2025.
“Passage of this bill would be a major win for farmers, retailers, consumers, and our environment,” Iowa Renewable Fuels Association Executive Director Monte Shaw told Tri-State Livestock News.
POET also applauded Gov. Reynolds.
“Iowa has always been a major champion for biofuels, and we applaud Gov. Reynolds for taking that forward-thinking leadership to the next level with E15,” POET Founder and CEO Jeff Broin said in a statement. “Passing legislation for an E15 standard could lay the foundation for the entire nation.”
E15 in Iowa would add nearly 30 million bushels of grain demand each year, grow thousands of jobs across the state and inject millions into Iowa’s economy, Broin continued.
“It would boost farm incomes across the Midwest, grow dependable domestic markets, and be a critical step in securing America’s energy independence.
“Make no mistake — we need to return to our roots and once again get our energy from the surface of the Earth, and America’s farmers will play a pivotal role in the climate solution,” he added. “Federal and state leaders looking to take action on climate and clean air should start with plant-based biofuels like bioethanol, which is 46% cleaner than gasoline from farm to freeway and displaces toxic chemicals in gasoline linked to cancer and other serious health problems.”