More than 200 biofuel producers and supporters traveled to Des Moines earlier this week to encourage state lawmakers to expand support for locally grown and renewable energy sources. They urged Iowa senators to approve the Iowa Biofuels Access bill, which was approved in the House in February by a bipartisan 82-10 vote. The bill aims to broaden consumer access to ethanol-blended fuels and biodiesel and will require most fueling stations to have at least one pump providing E-15. Brad Wilson, president of Western Iowa Energy in Wall Lake, says this bill would be a huge win for farmers and producers if passed into law.
The chief concern from the bill’s opponents is the effect it would have on smaller stations, primarily in small, rural communities. Wilson says the Biofuels Access Act addresses this directly.
Gov. Kim Reynolds’ support for increased biofuels access is a result of decisions made by the Trump and Biden Administrations’ relaxed attitude toward enforcing the federal Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), which requires producers to blend a set volume of biofuels into their product each year. Wilson says a limited RFS cuts into farmers’ and producers’ bottom lines.
The last action on the bill was a referral to the Senate Ways and Means Committee, and it is currently waiting for a vote on the Senate floor. Reynolds originally introduced the bill, so she is expected to sign it if it receives Senate approval.
