Iowa Governor Terry Branstad’s “Fueling Our Future” program has recognized two retailers for their innovative plans to increase accessibility to higher ethanol and biodiesel blends. Farmers Cooperative based in Mount Ayr, Iowa and Oak Street station based in Inwood, Iowa both received $125,000 to offset the cost of adding renewable fuel infrastructure for biodiesel and ethanol. In addition, he has …
Iowa Senate Votes for Renewable Fuels
The Iowa State Senate has voted unanimously (48-0) to pass Senate File 2344. The Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IRFA) commended the Senate and noted the policy move showed tremendous, bipartisan support for renewable fuels. “I applaud the Iowa Senate for voting unanimously to protect Iowa jobs and access to homegrown, clean-burning renewable fuels,” said IRFA Policy Director Grant Menke. “This …
IRFA: Strong Plantings Report Calls for Strong RFS
Expected big plantings of corn and soybeans underscore the need for a strong Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS). New estimates from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) show a possible record amount of soybeans expected to be planted this year and the fifth largest corn acreage to be planted as well. The Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IRFA) says these factors show …
Iowa RFA’s Shaw Has Ag Support for Congress
Iowa Renewable Fuels Association Executive Director Monte Shaw is one of several Republican candidates vying to replace the retiring Tom Latham as Iowa’s representative in the Third Congressional District, but he may have more grassroots agricultural support than most of them. Shaw has just announced the formation of his Iowa Agriculture Team, which includes key ag leaders from across the …
IRFA: Obama Misses Chance to Help Biodiesel
As President Obama unveiled his FY 2015 Budget Proposal, the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IRFA) says he missed his chance to level the playing field for biodiesel. IRFA Policy Director Grant Menke points out that while the President included the reinstatements of several currently expired tax provisions, such as tax credits for cellulosic biofuel and wind energy production, he seemed …
It Pays to Shop for Ethanol
An informal survey of gasoline retail locations in greater Des Moines, Iowa, revealed that while 87-octane gasoline prices remain relatively uniform across several retail brands, the price a consumer pays for premium gasoline varies greatly depending on whether the retailer blends its premium gasoline with ethanol. The Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IRFA) reports that using premium gasoline blended with E10 …
RFS is Revitalizing Rural Iowa
The United State Department of Agriculture (USDA) has released its Preliminary 2012 Farm Census data and according to the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IRFA), it’s easy to see that increased in the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) have revitalized rural Iowa. The USDA data shows that since the increase in the RFS in 2007, Iowa has experienced nearly a 51 percent …
Iowa E85 Sales Set Record in 2013
Iowans have purchased a record number of gallons of E85 (85 percent ethanol, 15 percent gas) in 2013. According to the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IRFA), total E85 sales in 2013 reached 10,854,117 gallons, up nearly 20 percent from 2012 and an increase of more than 130,000 gallons from the previous record in 2011. The sales figures were reported by …
DuPont: “Future Fuel” Cellulosic Ethanol Here Today
Cellulosic ethanol is not just a fuel of the future; it’s here today. And at the recent 8th Annual Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit held in Altoona, Iowa, Steve Mirshak from DuPont’s cellulosic division talked with Joanna about what this fuel will soon bring. “This is a real fuel,” Steve said, pointing out that DuPont is on track to commercializing the …
Farm Service Co-Op Offers E15
Farm Service Cooperative (FSC), located in Harlan, Iowa, is now selling E15 for 2001 and newer vehicles. The entry of this new station brings the Iowa total to 15. FSC also offers E30, E50 and E85 to flex-fuel vehicle (FFV) owners. “Being farmer-owned, we wanted to support the agriculture industry by offering more ethanol options to our customers,” said FSC …