Wallaces Farmer

Iowa candidates running for federal office won’t support legislation that seeks to ban biofuels.

October 29, 2020

2 Min Read
fuel pump
STANDING TALL: Candidates in Iowa have taken a united public stance against legislation in Congress that would destroy biofuel demand. Rod Swoboda

Last week the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association and Iowa Biodiesel Board sent an open letter to candidates running for federal office in Iowa asking them to take a public stand against legislation that would ban biofuel-powered vehicles by 2035. This week, all 10 of the candidates have responded to the letter, and all of them declared opposition to such legislation.

“We thank Iowa’s candidates for taking such a strong, united stance against this attempt to remove biofuels from being part of our nation’s energy future,” says Monte Shaw, executive director of IRFA. “This recently introduced legislation completely ignores the emission reductions possible today and in the future from biofuels. Rather than taking a technology-neutral approach that would allow the market to decide the best way to meet emission standards, this bill disregards all of the investment farmers, and biofuels producers have made into increasing efficiency and ensuring biofuels continue to get greener and greener with each passing year.”

Biofuels reduce carbon emissions

“One of the best ways to reduce carbon emissions today — and in future cars and trucks — is through the use of low-carbon liquid fuels such as biodiesel,” says Grant Kimberley, IBB executive director. “While we support an all-of-the-above strategy, including electric vehicle technology, we applaud the key federal leaders and potential leaders who are on the record saying they will not side with one specific technology at the expense of others that support the use of biofuels. Biofuels have earned the opportunity to compete in the low-carbon economy.”

The letter IRFA and IBB sent to the candidates last week urged them to take a stand against the legislation recently introduced in the U.S. Senate and House that would begin restricting the sale of vehicles that can use biofuels as soon as 2025 and would ban biofuel-powered vehicles by 2035.

To view the letter IRFA and IBB sent to candidates, click here. To view the candidates’ responses, click here.

Legislation would devastate Iowa

“The legislative proposal to do away with biofuels would do devasting harm to Iowa biofuel producers and farmers,” Shaw says.

Banning the sale of new vehicles powered by biofuels would be a hammer blow to Iowa’s ethanol and biodiesel producers and would crush a vital market for Iowa’s farmers. Today, over half of Iowa’s corn crop goes into production of ethanol and its co-products, and over one-third of Iowa soybean oil goes to biodiesel production.

“Losing this market could very likely trigger another major farm crisis,” Kimberley says.

The IRFA represents the state’s liquid renewable fuels industry and works to foster its growth. Iowa is the nation’s leader in renewable fuels production with 43 ethanol refineries capable of producing over 4.5 billion gallons annually — including 34 million gallons of annual cellulosic ethanol production capacity — and 11 biodiesel facilities with capacity to produce nearly 400 million gallons annually.

For more information, visit the IRFA website iowarfa.org

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