Statewide Iowa — Governor Kim Reynolds and the governors of Nebraska and Missouri have signed off on a letter that urges that EPA to increase the federal requirement for biodiesel production.
The three Midwest governors say diesel fuel supplies remain at low levels and farmers and truckers are dealing with “stubbornly high” prices. A year ago, the average price for a gallon of diesel hit an all time high of just over $5 a gallon in Iowa. It’s fallen to about $3.72 a gallon today according to AAA.
The governors say in their letter that soybean-based biodiesel and biomass-based diesel — made with other plant materials — supports the rural economy and expands the fuel supply. The governors of Iowa, Nebraska and Missouri are urging the EPA to “substantially increase” the biodiesel production volume for 2023, 2024 and 2025 under the Renewable Fuels Standard, but to do so without reducing ethanol production requirements.
There’s a June deadline for establishing the latest round of EPA rules on renewable fuel blending requirements for oil refineries.
