Statewide Iowa (RI) — Gasoline prices in Iowa have surged $0.88 a gallon in the past month, and backers of biofuels say the blend with 15 percent ethanol helps consumers save money.
Nick Bowdish, president and CEO of Siouxland Ethanol (in Jackson, Nebraska, near Sioux City), says E15 is a solution for higher pump prices.
Federal rules restrict E15 sales from June through mid-September because of air-quality concerns, and Congress has failed to pass legislation approving its year-round use.
The U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee heard testimony last week on ways to boost demand for farm products, and Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley called for the approval of year-round E15.
Craig Brodersen says all the corn he raises on his farm in western Iowa gets sold to a local ethanol plant.
Geoff Cooper, president and CEO of the National Renewable Fuels Association, says oil companies successfully lobbied lawmakers to block year-round E15, though a congressional task force is still trying to work something out.
Cooper says President Trump could issue emergency waivers allowing existing retailers to continue selling E15 in the summer, a move he says could save drivers up to $0.50 a gallon.
AAA says the statewide average price for gas is $3.33 a gallon, compared to $2.45 a month ago.
KIWA Staff Photo
