IRFA: E15 momentum continues with Iowa’s Renewable Fuels Infrastructure Program
Iowa awarded nearly $1 million in RFIP grants on April 15 to expand E15 access at 94 fuel sites, following a record 111 grants last month. This brings the fiscal year’s total to 297 E15 projects, reflecting strong demand from retailers and consumers. The program has distributed over $58 million to date, driving private investment and renewable fuel adoption statewide.
On April 15, Iowa’s cost-share Renewable Fuels Infrastructure Program (RFIP) awarded almost $1 million in grants to add E15 to 94 Iowa retail fuel sites throughout the state. Momentum toward compliance with Iowa’s E15 Access Standard continues to build as these 94 grant follow the record 111 grants awarded just last month. To date, there have been a total of 297 E15 projects awarded this fiscal year, which began last July 1. The RFIP board is expected to hold at least one more meeting to award grants before the fiscal year ends on June 30.
“This continued momentum is reflected all across Iowa from retailers, to consumers, to farmers who are all asking for increased access to E15,” said Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IRFA) Monte Shaw. “Today’s grants follow the recent Higher Blends Infrastructure Program announcement of $537 million in grants and the release of the 2024 Iowa Retailers Motor Fuel Gallons Annual Report that showed an increase of E15 sales to 257 million gallons, up 45% year-to-year. This attests to the push to make E15 a standard option at the pump.”
For this fiscal year, RFIP has awarded just over $10 million in grants which includes 297 E15 projects and 39 biodiesel grants to date.
“IRFA continues to urge the Legislature to fully fund the RFIP program for next fiscal year,” said Shaw. “With over $10 million in grants already out the door this year, we hope the Legislature will appropriate at least $10 million to the program for next year. This has been the typical amount and, if anything, they should increase it to cover the high demand. Retailers are working hard to meet the E15 Access Standard, so one more round of RFIP grant funding is necessary to help get them across the finish line.”
In total to date, the program has distributed over $58 million, which has leveraged an ever greater amount of private funds, to help fund ethanol and biodiesel infrastructure across Iowa. The program has led to millions of dollars of private economic investment and hundreds of new stations offering higher blends of renewable fuels at the pump.
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Source : Ethanol Producer Magazine
