The Iowa Corn Promotion Board was touting the benefits of ethanol fuel blends at last week?s Commodity Classic show.
The Iowa Corn Promotion Board works to develop and defend markets, fund research, and provide education about corn and corn products. Board president Kelly Nieuwenhuis from O?Brien County says they continue to promote E15.
?In the state of Iowa, we have the biofuels access bill right now that is in the Ways and Means of the Iowa Senate. We are really working to get that bill passed out of the Ways and Means Committee and onto the Senate floor to get passed for 2022.?
Nieuwenhuis says biofuels help lower prices at the pump. The U.S. recently hit its all-time record high for the national average price of gasoline.
?We need energy independence and biofuels is a great fit for that. Just recently there was a study that said if we converted one-third of the E10 pumps in the nation to E15 we could replace all of the Russian imports that we?re having right now. Biofuels are here and ready for that call. We would be happy to fill that void.?
Nieuwenhuis talks about some other ethanol-related legislation being discussed at the federal level.
?We just had a bill introduced here about six months ago by Rep. Bustos of Illinois. It?s the Next Generations Fuels Act. It?s a futuristic bill to get mid-level blends certified and the auto industry to design engines that run on high octane, low carbon fuels like E25 or E30.?
Another popular ethanol blend is E85 for flex fuel vehicles. Nieuwenhuis says E85 sales are rising fast in California.
?The largest growth for E85 demand is California. Just last year their E85 sales increased by 20%. Right now in California they have $6.00 fuel on the regular blends and E85 is in that $3.39 range. It?s a huge savings for consumers around the country. We need to promote that more and get more flex fuel vehicles built by the auto industry.?
Nieuwenhuis made his comments to the Iowa Agribusiness Radio Network at the 2022 Commodity Classic in New Orleans.
