Monte Shaw, the executive director of the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association, called on the Legislature to increase funding for the state’s biofuel industry, saying the industry just went through a “triple whammy” of Renewable Fuel Standard exemptions, lost export markets and decreased demand because of the coronavirus pandemic. 

Shaw’s comments came Tuesday during the 2021 Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit in Johnston, where he cited opportunities to expand biofuel demand across Iowa, the country and the world.

“The power of biofuels to propel the rural economy is so great that the people in this industry will simply never give up,” he said. “That, my friends, is the state of the Iowa biofuels industry in 2021: battered, but battling for a better future.”

Shaw addressed challenges the industry is facing, noting that while biodiesel production in Iowa was strong in 2020, the state’s ethanol production fell by 500 million gallons.

He called on Iowa leaders to authorize $15 million a year for the next five years to fund Iowa’s cost-share grant program that enables retailers to update fuel infrastructure to sell higher blends of ethanol and biodiesel, called the Renewable Fuels Infrastructure Program.

“Is this aggressive? Yes. Can it be done? Absolutely,” Shaw said. “[We stand] ready to work with the Legislature to explore ways to secure this new funding without creating shortfalls in other areas.”

To read Shaw’s full statement click here.