Iowa losing green jobs as it buys foreign oil

As other states begin campaigns to attract green industries, Iowa is letting green jobs slip away. That includes all 14 workers at my biodiesel plant in Crawfordsville, laid off in late 2009.

Our plant once had the capacity to make

10 million gallons a year of cleaner-burning biodiesel, produced from local resources. Now, as our biodiesel plant collects dust, Iowans will spend more than $48 million this year for Persian Gulf oil to produce the state's diesel fuel. It's time for Iowa to decide: Do we want to continue spending our money on foreign oil, or do we want to keep that money at home, creating green jobs and economic development?

We need strong federal and state policies in place, because a healthy biodiesel industry will benefit Iowa long-term. The Iowa House of Representatives is considering a bill that would ensure our state's oil companies blend at least 5 percent biodiesel into our diesel. This policy makes sense, not just for biodiesel producers, but for everyone in Iowa.

A B5 requirement also will ensure that infrastructure is in place for Iowa to claim its share of the national market in meeting federal biofuels targets. I want to put my workers back to work. But more important, I want to see Iowa become a national hub for renewable energy once again.

Neil Rich

CEO

Riksch Biofuels

Crawfordsville