Articles Tagged: renewable energy

State lawmakers on Tuesday approved with strong, bipartisan support a proposal to require that most Iowa gas stations sell the E15 blend of ethanol in at least one pump.

The Iowa Senate’s tax policy committee Monday approved Gov. Kim Reynolds’ proposal after making some changes, including the addition of another way for small gas stations to receive an exemption from the proposed requirements and financial assistance for potential equipment upgrades.

In addition to vouchers, K-12 transparency, unemployment benefits, a proposed ethanol mandate, and the bottle bill remain on lawmakers’ to-do list.

The governors, including Iowa’s Kim Reynolds, are proposing the federal government regulate E10 — the most common blend of ethanol currently available year-round — the same as E15, which has a higher ethanol blend and typically is cheaper.

The Biden administration announced Tuesday that the Environmental Protection Agency will issue an emergency action that will make the E15 blend of ethanol available through this summer. The action will cite the strain on the nation’s fuel supply caused by the Russian military’s invasion of Ukraine.

The president will make the announcement at an event scheduled for this afternoon at a biofuels processing plant in Guthrie County.

An official said Biden will speak to Iowans about his administration’s plans to address rising costs on consumers, and highlight investments in infrastructure, particularly in rural communities.

With just 23 calendar days — which means closer to 18 actual legislative work days, since lawmakers rarely work on Fridays — remaining until lawmakers’ expense reimbursements run out, the push to adjournment begins in earnest next week.

Proposed income tax cuts are on the move, and work on the next state budget has started earlier than normal.

The proposal passed through a streamlined legislative process Tuesday in the Iowa Senate, leaving it just a few legislative steps away from the governor’s pen.

The push back from stakeholders was not as severe in this, the second attempt by Gov. Kim Reynolds to create a statewide ethanol requirement.

The Marion Heritage Center and Museum is officially open to the public again, with a new exhibit that includes information and a detailed timeline of clean energy history in Marion and the state of Iowa.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency called for cutting biofuel-blending quotas retroactively for 2020, while outlining targets for this year that track actual consumption as well as a modest increase for 2022.

Despite Biden's campaign promises of adding over 10 million green energy jobs, “in Iowa, people who already work in the clean energy sector ... are getting pink slips,” the senator said.

Iowa’s clean energy workforce shrunk in 2020 but rebounded more quickly than state’s overall workforce, according to a new report.