The Iowa Renewable Fuels Association today attended Farmers Cooperative Co.’s groundbreaking ceremony at the future site of its new Mount Ayr renewable fuels retail location that will offer higher blends of ethanol and biodiesel to Southwest Iowa motorists. The fueling site will offer ethanol blends E10, E15 as a registered fuel, E30 and E85, as well as biodiesel blends B10, B20 and B99 for jobbers and special use customers.

“The price of [E10] in Iowa is 17 to 30 cents below gasoline, so the savings is even greater with higher ethanol blends,” Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad told the audience at the groundbreaking ceremony. “I’ve told the EPA, if E15 is offered to give consumers a choice, they will choose cheaper renewable fuels.”

“For this project, we have a great partnership with [Iowa State University] who will be conducting a study to find out why motorists choose the fuels they do,” Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey told attendees. “This is a great opportunity to convince others to make the same type of investment.”

“We congratulate Farmers Cooperative Co. on this great event to celebrate the groundbreaking on a true renewable fuels retail location that will provide consumers with greater access to clean, locally produced ethanol and biodiesel,” stated IRFA Managing Director Lucy Norton. “With the help of Gov. Branstad’s ‘Fueling Our Future’ program and the Iowa Renewable Fuels Infrastructure Program, Iowans will continue to benefit from fuel choice at locations like this one.”

Farmers Cooperative Co. was selected to receive $125,000 in funding for the new site from Branstad’s “Fueling Our Future” program, administered by the Iowa Department of Transportation and the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship.  In addition, Farmers Cooperative will receive $100,000 in funding from the Iowa Renewable Fuels Infrastructure Program. Construction will begin later this year.

Iowa is the leader in renewable fuels production with 42 ethanol refineries capable of producing more than 3.8 billion gallons annually, three cellulosic ethanol facilities currently under construction and 12 biodiesel facilities with the capacity to produce nearly 315 million gallons annually.

The Iowa Renewable Fuels Association was formed in 2002 to represent the state’s liquid renewable fuels industry. The trade group fosters the development and growth of the renewable fuels industry in Iowa through education, promotion, legislation and infrastructure development.