November 30, 2020
BY Erin Voegele
The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship on Nov. 30 announced that 101 ethanol projects and 137 biodiesel projects at 167 fuel retail locations have been awarded COVID-19 relief under the Renewable Fuels Retail Recovery Program, which offers relief funds to help gas stations, truck stops, co-ops and other renewable fuels retailers recover from the business disruptions and lost demand caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I’m glad we are able to support so many renewable fuels retailers as they continue to battle demand disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig. “Renewable fuels are a win for everyone — consumers, retailers, farmers and rural communities. Restoring renewable fuels offerings around the state is a great way to support our farmers and it gives all Iowans access to more affordable, cleaner-burning fuels.”
The Renewable Fuels Retail Recovery Program is funded by $7 million in CARES Act money allocated by Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds.
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Reynolds launched the program in August as part of a larger announcement that the state would allocate approximately $100 million of federal CARES Act funds to seven ag programs to offset the impact of COVID-19. An estimated $22.5 million of that funding is expected to support biofuels, including $15.5 million that was allocated to the State Biofuel Grant Program and the $7 million allocated to the Renewable Fuel Retail Recovery Program.
A full list of Renewable Fuels Retail Recovery grant recipients is available on the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship website.
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