12/3/19 DES MOINES– Today, Governor Kim Reynolds signed Executive Order 5 (EO5) requiring all new contracts for the purchase of state vehicles with diesel engines to have written support from the manufacturer to use B20 biodiesel (a blend of 20% biodiesel and 80% petroleum-based diesel) or more. Gov Reynolds signed the executive order at the Iowa Farm Bureau’s Annual Meeting in Des Moines.
“Biodiesel is a growing and vital industry in Iowa, and I will always work tirelessly for the continued expansion of the biofuels market,” said Gov. Reynolds. “Ethanol and biodiesel remain essential to the health of the agricultural economy, sustainable environmental commitments and employ thousands of Iowans. I am proud to stand alongside Iowa Farm Bureau and key stakeholders in the renewable fuels industry to secure the continued demand for biofuels.”
The Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) began using biodiesel blends as far back as 1994. The fleet uses B20 most of the year in virtually everything with a diesel engine, including snow plows, motor graders and more. Today’s executive order furthers the governor's longstanding commitment to Iowa’s biofuels industry, environmental sustainability, and value-added agriculture.
Iowa’s biodiesel industry supports the equivalent of 4,700 full-time jobs and accounts for $568 million of Iowa’s gross domestic product. Iowa’s eleven biodiesel plants, which produced 365 million gallons in 2018, proved a commitment to growth by increasing their biodiesel production capacity by 20% to nearly 400 million gallons by the end of 2018.