I recently had the chance to take a short trip aboard a semi-truck. Outwardly, there was nothing especially futuristic about it; look under the hood, however, and you may just be catching a glimpse of the next generation of trucking.
Thanks to modifications by the team at ClearFlame Engine Technologies, this is no ordinary engine. It can run exclusively on pure bioethanol, including cleaner-burning E98, while retaining all the performance characteristics of diesel engines and offering significant savings on transport costs.
It’s a testament to the remarkable potential of renewable fuels and the crops that make them. As the proud Governor of the top corn- and ethanol-producing state in the nation, I love seeing all the innovative ways companies are getting the most out of
our products.
;void('');)
Governor Kim Reynolds
That’s what I appreciate about POET, a world-class company that's no stranger to finding exciting value-added uses for corn. Every day, POET helps demonstrate that biofuels are moving into the future faster than ever. I’m convinced that the industry’s continued vitality will remain critical to Iowa’s prosperity for years to come.
After all, biofuels account for more than $5 billion of our state’s GDP and support tens of thousands of jobs. Over a quarter of America’s bioethanol comes from Iowa corn. Our biofuel production powers our economy and fuels the world.
This position of global leadership means that what we do here reverberates far beyond our borders. When Iowa speaks about biofuels, people listen. And we’ve never spoken more loudly, or more clearly, than we did this year.
After years of work and negotiation, Iowa became the first state in the nation to adopt an E15 standard, setting the stage for the single-largest expansion of biofuels in Iowa’s history.
I proposed the first version of this bill two years ago, and the quality of the final product shows that good faith negotiation and compromise can pay off in a big way.
It expands fuel retailer tax credits, ensures our fuel infrastructure will be ready for higher blends and comes with a $10 million investment in Iowa’s Renewable Fuel Infrastructure Program. Above all, it allows Iowa to take charge of our own renewable fuel economy.
;void('');)
It's a victory that couldn’t have come at a better time for Iowans, who continue to struggle with record inflation and high gas prices. Like so many Americans, Iowans are desperate for relief; this law will deliver it.
Our leaders at the national level should learn from this example. The fallout from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has revealed how foolish it is to bank on the willingness of brutal dictators to grace us with more oil and gas.
It’s also no solution to encourage Americans who can’t afford gas to buy an electric vehicle, nor are unrealistic schemes to eliminate gas-powered cars, especially as China works to lock up the electric vehicle battery supply chain.
The true answer is to take meaningful action in partnership with American industry — not that of our adversaries. We’re doing it in Iowa, but it’s not too late for Washington to follow suit.
Earlier this year, I led a bipartisan group of eight Midwestern governors to formally request that the EPA allow our states to sell E15 year-round without restriction on a permanent basis. The temporary waiver for this year was a welcome first step, but now it’s time to finish the job.
While I'm optimistic about the prospects of the permanent waiver, here’s something I can guarantee with certainty: I’ll never stop fighting for this industry, nor lose sight of the message we sent this year when we passed the biofuels bill: that America’s energy is already growing right here in Iowa’s fields.
