The ethanol industry in Iowa may be seeing a boon in production next year.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on July 5 the proposed Renewable Volume Obligations (RVO) for the 2018 conventional biofuels requirement at 15 billion gallons under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). The RFS requires domestic, renewable, cleaner-burning ethanol to be blended into the nation’s fuel supply. Iowa Corn Growers Association President Kurt Hora explains how this is beneficial for Iowans, “Why that’s important to us is because as we blend the ethanol into the fuel supply, that uses the corn that we’ve grown here in the United States. And that lessens our dependence on foreign oil and increases profitably for corn growers across the United States.”

Congress adopted the RFS in 2005, and expanded it in 2007. RVOs are set annually by EPA dictating the amount of renewable fuel blended into fuel. Hora describes the target RVO, “Fifteen billion gallons of ethanol here in the United States, that uses up a lot of corn for us. We get about three gallons of ethanol out of every bushel of corn. We’ll be able to use more corn here, that helps create jobs. Ethanol is good for the environment, it’s cleaner for the air. Any car newer than 2001 can run on a 15% blend ethanol.”

EPA will issue their final ruling on the RVO this fall. ICGA encourages its members to engage during the public comment period and make their voices heard to keep the RFS on track.