Iowa

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Bioenergy > United States > Midwest United States > Iowa

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The midwestern state of Iowa is the largest producer of corn, as well as the biofuels ethanol and biodiesel.

Contents 1 Events 2 Issues 2.1 Biofuel production 2.2 Policies 3 News 4 Organizations 4.1 Governmental organizations 4.2 Nongovernmental organizations 4.3 Companies 4.4 Academia 5 Publications

Events

2010

• 27-30 June 2010, Ames: Biochar 2010. Hosted by Iowa State University (Themes:agriculture, biochar, economics, forestry, policy, soil)

2009

• 3-4 March 2009, Ames: Roundtable on Sustainable Biofuels Midwest US Stakeholder Outreach Meeting. (Themes: biofuels, RSB, sustainability). To download the agenda, click here (PDF file).

2008

• 31 January 2008, Des Moines: Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit (Themes: fuels)

• 7-10 September 2008, Ames: 6th Annual Biobased Industry Outlook Conference. (Themes: biofuels, bioeconomy, sustainability, legislation, climate change)

• 6-10 October 2008, Ames: Biodiesel Technology Workshop (Themes: biodiesel, technology)

Issues

Biofuel production

• Ethanol
  • Iowa had the highest production ethanol of any state in 2006, with 1.5 billion gallons.
• Biodiesel
  • Iowa had the highest production biodiesel of any state in 2006, with 60 million gallons.

Policies

• 2006 tax policy to promote biofuels.

News

• Corn Crowds Out Wildlife in Prairie Pothole Region, 13 January 2010 press release by National Wildlife Federation: "A new report shows how government incentives for corn ethanol are driving farmers to shift land into corn production, resulting in significant decreases in grassland bird populations throughout the fragile Prairie Pothole Region. The study analyzes the current and potential impacts of increased corn ethanol production on wildlife and habitat in the Prairie Pothole states of Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota."
  • "According to the report, U.S. ethanol capacity has grown almost 200 percent since the passage of the 2005 Energy Bill, which mandated a large increase in domestic ethanol production."
  • "By identifying areas with the most dramatic land-use changes in Prairie Pothole states, researchers were able to see where there are 'hotspots' of increased corn plantings and habitat loss." The study's "results showed that counties with high increases in corn plantings had significant declines of nearly 30 percent in populations of sensitive grassland birds between 2005 and 2008."[1]
  • Download the full report:
    • Corn Ethanol and Wildlife - How increases in corn plantings are affecting habitat and wildlife in the Prairie Pothole Region (PDF file)

• Vilsack: Some Hard Choices on Ethanol, 18 December 2008 by Time - USA: "Iowa is the ethanol capital of the nation, and President-elect Barack Obama has been a reliable supporter of biofuels, so it's no surprise that former Iowa governor Tom Vilsack, his choice for agriculture secretary, has been an even more reliable supporter of biofuels, even chairing a national coalition on ethanol".
  • "Vilsack does have predictably close ties to traditional agriculture and agribusiness, and he did run the nation's leading corn and soybean state. But he's also been a supporter of farm conservation programs, clean water regulations, and a cap-and-trade scheme to prevent global warming."
  • "Vilsack suggested that second-generation biofuels like cellulosic ethanol manufactured from switchgrass could solve the problem, particularly if it was grown on non-productive hillsides so that it wouldn't displace food crops." [2]

• Uprising Against the Ethanol Mandate, 23 July 2008 by the New York Times: "Gov. Rick Perry of Texas is asking the Environmental Protection Agency to temporarily waive regulations requiring the oil industry to blend ever-increasing amounts of ethanol into gasoline. A decision is expected in the next few weeks."
  • "His request for an emergency waiver cutting the ethanol mandate to 4.5 billion gallons, from the 9 billion gallons required this year and the 10.5 billion required in 2009, is backed by a coalition of food, livestock and environmental groups."
  • "In ethanol’s home ground of the Midwest, where much of the corn is grown and the additive is made, Mr. Perry’s petition was opposed by 12 governors. Senator Charles Grassley, Republican of Iowa, accused the Grocery Manufacturers Association, the group leading the public relations fight against ethanol, of 'treasonous' acts."[3]

• Study: biofuels industry added 10% to Iowa's GDP in 2007, 1 February 2008, Biopact. The study, published by the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association finds that the construction of new biorefineries for both biodiesel and ethanol has driven growth in the agricultural economy, especially in rural areas.
• Where ethanol is king, 9 March 2007 by Alan Boyle in CosmicLog, the science blog of MSNBC: "If America follows through on its biofuel aspirations and creates an "OPEC of ethanol," Iowa could well become one of its most energy-rich emirates." Boyle states that "the biofuel boom is already changing Iowa - for good and potentially for ill."
  • Demand for corn for ethanol production has raised the price of corn to "over $4 a bushel" -- which is beneficial for corn producers, and detrimental for livestock producers.
  • "The higher prices have led some farmers to boost the acreage they'll be devoting to corn when the planting season begins - and the federal government just might give farmers an "early out" from conservation set-aside contracts to boost the land put into production. There's also evidence that crop rotations might be tweaked to favor corn."[4]
  • If sustainable farming methods are not implemented, "soil erosion could create a situation in which the state loses a pound of topsoil for every gallon of ethanol gained," according to Robert Anex, Associate Director of the Office of Biorenewable Programs at Iowa State University.[5]
• New Iowa Legislation to Boost Renewable Fuel Use, 7 June 2006 from EERE News, reported on new legislation that "creates a tax credit for selling E85...that starts at 25 cents per gallon and phases out by 2021, and another tax credit of three cents per gallon for diesel blends containing at least 2 percent biodiesel."

Organizations

Governmental organizations

• Iowa State Energy Center
• Iowa office of energy independence
  • Iowa Plan for Energy Independence (PDF file) - In this report, state officials explain their "goal to make Iowa the national leader in energy efficiency, and sustainable energy." Excerpts:
    • "We want to make Iowa what we have called the Silicon Valley of the Midwest with respect to our new energy economy....We have announced plans for the nation’s first cellulosic bio-refinery, which will be able to extract ethanol from the whole corn plant, not just the kernel."
    • "We have made renewable fuels more accessible to Iowans by opening more E85 pumps across the state, converting the state fleet to all flex-fuel vehicles, and opening distribution lines for bio-diesel."
    • "Now, we are undertaking another ambitious yet attainable goal – one of energy independence by the year 2025."

Nongovernmental organizations

Companies

Academia

• Iowa State University - Office of Biorenewable Programs (Ames, Iowa)

Publications

See books, reports, scientific papers, position papers and websites for additional useful resources.

• Adoption Subsidies and Environmental Impacts of Alternative Energy Crops by Bruce A. Babcock, Philip W. Gassman, Manoj Jha, Catherine L. Kling; Center for Agricultural and Renewable Development, Iowa State University, March 2007. Provides "estimates of the costs associated with inducing substantial conversion of land from production of traditional crops to switchgrass" and examines "potential environmental consequences of conversion".
• Costs of Producing Switchgrass for Biomass in Southern Iowa (pdf) by Michael D. Duffy and Virginie Y. Nanhou; Reprinted from: Trends in new crops and new uses. 2002. J. Janick and A. Whipkey (eds.). ASHS Press, Alexandria, VA.

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