Thanks to growing demand for higher blends of biofuels and rising exports, Iowa’s production of both ethanol and biodiesel reached record levels in 2016, according to the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IRFA)

Iowa’s 43 ethanol plants produced 4.1 billion gallon last year, up from 4 billion gallons in 2015. Biodiesel production in the state reached 297 million gallons, beating 2015 production by 55 million gallons.

While the production records are gratifying, the state’s biofuel plants have the capacity to produce much more, said Monte Shaw, IFRA executive director. "In order to unlock this wealth of untapped potential, we need to move beyond E10 and ensure that all consumers have access to higher blends of ethanol at the pump," he said.