New report shows record sales of biodiesel blends in Iowa last year

Photo: Jenna Higgins Rose, Iowa Biodiesel Board

The Iowa Department of Revenue released April 3 the “2024 Retailers Fuel Gallons Annual Report,” showing a record 516 million gallons of biodiesel blends were sold last year.

This was driven by record sales of B20 and higher blends that hit 245 million gallons, according to the report.

“Biodiesel sales smashed previous records, showing the impact of Iowa’s incentive approach that focuses on higher blends,” said Monte Shaw, executive director of the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association.

“Our biodiesel producers face a tough 2025 due to federal policy uncertainty, so driving demand in Iowa remains a key priority,” he said.

The report also found E15 sales increased 45 percent year-to-year to 257 million gallons.

E15 and higher blends accounted for nearly 20 percent of Iowa gasoline sales in 2024.

At the end of 2024, more than one in three Iowa fuel stations offered E15.

“The massive growth in E15 sales reflects the success of Gov. Reynolds’s E15 Access Standard,” Shaw said.

“We’re on a record-setting track that shows when consumers have increased access to E15 they choose the cleaner-burning fuel that saves them 15 cents to 20 cents per gallon,” he added. “Retailers are on track to meet the year-end E15 Access Standard deadline. Farmers are also benefiting from increasing corn demand that stimulates local economies.”

This report follows the recent USDA announcement of $537 million in grants under the Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program and the recent record amount of grants totaling almost $3 million from the latest Iowa’s cost-share Renewable Fuels Infrastructure Program meeting.

According to these recent announcements, there are hundreds more stations that will soon be offering E15 across Iowa.

The Iowa Department of Revenue identified retailers for the report using information from the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship’s motor-fuel license database and from internal records.

The full 2024 report can be found here.