(Radio Iowa) – The leader of the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association says the biofuels industry is frustrated by opposition to carbon pipelines and a little bit angry about delayed federal rules that would let E-15 be sold year-round in every state this summer. The association held its annual meeting yesterday (Tuesday). Mike Jerke with Southwest Iowa Renewable Energy in Council Bluffs says once pipelines carry carbon out of Iowa ethanol plants, ethanol made here would have the advantage of being considered a low carbon or carbon free fuel.

“We have a declining usage of liquid fuels generally and in terms of diversification and what it means for our members, we have to look at all of these opportunities to continue to diversify and enter markets that are afforded to us,” Jerke says. Jerke made his comments to the House Environmental Protection Committee yesterday (Tuesday).

A few hours earlier, Monte Shaw, the executive director of the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association, said it’s frustrating to have other groups and elected officials criticize carbon pipelines. Environmentalists and advocates for property rights who oppose the pipelines are regularly at the Iowa Capitol. They’re urging lawmakers to block state regulators from granting pipeline developers the power to seize land from property owners who don’t want the pipelines on their property.