The Cass County Board of Supervisor’s, today (Wednesday), voiced their support for a proposed Resolution pertaining to the U-S Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). A draft of the Resolution was presented to the Board for their review and changes as necessary. The Resolution, as currently written, states in-part, that the RFS “Has been created to reduce dependence on foreign sources of crude oil and to foster development of domestic energy resources.”

A change to the proposed resolution by Supervisor Mark Wedemeyer, would remove a section that states “Renewable fuel resources should provide significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change.” Wedemeyer says he doesn’t subscribe to the theory of “Global warming.”

John and Brad Hartkopf, representing the Renewable Fuels Industry, spoke before the Board prior to their taking the Resolution under consideration. John Hartkopf said they have been trying to educate the public and presidential candidates on the importance of the issue.

He said “Iowa is the nation’s leader in renewable bio-fuels and ethanol and production.” The renewable fuels industry he says, brings 73,000 jobs to Iowa, a $5-billion payroll and $13-billion to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). In the original law passed in 2005 and renewed in 2007, “There is seven-years left in that law, and that last seven-years is primarily for market access. So this market can be expanded to other states. And that was the intent of the law…the purpose of the law is the protection of the United States from foreign oil…environmental protection, and to grow Iowa’s and [the] Midwest’s agriculture industry.”

Hartkopf said the RFS of course has seen opposition from the oil industry, and there are misconceptions about who benefits from renewable fuel. He said Renewable Fuels has not received federal tax credits since 2011, but the oil industry still receives $4.8-billion in tax credits.”

He says the main thing they want to the public and presidential candidates to understand, is the economic benefit to the State and how critical the RFS is in continuing that benefit. The Board is expected to approve the amended resolution during its meeting on Dec. 31st.

Economic development officials and local leaders have been trying for years to bring an ethanol plant to Atlantic. After hopes were dashed in 2006 when Amaizing Energy pulled plans to build a plant here, and a Green Plains Renewable Energy deal fell through, plans were announced in 2011-2012 for Ron Fagen, with Fagen, Inc. of Granite Falls, MN, to buy the property. But since then, only an administrative building, an outbuilding and foundation have been placed on the site, and the County constructed a road leading to the facility.

During a meeting of the Cass County Board of Supervisors this (Wednesday) morning,
Kathy Schowalter, with PlanScape Partners, said by speakerphone, momentum is once again building for the stalled-out project. She said Fagen has been trying to market the site, and if he can get assistance from the State of Iowa, the County and City of Atlantic, he will work and develop the site himself.

The company is now ready to submit an application to the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA), but officials there have made it clear they need proof such a plant is needed before financial assistance is considered and granted. She said they have had to demonstrate there is adequate corn available for processing, and an available labor force.

Showalter said they used 2013 data provided by CADCO (the Cass-Atlantic Development Corporation) and other anecdotal information about the county to support the application. The application needs to be submitted to the State by January 4th. A decision on the request won’t be made until the end of January.

As part of the application, Showalter said there has to be “Some local skin in the game,” in the form of a 50-percent match of the TIF (tax Increment Financing) for 10-years, which is projected to be nearly $3.5-million, based on an assessed value of $25-million dollars.

The County, has passed a Resolution approving the sponsorship of and local match for the application to the IEDA High Quality Jobs Program for Farmers Energy, Cardinal, LLC. If the application is approved, the ball would start rolling on $190-million dollar investment toward bringing an annual 150-million gallon ethanol plant to the County just outside of Atlantic. The plant would be added to the Cass County Urban Renewal Plan, and the project, which is larger than the originally proposed 100-million gallon production facility, would create at least an estimated 45 new jobs. Other details about the proposal are still being worked out, and are pending approval of an economic development package from the State.