STATEMENT: Senator Ernst Leaves Lasting Mark on Biodiesel and Rural Iowa

(ANKENY, Iowa) –– In reaction to the news that Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) has announced she will depart the U.S. Senate at the end of her current term, Grant Kimberley, executive director of the Iowa Biodiesel Board, issued the following statement:

“We congratulate Senator Joni Ernst on her service in the Senate and express heartfelt appreciation for her unwavering support of biodiesel producers, soybean farmers and rural communities. She has a deep understanding that homegrown clean fuels like biodiesel are vital to Iowa’s economy and American energy security, and her leadership has ensured that the voice of our industry was heard loud and clear in Washington.

“From fighting to uphold and grow the Renewable Fuel Standard to leading efforts on the critical federal biodiesel tax incentive, Senator Ernst consistently stood with rural Iowa. Her advocacy made a real difference for farmers, producers and consumers alike. She has helped safeguard markets for Iowa soybeans, defend rural jobs and champion cleaner air through greater use of renewable fuels. Those impacts will be felt long after her time in the Senate.

“While her departure closes a significant chapter, it also sets the stage for new leadership and renewed opportunity. We are grateful for the foundation she helped build and we look forward to continuing our work with another key champion, Senator Chuck Grassley, as well as with Iowa’s next generation of senators to advance biodiesel as a solution.”