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For months, a bill that aims to boost biofuels use in Ohio was stalled in the Senate. The House had unanimously passed House Bill 245 in early October but little had happened until the spring when OFBF started lobbying heavily for it.

OFBF staff members and farmers from several counties lobbied for the bill, telling lawmakers that it was considered a key vote, or a vote by which positive support for agriculture is assessed. OFBF also helped organize a news conference in March to help generate interest in the bill again.

Ohio Farm Bureau's efforts paid off. On March 29, the Senate unanimously passed HB 245, which went to the House for concurrence. Because lawmakers had so many bills on tap, they didn't finalize the bill before going on spring break. The next session is scheduled for May 3.

"Farm Bureau volunteers helped put this bill in the 'win' column for agriculture," said Rocky Black, OFBF's director of legislative affairs. "They explained to legislators that E85 and soy biodiesel need a distribution system so consumers can buy renewable biofuels across the state."

Rep. Steve Reinhard, R-Bucyrus, is the sponsor of the bill, which was first proposed by the Ohio Corn Growers Association and the Ohio Soybean Association. HB 245 supports the use of renewable fuels and calls for providing grants to help support the development of E85, a blend of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline, and biodiesel facilities. Ethanol is a completely renewable fuel that is most commonly made from corn. Ohio has more than 150,000 cars with flexible fuel systems, meaning they can use regular gasoline or E85, but the state has only six retail E85 fueling pumps. The bill contains a $1 million state grant for the installation of E85 and biodiesel retail pumps. The money could result in 50 to 75 new pumps in two to three years, Black said.

"Ohio lags behind other Midwestern states in biofuels production and growth of end use by consumers, almost as a non-participant in the E85 market opportunity," said OFBF Treasurer Brent Porteus who testified in support of the bill. "Our six retail E85 fueling pumps in the entire state are dwarfed by the opportunities available in states like Illinois with 122 stations and Minnesota with over 200 locations."

The Ohio Department of Agriculture "enthusiastically supports" the bill because it provides "timely, necessary and effective tools to help compliment" biofuels production, according to ODA Deputy Director Fred Shimp.

Other key provisions of the bill are:

• It would require the state of Ohio to use renewable or other alternative fuels in all vehicles capable of using the fuels whenever at locations reasonably available to the user. This would cover all diesel vehicles and the approximately 2,000 flexible-fuel vehicles owned the state.

• The state would be required to continue purchasing a high percentage of alternative fuel capable vehicles.

The legislation also could provide grants to government fleets and school districts to cover part of the incremental cost during times when biofuels are more expensive.