A new Iowa renewable energy fund has awarded cost-share funds to two rural Iowa service stations to help pay for installing fuel pumps that dispense higher ethanol blends, state officials announced last week.

The state’s "Fueling Our Fut­ure" fund, which was launched last fall, awarded two $125,000 cost-share grants. One was to the Oak Street Station in Inwood, and the other to the Farmers Cooperative location in Mt. Ayr. Iowa leaders said the two stations are good examples of fuel retailers working to expand the availability of biofuels to help Iowa farmers and drivers.

"When we announced the ‘Fuel­ing Our Future’ initiative in October 2013,...