(NDAgConnection.com) – Iowa is the first state in the nation to require most gas stations to sell fuel with at least 15% ethanol under a bill signed Tuesday by Gov. Kim Reynolds. Reynolds signed the bill on a farm near Prairie City, about 20 miles east of Des Moines.

According to the Associated Press, the Republican governor signed the bill on a flatbed wagon backed by tractors and corn planters, highlighting what she called a victory for Iowa farmers and biofuels advocates.

The ethanol industry consumes about half of Iowa’s corn crop, and the state leads the nation in corn and ethanol production.

Most gas sold in Iowa and across the country is blended with 10% ethanol.

Iowa’s law requires E15 to be sold in at least one pump by 2026, except at gas stations that qualify for a waiver.

Earlier versions of the bill raised concerns it would force small gas stations to close because of the cost of installing new tanks, pipes, and pumps.

The state will award up to $5 million annually to help station owners upgrade equipment to handle E15.

In Minnesota, another top corn-growing state, lawmakers considered but haven’t approved a mandatory E15 measure.