Gov. Chet Culver called for more “green-collar” jobs Tuesday, urging the Midwestern Governors Association to work with Congress on passing legislation to increase the amount of ethanol allowed in gas blends and create tax incentives to promote ethanol production.

“Iowa leads the nation in biofuels output, adding nearly $12 billion to Iowa’s GDP,” Culver said in a statement. “This supports nearly 83,000 jobs and generates $576 million in state tax revenue. What’s good for Iowa could be good for the rest of the United States.”

Also on Tuesday, Culver said the environmental effects of ethanol are safer than those of offshore drilling, the same day a New Orleans federal judge ended a moratorium on offshore drilling. President Barack Obama banned the practice for six months shortly after BP plc’s Deepwater Horizon rig exploded, killing 11 men and leaving oil gushing into the Gulf of Mexico.

The White House is planning to challenge the judge’s ruling, Bloomberg reported.

According to a release, Culver and the Obama administration are working on a pilot program to increase the number of flex fuel vehicles and blender pumps in the United States.