Study Finds a LCFS in Minnesota Would Create Nearly 32,500 Jobs
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) A study recently published by the Political Economy Research Institute at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst explores some of the economic impacts of establishing a low carbon fuel standard (LCFS) in Minnesota. The study, titled “The Employment Impacts of a Low-Carbon Fuel Standard for Minnesota,” found that enacting a LCFS in Minnesota could create nearly 32,500 jobs when analyzed through 2025.
The study evaluates three possible scenarios. The first assumes no change to the distribution of transportation fuel consumption. The second assumes that the fuel mix will change in response to the federal renewable fuel standard (RFS). The third assumes a more aggressive change in the fuel mix in response to the establishment of a statewide LCFS. According to the report, the research team has estimated the employment that would result from building the capacity to produce each of these fuel mixes as well as the ongoing employment from actual production activities.
… According to the report, the RFS scenario would lead to the development of six cellulosic ethanol plants in Minnesota, while 30 percent of current ethanol plants would be retrofit to utilize biomass to produce process heat. The scenario would also lead to the installation of 2,726 ethanol blender pumps, with at least one installed at every Minnesota refueling station. READ MORE and MORE (TwinCities.com/Pioneer Press) Download study
