Minnesota – Advanced BioFuels USA

Crown Opens New Global Headquarters and Innovation Center

(Crown Iron Works) … Crown Iron Works unveils its new Global Headquarters and Innovation Center in Blaine, Minnesota. The 68,000 square-foot, $12 million facility accommodates increased staff, and fuels technological advancements for the company and its customers through its state-of-the-art Innovation Center—a safety-first environment that supports and optimizes custom process

September 18, 2019 Read Full Article

Gov. Walz Creates Minnesota Biofuels Council to Help Ethanol Industry

by Mike Hughlett (Star Tribune) Continuing turmoil has prices at a multiyear low. — As Minnesota ethanol producers are being hammered in a weak market, Gov. Tim Walz Monday announced the creation of a biofuels council to help the industry out of its funk. Walz signed an executive order creating the

September 17, 2019 Read Full Article

Gevo Successfully Secures Renewable Electricity for its Biofuel Production Processes

(Gevo/Globe Newswire) Electricity from Wind Turbines will Power Gevo’s Agri-Energy Luverne Facility — Gevo, Inc. (NASDAQ: GEVO) a leading renewable fuels and chemicals manufacturer, announced today it secured the supply of 5.0 MW of fully renewable electricity for its Agri-Energy production plant located in Luverne, MN from an affiliate of Juhl

September 16, 2019 Read Full Article

USDA Numbers Confirm Declining Demand For Ethanol

by Amy Mayer (Iowa Public Radio) The national average price for corn this season is back to $3.60 a bushel, about where it’s been most of this year except for an early-season spike ($4.16 in July) before the size and quality of the crop was known. That’s not great news for corn growers,

September 16, 2019 Read Full Article

The Power of Organic Waste: Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) for Minnesota — September 26, 2019 — Minneapolis, MN

Plan to join us for a one-day Energy Vision workshop hosted by CenterPoint Energy — in collaboration with academic, industry, government and NGO partners — on the production and use of Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) made from Minnesota’s organic wastes, with a particular focus on agricultural, municipal and food processing materials

September 12, 2019 Read Full Article

White House Presses Biofuel, Oil Executives for Compromise

by Mario Parker and Jennifer A Dlouhy (Bloomberg/Investors Business Daily) Discussions aimed at breaking logjam over biofuel plan; Friday deadline issued for ideas on potential compromise — Trump administration officials are squeezing biofuel and oil refining executives to agree to a plan to bolster corn-based ethanol and soy-based biodiesel. In

September 12, 2019 Read Full Article

CALL FOR PRESENTATIONS Fuel Ethanol Workshop & Expo (FEW) — June 15-17, 2020 — Minneapolis, MN DEADLILNE: February 14, 2020

Showcase Your Expertise at the World’s Largest Ethanol Event Speakers Get Noticed — Become a Presenter Presentation abstracts will be accepted for the 2020 International Fuel Ethanol Workshop & Expo through February 14, 2020. Abstracts may be submitted in any of the following areas: • Production and Operations • Leadership

September 10, 2019 Read Full Article

Fuel Ethanol Workshop & Expo (FEW) — June 15-17, 2020 — Minneapolis, MN

SAVE THE DATE Attendees of the Fuel Ethanol Workshop & Expo seek solutions to the everyday challenges they face. READ MORE

September 9, 2019 Read Full Article

E15 Rewards For Hopkins Drivers

(Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association) The Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association (MN Biofuels) and KS95 FM teamed up today to reward consumers who fueled up with Unleaded Plus (E15) at Hopkins Express Minnoco. During the hour-long promotion from 12 pm to 1 pm, consumers who fueled up with E15 were rewarded with prizes that

September 3, 2019 Read Full Article

Klobuchar: In First 100 Days as President, Pledges Moratorium on Oil Refinery Waivers, Restoration of Renewable Fuels Tax Credit and More

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Klobuchar says “I will stop the oil refinery waivers”: In Iowa, US Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota said that, if elected President in 2020, would in her first 100 days in office order a moratorium on oil refinery waivers issued under the Renewable Fuel Standard, restore the

August 28, 2019 Read Full Article

9 Constellations to Watch: A Look at the Rising Stars in the Race to SAF

by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) … (T)oday we explore 9 of those constellations building around Sustainable Aviation Fuels. Some of them are young protostars in the earliest stage of stellar evolution, while others are like the Earth’s sun, a main-sequence mid-size star, and a few are superstars like, well,

August 26, 2019 Read Full Article

Educators from across the Country Gathered in Washington, D.C. at the Summer Institute to Learn New Ways to #TeachClimate!

(Climate Generation) Our 14th annual Summer Institute for Climate Change Education prepared educators to teach climate change using art and literature – because this issue isn’t meant for just the science classroom. We partnered with Lowell School and the NOAA Climate Office to put on three action-packed days filled with

August 21, 2019 Read Full Article

Gevo Discusses Plans for Hydrocarbon, RNG Production

by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) … During an earnings call, Gevo CEO Patrick Gruber discussed the company’s future plans for aviation fuel production and announced plans to launch a renewable natural gas (RNG) division. Gruber opened the call by discussing progress the company has made with its commercial off-take agreements, referencing

August 21, 2019 Read Full Article

US Biomass Plant Demolished to Make Way for Biogas Facility

(Bioenergy Insight) The first power plant fuelled by turkey manure and wood chips in the US has been demolished, but a new biogas facility may take its place. The Fibrominn biomass plant in Benson, Minnesota, was built in 2007 to provide an alternative to land-spreading turkey litter. It was the

August 20, 2019 Read Full Article

E15, E30, and Blender Pumps May Become Generally Available, but Refinery Exemptions Make the RFS Irrelevant

by Doug Root* (Advanced Biofuels USA) Farm Fest in southern Minnesota is always a forum on the health of the agriculture sector of the economy and biofuels. This year was no exception as Rep. Colin Peterson hosted a listening session with Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue and six members of

August 17, 2019 Read Full Article

Scars Are Beautiful: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Gevo’s Market Perspectives

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Scars are a sign you’ve been there and survived. You overcame. You learned something, maybe the hard way. And Patrick Gruber, CEO of Gevo, a company that produces low-carbon, renewable, high-performance fuel products, shows us just how beautiful scars can be. Check out his illuminating presentation where

August 16, 2019 Read Full Article

Gevo Enters into Purchase and Sale Agreement for Sustainable Aviation Fuel to Supply Air TOTAL International

(Gevo) Gevo, Inc. (NASDAQ: GEVO) announced today that Air TOTAL International SA (“Air TOTAL”) and Gevo have entered into a partnership agreement to produce and supply sustainable aviation fuel (“SAF”) for use and distribution in France and other parts of Europe. With the finalization of this new supply contract, Gevo

August 15, 2019 Read Full Article

Minnesota Funds E15, E85 Fuel Infrastructure Project

by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The Minnesota Department of Agriculture announced Aug. 6 funding for a bioenergy pilot plant and three biofuel blending infrastructure projects, including one that that focuses on E15 and E85 distribution. The MDA has awarded $82,687.40 to Denco II LLC, a 24 MMgy ethanol plant in

August 14, 2019 Read Full Article

MN Biofuels Releases 2019 First Half Report

(Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association) The Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association (MN Biofuels) released its 2019 First Half Report to its members at a networking event in Prior Lake yesterday. The report gave its members an overview of Minnesota’s ethanol industry in the first six months of 2019 and the various projects undertaken by MN

July 22, 2019 Read Full Article

His Family Farm Was Failing. Now He Runs the World’s Largest Biofuel Producer

by Parija Kavilanz (CNN Business) At 22, Jeff Broin was just six months out of college and getting started in the banking industry when his family turned to him for help. His father was scrambling to figure out a way to save the 130-year-old Minnesota corn farm that Broin and his

July 9, 2019 Read Full Article

St Paul Drivers Win with E15

(Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association) The Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association (MN Biofuels) and KS95 teamed up today at the Winner station on Energy Park Drive to reward drivers who fueled up with Unleaded Plus (E15). “Since the EPA lifted the RVP-ban on E15 during the summer months, today’s event marked the first time we’ve

July 3, 2019 Read Full Article

“P-O-W-E-R We’ve Got the Power, Because We Are with YEA! MN!”

(Climate Generation) Youth in the climate movement made waves across the globe this school year, and Minnesota youth working with Climate Generation played a big part. Our approach is to organize for power, recognizing the importance of putting relationships at the center, and in doing so, we made great strides and

June 21, 2019 Read Full Article

Senator Amy Klobuchar Releases Plan of More Than 100 Actions for Her First 100 Days as President

by @AmyForAmerica (Medium.com) U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar released a plan outlining the more than 100 concrete steps she will take in her first 100 days as President of the United States to take on the biggest challenges we face at home and abroad. … Through executive action, Senator Klobuchar will begin to

June 19, 2019 Read Full Article

If Rice Is Nice, Rice Trash Is Cash: Gevo, Praj Working to Convert Rice Straw to Products

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) … Specifically, in the past month, Gevo also executed an agreement with Praj to develop jet fuel and isooctane from rice straw and other feedstocks. Gruber noted that “we believe this second-generation technology combination has great potential to address India’s rice straw burning problem and related

June 19, 2019 Read Full Article

The Energy 202: Green New Deal Is Alive and Well in Liberal Cities and States

by Dino Grandoni (Washington Post) The Green New Deal may be floundering in Washington. But it is alive and well in left-leaning states and cities across the country. From Maine to California, Democratic politicians have begun adopt the Green New Deal brand — a progressive movement to dramatically tackle climate change over the next decade

June 3, 2019 Read Full Article

Dawson Boyd High School Tours Granite Falls Energy

(Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association) Thirty students from Dawson Boyd High School visited Granite Falls Energy yesterday in Granite Falls to learn about homegrown renewable energy production. During the tour, the students learned about the various processes of ethanol production at Granite Falls Energy, which produces 64 million gallons of ethanol a year.

June 2, 2019 Read Full Article

Heron Lake Bioenergy Hosts Worthington High School

(Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association) Thirteen students from Worthington High School visited the Heron Lake Bioenergy ethanol plant today to get a better understanding of clean Minnesota-produced renewable energy. During the tour, the students learned about incoming grain grading, grain handling, fermentation, grain storage, dried distiller grain production and storage, liquefaction and ethanol

June 2, 2019 Read Full Article

Austin High School Tours Al-Corn Clean Fuel

(Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association) Twenty-seven high school students toured the Al-Corn Clean Fuel ethanol plant in Claremont on Wednesday, May 22 to gain a better understanding of renewable fuel production. The students, from Austin High School, toured the various processes of ethanol production at the 125 million gallon-a-year facility. “By getting a

June 2, 2019 Read Full Article

The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Gevo

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The Digest’s new “Stocks Worth Tracking” Multi-Slide Guide Series highlights hot companies that are making strides in the bioeconomy. Today’s “Stock Worth Tracking” is Gevo. Gevo produces and sells low-carbon, renewable, high-performance fuel products. From ethanol to isobutanol, jet fuel, isooctane, oxygenate blendstocks, and more, Gevo

May 28, 2019 Read Full Article

Agriculture Industry Groups Call on Congress to Immediately Extend the Biodiesel Tax Credit

(National Biodiesel Board) Congress can address the growing economic crisis in the agriculture sector, trade groups write — Thirteen trade groups representing farmers, rural lenders, crop and biobased oil producers, and biodiesel producers today wrote leaders of the House of Representatives and Senate, asking them to take action on bipartisan legislation to

May 23, 2019 Read Full Article

Minnesota Corn, American Lung Promote Ethanol at Pump — various dates — Minnesota locations

by Paula Mohr (Farm Progress) 35 fuel promotion events are scheduled across the state offering discounts on E85 and E15. — Minnesota drivers who stop at selected gas stations with E85 and E15 this spring and summer have the opportunity to fill’er up with discounted fuel and learn more about ethanol-blended products.

May 17, 2019 Read Full Article

Minnesota — Call for Submissions: EYEWITNESS DEADLINE: October 20, 2019

(Climate Generation) There has never been a more important time in our history to share our climate stories. Add your personal narrative to the chorus of voices to build understanding and inspire action on climate change. EYEWITNESS is a collection of short stories, poems and sketches that speak to the diverse range of

May 14, 2019 Read Full Article

Gevo Announces Plans to Decarbonize Luverne Plant

by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Gevo Inc. released first quarter 2019 financial results May 8, highlighting efforts to decarbonize its Luverne, Minnesota, biorefinery and predicting the company could be become profitable during the next 18 months. Patrick Gruber, CEO of Gevo, opened the company’s earning call by saying he believes

May 14, 2019 Read Full Article

More States Follow California’s Lead with Low Carbon Fuel Standard Programs

by Cliff Gladstein (ACT News/GNA) … Following the example of California and other West Coast states and provinces, more and more states across the nation are considering the development of their own low carbon fuel programs. One of the most recent advances is in the state of New York. On February

May 9, 2019 Read Full Article

U.S. Sen. Tina Smith Says EPA Plan to Hide Which Refineries Are Allowed to Stop Blending Renewable Fuels Would Hurt Farmers, Rural Communities

(Office of Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) said today the Trump Administration’s plan to go back on its promise to name which U.S. oil refineries are allowed to avoid requirements to blend renewable fuels into the nation’s fuel supply could ultimately contribute to job losses across rural

May 3, 2019 Read Full Article

Pierz Healy High School Tours Central Minnesota Renewables

(Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association) Forty-seven students from Pierz Healy High School toured Central Minnesota Renewables (CMR) in Little Falls yesterday to learn more about clean Minnesota-produced renewable chemicals. “We were pleased to welcome Pierz Healy High School to our plant to learn about locally produced bio-based chemicals. Tours like this are an

April 30, 2019 Read Full Article

Stop N Shop Drivers Choose E15

(Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association) Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association (MN Biofuels) and KS95 FM teamed up for the third straight week today – this time at the Stop N Shop on First Avenue in Minneapolis – to reward drivers who fueled up with Unleaded Plus (E15) during an hour-long promotion. During the promotion –

April 30, 2019 Read Full Article

2019 Ethanol Producer Award Winners Announced

by Lisa Gibson (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The 2019 Ethanol Producer Award winners have been selected. Following a nomination period and voting process that included Ethanol Producer Magazine editorial staff and editorial board members, EPM is proud to announce this year’s winners. They are as follows: Project of the Year: Flint Hills Resources Fairmont

April 24, 2019 Read Full Article

Commentary: Benefits of Biodiesel

by Bob Lindeman (Chanhassen Villager) Based on a recent letter published in the Herald, (“Fossil fuel vs. green energy,” March 14), I would like to correct several assertions about “green energy” that are incredibly misleading and, frankly, wrong. Specifically, the claim that 30 percent of soybeans are being used for

April 20, 2019 Read Full Article

St Peter High School Tours Guardian Energy

(Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association) Fourteen students from St Peter High School toured Guardian Energy in Janesville this morning to learn about homegrown renewable fuel production. During the tour, the students, who were from the school’s plant science class, learned about several components of ethanol production including incoming grain grading, grain handling, fermentation,

April 18, 2019 Read Full Article

Plymouth Drivers Win With E15

(Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association) The Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association (MN Biofuels) and KS95 FM teamed up today to reward drivers who chose Unleaded Plus (E15) during an hour-long promotion at the Holiday station on County Road 24 in Plymouth. From 12 pm to 1 pm, MN Biofuels and KS95 rewarded over 25 drivers

April 18, 2019 Read Full Article

Spotlight: Adding Value Across the Board

by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) Spotlighting the Minnesota Soybean Growers Association, which championed the nation’s first biodiesel mandate as a way to add value to surplus soybean oil, and RPS, whose co-located biodiesel process adds 12 cents a pound to ethanol producers’ DCO. Minnesota became the first state in the nation

April 17, 2019 Read Full Article

Where Will All the Feedstock Come From?

by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) As a new wave of large-scale biomass-based diesel projects develops, experts suggest market forces are ready to deliver the necessary fats, oils and greases. — …Many of these new biomass-based diesel projects intend to produce renewable diesel at a much larger scale than even the largest biodiesel

April 17, 2019 Read Full Article

Midwest Sees Surge in Clean Energy Jobs

by Casey Leins (US News and World Report) The Midwest added more than 28,000 clean energy jobs in 2018, resulting in a 4 percent growth rate, according to a recent report released by national advocacy groups Clean Energy Trust and Environmental Entrepreneurs. The 12 Midwestern states employed more than 737,000 workers

April 17, 2019 Read Full Article

Students Learn About Ethanol Production at Heartland Corn Products

(Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association) Twenty-seven students from Central High School in Norwood Young America visited Heartland Corn Products in Winthrop yesterday to get a closer look at how clean, homegrown renewable fuels are produced. The students, from the school’s Small Gas Engines class, toured the various processes of ethanol production at Heartland

April 10, 2019 Read Full Article

Augean RNG Project to Convert 150,000 Gallons of Dairy Waste Per Day

by Betsy Lillian (NGT News) Brightmark Energy, a San Francisco-based owner and operator of waste and energy projects, recently launched a biogas project in Yakima County, Wash. The project is expected to convert 150,000 gallons per day of dairy waste from up to 7,000 cows into 160,000 MMBtu of renewable natural

April 9, 2019 Read Full Article

Minnewaska High School Tours CVEC

(Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association) Twenty-two high school students from Minnewaska High School toured Chippewa Valley Ethanol Company (CVEC) on April 5 to gain a better understanding of renewable fuel production. The students, from grades 9-12, toured the various process of ethanol production at CVEC, which has an annual output of 50 million

April 8, 2019 Read Full Article

Cedar Mountain High School Tours Highwater Ethanol

(Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association) Twenty-eight students from Cedar Mountain High School toured Highwater Ethanol in Lamberton on March 27 to learn more about ethanol production. “We were pleased to welcome Cedar Mountain High School’s students to get a first-hand look at how clean Minnesota-grown renewable energy is produced. “During the tour, they

April 2, 2019 Read Full Article

Air Pollution Caused by Corn Production Increases Mortality Rate in US

(University of Minnesota/EurekAlert!) New paper presents how researchers have estimated for the first time the health damages caused by corn production — A new study establishes that environmental damage caused by corn production results in 4,300 premature deaths annually in the United States, representing a monetized cost of $39 billion. The paper,

April 2, 2019 Read Full Article

Minnesota Announces AGRI Bioenergy/Biochemical Pilot Project Grant DEADLINE: April 26, 2019

(State of Minnesota) The AGRI Bioenergy/Biochemical Pilot Project Grant provides funding that would advance a bioenergy or biochemical production technology beyond the bench scale/proof-of-concept scale toward commercial scale, through construction and operation of a pilot plant. See the glossary in the Request for Proposals (RFP) for the definition of terms such

April 2, 2019 Read Full Article

Minneota High School visits Carbohydrate Solutions

(Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association) Twelve students from Minneota High School visited the Archer Daniels Midland Company’s Carbohydrate Solutions plant in Marshall on Wednesday, March 27 to get a better understanding of renewable fuel production. The students, all 12th graders, toured the various production process areas at ADM Carbohydrate Solutions, which included ethanol

March 29, 2019 Read Full Article

Gevo Plans to Decarbonize Luverne Plant Using Wind, RNG

by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) According to (Gevo CEO Patrick) Gruber, Gevo is working to decarbonize its biorefinery in Luverne, Minnesota, in an effort to improve profitability. He said the company thinks it’s possible to make significant improvements in profitability over the next 18 months “maybe even becoming profitable

March 29, 2019 Read Full Article

Ridgewater College Toured Chippewa Valley Ethanol Company (CVEC)

(Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association) Forty-one students from Ridgewater College toured Chippewa Valley Ethanol Company (CVEC) in Benson yesterday to learn about an important ethanol co-product, dried distiller’s grains with solubles (DDGS). “Tours like this educate students on the role ethanol plays in boosting the economy in rural Minnesota and reducing harmful greenhouse

March 27, 2019 Read Full Article

Soy Innovation Campus to Co-locate with New Minn. Biodiesel Plant

by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) The Minnesota Soybean Research & Promotion Council plans to co-locate its new Soy Innovation Campus with Epitome Energy LLC’s proposed 30 MMgy biodiesel production and soybean crush facility in Northwest Minnesota. Earlier this year, Epitome Energy was awarded a $450,000 grant from the Minnesota Department of

March 20, 2019 Read Full Article

Minn. Celebrates 17 Years Since Biodiesel Mandate Was Enacted

by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) March 15, 2002, was a landmark day for biodiesel. Seventeen years ago, Minnesota enacted the nation’s first biodiesel mandate, which went into effect in 2005. The trailblazing blend requirement started at 2 percent and was bumped up to 5 percent in 2009. In 2008, then Gov.

March 20, 2019 Read Full Article

Amy Klobuchar Knocks EPA’s Secret Waivers that Boost Big Oil

by Pat Rynard (Iowa Starting Line) Senator Amy Klobuchar blasted the Trump Administration’s continued use of blending waivers for renewable fuels usage while in Iowa this weekend. Using it as an example of how Donald Trump’s presidency has hurt rural America, she linked the EPA’s decisions to the first decline in

March 20, 2019 Read Full Article

Public Hearing for Modifications To Fuel Regulations To Provide Flexibility for E15; Modifications to RFS RIN Market Regulations March 29, 2019

(Environmental Protection Agency/Federal Register) The EPA is announcing a public hearing to be held in Ypsilanti, MI on March 29, 2019 for the proposed rule ‘‘Modifications to Fuel Regulations to Provide Flexibility for E15; Modifications to RFS RIN Market Regulations.’’ This proposed rule will be published separately in the Federal Register. The pre-publication version of this proposal can be

March 19, 2019 Read Full Article

U.S. Ethanol Market Sees First Sales Decline in Decades: Lower U.S. Demand, Plunge in Exports Made for Rough 2018.

by Jim Spencer and Mike Hughlett (Star Tribune) … As production increased and sales to foreign countries rose to record levels, profits went down roughly 20 cents per gallon. … The domestic market for ethanol had stopped growing at the same time production hit a new record. Figures from the U.S.

March 18, 2019 Read Full Article

Rural America Is Ready for Some Sort of a New Deal, Preferably Green

by Art Cullen (The Guardian) Here in farming country we have the opportunity to rethink our approach to renewable energy and food production — … Meanwhile, we’re losing our precious topsoil and polluting our rivers – killing the Gulf of Mexico in the process – as we chase ever-higher corn yields in

March 15, 2019 Read Full Article

Clover Improves Soil Quality, Feeds Biofuels Crop

by Christie Delfanian (South Dakota State University/Phys.Org) A four-leaf clover might bring good luck, but a stand of Kura clover can produce healthier soil—in the long run, according to a South Dakota State University study. Planting Kura clover, a pasture legume, with prairie cordgrass can improve microbial activity in the soil, thus reducing

March 1, 2019 Read Full Article

Gevo and HCS Group Enter Into Game-Changing, Long-Term Supply Agreement for Renewable Isooctane Worth Up to $180 Million; Gevo and Haltermann Carless Ready to Roll out to Mass Markets like Outdoor Power Equipment

(Gevo) Gevo, Inc. (NASDAQ: GEVO) announced today that HCS Group and Gevohave entered into a long-term, definitive, binding and bankable renewable isooctane purchase and sale agreement, dated February 21, 2019. HCS Group will be supplied exclusively for sales of Gevo’s renewable isooctane into high-end applications ranging from high purity solvents to specialty fuels under its Haltermann Carless brand, excluding use

March 1, 2019 Read Full Article

AGRI Biofuel Blending Infrastructure Grant DEADLINE: April 12, 2019

(Minnesota Department of Agriculture) The AGRI Biofuel Blending Infrastructure Grant provides funding for biofuel blending infrastructure equipment. The primary goals of the grant program are to promote economic growth and environmentally friendly practices in Minnesota’s biofuel industries. Projects should aim to develop new or enhanced markets that improve biofuel blending outcomes

February 27, 2019 Read Full Article

The Big Picture: Chippewa Valley Ethanol Co.’s Bob Jewell Shares What He’s Learned about Efficiency through Biofilm Control.

by Matt Thompson (Ethanol Producer Magazine) … Because it’s hard to see, it likely won’t top every plant’s priority list, but controlling biofilm can have system-wide impacts. Bob Jewell, energy systems chief at Chippewa Valley Ethanol Co. in Benson, Minnesota, says recognizing and controlling biofilm can pay off, not just by

February 26, 2019 Read Full Article

Biofuels Are Key to Reducing Carbon Dioxide Emissions

by Arlin E. Gyberg (StarTribune) The biofuels industry over the last 30 years has produced more product using less energy and water and contributes far less carbon-dioxide emissions than petroleum fuels. — Across Minnesota, about 25 ethanol and biodiesel plants generate about $5 billion in combined economic output. Such biofuels may also

February 19, 2019 Read Full Article

Ethanol Industry Boosted Minnesota’s Economy By $2.3 Billion in 2018

(Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association) Minnesota’s ethanol industry contributed $2.31 billion to the state’s gross domestic product (GDP) in 2018, according to a new study by ABF Economics. In 2018, the study said, Minnesota’s ethanol producers produced 1.27 billion gallons of ethanol, 3.8 million tons of dried distiller’s grains with solubles (a high-protein

February 18, 2019 Read Full Article

Groups Exploring Potential Midwest LCFS Collaborative

by Jordan Godwin (OPIS/Governors’ Biofuels Coalition) The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) has been involved in preliminary conversations around the possibility of a collaborative effort of Midwest states seeking to establish a Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) program similar to the West Coast Collaborative, RFA President and CEO Geoff Cooper said Tuesday. In

February 18, 2019 Read Full Article

Governor Tim Walz to Chair Governors’ Biofuels Coalition

(MyAlbertLea) The Governors’ Biofuels Coalition will name Minnesota Governor Tim Walz to serve as the 2019 chair of the coalition, a move that has the support of Minnesota Agriculture Commissioner Thom Petersen along with thousands of corn and soybean farmers throughout the state. “Midwest governors have played an important role on

February 18, 2019 Read Full Article

Reader Opinion: Let’s Be Champions for Ethanol

by John Poston MN(R) District: 09A (Brainerd Dispatch) … Over the past five years, farm income has fallen by 46 percent. One thing that all Americans can do to help is use a biofuel that we make and sell right here at home. E15, a 15 percent ethanol blend, is made from

February 12, 2019 Read Full Article

Biofuels in the 2019 Minnesota Legislative Session

by Timothy J. Rudnicki (Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association) … To keep the focus on lowering barriers for biofuel producers and providing the growing number of motorists greater access to biofuels, we have opened up key discussions with the Governor and some of his cabinet members and state lawmakers. Specifically, our focus

February 11, 2019 Read Full Article

Minnesota: Biofuels Needed to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions

(Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association) A new report by the Minnesota’s Department of Commerce and Pollution Control Agency says increased use of biofuels in the transportation sector will be key to achieving the state’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction goals. The report, “Greenhouse Gas Emissions In Minnesota: 1990 -2016,” found that Minnesota’s

January 31, 2019 Read Full Article

Ethanol Industry Prepares for a ‘Crazy Year’ Trying to Sway the Trump Administration

by John Siciliano (Washington Examiner) Ethanol producers are preparing for major action at the federal level in the months ahead, both in terms of litigation against Trump administration actions on the nation’s renewable fuel mandate and lobbying to finalize rules regarding the ethanol mandate. “You know, 2019 is going to be

January 29, 2019 Read Full Article

On Tap: Retailers Preparing for Year-Round E15 Have Options for Pumps, Financing and Marketing.

by Matt Thompson (Ethanol Producer Magazine) …(W)ith the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency expected to extend the Reid vapor pressure (RVP) waiver to E15, hopefully before next summer’s driving season. Retailers will have to decide not only if they will offer the blend, but how they’ll dispense it. For those who

January 25, 2019 Read Full Article

Koda Energy Urges EPA to Process eRIN applications

by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) Shakopee, Minnesota-based Koda Energy LLC is urging the U.S. EPA to promptly process applications to allow biomass power facilities to participate in the Renewable Fuel Standard program by generating e-renewable identification numbers (eRINs). On Jan. 21, Stacy Cook, president of Koda Energy, send a letter to

January 23, 2019 Read Full Article

Biomass Biocrude: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide ABLC Guide to Ensyn

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Ensyn produces a biocrude from forest and agricultural residues using its proprietary thermal technology. Dr. Robert G. Graham, Founder and Executive Chairman of Ensyn gave this illuminating overview of their growth in RFO, advancement in refinery co-processing, and start-up of a new 10 million gallon/year production facility

January 17, 2019 Read Full Article

Biodiesel an Underutilized Solution as US Carbon Emissions Climb

by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) … The transportation sector remained the largest source of U.S. emissions for the third year in a row, “as robust growth in demand for diesel and jet fuel offset a modest decline in gasoline consumption,” the researchers state. Biodiesel is one commercially available, known solution to

January 14, 2019 Read Full Article

Farmland Expansion Increases Carbon Footprint across Northern Corn Belt

(Illinois Farmer Today) Faster conversion of land into agricultural production in recent years has raised the region’s carbon cost of producing grains, according to recently published research from an Iowa State University scientist. The study, published in the academic journal Environmental Research Letters, shows that increases in crop production due

January 8, 2019 Read Full Article

A Rightful Role in the RFS: The Electric Vehicle Market Is Predicted to Soar, and, Pending Overdue Action by the U.S. EPA, Biomass Power Producers Are Positioned to Help Meet Goals Set Forth in the Renewable Fuel Standard.

by Anna Simet (Biomass Magazine) … The vast complexities of the RFS extend far beyond these components, but a much lesser-known provision is beginning to attract attention—the role of renewable electricity in the program, and it’s abilities to fuel electric vehicles (EVs). This provision is one that was embedded in

January 8, 2019 Read Full Article

Ag Policy Blog: Peterson Elected House Ag Chairman

by Jerry Hagstrom (DTN The Progressive Farmer) House Democrats on Friday elected Rep. Collin Peterson, D-Minn., as chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, a position Peterson held from 2007 to 2011 when his party last was in the majority in the House. Since 2011 Peterson has been the committee’s ranking member.

January 7, 2019 Read Full Article

Talk Climate Institute — March 25-26, 2019 — Duluth, MN

Join us for a two-day engaging workshop where you’ll learn new ways to have conversations about climate change that build respect and understanding. Discover your own personal climate story, and learn how to use it as a tool to inspire solutions. Participants will have the opportunity to: Learn about climate

January 3, 2019 Read Full Article

Minnesota Marks More Alternative Fuel Milestones in 2018

(American Lung Association in Minnesota/Ethanol Producer Magazine) The state that led the region in the growth and use of alternative fuels last year set even higher milestones in 2018, according to the American Lung Association in Minnesota. This year, Minnesota became the first state in the country to have more than

December 26, 2018 Read Full Article

Little Falls High School Visits Central Minnesota Renewables

(Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association) Seventeen students from Little Falls High School visited the Central Minnesota Renewables (CMR) plant … to learn more about Minnesota’s bio-based chemical industry. During the tour, the students, from grades 9 to 12, learned about the various processes of acetone and butanol production at CMR, which is

December 26, 2018 Read Full Article

COP24, 2018 Farm Bill Give Agriculture a Voice, Climate Smart Tools

(Solutions from the Land) As 2018 closes out, advocates for the role agriculture can play in facing a changing climate can feel encouraged by developments on the international and domestic stages. Global climate negotiators in Katowice, Poland, came to a final agreement late last week on steps aimed at ensuring a

December 20, 2018 Read Full Article

Layoffs, Shut-downs, Idling in US Biorefineries

Pacific Ethanol Shuts Down Nebraska Plant, Fires 26 Workers (24/7 Wall St.) Pacific Ethanol Idles Nebraska Ethanol Plant (Wisconsin Ag Connections) Pacific Ethanol lays off workers, idles Nebraska ethanol plant: sources (Reuters) Pacific Ethanol idles Aurora East plant (Ethanol Producer Magazine) U.S. ethanol producers seek pricing reform as markets plunge,

December 20, 2018 Read Full Article

Renewable Fuel to Be Part of Lawmaker Energy Discussions

by Trey Mewes (Mankato Free Press) Renewable fuels will likely play a role in environmental legislation DFL lawmakers bring to the Capitol when the 2019 legislative session begins next month. Lobbyists and advocates alike expect Democrats to expand upon renewable energy legislation introduced over the past few years, but energy watchdogs

December 17, 2018 Read Full Article

BBE High School Visits CVEC

(Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association) Twenty students from Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa (BBE) High School toured Chippewa Valley Ethanol Company (CVEC) in Benson this morning to learn about ethanol production. “School tours allow students a first-hand look at the ethanol production process and its role of advancing our local economy in addition to promoting our energy