Minnesota Bill Aims to Convene a CFS Working Group

by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) A $1.3 billion transportation budget package passed by the Minnesota legislature on May 21 aims to create a Clean Transportation Standard Working Group to study and address information gaps and opportunities related to the development of a state clean fuel standard (CFS). Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz is expected to sign the bill this week.

The legislative package is separate from a bill introduced earlier this year that seeks to implement a state CFS. That bill, SF 2584, remains pending in the legislature.

The transportation budget bill, HF 2887, would require the commissioners of Minnesota’s Pollution Control Agency and the state’s departments of transportation, commerce and agriculture to convene a Clean Transportation Fuel Standard Working Group to study and address information gaps and opportunities related to a clean transportation fuel standard that requires the aggregate carbon intensity (CI) of transportation fuel supplied within the state to be reduced to at least 25 percent below a 2018 baseline by the end of 2030, a 75 percent reduction by the end of 2040 and a 100 percent reduction by the end of 2050. Those are the same levels of CI reductions included in SF 2584.

Membership of the working group would include renewable fuel producers; renewable natural gas (RNG) and organic waste interests; general farm organizations; general farm commodity groups; conventional transportation and fuel producers and retailers; tribal governments; environmental science organizations; environmental justice organizations; automotive manufacturers; forestry interests; electric utilities or cooperatives; electric vehicle charging infrastructure companies; aviation interests; water quality interests; a statewide organization of environmental and natural resource organizations; organizations with expertise in renewable energy and low-carbon transportation fuel policy; conservation organizations; organizations representing sustainable agriculture or regenerative biofuels producers; public health interests; and labor unions.

Appointments to the working group would be made by July 1. The group would be required to submit its findings and recommendations to relevant members of the Minnesota legislature by Feb. 1, 2024. READ MORE

Excerpt from Brownfield Ag News: The director of the Minnesota Biofuels Association says there were several policy wins for the industry during the legislative session.

Brian Werner tells Brownfield the top priorities going into the session were to expand market access for biofuels, provide cost-share incentives for advanced biofuel production, and ensure growth for new uses.

“And given some of the headwinds that we were facing in the legislature this year in Minnesota, I would describe this session as a win for biofuels specifically because of some of the policy and budget wins that we were able to secure.”

He says one of the headwinds for biofuels was a lack of representation among DFL lawmakers.

“One of our goals for this legislative session was to meet with a lot of DFL members that were on the agriculture committee (and) the environment committee to really do that outreach and education piece to talk through some of those misconceptions that I think a lot of folks have about biofuels.”

Werner says the association was successful in getting lawmakers to understand the importance of biofuels both in reducing greenhouse gas emissions from transportation but also in supporting Minnesota’s rural economy. READ MORE