Jeanne McCaherty, CEO of Guardian Energy, discussing ethanol production with Margaret Hart from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture during yesterday's tour.

Minneapolis, Oct 24 – Seven Minnesota state agency commissioners toured Guardian Energy yesterday to learn about the plant’s state-of-the-art production capabilities and the role the ethanol industry plays in reducing greenhouse gas emissions while simultaneously boosting the state’s economy.

“We were pleased to welcome the commissioners and key personnel from their respective agencies to our plant yesterday. Guardian Energy was established in 2009 and has since become one of the largest ethanol plants in the state. During that time, we have also made great strides in improving efficiency and reducing the amount of energy and water needed to produce a gallon of ethanol,” said Jeanne McCaherty, CEO of Guardian Energy.

The commissioners who participated in the tour were Steve Grove (Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development), Sarah Strommen (Minnesota Department of Natural Resources), Steve Kelley (Minnesota Department of Commerce), Margaret Anderson – Kelliher (Minnesota Department of Transportation), Cynthia Bauerly (Minnesota Department of Revenue), Laura Bishop (Minnesota Pollution Control Agency) and Nancy Leppink (Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry).

Personnel from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture and the Minnesota Department of Iron Range Resources also attended the tour.

The tour was organized by the Department of Employment and Economic Development as part of its Minnesota Business First Stop initiative.

During the tour, the commissioners were also briefed on how Minnesota’s ethanol industry impacts the state’s economy.

In 2018, the industry produced 1.27 billion gallons of ethanol which in turn contributed $2.3 billion to the state’s gross domestic product, generating $6.9 billion in gross sales for Minnesota businesses and supported 20,137 jobs.

Guardian Energy, in particular, uses 50 million bushels of corn annually to produce 150 million gallons of ethanol, 300,000 tons of dried distiller’s grains and 44 million pounds of corn oil a year.

The corn used by Guardian Energy is sourced within 75 miles of the plant from over 2,000 farmers.

“As the state looks at ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector, yesterday’s tour demonstrated how ethanol can play a critical role in achieving that goal while boosting the rural economy in Minnesota,” said Tim Rudnicki, executive director of the Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association. 

Commissioners and other agency personnel at Guardian Energy's DDGS storage facility.