Picture caption (from left to right): Marcus Jensen, plant manager at Greenfield Global Winnebago, Paul Peters, strategic project manager at Greenfield Global Winnebago, Rep. Brad Finstad and Brian Werner, executive director of MN Bio-Fuels

First-District Congressman Visits One of the First Dry Mill Ethanol Plants Built in Minnesota, Views the Ethanol Industry’s History and Future

Winnebago, Sept 9 - Rep. Brad Finstad visited Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association (MN Bio-Fuels) Producer Member, Greenfield Global Winnebago, on Sept 4 to see the investments being made into one of the first dry mill ethanol plants built in Minnesota and discuss the various opportunities for future innovation in Minnesota’s ethanol industry. 

“The biofuels industry expands markets for Minnesota farmers and provides American families with home-grown, affordable fuel options at the pump. In Congress, I have worked hard to be an advocate for the growth of this industry, including helping to introduce legislation allowing the year-round sale of E15 nationwide and urging the U.S. Treasury Department to finalize timely, farmer-friendly biofuel tax credit guidance,” he said.

During the visit, MN Bio-Fuels and Greenfield Global Winnebago discussed with Finstad the challenges the ethanol industry is currently facing including the lack of a permanent nationwide legislative solution to enable the year-round sale of E15, also known as Unleaded 88. 

Finstad is the lead author of legislation to extend the 1-psi Reid Vapor Pressure (RVP) waiver to E15 and allow its year-round, nationwide sale through the Year-Round E15 Act.

“MN Bio-Fuels welcomed the opportunity to host Rep. Finstad at Greenfield Global in Winnebago and show him firsthand the investments being made in this rural community. Rep. Finstad is a strong and consistent advocate for year-round access to E15 and greater flexibility for farmers and ethanol producers in clean energy tax credits. But more than that, we thank him for his understanding of the importance of an energy future that doubles down on the innovation and ingenuity of Minnesota’s farmers and ethanol producers in helping to feed and fuel our state,” said Brian Werner, executive director of MN Bio-Fuels. 

Other topics discussed included the implementation of Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) tax credits for low-carbon ethanol including the Clean Fuel Production Credit (45Z) and the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Credit (40B). The IRA required guidance about how an ethanol plant can qualify for the 45Z tax credit to be released by January 1, 2025. 

However, MN Bio-Fuels members are concerned because official guidance for the 40B SAF tax credit was not released until 17 months after the credit went into effect. The resulting uncertainty surrounding 45Z and the potential delay on its guidance until later in 2025 is already freezing investment into new equipment and technologies that will result in more environmentally friendly ethanol production under the Inflation Reduction Act. 

Finstad said he has urged the Treasury to remove uncertainties on how renewable fuel producers could qualify for the credits.

Prior to the discussion, Finstad took a brief tour of the Greenfield Global Winnebago plant with Werner, Paul Peters, strategic project manager at Greenfield Global Winnebago, and Marcus Jensen, plant manager. 

“It was great to tour the Greenfield Global facility in Winnebago to hear their priorities and learn about the innovative ways they have become a leader in biofuel production,” Finstad said.

The Winnebago plant is notable for being one of the very first dry mill ethanol plants in the state of Minnesota, utilizing the “Minnesota Model” of keeping value of agricultural commodities in the local community through value-added processing. 

Greenfield Global Winnebago is a unit of Canada’s Greenfield Global Inc. The latter acquired the plant that was previously known as Corn Plus in October 2020 and began ethanol production in November in 2021.

Greenfield Global Winnebago sources 16 million bushels of corn annually from farmers within a 30-mile radius of the plant to produce 47 million gallons of ethanol a year.

Picture caption (from left to right): Jensen, Rep. Finstad and Peters tour Greenfield Global Winnebago. 

Picture caption (from left to right): Werner and Rep. Finstad at Greenfield Global Winnebago.