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Marshall, Apr 23 - Seventeen students from Marshall High School's automotive class toured the Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) carbohydrate plant here today.
"It was a pleasure to welcome Marshall High School’s Automotive class to our facility. By touring our plant, these students gain valuable insight into how local corn crops are transformed into clean energy, as well as bio-industrial uses and animal feed. Moreover, we’re able to give students an appreciation for the ways in which our industry benefits Minnesotans by lowering prices at the pump, providing cleaner air, reinforcing rural economies and reducing our reliance on foreign oil," said Greg Webb, vice president for state government relations at ADM.
The students that participated in the tour were from grades 11 and 12.
During the tour, the students learned about the ethanol production while also visiting the plant's fructose plant and mainteinance shop. The tour was organized by the Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association (MN Bio-Fuels). ADM is a member of MN Bio-Fuels.
"My students benefited from their tour of ADM by gaining practical insights into the production process, deepening their understanding of ADM, and connecting classroom learning to real-world applications. Additionally, the tour provided an opportunity for students to engage with industry professionals, ask questions, and explore potential career paths in the sustainable energy sector," said Mike Braithwaite, agriculture teacher at Marshall High School.
Burnsville, April 25 - The Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association (MN Bio-Fuels) and KS95 FM rewarded over 20 drivers who fueled up with Unleaded 88 during a two-hour promotion at the Winner station in Golden Valley today.
From 11 am to 1 pm, drivers who purchased Unleaded 88 at the station were rewarded with prizes such as $20 in cash, tickets to Minnesota United, tickets to St Paul Saints, Applebee's gift cards and KS95 merchandise.
During the promotion, KS95's personality, Greg "Hutch" Hutchinson, and MN Bio-Fuels staff educated consumers on how Unleaded 88 reduces prices at the pump, emits fewer emissions, strengthens Minnesota's economy and makes America more energy independent.
The Winner station is located at 9405 Medicine Lake Road in Golden Valley.
Today's promotion in Golden Valley is the second in a series of Unleaded 88 promotions that will take place across the Twin Cities metro-area over the next few months. The first promotion was held on April 11 at a Holiday station in Plymouth.
Lamberton, May 2 - Twelve students from Sleepy Eye toured Highwater Ethanol yesterday to learn more about renewable energy production.
“We were happy to welcome students from Sleepy Eye High School to our facility. While tours such as these give us a chance to showcase our production process and answer questions about career opportunities, we also think it’s important for students to learn about the role our industry plays in lowering greenhouse gas emissions, creating jobs in rural Minnesota, lowering prices at the pump and reducing our reliance on foreign oil,” said Brian Kletscher, CEO of Highwater Ethanol.
The students, from grades nine to 12, were from Sleepy Eye High School’s Crop 101 class.
During the tour, they learned about incoming grain grading and handling, fermentation, grain storage, ethanol storage and shipment and dried distillers grains with solubles production and storage.
The tour was organized by the Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association (MN Bio-Fuels). Highwater Ethanol is a member of MN Bio-Fuels.
Paul Henrickx, agriculture teacher at Sleepy Eye High School, accompanied his students during the tour.
“I hope the students now understand that corn has more than just the use of animal feed and that there are entire industries focused on utilizing it for other needs. Although we live in an agriculturally based area, not many of the students in this class are familiar with how the industry works. Being able to take them out of the classroom to show them how this product is created and used gives them so much more knowledge that they would have been missing out on otherwise,” he said.
Burnsville, May 9 - The Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association (MN Bio-Fuels) teamed up with KS95 FM yesterday at a Bona Brothers Minnoco station in Fridley yesterday to reward drivers who fueled up with Unleaded 88 during an hour-long promotion.
During the promotion, which was held from 12 pm to 1 pm, MN Bio-Fuels staff and KS95’s personality, Greg “Hutch” Hutchinson educated consumers at the station on the many benefits of Unleaded 88 such as reducing prices at the pump, boosting Minnesota’s economy, reducing harmful emissions and making America more energy independent.
Among the prizes given included $20 in cash, tickets to the Minnesota United, tickers to the St Paul Saints, gift vouchers to Applebee’s and KS95 merchandise.
The Bona Brothers Minnoco station is located at 5311 University Avenue in Fridley.
Yesterday’s promotion was the third in a series of Unleaded 88 promotions planned for the Twin Cities metro area over the next few months.
The first promotion was held a Holiday in Plymouth while the second promotion was at a Winner station in GoldenValley.
Burnsville, May 31 - The Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association (MN Bio-Fuels) and KS95 FM rewarded drivers who fueled up with Unleaded 88 during a two-hour promotion at a Holiday in New Hope on May 29.
Twenty-five drivers who chose Unleaded 88 during the promotion, which was held form 11 am to 1 pm, won prizes such as $20 in cash, tickets to the Minnesota United, tickets to the St Paul Saints, Applebee’s gift cards and KS95 merchandise.
MN Bio-Fuels staff was on location during the event educating drivers on the various benefits of using Unleaded 88 such as reducing prices at the pump, boosting Minnesota’s economy, reducing harmful emissions and making America more energy independent.
The Holiday station in New Hope is located at 7201 Bass Lake Road.
The promotion at Holiday was the fourth in a series of Unleaded 88 promotions planned for the Twin Cities metro area over the next few months.
The first three promotions were held at stations in Plymouth, Golden Valley and Fridley respectively.
Burnsville, June 27 - The Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association (MN Bio-Fuels) held an hour-long Unleaded 88 promotion at the SuperGas station in Burnsville on June 26.
During the promotion, which was held from 12 pm to 1 pm, MN Bio-Fuels staff were on location educating drivers on the various benefits of using Unleaded 88 such as lowering prices at the pump, reducing harmful emissions, and boosting Minnesota’s rural economy while making America more energy independent.
At total of 13 drivers fueled up with Unleaded 88 during the promotion and won prizes such as $20 in cash, Target gift cards, Dairy Queen gift cards and various merchandise.
The SuperGas station is located on 1500 Southcross Driver West in Burnsville.
The promotion on June 26 was the fifth in a series of Unleaded 88 promotions MN Bio-Fuels has planned for retails stations in the Twin Cities metro area over the next few months.
The first four promotions were held in Plymouth, Golden Valley, Fridley and New Hope respectively.
In the first four months of 2024, 43.31 million gallons of Unleaded 88 have been sold in Minnesota, up 17 percent from the same period in 2023 (37.03 million gallons).
Burnsville, July 17 - The Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association (MN Bio-Fuels) rewarded drivers who fueled up with Unleaded 88 during an hour-long promotion at the Hopkins Express Minnoco station today.
The promotion, which was held from 12 pm to 1 pm, was aimed at educating drivers on the various benefits of fueling up with Unleaded 88 such as lowering prices at the pump, reducing harmful emissions, boosting Minnesota’s rural economy while making America more energy independent.
At total of 22 drivers who fueled up with Unleaded 88 during the promotion were rewarded with prizes such as $20 in cash, Target gift cards, Dairy Queen gift cards as well as Minnesota Gopher Athletics and MN Bio-Fuels merchandise.
Hopkins Express Minnoco is located at 1120 7th Street South in Hopkins.
Today’s promotion was a part of a series of Unleaded 88 promotions MN Bio-Fuels has carried out at retail stations in the Twin Cities metro area over the past three months.
The previous promotions were held at stations in Plymouth, Golden Valley, Fridley, New Hope and Burnsville.
MN Bio-Fuels will next be at the Winner station in Energy Park on Aug 6. Click here for more details.
Burnsville, July 29 - Last week, the Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association (MN Bio-Fuels) submitted comments urging the the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to provide additional flexibility for farmers and biofuel producers in the upcoming 45Z guidance by “unbundling” climate-smart agricultural (CSA) practice requirements and including a broader array of conservation practices and industrial decarbonization technologies into the models.
In the letter, MN Bio-Fuels also weighed in on the traceability of CSA feedstocks and recommended “decoupling” CSA attributes from physical grain in a “book-and-claim” accounting system. Without changes that reflect the realities of grain marketing, sales, purchases, and movements from feedstock growers to commercial grain aggregators, elevators, and ethanol plants, the 45Z tax credit will be limited in its applicability.
The comments were in response to the USDA’s Request For Information on procedures for the quantification, reporting, and verification of the effect of CSA practices on the greenhouse gas (GHG) net emissions associated with the production of domestic agricultural commodities used as biofuel feedstocks.
“If implemented properly, these credits offer the opportunity to scale the production capacity of low-carbon, homegrown renewable fuels, support farmers and rural communities, and incentivize investment in additional technologies and conservation practices that will further reduce emissions and help the domestic renewable fuel industry achieve carbon neutrality by mid-century,” said Brian Werner, executive director of MN Bio-Fuels.
Among the comments submitted include the following:
- USDA should allow Argonne GREET model to serve as a qualifying lifecycle model for 45Z
- USDA should unbundle the CSA practice requirements and include the full list of Climate Smart Agriculture and Forestry Mitigation activities published by USDA’s Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) as eligible for demonstrating GHG reductions. USDA should conduct further analysis to better quantify GHG emissions for biofuel feedstocks in the GREET model’s Feedstock Carbon Intensity Calculator to unlock a broader list of qualifying practices and promote farmer participation across diverse geographic conditions and soil types.
- USDA should “decouple” CSA attributes from physical bushels of grain, as in a “book-and-claim” accounting system. A “book-and-claim” system would lower the cost of compliance and reduce GHG emissions associated with transporting grain.
- When quantifying GHG emission outcomes related to both CSA and conventional farming practices, the USDA should rely on the predominant scientific consensus on the GHG emission benefits of biofuels and avoid incorporating discredited, outdated or flawed research on land use changes.
- USDA should recognize that corn is a primary feedstock crop for biofuel production and include it in USDA’s quantification analysis for GHG emissions associated with CSA practices.
Additionally, Werner said the 45Z tax credit guidance should be done in a timely manner or the congressional intent of the credit to increase low-carbon domestic renewable fuels and further decarbonize existing biofuel production would be undermined.
“We understand the importance of due diligence when it comes to the quantification, reporting, and verification of CSA agricultural practices and their impact on biofuel CI scores. However, ethanol producers cannot make forward-looking business decisions when facing regulatory uncertainty,” he said.
Read our full comments here.
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GRANTS WILL FURTHER INCREASE ACCESS TO UNLEADED 88 IN MINNESOTA
Burnsville, July 30 - Last week, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture said it had awarded over $3 million in infrastructure grant funding to 16 retail service stations in the state. The grants will increase access to Unleaded 88.
Minnesota leads the nation in providing consumer access to Unleaded 88. Nearly 500 stations across the state offer the higher ethanol blend of fuel, which saves consumers an average of $0.18 per gallon.
“The Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association is grateful for the robust investment in biofuel infrastructure provided by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. These grant funds will help more retailers finance upgrades to their equipment so that they can offer Unleaded 88, which we know provides cost savings for consumers, improves air quality, and contributes to stronger rural economy,” said Brian Werner, executive director of the Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association (MN Bio-Fuels).
The 16 stations that were awarded the grant funding had participated in a competitive application review process which began in August 2023 through the Agricultural Growth, Research, and Innovation (AGRI) Biofuels Infrastructure Grant program.Funding for this program was made available by AGRI and the Minnesota Corn Growers Association.
Eligible applicants were required to have no more than 10 retail petroleum dispenser sites throughout the state of Minnesota.
MN Biofuels introduced, interviewed and assisted nearly 40 interested stations in applying for the program. Roughly half of those stations submitted applications, increasing the available pool of qualified applicants and representing approximately 30 percent of the grant recipients and funds awarded.
“MN Bio-Fuels will continue working with legislators, retailers, and the Minnesota Department of Agriculture to ensure future funding availability and a strong pool of applicants. We encourage retailers who did not receive funding during this round – as well as new retailers that may be interested in offering a cheaper, more environmentally friendly fuel like Unleaded 88 - to apply as the next round of funding becomes available, likely late summer or early fall of 2024,” Werner said.
To learn more about the program and start planning for next year, read last year's Request for Proposals (RFP).
Here's the full list of the grant recipients:
| STATION | LOCATION | GRANT AMOUNT |
|---|---|---|
| AJ's Gas & Grocery | Herman | $199,000 |
| Argyle Clark | Argyle | $145,686 |
| Clearview General Store | Lutsen | $199,000 |
| Fred's Store Goodland | Goodland | $159,084 |
| Hallock Cenex | Hallock | $194,980.50 |
| Jerry's U-Save | Morris | $199,000 |
| Kenny's Tire and Auto | Bemidji | $199,000 |
| Lac Qui Parle Co-Op Madison | Madison | $199,000 |
| Morris Coop North Station | Morris | $199,000 |
| Pump N Munch | Robbinsdale | $199,000 |
| Robbinsdale BP | Robbinsdale | $199,000 |
| Sabin C Store | Sabin | $199,000 |
| Shell in Jordan | Jordan | $199,000 |
| Station 59 | Thief River Falls | $179,431 |
| The Corner Store | Inver Grove Heights | $199,000 |
| The One Stop | Longville | $171,238 |
Burnsville, Aug 6 - The Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association (MN Bio-Fuels) teamed up with KS95 FM today for a two-hour Unleaded 88 promotion at the Winner station in Energy Park, St Paul.
During the promotion, which was held from 11 am to 1pm, MN Bio-Fuels staff and KS95 personality, Greg “Hutch” Hutchinson, educated drivers on the various benefits of choosing Unleaded 88.
Drivers who fueled up with Unleaded 88 during the promotion were rewarded with prizes such as $20 in cash, tickets to the St Paul Saints, $25 Applebee’s gift cards, Crew Carwash booklet as well as KS95 and MN Bio-Fuels merchandise.
The Winner station is located at 2233 Energy Park Drive in St Paul.
Today’s promotion was a part of a series of Unleaded 88 promotions MN Bio-Fuels has carried out at retail stations in the Twin Cities metro area over the past four months.
The previous promotions were held at stations in Plymouth, Golden Valley, Fridley, New Hope, Burnsville and Hopkins.
MN Bio-Fuels will next be at the Winner station in Roseville on Aug 21. Click here for more details.
Burnsville, Aug 22 - The Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association (MN Bio-Fuels) rewarded drivers who fueled up with Unleaded 88 during an hour-long promotion at the Winner station in Roseville yesterday.
During the promotion, which was held from 12 pm to 1 pm, drivers who fueled up with Unleaded 88 were rewarded with prizes such as $20 in cash, Target gift cards, Dairy Queen gift cards as well as Minnesota Gopher Athletics merchandise.
The promotion was aimed at educating drivers on the various benefits of fueling up with Unleaded 88 such as lowering prices at the pump, reducing harmful emissions, boosting Minnesota’s rural economy while making America more energy independent.
At total of 18 drivers fueled up with Unleaded 88 during the promotion.
The Winner station 2163 Snelling Avenue in Roseville.
Yesterday’s promotion was the latest in a series of Unleaded 88 promotions MN Bio-Fuels has carried out at retail stations in the Twin Cities metro area over the past three months.
The previous promotions were held at stations in Plymouth, Golden Valley, Fridley, New Hope, Burnsville Hopkins and Energy Park in St Paul.
Burnsville, Aug 23 - The Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association (MN Bio-Fuels) has teamed up with Gopher Sports Properties to offer football fans a chance to win a $888 Holiday Station Store gift card each time the Minnesota Golden Gophers win a game in this season.
“As we get ready for another successful Gopher football season, MN Bio-Fuels is happy to partner with Gopher Sports and Holiday Stationstores to give Gopher football fans the opportunity to save big at the pump. At an average discount of $0.18 per gallon, Unleaded 88 is already helping ease the strain on consumers pocketbooks and now, after each Gopher football win this season, lucky fans will save even more. Go Gophers!,” said Brian Werner, executive director at MN Bio-Fuels.
The sweepstakes promotion - Win $888 With Unleaded 88 - runs from Aug 19 to Nov 24, 2024. To enter, participants need to sign up at www.gophersports.com/win888.
Following each Minnesota Golden Gophers victory, one lucky participant will win a $888 Holiday Station Store gift card.
The promotion is only applicable to the Minnesota Golden Gopher’s regular season games.
In the first five months of 2024, 54.98 million gallons of Unleaded 88 was sold in Minnesota, up 16.7 percent from the 47.1 million gallons sold over the same period in 2023.
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.
Burnsville, Sept 11 - The Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association (MN Bio-Fuels) held an hour-long Unleaded 88 promotion at a Holiday station in Coon Rapids yesterday.
Drivers who fueled up with Unleaded 88 during the promotion, which was held from 12 pm to 1 pm, were rewarded with prizes such as $20 in cash, Target gift cards, Dairy Queen gift cards as well as Minnesota Gopher Athletics merchandise.
Throughout the promotion, MN Bio-Fuels staff educated drivers on the various benefits of Unleaded 88 including lowering prices at the pump, reducing harmful emissions, boosting Minnesota’s rural economy and making America more energy independent.
The Holiday in Coon Rapids is located on 10120 University Avenue.
During the first half of 2024, 69.53 million gallons of Unleaded 88 was sold in Minnesota, up 18 percent from 58.57 million during the same period in 2023.
Grants From Minnesota Department of Agriculture To Increase Consumer Access To Unleaded 88 And Higher Blends Of Ethanol
Burnsville, Sept 16 - The Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association (MN Bio-Fuels) is highlighting biofuel infrastructure grant funding available under the Minnesota Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Growth, Research, and Innovation (AGRI) Biofuels Infrastructure Program. Fuel retailers are strongly encouraged to apply before the Oct 30, 2024 deadline.
A total of $3.37 million of grant funding is available under the program, which is aimed at expanding availability of Unleaded 88 and other higher blends of ethanol.
“Higher blends of ethanol fuels like Unleaded 88 are already benefiting Minnesota’s economy and environment, and by helping smaller retailers finance infrastructure upgrades the AGRI Biofuels Infrastructure program is accelerating access to these cleaner burning, cost-effective renewable fuels. MN Bio-Fuels has the resources and technical expertise to assist interested retailers, and we strongly encourage them to reach out to us or the Minnesota Department of Agriculture to apply,” said Brian Werner, executive director at MN Bio-Fuels.
Fuel retailers operating in Minnesota with no more than 10 retail stations may request between $5,000 and $199,000 for an individual project and must commit at least 35 percent of the total project cost.
Earlier this year, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture awarded $3 million in biofuel infrastructure grant funding to16 retail stations in the state.
MN Bio-Fuels assisted nearly 40 interested stations in applying for the program. Roughly half of those stations submitted applications, increasing the available pool of qualified applicants and representing some 30 percent of the grant recipients and funds awarded.
Minnesota currently leads the nation in providing consumer access to Unleaded 88. There are nearly 500 stations across the state that offer Unleaded 88, which saves consumers an average of $0.18 per gallon.
In the first half of 2024, 69.53 million gallons of Unleaded 88 was sold in Minnesota, up 18 percent from the 58.57 million gallons sold over the same period in 2023.
Retailers interested in applying for the AGRI Biofuels Infrastructure Program or receiving assistance in navigating the application process are encouraged to contact the Minnesota Department of Agriculture or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Burnsville, Sept 25 - The Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association (MN Bio-Fuels) and KS95 FM held a two hour-long Unleaded 88 promotion at a Holiday station in White Bear Lake today.
During the promotion, MN Bio-Fuels and KS95 staff educated drivers on the various benefits of Unleaded 88 including lowering prices at the pump, reducing harmful emissions, boosting Minnesota’s rural economy and making America more energy independent.
A total of 30 drivers who fueled up with Unleaded 88 during the promotion were rewarded with prizes such as $20 in cash, gift cards to Applebee’s, Minnesota Renaissance Fest tickets as well as KS95 merchandise.
The promotion was held from 11 am to 1 pm. The Holiday in White Bear Lake is located on 4540 Centerville Road.
During the first half of 2024, 69.53 million gallons of Unleaded 88 was sold in Minnesota, up 18 percent from 58.57 million during the same period in 2023.