Today, we head to districts 12B and 1A. In district 12B, Rep. Paul Anderson is up against Ben Schirmers while in district 1A, Connie Lindstrom faces John Burkel. Neither Schirmers nor Burkel responded to our queries. Here are the responses from Anderson and Lindstrom.
Paul Anderson (R)
Q. Do you support Minnesota’s Petroleum Replacement Law (Minn. Stat. 239.7911), which calls for the consumption of at least 30 percent biofuels in transportation fuel by 2025?
A. Yes, I strongly support that statute.However, I am concerned about the governor moving ahead with plans to adopt California air standards and promote electric vehicles.He is attempting to accomplish this through rule-making and not through the Legislature, which is troublesome.
Q. Given the large number of spark ignition engine powered vehicles on the road and the need to rapidly reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the transportation sector, what is your position concerning a Minnesota Low Carbon High Octane Fuel Standard/Clean Fuels Policy which would result in higher consumption of ethanol?
A. Again, I support such policy, but in order to ramp up consumption of ethanol, we must also ramp up funding for the infrastructure needed to make higher ethanol blends available at more service station and C-store locations.And we must clarify regulations as to whether higher blends are compatible with current fuel tanks and pumps or if major upgrades are needed to handle the higher blends of ethanol.
Q. Do you support accelerating the permitting process for installation of equipment to improve ethanol production and reduce emissions?
A. Yes, I would support streamlining the regulations.There is a great deal of frustration dealing with both the EPA and the MPCA in the regulation process.I would support having one entity, preferably the MPCA, handle all regulating issues with ethanol plants.
Q. Do you support making higher ethanol blends, such as E15, available across Minnesota through infrastructure funding?
A. Yes, again I strongly support that initiative.
Connie Lindstrom (D)
Q. Do you support Minnesota’s Petroleum Replacement Law (Minn. Stat. 239.7911), which calls for the consumption of at least 30 percent biofuels in transportation fuel by 2025?
A. Yes; I fully support this initiative. Minnesota already produces more than enough biofuels products to meet this need locally so it requires essentially no change in land use or crop availability for other purposes, but rather promotes local consumption of these products, thereby eliminating the carbon impact of transporting fuels to distant markets.
Q. Given the large number of spark ignition engine powered vehicles on the road and the need to rapidly reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the transportation sector, what is your position concerning a Minnesota Low Carbon High Octane Fuel Standard/Clean Fuels Policy which would result in higher consumption of ethanol?
A. I have had the opportunity to present data findings from U.S. ethanol producers to the Governor's Council on Biofuels, as the group seeks to understand all the ramifications of the production and use of biofuels and assist in crafting policy recommendations that will work best specifically in our region. I have also spent the summer working with a research group at Argonne National Labs to update corn ethanol carbon impact modeling in order to accurately show the impact of ethanol production and use on greenhouse gas emissions, so I know first-hand that the data shows significant improvements in such reductions, both at the producer level and in the field. Minimizing unintended consequences is always an important goal of any major legislation, and I believe the current legislature is working hard to ensure that any policy adopted has undergone rigorous analysis, is backed by science, and works for the benefit of all affected sectors of our economy, from growers and producers through automotive and fuels retailers to the consumers themselves. Having worked extensively to research the carbon impact of transportation fuels, I believe biofuels are an important component of our ability to quickly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. By developing our own Clean Fuels Policy to include low-carbon/high-octane ethanol, we also have a great opportunity to create favorable policy for farmers, and ensure that growers are rewarded for producing a lower-carbon product, rather than penalized for not doing so. With the increasing discussion of carbon impact on all types of agricultural products, including food for humans and livestock feed, I believe a forward-thinking approach to biofuels policy can help our growers and livestock producers stay ahead of this national and global trend.
Q. Do you support accelerating the permitting process for installation of equipment to improve ethanol production and reduce emissions?
A. The science is quite clear on the value of most production technologies so I do support expediting permitting processes when possible, in the interest of ensuring use of the most current, most efficient technology. This benefits our environment as well as ensuring that our Minnesota producers remain competitive in the national and global markets.
Q. Do you support making higher ethanol blends, such as E15, available across Minnesota through infrastructure funding?
A. When given a choice, recent data from fuel resellers shows that consumers choose E15 at the pump because it most often provides higher octane fuel at a lower cost than regular E10 blends. Now that they have the ability to sell E15 year-round without labeling changes, many fuel retailers would be happy to offer this option if assistance were available to facilitate this. Infrastructure funding will allow independent retailers, wholesalers and small refiners in particular to remain competitive as we make the switch to E15; I therefore support such funding.
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