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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.

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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. 

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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.

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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. 

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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. 

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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). 

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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:

  1. USDA should allow Argonne GREET model to serve as a qualifying lifecycle model for 45Z
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.