Press Releases
Lamberton, March 24 - Twenty-three students from Sleepy Eye High School’s crop science class toured Highwater Ethanol on March 22 to learn about renewable fuel production.
During the tour, the students learned about the various stages in ethanol production such as incoming grain grading, grain handling, fermentation, grain storage, ethanol storage and shipment and dried distillers grains production and shipment.
“We were delighted to host students from Sleepy Eye High School. It’s important for students to learn about the ethanol production process and it’s role in creating jobs in rural Minnesota, while also reducing state greenhouse gas emissions, lowering prices at the pump and promoting energy independence,” said Brian Kletscher, CEO of Highwater Ethanol.
A recent study by the University of Minnesota Extension said Minnesota’s ethanol industry contributed $2.7 billion to the state’s economy in 2022 and supported nearly 26,000 jobs.
The students that participated in the tour were from grades 10 to 11.
“The students learned about corn and the uses of the crop in making renewable biofuel. I believe this was a great opportunity to reinforce the idea that corn has more uses than just for food,” said Paul Hendrickx, agriculture teacher at Sleepy Eye High School.
The tour was organized by the Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association (MN Bio-Fuels). Highwater Ethanol is a member of MN Bio-Fuels.
Benson, April 4 - Twenty students from Ridgewater College toured Chippewa Valley Ethanol Company (CVEC) on March 31 to learn about renewable fuel production.
During the tour, the students learned about incoming grain grading, grain handling, fermentation, grain storage, dried distillers grain production and storage, ethanol storage and shipment.
“We’re always happy to host students from Ridgewater College. Our goal is for students to walk away with not only a better understanding of the production process and of our various co-products, but also a better appreciation for the many ways our industry benefits the environment, rural economies, prices at the pump and energy independence,” said Chad Friese, CEO at CVEC.
The tour was organized by the Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association (MN Bio-Fuels). CVEC is a member of MN Bio-Fuels.
The students that participated in the tour were from the college’s animal nutrition class. They were accompanied by Ridgewater College agriculture instructor, Kari Slinden.
“Animal nutrition students from Ridgewater College in Willmar learned about the ethanol producing process by touring CVEC in Benson. Many students feed DDGS to their livestock or use other ethanol by-products. We discuss DDGS in class, so students enjoyed being able to understand the process by seeing it first-hand,” she said.
The tour on March 31 was the fourth time Slinden has brought her class to learn about ethanol production at CVEC over the past five years. She previously brought her students to tour CVEC in April 2022, February 2020, March 2019 and April 2018.
Winthrop, Apr 11 - Sixteen students from Central High School in Norwood Young America toured Heartland Corn Products today to learn about ethanol production.
“We appreciate students from Central High School taking time out of their schedules to learn more about ethanol production and the advantages it provides as a source of transportation fuel. Our industry plays an important role in our state’s economy by strengthening rural economies, providing savings at the pump, reducing carbon emissions and contributing to energy independence,” said Gary Anderson, CEO of Heartland Corn Products.
During the tour, the students learned about the various processes of ethanol production. This included incoming grain grading, grain handling, fermentation, grain storage, dried distillers grain production and storage, liquefaction and ethanol storage and shipment.
The tour was organized by the Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association (MN Bio-Fuels). Heartland Corn Products is a member of MN Bio-Fuels.
The students who participated in the tour were from grades nine to 12 and were from the school’s small engines class.
Jim Mesik, agriculture teacher at Central High School, accompanied his students during the tour.
“This tour helped my students see how countless acres of corn raised in our area can be used to help us meet our fuel needs. They learned about environmental and economic benefits and how their choices as fuel consumers are important,” he said.
Minneapolis, Apr 14 - Transitioning to E15 from E10 in Minnesota would contribute $1.06 billion to Minnesota’s gross domestic product (GDP), according to a new study by ABF Economics.
The study said statewide use of E15 in Minnesota will increase ethanol demand, benefit consumers and the state economy and significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
According to ABF Economics, transitioning to E15 on a statewide basis would:
- Save consumers $84 million based on the average price discount between E15 and E10 in 2022.
- Provide $809 million in household income and support nearly 20,000 jobs.
- Reduce 1.02 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions per year.
- Expand ethanol demand by 298 million gallons per year.
“Transitioning to E15 on a statewide basis would provide significant benefits in Minnesota by lowering prices at the pump, reducing carbon emissions, and providing additional income and jobs throughout the economy. This study shows not only the benefits of increasing access to higher blends of Minnesota-made renewable fuels, but also the downsides associated with interrupting E15 sales. We urge the Biden administration to immediately issue an emergency waiver to allow consumers full access to the lowest-cost, lowest-carbon fuel this summer,” said Brian Werner, executive director at the Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association (MN Bio-Fuels)
The stability of global and US fuel markets has been impacted by the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, low domestic inventories, recently announced output cuts by OPEC+, and inflationary pressures on fuel consumers. To ease pressure on US fuel supplies, MN Bio-Fuels has joined biofuel and farm leaders in calling on President Biden to authorize sales of E15 this summer. In April 2022, President Biden waived outdated Reid Vapor Pressure (RVP) restrictions on E15, which saved drivers an average of 23 cents per gallon according to the Minnesota Department of Commerce.
The study was prepared by ABF Economics for the MN Bio-Fuels.
Janesville, Apr 18 - Students from Mankato Area Public Schools toured Guardian Energy on Apr 13 to learn about ethanol production.
“We’re always happy to welcome students interested in learning more about ethanol production. As producers of clean, renewable energy from locally grown corn, these tours give us an opportunity to talk more about the positive impact our industry has on strengthening rural economies, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, reducing prices at the pump and promoting energy independence,” said Jeanne McCaherty, CEO of Guardian Energy.
During the tour, the students learned about the various processes of ethanol production. This included incoming grain grading, grain handling, fermentation, grain storage, dried distillers grain production and storage, liquefaction and ethanol storage and shipment.
The tour was organized by the Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association (MN Bio-Fuels). Guardian Energy is a member of MN Bio-Fuels.
A total of nine students from Mankato Area Public Schools participated in the tour. The students were from grades nine to 12.
Robin Tidd, agriculture, food and natural resources teacher at Mankato Area Public Schools, accompanied her students during the tour.
“After learning in class about products that are created with plants, students were able to attend a tour of Guardian Energy and see the process in person. Field trips like this expose students to careers in agriculture they did not know existed and help make those connections to what they learned in class,” she said.
Minneapolis, April 25 - The Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association (MN Bio-Fuels) and KS95 FM teamed up today to promote E15 to drivers at a Winner station in Golden Valley from 12 pm to 1 pm.
During the hour-long promotion, drivers who fueled up with E15 were rewarded with prizes such as $20 in cash, tickets to Minnesota United, tickets to the St Paul Saints, Applebee’s gift cards and KS95 merchandise.
KS95 personality, Greg “Hutch” Hutchinson, was at the station with MN Bio-Fuels staff educating drivers on the various benefits of choosing E15. The Winner station in Golden Valley is located at 9405 Medicine Lake Road.
“We are glad to be resuming our partnership with KS95 to educate consumers about the benefits of choosing E15 - a lower-cost, lower emission fuel available at nearly 430 retail stations in Minnesota. We continue to call on the Environmental Protection Agency to provide certainty to fuel producers, retailers, and consumers by granting an emergency waiver to ensure E15 will remain available to Minnesota consumers this summer,” said Brian Werner, executive director at MN Bio-Fuels.
In 2022, E15 sales in Minnesota surpassed 100 million gallons for the first time with 105.47 million gallons sold.
Minneapolis, April 28 - The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued a national emergency waiver to allow E15 to be sold from June 1 to Sept 15 this year.
“Allowing E15 sales during the summer driving season will not only help increase fuel supply, but support American farmers, strengthen US energy security, and provide relief to drivers across the country,” said Michael Regan, EPA administrator, in statement.
The EPA said the emergency fuel waiver will go into effect May 1.
“The EPA’s announcement of an emergency waiver allowing the sale of E15 this summer is the right decision for Minnesota’s consumers, the environment, and economy. Minnesota has been a leader in offering higher blends of ethanol like E15 because it saves drivers money, improves air quality, and reduces our dependence on fossil fuels. We especially thank Sen. Amy Klobuchar, Rep. Angie Craig, and all the bipartisan members of the Minnesota delegation who helped advocate with the administration to secure this critical result,” said Brian Werner, executive director of the Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association.
Read the EPA’s full announcement here.
Minneapolis, May 4 - For the second straight week, the Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association (MN Bio-Fuels) and KS95 FM teamed up at a station in the Twin Cities metro area to promote E15.
Today’s joint-promotion was held at a Holiday station in White Bear Lake from 12 pm to 1 pm.
Drivers who fueled up with E15 during the promotion were rewarded with prizes such as $20 in cash, tickets to Minnesota United, tickets to the St Paul Saints, Applebee’s gift cards and KS95 merchandise.
“Today in White Bear Lake, consumers who purchased E15 benefited not only from prizes, gift cards, and KS95 merchandise, but also from lower prices at the pump because E15 saves drivers more than 25 cents per gallon on average. And thanks to swift action by the EPA last week, E15 will be saving consumers money and improving Minnesota’s environment all summer long,” said Brian Werner, executive director at MN Bio-Fuels.
Last week, the EPA issued a national emergency waiver to allow E15 to be sold from June 1 to Sept 15 this year.
As a result of the waiver, MN Bio-Fuels will host several more joint promotions with KS95 at stations in the Twin Cities metro over the next several months to educate consumers on the benefits of fueling up with E15.
Today’s promotion was held at a Holiday station in White Bear Lake located at 4540 Centerville Road. Last week, MN Bio-Fuels and KS95 promoted E15 at a Winner station in Golden Valley.
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Lamberton, May 10 - Eleven students from Wabasso High School’s plant science class toured Highwater Ethanol today to learn more about ethanol production.
During the tour, the students learned about the various processes of ethanol production including incoming grain grading, grain handling, fermentation, grain storage, dried distillers grain production and storage, liquefaction and ethanol storage and shipment.
“We think it’s important for students to learn about the many ways our industry benefits Minnesota. Tours like these give us an opportunity to showcase the ways in which turning corn into renewable energy and co-products bolsters rural economies, reduces overall carbon emissions, reduces prices at the pump and moves us closer to energy independence,” said Brian Kletscher, CEO of Highwater Ethanol.
The students that participated in the tour were from grades 10 to 12. The tour was organized by the Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association (MN Bio-Fuels). Highwater Ethanol is a member of MN Bio-Fuels.
Lisa Roker, agriculture instructor at Wabasso High School, accompanied her students during the tour.
“Touring Highwater Ethanol was a benefit to my students. Learning more about businesses in the community and job opportunities helped students better understand the community they live in, and the processes of ethanol production,” she said.
Picture caption: MN Bio-Fuels executive director, Brian Werner (left), and KS95 personality, Greg "Hutch" Hutchinson (right), with one of the drivers who fueled up with E15 during the promotion at Bona Brothers Minnoco yesterday.
Minneapolis, May 17 - The Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association (MN Bio-Fuels) and KS95 FM held a joint E15 promotion at the Bona Brothers Minnoco station in Fridley yesterday.
During the hour-long promotion, drivers who fueled up with E15 (Unleaded 88) were rewarded with prizes such as $20 in cash, tickets to Minnesota United, tickets to the St Paul Saints, Applebee’s gift cards and KS95 merchandise.
“We were pleased to continue our partnership with KS95 to promote Unleaded 88 yesterday in Fridley. As the summer driving season begins, higher ethanol blends are the best choice for saving money and reducing air pollution,” said Brian Werner, executive director at MN Bio-Fuels.
The promotion was held from 12 pm to 1 pm. The Bona Brothers Minnoco station is located at 5311 University Ave NE in Fridley.
Yesterday’s promotion was the third time MN Bio-Fuels and KS95 have teamed up at a station in the Twin Cities metro this year to promote E15. The previous two promotions were held at stations in Golden Valley and White Bear Lake.
Meanwhile, according to the Minnesota Department of Commerce, 27.4 million gallons of E15 was sold in the first quarter of 2023, up 21.3 percent from the same period in 2022.
Minneapolis, May 24 - Industrial fermentation provider, Leaf by Lesaffre, has joined the Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association (MN Bio-Fuels) as a vendor member.
“The efforts of MN Bio-Fuels on advocacy, communication, promotion and education would be impossible without the strong support of partners like Leaf by Lesaffre. We welcome them as our newest vendor member and look forward to working hand-in-hand to strengthen the ethanol industry in Minnesota,” said Brian Werner, executive director at MN Bio-Fuels.
Established in 2014, Leaf is a business unit of Lesaffre, a global player with 170 years of fermentation expertise. It has over 10 manufacturing plants, local teams around the world and a Green Lab in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
“Lesaffre has been involved in the fuel ethanol industry for over two decades and played a key role in the industry’s growth by supplying Ethanol Red. Now, Leaf aspires to support the industry with next-generation fermentation technology,” said Braxton Carter, technical sales manager at Leaf by Lesaffre.
He said Leaf by Lesaffre has a network of fermentation labs and a team of experts in the fields of sales, technical support, regulatory, research and development, and quality.
“Leaf by Lesaffre is excited to join and sponsor the Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association to strengthen our relationship within the fuel ethanol industry. The needs of our partners are our top priority, and we understand the importance of directly engaging with our customers, as we understand the importance of directly engaging with our customers, as we continuously strive to develop high performance products and services to meet their needs,” Carter said.
Learn more about Leaf by Lesaffre here.
Picture caption: Leaf by Lesaffre's Ethanol Red.
Minneapolis, June 22 - Leading law firm, Michael Best, has joined the Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association (MN Bio-Fuels) as a vendor member.
“We are pleased to welcome Michael Best as the newest member of MN Bio-Fuels. They have been a critical partner in helping Minnesota’s ethanol industry tackle complex legal and regulatory issues, from RFS compliance to environmental permitting. We thank them for their support and look forward to working together to strengthen the industry in the coming years,” said Brian Werner, executive director at MN Bio-Fuels.
Established in 1848, Michael Best provides a full range of legal services to clients around the world.
Its areas of expertise includes environmental regulatory (including air and water compliance issues), commercial contracting (including grain contracting), merger and acquisitions, intellectual property, labor and employment relations (including employee benefits), litigation, corporate, government relations, political law, public policy, privacy and cybersecurity, real estate, tax and wealth planning.
The firm’s lawyers have represented biofuel companies throughout the Midwest, including Minnesota, in areas such as corporate organization and governance, environmental permitting, compliance and enforcement defense, RIN generation and compliance issues.
Its services also include renewable biogas strategies and issues, carbon capture solution offtake agreements, occupational safety and health administration (OSHA) compliance and enforcement defense, protection of intellectual property, tax minimization strategies, real estate matter and other legal issues.
“We have long valued our relationships with Minnesota biofuels producers and we look forward to working with the Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association to ensure the industry remains a sustainable solution to solving the country’s transportation fuel needs,” said Porter Martin, partner at Michael Best and lead for the firm’s ethanol industry group.
Learn more about Michael Best here.
Minneapolis, June 23 - The Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association (MN Bio-Fuels) and KS95 FM held a joint E15 promotion at a Holiday station in Coon Rapids yesterday.
“Unleaded 88 is a cleaner-burning, lower-cost option at the pump. We were glad to visit Coon Rapids yesterday with KS95 to highlight those benefits for consumers and give away a few prizes at the same time,” said Brian Werner, executive director at MN Bio-Fuels.
During the hour-long promotion, drivers who fueled up with E15 (Unleaded 88) were rewarded with prizes such as $20 in cash, tickets to Minnesota United, tickets to the St Paul Saints, Applebee’s gift cards and KS95 merchandise.
The promotion was held from 12 pm to 1 pm. The Holiday station is located at 10120 University Avenue in Coon Rapids.
Yesterday’s promotion was the fourth time MN Bio-Fuels and KS95 have teamed up at a station in the Twin Cities metro this year to promote E15.
Meanwhile, according to the Minnesota Department of Commerce, 36.49 million gallons of E15 was sold in Minnesota from January to April this year.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced today it will be providing $500 million in funding to increase access to E15 and higher blends of ethanol and biodiesel in Minnesota and across the country.
“We thank the Biden Administration and Secretary Tom Vilsack for today’s announcement of significant new investment to expand market access for higher blends of ethanol in Minnesota and across the country. Minnesota has been a leader on adopting higher blends of ethanol - from offering E15 at a nation-leading 439 retail locations to having the nation’s highest ethanol blend rate at 12.58 percent. As a result, we know that investment in biofuel infrastructure has multiple benefits in that it drives commodity demand for farmers, lowers consumer energy costs at the pump, creates economic development in rural Minnesota, and improves air quality through decreased emissions.
“We also recognize that these critical investments would not have been possible without the work of those who led the legislative effort to include them in the Inflation Reduction Act. Many thanks are due to Senators Amy Klobuchar and Joni Ernst for introducing the bipartisan legislation that was the basis for today’s announcement. The fact of the matter is that this $500 million investment in biofuel infrastructure from USDA, combined with the $6.75 million in Minnesota Department of Agriculture funding this past legislative session, will help cleaner-burning, lower-cost biofuels reach more consumers and ensure that Minnesota’s ethanol industry can continue to play a larger role in our homegrown, low-carbon transportation future,” said Brian Werner, executive director of the Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association.
In a statement, the USDA said $50 million in funding was made available in December 2020 while another $450 million will be made available from July 1 for its Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program (HBIIP). Funding for the the program is sourced from the Inflation Reduction Act.
The USDA said the grants cover up to 75 percent or $5 million of the total project’s cost to help facilities convert to higher-blend fuels. The fuels must be greater than 10 percent for ethanol and 5 percent for biodiesel.
For the initial $50 million, the USDA said it was awarding today $25 million for 59 infrastructure projects, of which 17 are in Minnesota. In total, $8.63 million in funding was awarded for higher blend projects in Minnesota.
The USDA said the recipients of the remaining $25 million will be announced in the coming weeks.
As for the $450 million in new funds, the USDA said there will be five application windows between July 1 and Sept 30.
Minneapolis, June 30 - The Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association (MN Bio-Fuels) and KS95 FM held a joint E15 promotion at a Winner station in Energy Park, St Paul on June 28.
“As Minnesotans hit the road this weekend for holiday travel, we encourage them to seek out the yellow 88 octane sticker at the pump and fill their vehicles with E15, the lower-priced, environmentally-friendly option,” said Brian Werner, executive director at MN Bio-Fuels.
During the hour-long promotion, drivers who fueled up with E15 (Unleaded 88) were rewarded with prizes such as $20 in cash, tickets to Minnesota United, tickets to the St Paul Saints, Applebee’s gift cards and KS95 merchandise.
The promotion was held from 12 pm to 1 pm. The Winner station is located at 2233 Energy Park Drive in St Paul.
The promotion was the fifth time MN Bio-Fuels and KS95 have teamed up at a station in the Twin Cities metro this year to promote E15.
Minneapolis, July 11 - Refractory Service has joined the Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association (MN Bio-Fuels) as a vendor member.
“To reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by mid-century, ethanol production facilities will increasingly need modern equipment and technologies that make the production of low-carbon ethanol more efficient and durable. That’s why we’re pleased that Refractory Service is joining the MN Bio-Fuels as our newest vendor member. We look forward to working with them to reduce energy usage and maintain a strong ethanol industry into the future,” said Brian Werner, executive director at MN Bio-Fuels.
Established in 1959, Refractory Service provides the ethanol industry with servicing, updating and troubleshooting all refactory-lined equipment including pollution control equipment such as thermal oxidizers and regenerative thermal oxidizers, as well as dryers and boilers.
“We noticed that the lifespan of such equipment has declined dramatically, in many cases to a fraction of what it once was. Over the past five years, Refractory Service has determined the root causes for the decline in refactory life and has developed new materials and installation methods to combat the decline,” said Mark Sullivan, director of sales and marketing at Refactory Service.
With offices in South St Paul and Jackson, WI, he said the company’s new refactory solution can dramatically extend the life of high-temperature refractory linings, reduce or even eliminate the need for routine scheduled maintenance to address alkali-induced shrinkage in refactory linings, drastically reduce the likelihood of sudden refactory failure, reduce energy usage by as much as 20 percent due to improved thermal performance and extend the life of original equipment by reducing or eliminating additional damage to the steel shell of equipment by decreasing the likelihood of hot spot development and/or acid condensation.
“The reason we are excited to join the Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association in a word is exposure. As ethanol plants have evolved since the early days, they have continued to push the limits of their process to maximize output. The downside to this is the toll it takes on the process equipment,” Sullivan said.
Learn more about Refractory Service here.
Picture caption: Refactory Service personnel at work