Media
Much like a successful “March Madness” basketball team, a successful legislative strategy needs to combine an efficient offense with a lock-down defense.
Offense
Legislative Committees in Minnesota must act favorably on major appropriation and finance bills covering the next biennium (fiscal years 2024 and 2025) by next Tuesday, April 4. Ahead of this deadline, we have been actively working to advance key funding priorities to assist ethanol producers in Minnesota.
- Biofuel Infrastructure. Legislation has been introduced in both chambers (SF 1246 – Kupec; HF 1474 – Frederick) to provide grant funding for upgrading or replacing infrastructure at fuel retail locations to offer higher biofuel blends. We testified in support of both bills and, this week, both committees included biofuel infrastructure funding in their respective omnibus finance bills. The Senate bill matches Governor Walz’s budget proposal at $9 million ($4.5 million per year), while the House proposes $6 million ($3 million per year).
- Bioincentive payments. Legislation to provide funding to reimburse biofuel producers for the commercial-scale production of advanced biofuels has been introduced in both chambers (SF 1178 – Hauschild; HF 1477 – Tabke). We provided supportive testimony and when the House and Senate Agriculture committees released their omnibus bills this week they included strong Bioincentive funding. The Senate bill provides $12 million ($6 million per year), while the House provides $13.5 million ($6.75 million per year), of which $1 million per year is set-aside to backfill claims from previous fiscal years.
Defense
Many bills have been introduced this session that would subject ethanol production plants to duplicative or unnecessary administrative and environmental reporting, monitoring, and testing requirements.
- Biofuel Monitoring & Testing for PFAS and Treated Seeds. Legislation has been introduced (HF 2761 – Hansen) and included in the House Environment committee’s omnibus bill to require biofuel facilities to monitor and test for neonicotinoids and PFAS. We testified against the bill because no ethanol plant in the state of Minnesota uses treated seed as a feedstock. If they proposed to do so, they would need a new permit from MPCA.
- Disclosure of Sensitive Business Information. Legislation has been introduced (HF 475 – Hansen) and included in the House Agriculture committee’s omnibus bill to require Bioincentive program participants to disclose sensitive business information in order to qualify. No other program administered by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture requires such disclosure, and changing program requirements midstream would undermine the goal of attracting investment in advanced biofuels with carbon reductions 70 percent lower than petroleum.
Neither of the above bills have been included in Senate omnibus bills and MN Bio-Fuels will be working to keep them out of any final conference committee agreement while working in the long-term to educate members of the DFL majority about the ethanol production and permitting process.
MN Bio-Fuels will continue to advocate on behalf of Minnesota’s ethanol industry and ensure that a balanced offensive and defensive strategy leads to legislative success.
The 93rd Minnesota Legislative Session officially closed on Monday, May 22. By any objective measure, it was a historic session that saw the enactment of significant legislation related to the budget, infrastructure bonding, taxation, and employment and workforce law. The $72 billion two-year budget signed by Governor Walz represents an increase of nearly 40 percent as compared to the last biennium.
Despite a lower budget target for agriculture overall and the need for significant outreach and education to members of the DFL majority on biofuels specifically, we were able to secure several policy and budget “wins” that will serve to strengthen Minnesota’s biofuel industry.
- Biofuel Infrastructure: $6.75 million
- The investments in biofuel infrastructure for 2024 and 2025 will increase the number of retailers in Minnesota offering higher blends of ethanol like E15 (Unleaded 88), which will lower costs for consumers and improve air quality through lower greenhouse gas emissions. With the help of this strong investment, we will soon surpass 500 retail stations selling E15 (Unleaded 88) in the state.
- Bioincentive Program: $11.5 million
- Minnesota ethanol plants are producing next-generation, advanced biofuels that further reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The investments in the bioincentive program for 2024 and 2025 will help to spur development of new low-carbon fuels while promoting rural economic development.
- Intermediate Blends Reporting: More data = better research
- Minnesota is the only state that reports monthly E15 (Unleaded 88) sales. The enactment of a provision to require more retail stations to report the gross number of gallons of intermediate blends (between 10 and 50 percent) sold will improve data collection efforts and allow us to better track sales growth and consumers savings.
- Clean Transportation Standard Working Group: Biofuel representation in the formation of a Minnesota Clean Transportation Standard
- If crafted properly and combined with complementary policies – a clean transportation standard in Minnesota offers the potential to lower greenhouse gas emissions from our transportation sector and support rural, agricultural communities. A working group authorized to study and report recommendations to the legislature will include representatives from the biofuel industry.
- Sustainable Aviation Fuel Tax Credit: $1.50 per gallon
- Providing tax incentives for the development and production of Sustainable Aviation Fuel in Minnesota will help spur new markets and new uses for biofuel and biofuel co-products like corn oil.
- EPA Emergency Waiver for E15 Summer Sales: Lower Prices All Summer Long
- EPA provided certainty to fuel producers and retailers by approving an emergency waiver allowing the sale of E15 this summer. The benefits of E15 will remain available to Minnesota consumers all summer long.
One of the most overwrought narratives in energy and transportation policy today is the idea that liquid biofuels and Electric Vehicles (EVs) are battling “American Gladiator-style” in a zero-sum game over the future of the domestic automobile market.
Predictably, this narrative is fueled - energy pun intended - in large part by partisan politics and special interest groups that either have a personal stake in securing total victory for their preferred transportation option or want to use the issue as a wedge in the next campaign.
As with most public policy problems, the solution to decarbonizing our transportation sector isn’t quite as black-and-white as this worn-out narrative suggests. The reality is we need a strategy that utilizes an all-of-the-above approach to level the playing field for proven technologies and fuels that have a track record of quickly lowering emissions. To successfully reach our carbon reduction goals, this strategy must also carefully consider current market and supply chain trends.
False Narrative #1: An All-Electric Future
Shortly after his election, President Biden issued an executive order outlining a goal that by 2030 50 percent of all light-duty vehicle sales would be zero-tailpipe emissions vehicles (ZEVs). The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently doubled down on this goal by releasing a proposed regulation for tailpipe emissions that would guarantee that 67 percent of new light-duty vehicle sales are EVs by 2032.
As I wrote in our comments to the EPA on the proposed rule earlier this month, the rule effectively compels automakers to produce battery electric vehicles to the detriment of similar technologies that can achieve the same or better environmental performance. Utilizing low-carbon liquid fuels in existing vehicles can achieve greenhouse gas reductions faster than new EVs can displace the existing fleet.
There are currently 278 million registered cars, vans, SUVs, pickups, and motorcycles in the U.S., of which about 1.2 percent are battery or plug-in hybrid EVs. EVs accounted for 5.8 percent of new light-duty vehicle sales in 2022. That means, under the proposed rule, a gap of 61.2 percent in EV sales needs to be filled in less than 10 years.
Such a rapid build-out of EV sales ignores the challenges associated with charging infrastructure availability, tax credit eligibility, consumer preference, critical mineral supply and demand, and battery range and performance.
False Narrative #2: War on Electric Vehicles
A recent campaign video from former President Trump referred to EV mandates as “a ridiculous Green New Deal crusade [that] is causing car prices to skyrocket while setting the stage for the destruction of American auto production.”
While we may agree that a top-down approach that picks winners and losers among zero-emissions technologies is the wrong approach, over-the-top political rhetoric like this feeds the narrative that the existence of EVs in the marketplace means that liquid biofuels will somehow become obsolete.
According to data from Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the average age of vehicles on the road is approximately 15 years, and 16 percent of passenger cars and 32 percent of light-duty trucks remain on the road for more than 20 years. We need to seek carbon reduction solutions for the hundreds of millions of cars operating on liquid fuels today.
For some consumers, that may mean trading in their internal-combustion engine vehicles in favor of an EV for short-range and urban-only travel. For many others, that may mean utilizing higher blends of ethanol, which reduce GHG emissions by 47 percent as compared to gasoline.
We cannot ignore that there has been significant government investment in the manufacture of EVs, batteries, and EV chargers, and many auto companies have announced similar investment in domestic EV manufacturing.
Instead of fighting to roll back or disincentivize these public and private investments, we should be pushing for a level playing field for all technologies and fuels moving forward, which will be the key to reaching net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by mid-century. EVs and liquid biofuels can and should be working in tandem to provide consumers with low-carbon transportation options.
Solution: Teaming Up on Clean Vehicles
The ethanol industry is working to break down these false narratives.
Our partners at the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) recently debuted the first-ever Plug-in Hybrid Electric Flex Fuel Vehicle, which offers the best of both worlds. The vehicle has a range of 430 miles given a full tank of E85 and a full battery charge. Additionally, it has been shown to reduce emissions by about 80 percent compared to a vehicle running on gasoline.
This doesn’t need to be a zero-sum game whereby EVs win only if ethanol loses, and vice-versa. This innovative technological solution that marries ethanol and electricity shows that the two can work together to offer consumers an environmentally friendly option that maintains flexibility and reliability.
The Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association will continue working to ensure that Minnesota-grown, Minnesota-made biofuels are in a position to bring about meaningful and achievable reductions in greenhouse gas emissions from transportation.
Whether we face droughts, floods, blizzards, or tornadoes, Minnesotans expect agriculture to always “be there” — producing ample and affordable crops to meet demand.
Agriculture has nearly limitless capacity to deliver for Minnesotans but often faces regulatory uncertainty that hinders the ability to scale up operations. Providing clear market and regulatory signals of potential new uses for products — such as sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) produced here in the United States — could help overcome these barriers, enhance the resiliency of Minnesota agriculture and address the climate crisis.
Minnesota biofuel producers stand ready to produce SAF, but their ability to do so depends on policy outcomes in Washington and St. Paul. The federal Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) in 2022 and the state Omnibus Transportation law in 2023 both created tax credits for SAF, but it’s still unclear how a biofuel producer can measure the carbon intensity of their product or permit the technologies needed to ensure they can qualify for the credits.
Thankfully, Gov. Tim Walz, Agriculture Commissioner Thom Petersen, and U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack are working to ensure biofuel producers and farmers can play a role in helping decarbonize aviation.
The Biden administration will soon clarify which carbon accounting model and method determines eligibility for IRA credits. Should the administration choose to implement the U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne GREET model, the latest data from federal agencies and academic institutions on crop and biofuel production will be incorporated into lifecycle analyses. Leveraging the latest science rewards farmers embracing lower-carbon production practices and ensures accuracy in carbon accounting. Congress required the use of GREET for lifecycle analyses of non-aviation fuels under separate IRA provisions, so also adopting it for SAF provides consistency across tax structures.
The alternative is to only allow an international framework called CORSIA – which uses antiquated European emissions estimates of corn and biofuel production. Adopting CORSIA would make it extremely challenging, if not impossible, for many biofuels to qualify for SAF tax credits.
Carbon accounting regulations will provide a path forward, and biofuel producers in Minnesota need greater certainty and timeliness in environmental permitting if SAF is to achieve lift-off.
Many businesses have moved outside of Minnesota due to permitting delays. Unpredictable permitting timelines limit investment and delay the installation of new equipment, technologies, and processes needed to reach net zero.
SAF has the potential to significantly reduce aviation’s carbon emissions. Minnesota farmers and biofuels producers have already helped produce transportation fuel that lowers greenhouse gas emissions by between 44 to 52% compared to traditional gasoline. They stand ready to meet the challenge on aviation fuel.
Minnesota is a top five producer of corn and ethanol, with the latter topping 15 billion gallons nationwide in 2022. These crops and fuels will be critical to the SAF movement, as farmers sell them as feedstocks to ethanol plants to produce the sustainable fuel needed to reduce aviation’s carbon emissions.
In Minnesota, that means making more than 20,000 farmers eligible to sell their feedstocks to the state’s 19 ethanol plants.
If the country is to meet the administration’s “Grand Challenge” of producing 35 billion gallons of SAF per year by 2050 — sustainably produced, lower-carbon biofuels must be eligible for the newly created SAF tax structure under the IRA.
In Minnesota, ethanol plants also need clearly defined timelines and permitting requirements for the state to become a hub for SAF and to help achieve the administration’s goal.
I applaud Gov. Walz, Commissioner Petersen, and Secretary Vilsack’s efforts to advocate on behalf of American biofuel producers and farmers who are eager to help achieve the SAF Grand Challenge’s goals, especially when it comes to Minnesota’s permitting process.
I urge the Biden administration to turn to us to get the job done in scaling up a cleaner aviation industry.
The Oct. 2 commentary discussing the climate impacts of Minnesota agriculture included several misleading statements and cherry-picked science to assert that ethanol is not a clean fuel ("Big Ag must be part of climate crisis solution").
If 4 out of 5 doctors agree that eating vegetables and regular exercise is good for your health, we wouldn't take seriously the outlier who recommends a Snickers bar and eight hours of television.
The National Academy of Sciences study cited as the basis to claim that ethanol emits more carbon than gasoline doesn't hold up to peer review. It uses "questionable assumptions" and an "overestimation of the [greenhouse gas] emissions of corn ethanol" according to research from the Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory.
Other research conducted by Argonne, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Environmental Protection Agency, the California Air Resources Board, and major universities including Harvard have consistently demonstrated that ethanol is a low-carbon biofuel with 40 to 50% fewer emissions than petroleum on a life cycle basis, even when accounting for hypothetical land use change scenarios.
These hypothetical "land use changes" are used by the author to assert that ethanol has driven an increase in corn acreage even though EPA's annual estimates of cropland cleared or cultivated since 2007 has shown reductions from the original baseline of 402 million acres. Our farmers are using less land to produce higher yields through productivity gains.
If 4 out of 5 researchers say ethanol is good for the climate, we shouldn't take seriously the outlier who says it's worse than petroleum.
By Brian Werner
When greenhouse gases (GHGs) from transportation became the single largest source of emissions contributing to climate change, both in Minnesota and nationally, state lawmakers rightly began examining policy options that could reduce GHG emissions, improve air quality, and provide statewide economic benefits.
Those efforts ramped up this past year with the formation of the Minnesota Clean Transportation Standard (CTS) Work Group. This legislatively-established, Governor-appointed Work Group included a wide range of businesses and nonprofits that were tasked with preparing consensus recommendations for developing and implementing performance-based incentives to reduce the carbon intensity (CI) of all fuels used for transportation in Minnesota.
As a member of the Work Group, I had the opportunity to serve as one of 40 members charged with making recommendations to the state legislature on a CTS policy that could be successfully implemented in our diverse state. We made that recommendation earlier this month with 36 of the 40 participants doing the hard work of reaching a compromise that is best for all of Minnesota. It was disappointing to see so much focus upon release of the final report on the four dissenting organizations that pointed their fingers at rural communities and biofuels while refusing to make the necessary compromises to reach a consensus.
The majority consensus results of the Work Group report were clear: we cannot meet CTS targets for GHG emissions reductions without the use of biofuels. That’s because Minnesota’s farmers and biofuel producers already produce a readily available, lower carbon transportation fuel that is reducing emissions from vehicles on the road today. And as higher blends like E15 and E85 become more commonplace in the market, biofuels will contribute to an increasingly larger share of emissions reductions.
Despite the outlier studies cited by the four dissenting organizations, the overwhelming majority of research conducted by USDA, U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Harvard University, and the California Air Resources Board all confirm that ethanol lowers greenhouse gas emissions by between 44 to 52 percent compared to traditional gasoline.
And when it comes to GHG reductions from biofuel, we’re only scratching the surface. With the increased adoption of low-carbon farming practices, incorporation of renewable electricity and energy efficiency at biofuel production facilities, and the use of carbon capture technologies, the renewable fuels industry in Minnesota is rapidly on a path to net-zero or net-negative carbon emissions by 2050.
Any approach that insists on only one fuel or technology as a silver bullet risks leaving air quality benefits on the table. If we want to be serious about addressing carbon emissions from transportation, we need to lean into realistic solutions that recognize the fact that large numbers of internal combustion vehicles will remain on the road for decades to come. As U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said, “We’re going to have cars that use ethanol for a long, long time.”
To prevent the worst impacts of climate change, we need more low-carbon options, not less. A Minnesota CTS program may or may not be signed into law this year, but either way Minnesota’s renewable fuel producers will be helping to deliver a lower-carbon transportation future.
This column first appeared as a Letter to the Editor in the Worthington Daily Globe.
The work of the Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association – especially during the spring and summer season - often tracks closely with notable events on the calendar: the end of Minnesota’s legislative session in May, the annual Fuel Ethanol Workshop in June, ethanol lobby days in Washington, D.C. in July, and the U.S. Congressional recess and Minnesota Farm Fest in August.
Last week’s summer solstice represents a good time within that calendar of events to look back at the recently adjourned Minnesota legislature and preview what is always a busy Minnesota summer.
Minnesota Legislative Session 2024
In even-numbered years, the legislature shifts its attention to passing a bonding bill that supports infrastructure projects across the state. Having secured funding in the state budget last year for biofuel-related programs like the Minnesota Department of Agriculture’s Biofuels Infrastructure Grant program, MBA’s primary focus was on the consideration of a Clean Transportation Standard.
We testified before the Senate Transportation Committee on the importance of a technology and fuel neutral standard that would support all low-carbon transportation options and published op-eds stressing the importance of biofuels in meeting emissions reduction targets that would be established in such a standard.
While neither a bonding bill nor a Clean Transportation Standard were ultimately enacted in the closely divided legislature, our efforts proved vital in educating legislators and staff, signaling the importance of rural, agricultural, and biofuel voices, and setting the table for future consideration.
Pounding the Pavement
Minnesota Bio-Fuels has been pounding the pavement in recent weeks to host guests at producer member facilities, participate in feedstock grower meetings about the pending 45Z tax credit guidance, give presentations at local conferences about opportunities and challenges for ethanol in the energy transition, and promote higher blends like Unleaded 88 to motorists at Twin Cities retailers.
One throughline in all these discussions and activities has been the critical process of analyzing and benchmarking the lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions of biofuels.
We know that the renewable fuels being produced at Minnesota ethanol plants are already lowering GHG emissions from light- and medium-duty vehicles by nearly half. And we also know that with additional technologies and practices like renewable electricity, carbon capture utilization and sequestration, and climate smart agriculture, Minnesota ethanol plants will be net-zero by 2050.
Achieving those goals will require accurate, science-based GHG measurement tools like the Argonne National Laboratory’s GREET model, as well as more up-to-date data on input criteria included in the GREET model like the climate-smart agricultural practices and land use changes due to biofuel demand, both of which are less robust and therefore more difficult to model.
Two recent items underscore that point – 1) USDA’s announcement of a Request for Information (RFI) on the production of biofuel feedstocks using climate-smart practices and 2) a blog post from the Renewable Fuels Association’s CEO, Geoff Cooper, on new research around land-use changes.
While MN Bio-Fuels has been hitting the road this summer FOR biofuel by educating, promoting, and advocating; most important of all, we’ve been hitting the road WITH biofuel and saving – anecdotally – $0.31 and $0.56 per gallon.
Picture Caption: Kwik Trip Burnsville
Picture Caption: Kwik Trip in Chanhassen
Lastly, with the recent torrential rains and widespread flooding across much of southern Minnesota, the thoughts and concerns of our entire team here at MN Bio-Fuels go out to those who are struggling with flooded fields, wet basements, and damaged infrastructure.
I read with interest a recent article in the Minnesota Star Tribune examining the increasing popularity of Kwik Trip gas stations throughout the upper Midwest (“How Kwik Trip created a cult-like following in the Midwest”, September 28, 2024).
According to the author, the growth of Kwik Trip can be explained by its ubiquitous footprint, large stores, affordable groceries, signature snacks, and friendly workforce.
The Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association hosts fuel promotion events at gas stations around the Twin Cities metro area each year to educate drivers about the economic and environmental benefits of higher blends of ethanol in gasoline, including E15 (often marketed as Unleaded 88) and E85. When we talk to consumers about the criteria they seek in a convenience store, they rarely mention the reasons cited in the article.
According to a consumer survey conducted by the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) in 2024, 66 percent of consumers would drive five minutes out of their way to save five cents per gallon on fuel. Moreover, when NACS asked consumers why they prefer a specific gas station or chain, 56 percent of respondents cited lower prices.
As a gas station, Kwik Trip has leaned into the sale of higher blends of ethanol like E15. Why? Because they know that it offers them a competitive advantage in bringing in consumers.
Unleaded 88 averages a $0.16 discount compared to regular E10 and the price gap between these two fuels can be as large as $0.30 - $0.40 in some locations. With the economy and inflation ranking as top issues on voters’ minds in the upcoming election, consumers are increasingly looking for fuel that is easier on their pocketbooks. Unleaded 88 can save them between $4.00 and $5.00 every time they fill up.
Convenience stores and gas stations around the state would be well served by following Kwik Trip’s example in providing consumer choice and affordability in fuel options.
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Welcome to the media section of our website. In this section, you will be able to find our latest press releases, letters to the editors, news concerning ethanol and biofuels, our executive director’s monthly column and Blogging For Biofuels, our blog on everything related to biofuels.
OCTOBER 30, 2024, 12 - 1 PM
MINNOCO, 6744 PENN AVE S, RICHFIELD, MN 55423
We will be with KS95 FM at Minnoco in Richfield on Wednesday, October 30th, from 12 - 1 pm rewarding drivers who fuel up with Unleaded 88 (E15)! Prizes include $20 in cash, Applebees gift cards, University of St. Thomas basketball/hockey/football tickets, Nowhere Haunted House tickets and KS95 merchandise! Read more here.
2025 INTERNATIONAL BIOMASS CONFERENCE & EXPO
March 18 - 20, 2025
Cobb Galleria Center, Atlanta, Georgia
Now in its 18th year, the International Biomass Conference & Expo is expected to bring together more than 900 attendees, 160 exhibitors and 65 speakers from more than 25 countries. It is the largest gathering of biomass professionals and academics in the world. The conference provides relevant content and unparalleled networking opportunities in a dynamic business-to-business environment. In addition to abundant networking opportunities, the largest biomass conference in the world is renowned for its outstanding programming—powered by Biomass Magazine–that maintains a strong focus on commercial-scale biomass production, new technology, and near-term research and development. Join us at the International Biomass Conference & Expo as we enter this new and exciting era in biomass energy.
SUSTAINABLE FUELS SUMMIT : SUSTAINABLE AVIATION FUEL & RENEWABLE DIESEL
June 9 - 11, 2025
CHI Health Center, Omaha, Nebraska
The Sustainable Fuels Summit: SAF, Renewable Diesel, and Biodiesel is a premier forum designed for producers of biodiesel, renewable diesel, and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) to learn about cutting-edge process technologies, innovative techniques, and equipment to optimize existing production. Attendees will discover efficiencies that save money while increasing throughput and fuel quality. Produced by Biodiesel Magazine and SAF Magazine, this world-class event features premium content from technology providers, equipment vendors, consultants, engineers, and producers to advance discussions and foster an environment of collaboration and networking. Through engaging presentations, fruitful discussions, and compelling exhibitions, the summit aims to push the biomass-based diesel sector beyond its current limitations. Co-located with the International Fuel Ethanol Workshop & Expo, the Sustainable Fuels Summit conveniently harnesses the full potential of the integrated biofuels industries while providing a laser-like focus on processing methods that deliver tangible advantages to producers. Registration is free of charge for all employees of current biodiesel, renewable diesel, and SAF production facilities, from operators and maintenance personnel to board members and executives.
CARBON CAPTURE & STORAGE SUMMIT
June 9 - 11, 2025
CHI Health Center, Omaha, Nebraska
Capturing and storing carbon dioxide in underground wells has the potential to become the most consequential technological deployment in the history of the broader biofuels industry. Deploying effective carbon capture and storage at biofuels plants will cement ethanol and biodiesel as the lowest carbon liquid fuels commercially available in the marketplace. The Carbon Capture & Storage Summit will offer attendees a comprehensive look at the economics of carbon capture and storage, the infrastructure required to make it possible and the financial and marketplace impacts to participating producers.
INTERNATIONAL FUEL ETHANOL WORKSHOP & EXPO
June 9 - 11, 2025
Now in its 41st year, the FEW provides the ethanol industry with cutting-edge content and unparalleled networking opportunities in a dynamic business-to-business environment. As the largest, longest running ethanol conference in the world, the FEW is renowned for its superb programming—powered by Ethanol Producer Magazine —that maintains a strong focus on commercial-scale ethanol production, new technology, and near-term research and development. The event draws more than 2,300 people from over 31 countries and from nearly every ethanol plant in the United States and Canada.
CHI Health Center, Omaha, Nebraska
On Jan 1, 2014, Stinson Morrison Hecker and Leonard, Street and Deinard completed a merger to become Stinson Leonard Street.
The newly merged entity combines expertise in various industries such as agribusiness and has been involved with the ethanol industry since 2000.
Below is an interview with Tom Jensen, partner at Stinson Leonard Street.
Tom Jensen Jill Radloff
Q. Please tell us about your company’s role within the ethanol industry and why the company is committed to supporting the ethanol industry now and into the future.
A. Our firm first got involved in the ethanol industry back in 2000. At that time we helped a number of farmer-led groups take their newly-formed ethanol companies public and also helped a number of existing cooperatives convert to limited liability companies.
In both instances we handled all corporate and securities law matters for these companies. Since that time, both Jill Radloff and I, as well as many others in our firm, have continued to have strong ties to the ethanol industry.
We currently represent contractors, investors, owners, marketing groups and consultants to the ethanol industry.
Because of these strong current and historical ties, Stinson Leonard Street is strongly committed to the industry and its stakeholders.
Q. How did your personal career path lead you to where you are now?
A. In terms of our involvement with the ethanol industry, both Jill and I grew up in small towns and already had a personal connection to the agricultural community.
This background, coupled with our transactional legal practices, has positioned us and our firm well to serve the ethanol industry. It’s really been a good fit for us and our clients.
Q. From your perspective, what you would you like fuel consumers to know about the ethanol industry and the fuel it produces?
A. The ethanol industry is an important economic driver, especially here in the Midwest. And the people who make up the industry are strongly and personally committed to its success.
Q. What does your company see for the future of ethanol and advanced biofuels?
A. Continued consolidation is likely – including additional acquisitions by petroleum industry participants. We also see incremental and important technological advances on the horizon.
This month, we spotlight Minneapolis-based Barr-Engineering which provides engineering and environmental consulting services to Midwest, national and global clients.
We recently interviewed Chandler Taylor, senior environment consultant at Barr on the firm’s services, involvement in the ethanol industry as well as his views on the industry.
Q. Please tell us a bit about Barr Engineering
A. Barr provides engineering and environmental management and consulting services to help our clients solve complex problems related to the development, protection, and restoration of natural resources. Headquartered in Minneapolis, we are an employee-owned firm with more than 700 engineers, scientists, and technical support staff working with clients in the fuels, power, mining, and manufacturing industries, as well as with attorneys and municipal, state, and federal agencies.
We pride ourselves on solving our clients’ problems as if they were our own. Our employees share an enthusiasm for our work and a passion for working on some of the most complex and interesting environmental and engineering projects around. Our employee-retention rate far exceeds the industry average, in part because of the opportunities our clients provide for us to challenge ourselves and grow. We show our gratitude through dedication to their success.
Q. Please tell us your company’s history with the ethanol industry and why your company is committed to the development of ethanol in Minnesota?
A. Barr has been providing permitting and compliance support to ethanol plants since 2006. We support the top five producer plants and cooperatives. We regularly provide services at about 25 plants in seven states, including five plants in Minnesota. Those services include:
- environmental permitting and compliance for air, water, waste, tanks
- preparation of RFS2 alternative pathway petitions
- pre-acquisition due diligence
- post-acquisition alignment
- on-site environmental staffing
- stack testing
- spill prevention and response planning
- wetlands planning and design
- tank inspections
- environmental audits
- training
- groundwater monitoring
- noise monitoring
The regulatory environment for ethanol producers is complex at both state and federal level. With the industry’s opportunities and long-term success come obligations related to permitting, compliance and environmental performance. We are committed to helping our clients in the industry navigate those obligations in a way that maximizes operational flexibility and manages compliance risk. We want to help the innovators in this industry to be successful and support them in pursuing opportunities to develop their technologies and facilities.
Q. How did your personal career path lead you to where you are now?
A. I have been consulting on environmental issues for about 25 years. The first half of my career I focused on soil and groundwater investigations and cleanups. Since then, I have focused more on air quality permitting and compliance. In 2005, I had my first opportunity to work with an ethanol plant (an MBA member plant) on environmental planning, permitting and compliance projects. Since coming to Barr seven years ago, I have been working almost exclusively with corn ethanol and waste-to-fuels clients.
Q. From your perspective, what would you like consumers to know about the ethanol industry?
A. We have enjoyed the opportunity to work with the ethanol industry in Minnesota because we find that the plant owners, managers and operators are passionate about their plants and their industry, and they are committed to the goals of revitalizing the rural economy, protecting the environment, and enhancing fuel security. We also like that they are innovators, always looking for opportunities to increase production and energy efficiency, and seeking out market opportunities for new technologies and the next generation of biofuel production.
Q. What does your company see for the future of ethanol and biofuels?
A. We expect that the ethanol and biofuels industry in Minnesota will remain strong as we respond together to changing political and regulatory landscapes that continue to be more complex and more demanding of plant resources. This is compounded by the fact that agencies are unfamiliar with developing technologies and feedstocks in the industry, and those advancements will not fit cleanly into existing environmental permits and regulations. As the industry continues to evolve, it will be important for owners and operators to help shape, plan for, and be responsive to, new regulatory requirements. We will need to find creative solutions to sluggish regulatory processes that don’t keep pace with the development and cycle of business opportunities.
We appreciate the opportunity to be an MBA member, to develop relationships and find ways to work together with other members, and look forward to continuing to support the growth and development of the Minnesota biofuels industry.