Minnesota governor signs order establishing biofuels council

“Farmers are the backbone of Minnesota’s economy,” Walz said in a tweet Sept. 17. “But recent action at the federal level has left many Minnesota farmers struggling to make ends meet…That’s why I launched the Governor’s Biofuels Council to support our farmers and renewable fuel producers. Amid uncertainty in Washington, it’s critical that we provide stability at home.”

Within the executive order, Walz notes that Minnesota was an early leader in promoting biofuels production and use. However, the state is not on track to meet its petroleum replacement goals. “In recent years, a combination of low market prices and changes in federal policy has been a headwind to growth in biofuels, particularly in the commercialization of advanced biofuels,” he said in the executive order. “In order to make progress we need ideas for policy and investment in biofuels development and utilization that are bold, practical and broadly supported by a range of interests.”

Under the executive order, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture will convene the council and provide staffing and administrative support. The MDA is directed to submit a record to the governor based on the council’s recommendations by Nov. 1, 2020. The council is to consist of 15 members appointed by the governor representing agriculture, the biofuels industry, transportation, environmental and conservation interest, and other relevant stakeholders.

The study and recommendations of the council must include policies that accelerate achievement of the petroleum replacement goals outlined in Minnesota Statutes 2018, section 239.7911, which aims to replace petroleum with biofuels at 25 percent by 2020 and 30 percent by 2025. It also must include policies and programs to advance and invest in carbon efficiency improvements of biofuels plants and sources of biofuels feedstock, and policies that utilize biofuels to help the state achieve its GHG reduction goals under the 2007 Next Generation Energy Act.

In making recommendations, the council must consider impacts to, and opportunities for, farmers, rural communities, the natural environment, and economically disadvantaged populations at it relates to biofuels production. It must also consider the feasibility and cost of increasing biofuels infrastructure throughout Minnesota.

A full copy of the executive order can be downloaded from Walz’s website.