Drivers throughout Minnesota will have access to ethanol-enriched gasoline and other biodiesel fuels due to legislation signed into law by Governor Tim Pawlenty. The state’s executive has signed an omnibus bill passed by the legislature that would increase Minnesota’s biodiesel requirements from 2% to 20% by 2015. Collaboration between state agencies, producers and station owners could accelerate this standard with technological advancements.
The timetable for increased biodiesel mandates sets a 5% benchmark in May 2009 and a 10% goal for May 2012. Pawlenty wants this acceleration in biodiesel to power consumer use of ethanol and the bill advocates increased E20, E30 and E50 supplies. These details will be negotiated between the governor’s office, legislators and producers prior to the date of the first benchmark.
The new law could run into trouble with taxpayers and legislators due to climate and technological considerations. Minnesota experiences bitter cold, windy and snowy winters that last from November through April. New standards would ramp up biodiesel and ethanol supplies between April and October to the 20% level while setting a 5% standard the rest of the year. The main concern with setting a 12-month standard of 20% biodiesel usage is that the first generation of flexible fuel vehicles may struggle in cold weather.
Pawlenty and legislators recognize the myriad factors that could bump up biodiesel standards to the full calendar year. The bill lists several characteristics that would change biodiesel and ethanol levels between 2008 and 2015. A main consideration for the state of Minnesota is consistency in the biodiesel supply. The law states that expanded standards are possible when 50% of the overall supply is produced in Minnesota with 75% of feedstocks from Canada and the United States. Other considerations include promotion of higher standards by producers and the federal government as well as advancements in blending technology.
The one area of hope for drivers concerned about the economic and environmental effects of ethanol is the provision for non-plant biodiesel production. The law requires at least 5% of all biodiesel used in Minnesota to originate from algae, waste oil and other natural materials that have no influence on food costs. This provision features some of the strictest language in the bill due to the prevalence of agricultural interests in Minnesota interested in increased ethanol production.
