Last week, I had the pleasure to present at MPR’s “Minnesota’s Iron Range Ideas for the Future.” Fluctuations in economic cycles are not new and with each iteration of hard times comes an opportunity to innovate and move forward. I’m the lead facilitator of the Bioeconomy Coalition of Minnesota and I would like to share with you an opportunity for building a brand new industry in the Iron Range: sustainable biobased products from wood. Continue reading »
2015 Minnesota Legislative Session Recap: Bioeconomy Edition
July 6, 2015 in Transportation & Fuels Authors: Amanda Bilek, Brendan Jordan
It took the regular session, plus a one-day special session, but the Minnesota legislature has completed its work for 2015. The legislature convened in early January with a $1.9 billion projected budget surplus and had the task of setting a two-year state budget. Continue reading »
MINNEAPOLIS – Biobased industry, agriculture, and environmental interests reached agreement this week on legislation that would create production-based incentives for renewable chemicals, advanced biofuels and biomass thermal energy, and the groups are urging the Minnesota legislature to pass the legislation, as amended. Continue reading »
What’s the deal? Environmental and Bioindustry Agreement on Bioeconomy Bill
April 1, 2015 in Transportation & Fuels Authors: Amanda Bilek, Brendan Jordan
As has already been reported here and here, a major deal has been struck that brings the Bioeconomy Coalition of Minnesota and the Minnesota Environmental Partnership together in support of an amended version of the Bioeconomy bill in Minnesota. The agreement cleared a path in the Senate Energy and Environment Committee, where it had been stalled. The bill (HF 536/ SF 517) was amended on agreed-upon terms in House and Senate committees – the text of the Senate amendment is here. The text of the agreement is here. Continue reading »
Bioeconomy Bill Introduced in MN Legislature
February 2, 2015 in Transportation & Fuels Author: Amanda Bilek
Today in the Minnesota legislature Senator Tom Saxhaug (DFL-Grand Rapids) and Representative Rod Hamilton (R-Mountain Lake) introduced a bill creating a production incentive program for commercial development of advanced biofuels, renewable chemicals, and biomass thermal energy. The bill is the top legislative priority for the Bioeconomy Coalition of Minnesota, a multi-stakeholder partnership of private industries, agriculture and forestry interests, and non-profit organizations. GPI organizes and facilitates the Coalition. Continue reading »
When the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published a final rule in July expanding cellulosic fuel pathways to include renewable compressed natural gas (CNG) and liquefied natural gas (LNG) derived from various sources of biogas, a surge of cellulosic fuel credits from biogas was widely anticipated. After two months of reporting, the speculation was correct. August and September saw record volumes of cellulosic Renewable Information Numbers (RINs). These high volumes were not generated from liquid fuels like ethanol or renewable gasoline, but from renewable CNG and LNG. 