I am proud to be the U.S. Senator for the State of Minnesota which leads the nation in renewable fuels like ethanol, biodiesel, wind, and even energy derived from livestock waste. Minnesota farm families have played a prominent role in feeding our world -- and now they are on the cusp of fueling a nation.
Today, nearly all of Minnesota’s 2.6 billion gallons of gasoline are blended with 10 percent ethanol. Minnesota boasts 13 ethanol plants all of which are owned by Minnesota farm families from near places like Marshall, Morris, Winnebago, Winthrop, Benson, Claremont, Bingham Lake, Buffalo Lake, Melrose, Preston, Luverne, Little Falls, and Albert Lea. And what these plants have produced – besides over 325 million gallons of ethanol per year – is truly phenomenal: 40,000 jobs, over a half billion dollars a year in economic activity, and $15 million in tax revenues. And now plans for additional ethanol plants in Minnesota are underway.
Minnesota is also the first and only state in the nation so far to enact a 2% biodiesel standard and, as a result, a new farmer-owned soybean processing facility was recently built in Brewster, Minnesota which will include a 30 million gallon biodiesel production facility to meet the expected new demand. 2,400 hard working farm families from the area invested over $32 million toward the building of this $55 million plant, the operation of which will yield $390 million in economic activity and 2,176 jobs. For biodiesel, this is only the beginning.
Wind energy is also taking off in Minnesota with farm families working to both reduce their energy costs and alleviate energy costs for their neighbors through on farm wind energy production. Wind energy is the fastest growing energy producer in the world and Minnesota ranks second in the nation in total wind energy production with 115 facilities, 55 of them locally and farmer-owned. In August of 2003, I flipped the switch turning on the largest wind turbine in North America located near Dodge Center, Minnesota. The turbine stands 300 feet tall (including the blade) and generates 1.65 megawatts of power. Soon, Trimont Area Wind farm LLC will utilize the same size turbine -- 61 of them -- to deliver 100 megawatts of power to Great River Energy Cooperative, which supplies power to many rural electric cooperatives across Minnesota.
Energy derived from livestock waste – believe it or not – is also very encouraging. I traveled in the summer of 2003 to Princeton, Minnesota where a dairy farmer friend of mine produces not only enough energy from livestock waste to power his entire 725 head heard, but enough to power the homes of 85 of his neighbors!
All of what’s going on in Minnesota today makes good sense because renewable fuels not only reconcile the longstanding conflict often perceived between economic development and environmental protection by advancing both at the very same time, but these homegrown, clean-burning renewable fuels also promote greater energy independence and lower fuel costs all while giving us cleaner air and water and creating economic development, jobs, and hope.
That’s why in my first year in the United States Senate, I founded and now co-chair the bipartisan Senate Biofuels Caucus with Senators Blanche Lincoln (D-AR), Jim Talent (R-MO), and Tom Harkin (D-IA). The Biofuels Caucus is dedicated to promoting the production and use of renewable fuels in America through the passage of a comprehensive energy policy for the United States.
As Minnesota’s United States Senator, the production and use of renewable fuels will always be a top priority of mine – for our farm families, our rural communities, and for our nation.
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