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NEW YEAR, NEW GOALS

Happy New Year! As subscribers to our newsletter, you'll notice this month's newsletter features a new and improved layout and new content. It's part of our ongoing efforts to provide you with the most relevant news concerning biofuels and the ethanol industry in Minnesota.

As you'll notice, the bulk of the news stories concerning the industry this month have centred around the EPA's proposal to reduce biofuel consumption this year. If you haven't sent the EPA a letter indicating your opposition to its ill-informed proposal, you can still do so by visiting our website and clicking on the Take Action banner on the homepage.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S COLUMN:

RFS Debate: Let's Move Forward, Not Backwards

Last week, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture began a tour of ethanol plants in Minnesota to signal its support for the renewable fuel standard.

This tour, which ends next week, aims to raise awareness about a proposal by the Environmental Protection Agency that, if it becomes law, could severely and adversely impact the rural and overall economy in Minnesota.

Read more here

IN THE NEWS

Shift In Ethanol Blend Mandate Fuels Fears

St Cloud Times, Jan 22 - When John Mages started selling corn grown on his farm near Belgrade to an ethanol pant in Atwater instead of shipping it out of state, one of the first things he notices was the price got better.

Read more here

Klobuchar Opposes Move to Reduce Ethanol Targets

US Sen Amy Klobuchar opposes EPA proposal on RFS

The Free Press, Jan 21 - U.S. Sen Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota voiced heavy opposition to the EPA's new proposal to reduce the total amount of ethanol blended into U.S. gasoline in 2014 under the Renewable Fuel Standard. She called for a united front of corn growers, ethanol producers and lawmakers to oppose the EPA's proposal.

Read more here

Franken Urges More Letters To EPA, White House

Agriculture.com, Jan 19 - Franken is among a bipartisan group of Senators trying to convince the EPA and the White House that a proposed rule to trim ethanol and biodiesel blending mandates in the Renewable Fuel Standard for 2014 is a mistake.

Read more here

VoteVets Continues TV Ad Campaign Supporting the RFS

Jan 15 - VoteVets continued its ad campaign supporting the Renewable Fuel Standard with new ads featuring Iraq War

veteran, Michael Connolly, that were aired in Iowa, Nebraska and Washington, D.C. In the ad, Connolly makes the case that gutting the RFS would lead to greater flow of oil to America's enemies.

Ag Tour Designed to Drum Up Support For Fight of Planned RFS Reductions

Fergus Falls Journal, Jan 14 - Minnesota Department of Agriculture Commissioner Dave Frederickson addressed a sympathetic audience Monday in Fergus Falls as part of a state tour supporting biofuel energy, namely ethanol.

Read more here

Biofuel Standards Help Small Town Minnesota - Sen. Amy Klobuchar

Agweek, Jan 13 - From opening our first E15 station, to blending higher amounts of biodiesel, to developing processes to make renewable fuel out of new feed stocks, Minnesota is leading the way and driving the next generation of renewable fuels.

Read more here

Corn Growers Urge EPA Comments To Keep Ethanol Quotas

The Journal, Jan 10 - Minnesota Corn Growers Association (MSGA) officials and other corn ethanol and biofuel advocates urged public comment on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposal to reduce corn ethanol under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) Thursday at the Minnesota Ag Expo at the Verizon Wireless Centre.

Read more here

State Ag Chief Urges Campaign For Ethanol

Marshall Independent, Jan 8 - Minnesota Department of Agriculture Commissioner David Frederickson visited Highwater Ethanol in Lamberton on Tuesday as part of a tour to encourage a letter writing campaign to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency concerning proposed reductions in Ethanol Mandate.

Read more here

Proposal Could Hurt Production

Fairmont Sentinel, Jan 2 - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has proposed a rollback of the Renewable Fuel Standard's (RFS) biofuel requirements this year. If the proposal becomes policy, it will likely affect ethanol production.

Read more here

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

Stinson Leonard Street

This month, we spotlight leading Minneapolis law firm,

Stinson Leonard Street. The firm, which is a result of a merger between Stinson Morrison Hecker and Leonard, Street and Deinard, has extensive experience in representing the ethanol and biofuels industry in Minnesota.

Read our interview with Tom Jensen, partner at Stinson Leonard Street here

MBA ANNOUNCEMENTS

Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association Teams Up With Cities 97

As part of our on going campaign to encourage Minnesotans to notify Washington of their opposition

to the EPA's RFS reductions, we recently teamed up with Cities 97 for a series of on-air advertisements and a banner link on their e-newsletter which goes out today.

New Communications and Education Coordinator at the Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association

On Dec 15, 2013, the Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association appointed Ashwin Raman as its new communications and education coordinator.

Read Ashwin's bio here

E15 UPDATE

Drivers of cars 2001 and newer now have more choices with the availability of the cheaper and higher octane E15 at select retail stations. We'll be constantly updating locations of stations within the state that offer E15.

Find out more here

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