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Walz announces Governor’s Biofuels Council

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz is establishing a Biofuels Council to foster growth in the state’s ethanol and biodiesel industries.

Walz announced the executive order to form the Council at Minnesota Corn Growers Association president Brian Thalmann’s farm near Plato west of the Twin Cities Monday.

Thalmann tells Brownfield it’s a great day for Minnesota.

“Anything we can do to spur market development and use at home will make a difference. So this Biofuels Council is set up to advise the Governor on various methods to increase the use of biofuels.”

Walz says the council will be made up of 15 members representing agriculture, biofuels, and transportation industries, who will be mandated to provide a report detailing how the state can move toward a cleaner, greener transportation sector.

Thalmann says he hopes Minnesota becomes a model.

“Once that starts to happen, we could see greater increased market concentration throughout the Midwest.”

Walz and Thalmann both say the announcement comes as the federal government continues to take actions that have led to ethanol plants closing or idling production, including the Corn Plus plant in Winnebago.