Modifications to biodiesel laws pass House

Fuel refiners and blenders would have a few more days to make their annual transition from one type of biodiesel fuel to another under the provisions of a bill passed by the House 120-0 on Tuesday.

State law requires diesel fuel sold in Minnesota contain a certain percentage of biodiesel, which is a plant-based fuel that can be made from soybeans. The law requires that percentage to grow over time as biodiesel production capacity in the state increases.

Rep. Paul Anderson

On May 1 the percentage of biodiesel that must be included in Number 2 diesel fuel jumped from 10 percent (B10) to 20 percent (B20), where it will now remain.

However, because of concerns over how diesel fuel with the B10/B20 blend performs in cold weather, the law says that from October through March a lower blend of biodiesel, B5, is to be used. This creates challenges for facilities that blend and refine the fuel and must each year transition between the different blends.

Sponsored by Rep. Paul Anderson (R-Starbuck) and Sen. Bill Weber (R-Luverne), HF3523/SF3596* would allow those facilities to have a two week period, April 1–14, when they could ramp up production of the B20 blend. By April 1, the blend would need to be B10 and would then rise to B20 after April 14.

“It was a good compromise, and it’s supported by the terminals to help them get up to B20,” Anderson said.

The bill would also make permanent an exemption from the biodiesel blend for Number 1 diesel fuel, used by many truck drivers, which was set to expire next year.

The Senate passed the bill 67-0 on April 19. It now goes to Gov. Mark Dayton.