Minnesota made history May 1, becoming the first state to transform virtually all of the diesel supply for sale in the state to B20, a blend of 20 percent biodiesel and 80 percent petroleum diesel.

“We often refer to Minnesota as a ‘trailblazer,’ but somehow that just doesn’t seem adequate anymore,” said National Biodiesel Board (NBB) CEO Donnell Rehagen. “Upgrading virtually an entire state’s diesel to contain 20 percent biodiesel represents a seismic shift in our country’s liquid energy supply.”

NBB presented its Eye on Biodiesel Impact award this year to Mike Youngerberg, who currently serves as the Executive Director of the Minnesota Biodiesel Council and has been working since 1986 to advance soybean industry priorities as a staff member for Minnesota Soybean.

“We’ve had bipartisan support for the effort,” said Youngerberg in an interview at the National Biodiesel Conference earlier this year. He says the advancement of biodiesel in the state has been called the “Minnesota Miracle.”

Listen to the award presentation and Mike’s remarks: Mike Youngerberg award

Learn more about Mike in this interview: Mike Youngerberg interview