A broad coalition representing automakers, biofuel producers, farmers, electric vehicles, and conservation advocates is endorsing new legislation that would implement a clean fuels standard statewide in Minnesota, which would be the first for a Midwestern state. The American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) and the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) are both members of the coalition, which is facilitated by the Great Plains Institute.
The 25-member Minnesota Future Fuels Coalition is throwing its support behind the Future Fuels Act, which would direct the Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Commerce with developing a rule to implement a clean fuels standard at the state level to achieve a 20 percent reduction in carbon intensity for all transportation fuel supplied in the state by the end of 2035.
The lead authors of the legislation are Minnesota House of Representatives Assistant Majority Leader Todd Lippert (DFL) and Senate Energy and Utilities Finance and Policy Committee Chairman David Senjem (R). The MN House Climate and Energy Finance and Policy Committee held a virtual hearing on Thursday to hear comments on the bill.
“Minnesota is behind schedule in achieving bipartisan transportation greenhouse gas reduction and clean fuel adoption goals and we believe that a clean fuels policy, such as the proposed Future Fuels Act, can help get the state back on track,” said Brendan Jordan, vice president for transportation and fuels at the Great Plains Institute during the hearing.
The Future Fuels Act requires reductions in transportation greenhouse gas emissions but is technology and fuel neutral and rewards a fuel’s greenhouse gas reduction based on actual performance. It would establish a process for evaluating the lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions from any transportation fuel and allow transportation fuel providers to compete in offering lower carbon fuels at lower cost.
Listen to comments from coalition representatives during Thursday’s hearing, beginning with an introduction of the legislation from Rep. Lippert.
MN House committee hearing on Future Fuels Act (23:45)