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Minnesota's 5% biodiesel mandate takes effect May 1

Minnesota’s new 5 percentbiodiesel mandate takes effect on Friday becoming the first state at that level. A 2 percent mandate was enacted in 2005 despite concerns the renewable fuel would have problems in the cold Minnesota winters. Since that time it has been found biodiesel has much the same characteristics as regularNumber-2 diesel, when it gets cold, it gels. In the same manner, biodiesel blends can be treated for winter use in similar ways that Number-2 diesel is treated.

Ed Hegland, a Minnesota soybean farmer and Chairman of the National Biodiesel Board says he is, “Proud tolive in a state that is leading energy innovations and taking part in valuable solutions like biodiesel.” The Minnesota mandate will move to 10 percent in 2012 and 20 percent by 2015.

Last year U.S. biodiesel production approached 700 million gallons. Washington,Oregon, Pennsylvania, Louisiana, New Mexico and Massachusetts have also passed biodiesel requirements.