A federal judge has ruled Minnesota’s biodiesel mandate does not conflict with the federal Renewable Fuel Standard. Petroleum interests and other groups brought the lawsuit against the State of Minnesota in April of 2015 arguing the mandate is illegal. One of the intervenors in the case was the Minnesota Biodiesel Council and board member and farmer Jim Willers says the judge ruled the RFS does not pre-empt the state mandate.
Willers says while this is a significant victory, the future of Minnesota’s biodiesel mandate and the push to B-20, is in the hands of the state legislature.
The court’s ruling affirms biodiesel’s role in helping states move to renewable energy sources. Willers says biodiesel has been very successful in Minnesota and the push to B-20 on May 1 of 2018 will utilize even more of the state’s soybean crop.
Other intervenors in the case, including the National Biodiesel Board, Minnesota Soybean Growers Association and the Iowa Biodiesel Board, were all pleased with the ruling. The plaintiffs in the case have 30 days to appeal the court’s ruling.
