Agriculture :
Ethanol & biodiesel production, 2008

In 1986 Minnesota had a few small plants that produced about a million gallons of ethanol. As of summer 2008, there were 19 ethanol plants with an annual production capacity of 850 million gallons. 2008 was a turning point for the ethanol industry, however, as record high gas prices and corn prices put pressure on the cost of producing ethanol.

The Minnesota biodiesel program promotes another renewable home grown fuel as an alternative to imported oil. Biodiesel is a high lubricity, clean burning fuel for use in existing diesel engines. It can be created from soybean oil, other vegetable oils, animal fats, or recycled cooking oil. There are currently three biodiesel plants operating in Minnesota.

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