Seventh District Fuel Retailers Receive Biofuel Infrastructure Grants

(Washington D.C.) The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced today it is awarding six grants totaling nearly $1.9 million dollars to fuel retailers in Minnesota through the Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program (HBIIP). Grants will be used to expand sales of ethanol and biodiesel by investing in compatible fuel dispensers and storage tanks at local fueling stations. USDA utilized funds from the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) to deliver HBIIP.

Recipients in the 7th Congressional District include:

• Northdale Oil Inc.

• West Central Petroleum Services, Inc.

Northdale Oil Inc. will use the grant to replace 16 dispensers at fueling stations in Bemidji, Clearbrook and East Grand Forks. Meanwhile, West Central Petroleum Services, Inc. will replace nine dispensers at their Parkers Prairie fueling station.

“These investments will increase annual ethanol sales by 1.4 million gallons in the 7th district alone.” Rep. Collin Peterson said. “A lack of compatible infrastructure is a major hurdle to expanding ethanol sales and these investments will go a long way to increase consumer access to higher blended fuels.”

Congressman Peterson is a co-chair of the Congressional Biofuels Caucus, a bipartisan group of Members of Congress who advocate for homegrown renewable fuel policies that boost farmer incomes and reduce dependence on foreign oil. He is also the sponsor of the Renewable Fuel Standard Integrity Act of 2019, a bill which provides certainty to the biofuels industry by setting an annual deadline for small refinery exemption applications and bringing transparency to the process.