“We’re moving this way. I think we’ll see more and more renewable fuels in the future,” says Nathan Preuss. It’s in response to the question of why he applied for and was successfully chosen to receive grants to upgrade fueling equipment at his My Store outlets. His stations will offer Unleaded 88 E15 across a swath of north-central Minnesota that currently doesn’t offer the biofuel blend.
New Stations: E15 is coming to new areas of northern Minnesota, thanks to Nathan Preuss.
Preuss’ background gives him insight that other fuel retailers may not have. Not only does his family operate stations in Bagley, Bemidji, Hibbing, Outing, Solway, Turtle River, and Waskish, but Preuss is also involved in the Minnesota Petroleum Marketers Association. That has provided him a vantage point into state and national trends and opportunities, including the Minnesota Agricultural Growth, Research, and Innovation Biofuels Infrastructure Grant Program (AGRI) and the federal Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program (HBIIP).
The AGRI program was funded by the Minnesota legislature and Minnesota Corn. In 2022, it provided 44 fueling stations, including stations operated by Preuss, with $6.4 million to offset the costs of equipment compatible with higher biofuel blends.
HBIIP is operated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. It also provides funds to fuel retailers for upgrading to equipment compatible with higher biofuel blends.
Preuss also understands agriculture and the benefits of biofuels. His family roots are in farming near Echo, a town in Yellow Medicine County of Minnesota’s corn belt.
He’s aware that some who have wanted to sell E15 or E85 in places new to the fuels have encountered supply hurdles. Jobbers, the truck transport fuel delivery companies, might be unfamiliar with or unable to obtain the blends. Or if they can, price points could be unpredictable. Here again, Preuss has done his homework and already has connections that assure him they’ll deliver. He’s thinking the Cenex supply routes into northern Minnesota may work best for his stores.
Preuss and his family are investing a large sum in the station upgrades, and they’re excited about offering E15 and what the improvements will mean for their northern Minnesota chain. He’s also set his sights on HBIIP, which closes soon. He hopes a combination of the Minnesota Corn, state, and federal grants will ultimately cover roughly half of the new equipment installations at the outlets.
Within a year or so when the cement has finally cured, dispensers are set up, and E15 is pumping, we have no doubt Nathan Preuss will be able to add successful E15 retailer to his resume.