Membership in the Minnesota Soybean Growers Association (MSGA) means taking a stand and making a meaningful difference to improve farmer profitability for the short and long term.   

In early 2023, MSGA stood up for its members by joining a lawsuit challenging the state of Minnesota’s earlier adoption of California’s “Clean Cars Rule” in 2021. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota, challenged the legality of Minnesota Pollution Control Agency rules that required new cars, light-duty trucks and medium-duty vehicles in the state meet emission limits set by California and match California’s requirements for the sale of a certain percentage of so-called “zero-emission vehicles,” as defined by California regulators. 

Those efforts have paid off. On June 30, 2026, the state of Minnesota entirely withdrew the Clean Cars Rule, signaling a win for Minnesota’s biofuels industry and the state’s nearly 26,000 soybean farmers. The process for withdrawal began in May, when Attorney General Keith Ellison submitted a letter to the U.S. District Court initiating the process to formally dismiss the Clean Cars Rule.  

“It’s a huge win,” said Michael Buschbacher, managing partner at Boyden Gray, which defended the lawsuit on behalf of MSGA, the National Association of Convenience Stores, Minnesota Service Station & Convenience Store Association and the Clean Fuels Development Coalition. “This gets rid of a very substantial regulatory burden that was harming biofuels across Minnesota and prevents enforcement of these destructive mandates.”  

The motion that was filed on June 30 states: 

• Defendants will not enforce the greenhouse gas emissions standards or the zero emissions standards (Minnesota Rule Rules 7023.0250 or 7023.0300) for vehicles produced or delivered for sale or lease after model year 2025;  

• Defendants have initiated state notice-and-comment rulemaking to repeal Rules 7023.0250 and 7023.0300 by publishing a “Notice of Intent to Repeal Obsolete Rules” in the Minnesota State Register on June 29, 2026;  

• Defendants will make best efforts to finalize the Rules 7023.0250 and 7023.0300 by Dec. 31, 2026.  

• After such repeal is complete, defendants must engage in new notice-and-comment rulemaking to adopt any vehicle emissions standards as rules of the State. 

“We’re proud that we successfully defended our members by pushing back against an electric vehicle mandate that threatened Minnesota’s biofuels industry,” MSGA President Ryan Mackenthun said. “Legal efforts like these underscore why it’s important to join MSGA, because we’re being proactive and working all the legislative, regulatory and legal channels we can to preserve valuable markets and improve the farm economy.”   

The lawsuit contended that the federal Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA), which creates a uniform national standard for vehicle fuel efficiency, prohibits states from adopting policies “related to” federal fuel-economy standards. EPCA says that a “State or a political subdivision of a State” cannot “adopt or enforce a law or regulation related to fuel economy standards or average fuel economy standards.”  

Fueling Minnesota 

In Minnesota, biodiesel continues to help grow the state’s economy. Nearly $1.7 billion of Minnesota’s GDP is supported by the biodiesel industry, and biodiesel supports nearly 5,400 jobs in the state and 65,000 jobs in the U.S. Every 100 million gallons of production supports 3,200 jobs and biodiesel adds more than $1 to every bushel of soybeans, increasing demand by 13%.  

Aside from economic benefits, the biodiesel industry helps protect the environment. Studies show that biodiesel reduces greenhouse gas emissions by more than 50% and displaces roughly 130 million gallons of petroleum diesel in Minnesota each year. Using a B20 blend in the summer and a B5 blend in the winter equates to removing emissions from nearly a quarter-million vehicles from state roads every year.  

“Court cases are costly and can take a long time – this one took over three years,” Mackenthun said. “To continue prevailing in the court system, resources are required and that’s why membership in MSGA is so important.”  

To support MSGA’s legal efforts to protect farmers and Minnesota agriculture, become a member by visiting mnsoybean.org/msga.