Juhnke named co-chair of NextGen Board, regional ag committee

WILLMAR — Rep. Al Juhnke, DFL-Willmar, is a busy man these days. Now, along with his responsibilities as chairman of the House ag committee, he has added two more items to his growing list of responsibilities.

On Thursday, Juhnke was named co-chair of the newly established NextGen Energy Board, which will advise the governor and the Legislature on the policy, research and fiscal developments in the next generation of renewable energy. One of the board’s primary du-ties is to examine the future of biofuels, including synthetic gases, biobutanol, hydrogen, methanol, biodiesel and ethanol and develop programs to assist renewable energy development in the state.

The board will meet monthly and will report to the legislature next February, and annually thereafter, on renewable energy development.

Juhnke has also has been named the co-chair of the Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee of the Midwestern Legislative Conference of the Council of State Governments.

The committee includes representatives from 13 Midwest states and Canadian provinces. Beyond sharing information on key agricultural and renewable energy developments, Juhnke wants states to find ways to work together for the mutual benefit of all.

He used ethanol as an example. “Can we come up with a common grade of ethanol?” he asked. The logistics of shipping and blending the renewable fuel would be simplified if the ethanol producing states had common standards.

All the committee work, both at the state, regional and national levels, means Juhnke is now standing in the spotlight as a spokesman for Minnesota and its leading role in agriculture and renewable energy.

“I take that role very seriously whether it is in the state or at the national level,” he said Thursday while at the NextGen board meeting in St. Paul. “People love to hear from Minnesota because we are leaders, especially in renewable energy.”

Beyond the committees, Juhnke is keeping connected to U.S. Rep. Collin Peterson, D-Minn., on the development of the federal Farm Bill, seeking ways to maximize the state’s fiscal investment, to leverage the most federal monies, for the next generation renewable energy.

“We are keeping a close watch on that too,” he said.