Minnesota Quick Facts
- Minnesota is the nation's fourth-largest fuel ethanol-producing state and accounts for about 9% of U.S. total production. This state is also the eighth-largest producer of biodiesel, providing about 4% of the nation's biodiesel output.
- The Pine Bend refinery near Minneapolis-Saint Paul is the nation’s 13th-largest oil refinery and the largest refinery in a non-oil-producing state. It can process about 335,000 barrels of crude oil per calendar day.
- In 2024, renewable resources supplied 33% of Minnesota's total in-state electricity generation, more than three-fourths of it from wind energy. Minnesota ranks among the 10 states with the highest share of wind power generation.
- Minnesota's two nuclear power plants fueled 20% of the state's electricity net generation in 2024, although the amount of nuclear power generated in the state was the lowest since 2013.
- Minnesota's natural gas-fired generation reached a record high in 2024 and exceeded the state's coal-fired generation for the second year in a row.
Last Updated: October 16, 2025
Data
Last Update: November 19, 2025 | Next Update: December 18, 2025
| Prices | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Petroleum | Minnesota | U.S. Average | Period | find more | |
| Domestic Crude Oil First Purchase | -- | $ 63.39 /barrel | Aug-25 | ||
| Natural Gas | Minnesota | U.S. Average | Period | find more | |
| City Gate | $ 5.07 /thousand cu ft | $ 5.10 /thousand cu ft | Aug-25 | find more | |
| Residential | $ 41.54 /thousand cu ft | $ 26.88 /thousand cu ft | Aug-25 | find more | |
| Coal | Minnesota | U.S. Average | Period | find more | |
| Average Sales Price | -- | $ 54.04 /short ton | 2023 | ||
| Delivered to Electric Power Sector | $ 2.32 /million Btu | $ 2.40 /million Btu | Aug-25 | ||
| Electricity | Minnesota | U.S. Average | Period | find more | |
| Residential | 16.94 cents/kWh | 17.62 cents/kWh | Aug-25 | find more | |
| Commercial | 13.15 cents/kWh | 14.04 cents/kWh | Aug-25 | find more | |
| Industrial | 9.42 cents/kWh | 9.06 cents/kWh | Aug-25 | find more | |
| Reserves | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reserves | Minnesota | Share of U.S. | Period | find more | |
| Crude Oil (as of Dec. 31) | -- | -- | 2022 | find more | |
| Expected Future Production of Dry Natural Gas (as of Dec. 31) | -- | -- | 2022 | find more | |
| Expected Future Production of Natural Gas Plant Liquids | -- | -- | 2022 | find more | |
| Recoverable Coal at Producing Mines | -- | -- | 2023 | find more | |
| Rotary Rigs & Wells | Minnesota | Share of U.S. | Period | find more | |
| Natural Gas Producing Wells | -- | -- | 2020 | find more | |
| Capacity | Minnesota | Share of U.S. | Period | ||
| Crude Oil Refinery Capacity (as of Jan. 1) | 440,000 barrels/calendar day | 2.4% | 2025 | ||
| Electric Power Industry Net Summer Capacity | 18,074 MW | 1.4% | Aug-25 | ||
| Supply & Distribution | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Production | Minnesota | Share of U.S. | Period | find more | |
| Total Energy | 429 trillion Btu | 0.4% | 2023 | find more | |
| Crude Oil | -- | -- | Aug-25 | find more | |
| Natural Gas - Marketed | -- | -- | 2023 | find more | |
| Coal | -- | -- | 2023 | find more | |
| Total Utility-Scale Net Electricity Generation | Minnesota | Share of U.S. | Period | find more | |
| Total Net Electricity Generation | 5,599 thousand MWh | 1.3% | Aug-25 | ||
| Utility-Scale Net Electricity Generation (share of total) | Minnesota | U.S. Average | Period | ||
| Petroleum-Fired | NM | 0.2 % | Aug-25 | find more | |
| Natural Gas-Fired | 27.0 % | 45.9 % | Aug-25 | find more | |
| Coal-Fired | 29.5 % | 16.6 % | Aug-25 | find more | |
| Nuclear | 20.3 % | 16.8 % | Aug-25 | find more | |
| Renewables | 22.7 % | 20.1 % | Aug-25 | ||
| Stocks | Minnesota | Share of U.S. | Period | find more | |
| Motor Gasoline (Excludes Pipelines) | 169 thousand barrels | 1.5% | Aug-25 | ||
| Distillate Fuel Oil (Excludes Pipelines) | 2,079 thousand barrels | 2.2% | Aug-25 | find more | |
| Natural Gas in Underground Storage | 6,074 million cu ft | 0.1% | Aug-25 | find more | |
| Petroleum Stocks at Electric Power Producers | 92 thousand barrels | 0.4% | Aug-25 | find more | |
| Coal Stocks at Electric Power Producers | 1,196 thousand tons | 1.1% | Aug-25 | find more | |
| Fueling Stations | Minnesota | Share of U.S. | Period | ||
| Motor Gasoline | 2,038 stations | 1.9% | 2023 | ||
| Propane | 45 stations | 1.7% | Oct-25 | ||
| Electric Vehicle Charging Locations | 1,014 stations | 1.3% | Oct-25 | ||
| E85 | 382 stations | 8.1% | Oct-25 | ||
| Biodiesel, Compressed Natural Gas, and Other Alternative Fuels | 292 stations | 8.0% | Oct-25 | ||
| Consumption & Expenditures | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summary | Minnesota | U.S. Rank | Period | ||
| Total Consumption | 1,689 trillion Btu | 17 | 2023 | find more | |
| Total Consumption per Capita | 294 million Btu | 20 | 2023 | find more | |
| Total Expenditures | $ 27,117 million | 22 | 2023 | find more | |
| Total Expenditures per Capita | $ 4,714 | 26 | 2023 | find more | |
| by End-Use Sector | Minnesota | Share of U.S. | Period | ||
| Consumption | |||||
| » Residential | 367 trillion Btu | 2.0% | 2023 | find more | |
| » Commercial | 312 trillion Btu | 1.9% | 2023 | find more | |
| » Industrial | 555 trillion Btu | 1.8% | 2023 | find more | |
| » Transportation | 455 trillion Btu | 1.6% | 2023 | find more | |
| Expenditures | |||||
| » Residential | $ 5,723 million | 1.7% | 2023 | find more | |
| » Commercial | $ 4,275 million | 1.8% | 2023 | find more | |
| » Industrial | $ 4,578 million | 1.9% | 2023 | find more | |
| » Transportation | $ 12,542 million | 1.6% | 2023 | find more | |
| by Source | Minnesota | Share of U.S. | Period | ||
| Consumption | |||||
| » Petroleum | 115 million barrels | 1.6% | 2023 | find more | |
| » Natural Gas | 506 billion cu ft | 1.6% | 2023 | find more | |
| » Coal | 8,399 thousand short tons | 2.0% | 2023 | find more | |
| Expenditures | |||||
| » Petroleum | $ 15,471 million | 1.7% | 2023 | find more | |
| » Natural Gas | $ 4,049 million | 2.0% | 2023 | find more | |
| » Coal | $ 367 million | 1.5% | 2023 | find more | |
| Consumption for Electricity Generation | Minnesota | Share of U.S. | Period | find more | |
| Petroleum | NM | NM | Aug-25 | find more | |
| Natural Gas | 12,017 million cu ft | 0.8% | Aug-25 | find more | |
| Coal | 971 thousand tons | 2.4% | Aug-25 | find more | |
| Energy Source Used for Home Heating (share of households) | Minnesota | U.S. Average | Period | ||
| Natural Gas | 63.8 % | 46.0 % | 2023 | ||
| Fuel Oil | 1.3 % | 3.7 % | 2023 | ||
| Electricity | 20.0 % | 41.7 % | 2023 | ||
| Propane | 11.4 % | 5.0 % | 2023 | ||
| Other/None | 3.5 % | 3.5 % | 2023 | ||
| Environment | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Renewable Energy Capacity | Minnesota | Share of U.S. | Period | find more | |
| Total Renewable Energy Electricity Net Summer Capacity | 7,087 MW | 1.8% | Aug-25 | ||
| Ethanol Plant Nameplate Capacity | 1,457 million gal/year | 7.9% | 2025 | ||
| Renewable Energy Production | Minnesota | Share of U.S. | Period | find more | |
| Utility-Scale Hydroelectric Net Electricity Generation | 77 thousand MWh | 0.4% | Aug-25 | ||
| Utility-Scale Solar, Wind, and Geothermal Net Electricity Generation | 1,086 thousand MWh | 1.8% | Aug-25 | ||
| Utility-Scale Biomass Net Electricity Generation | 109 thousand MWh | 2.7% | Aug-25 | ||
| Small-Scale Solar Photovoltaic Generation | 53 thousand MWh | 0.6% | Aug-25 | ||
| Fuel Ethanol Production | 32,119 thousand barrels | 8.7% | 2023 | ||
| Renewable Energy Consumption | Minnesota | U.S. Rank | Period | find more | |
| Renewable Energy Consumption as a Share of State Total | 13.3 % | 12 | 2023 | ||
| Fuel Ethanol Consumption | 7,363 thousand barrels | 17 | 2023 | ||
| Total Emissions | Minnesota | Share of U.S. | Period | find more | |
| Carbon Dioxide | 80.8 million metric tons | 1.7% | 2023 | ||
| Electric Power Industry Emissions | Minnesota | Share of U.S. | Period | find more | |
| Carbon Dioxide | 20,842 thousand metric tons | 1.4% | 2023 | ||
| Sulfur Dioxide | 11 thousand metric tons | 1.3% | 2023 | ||
| Nitrogen Oxide | 18 thousand metric tons | 1.6% | 2023 | ||
Analysis
Last Updated: October 16, 2025
Overview
Minnesota plays an important role in moving fossil fuels to markets across the Midwest and beyond.
Minnesota is one of the largest Midwestern states, and it extends further north than any of the other Lower 48 states.1,2 Although Minnesota has no fossil fuel reserves or production, the state plays an important role in moving fossil fuels to markets throughout the Midwest and beyond.3,4,5,6 The Mississippi River's headwaters are in Minnesota, and the first 650 miles of the river's nearly 2,350-mile-length flow through the state.7,8 Ports along the river handle transport for dry and liquid commodities, including coal and petroleum, as well as over half of the state's agricultural exports.9 Lake Superior, the nation's largest lake by volume and surface area, forms Minnesota's northeastern border, and that waterway plays a significant role in energy transport.10,11 Duluth-Superior, Minnesota's largest port, is on Lake Superior at the western end of the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System, which connects the port to worldwide shipping. Coal from Wyoming and Montana enters Minnesota by rail and transfers to ships at Duluth-Superior, some of which travel the 2,300 miles to the Atlantic Ocean to deliver coal to overseas markets.12,13 Most of the crude oil shipped east by rail from North Dakota also travels across Minnesota.14 Additionally, several pipelines bring North Dakota's crude oil into the state, and other pipelines move Canadian supplies of crude oil from the north to Minnesota's refineries and on to other U.S. refining centers.15
Minnesota has significant renewable resources. Winds that move unobstructed across the state's broad western and southern prairies provide energy for electricity generation.16 Minnesota's rolling plains are covered by fertile topsoil, giving the state some of the nation's richest farmland, which, along with the 18 million acres of forest that cover about one-third of the state's land area, provide Minnesota with ample biomass resources.17,18 The state's abundant cornfields produce Minnesota's most valuable crop and provide feedstock for the state's many fuel ethanol production plants. Minnesota's corn crop is fourth highest among the states based on value.19,20,21,22 With almost 70,000 miles of natural streams and rivers, the state's waterways are an abundant hydropower resource.23,24
Minnesota's climate is known for Arctic chills in the winter. However, while the northern part of the state has frigid winters, southern Minnesota can experience prolonged hot weather in the summer.25 The state consumes about four times more energy than it produces.26 Minnesota's per capita energy consumption ranks 20th-highest among the states.27 The industrial sector, which includes energy-intensive agriculture, computer and electronic products manufacturing, food processing, petroleum refining, chemical products manufacturing, and mining, leads the state in energy consumption. The sector accounts for one-third of Minnesota's total energy use. The transportation sector is the second-largest energy user and accounts for over one-fourth. The residential sector accounts for slightly more than one-fifth of state energy use, and the commercial sector accounts for nearly one-fifth.28,29
Electricity
Renewable resources, including wind, solar, biomass, and hydropower, generated the largest share of Minnesota’s electricity in 2024.
Renewable resources, including wind, solar, biomass, and hydropower, generate the largest share of Minnesota's electricity, accounting for 33% of in-state generation in 2024. Natural gas fueled 26% of the state's generation, nuclear power supplied 20%, and coal contributed 19%.30
Coal-fired power plants provided the largest share of Minnesota's electricity net generation until 2020, when their contribution fell below that of renewables and nuclear power for the first time. The state's natural gas-fired generation reached a record high in 2024 and exceeded coal fired-generation for the second year in a row. Total renewable generation in 2024, mostly from wind energy, was almost two-thirds higher than a decade earlier, while the state's nuclear generation was the lowest since 2013.31
Three of Minnesota's 10 largest power plants by capacity are coal-fired, and the state's largest power plant is the coal-fired Sherburne County Generating Station. It previously had three generating units with a combined capacity of 2,238 megawatts. One of the plant's units, with 682 megawatts of capacity, was retired at the end of 2023. A 680-megawatt unit at the Sherburne plant is scheduled to retire at the end of 2026, and the remaining 876-megawatt unit is scheduled to retire in late 2034.32,33 Part of the plant's coal-fired generating capacity will be replaced with one of the largest solar farms in the nation. The Sherco solar project will be built next to the plant and will have 710 megawatts of generating capacity when fully online.34,35,36 In 2024, the Prairie Island nuclear power plant, which is located on the Mississippi River in southeastern Minnesota, produced the most electricity in the state on an annual basis and generated slightly more power than the Sherburne coal-fired plant.37,38
Minnesotans consume about one-tenth more electricity than the state generates, and the state consistently receives a portion of its annual electricity supply from Canada and nearby states via the regional grid.39 Minnesota's residential, commercial, and industrial sectors consume almost equal amounts of power.40 Minnesota's total electricity sales rank near the midpoint of the states, but its per capita electricity sales are less than in three-fifths of the states. One in five Minnesota households use electricity for home heating.41,42
In August 2025, Minnesota had about 1,000 public electric vehicle charging locations, much of which were concentrated in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul metropolitan area.43,44 The state plans to use $68 million in federal funds over five years from 2022 to 2026 to help pay for new charging locations at the exits along Minnesota's two Alternative Fuel Corridors, which are the state's interstates I-35 and I-94.45
Renewable energy
Wind energy provides the largest share of Minnesota's electricity generation from renewable resources. In 2024, wind power accounted for 76% of the state's renewable generation and 25% of the state's total net generation.46 Minnesota was among the 10 states with the largest share of in-state generation from wind.47 The state ranked eighth in the nation in wind power capacity and accounted for more than 3% of the U.S. total.48 Most of Minnesota's utility-scale (1 megawatt or larger) wind farms are located on the gently rolling prairie in the southwestern part of the state.49 However, the potential for small-scale (less than 1 megawatt) wind installations exists across the state and Minnesota is among the five states with the greatest potential for small-scale, customer-sited residential wind installations.50
In 2024, solar energy provided 14% of the state's renewable generation and almost 5% of Minnesota's total electricity generation. About 85% of the state's solar power came from utility-scale installations.51 Biomass fueled about 6% of the state's renewable generation and 2% of Minnesota's total electricity generation. Three-fourths of the state's generation from biomass uses wood or wood-derived fuels.52 Most of the state's landfill gas and municipal solid waste biomass power plants are located in more densely populated areas in southern Minnesota, while two of the largest wood-fueled plants are in the more heavily forested areas of northern Minnesota.53,54,55 Some biomass power plants also use agricultural crop residues.56 Minnesota does not manufacture wood pellets, which are often used for space heating, but almost 2% of the state's households heat with wood.57,58
Although Minnesota is known as the "Land of 10,000 Lakes," including Lake Itasca as the source of the Mississippi River, the state's gently rolling terrain means it only produces modest amounts of hydroelectric power.59,60 Minnesota has 27 utility-scale hydroelectric power plants, the largest of which has 6 generating turbines with a combined capacity of 76 megawatts. Although most of the plants are small, they account for about 1% of the state's total electricity net generation and nearly 4% of generation from renewable resources.61,62
Minnesota is one of the top five ethanol-producing states and accounts for about 9% of U.S. fuel ethanol production.
Minnesota is the nation's fourth-largest fuel ethanol producer and accounts for about 9% of U.S. total production.63 The state has 18 fuel ethanol production plants, and all of them are in agriculturally rich southern and western Minnesota, where most of the state's cropland is located.64,65,66 All of the state's ethanol plants use corn as a feedstock.67 Minnesota also has two biodiesel plants and the state is the eighth-largest biodiesel producer, contributing about 4% of the nation's total biodiesel output.68,69 The state's biodiesel mandate requires that diesel fuel sold in Minnesota contain at least 20% biodiesel from April through September, when air quality is worst. Diesel fuel may contain less than 20% biodiesel from April 1 to April 14 but not less than 10%, and it must contain at least 5% biodiesel during the rest of the year.70 Minnesota has about 290 public biodiesel fueling stations, which is the third-highest number after Illinois and Iowa.71 Minnesota also is among the top five biodiesel-consuming states in the nation and uses about 122 million gallons annually.72
Minnesota's mandatory renewable energy standard, initially enacted in 2007, requires that the state's electricity providers generate or procure at least 25% of their electricity retail sales from eligible renewable sources by 2025. In 2023, Minnesota's legislature raised the standard, requiring utilities to obtain 80% carbon-free electricity by 2030, 90% by 2035, and 100% by 2040. Eligible carbon-free generating fuels include solar energy, hydropower, wind energy, biomass, and nuclear energy.73,74
Petroleum
Minnesota does not have any crude oil reserves or production.75,76 However, pipelines that carry a significant amount of the crude oil used in the United States converge at the Clearbrook terminal in northwestern Minnesota, a key distribution point in the transport of crude oil to refineries in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and other states. Two major pipeline systems bring crude oil from Canada and the western United States into Minnesota. Most of the crude oil transported by rail across Minnesota comes from North Dakota and continues on to refineries in other states.77,78,79,80
Minnesota is home to the 13th-largest U.S. oil refinery, which is also the largest refinery in a non-oil-producing state.
Minnesota has two crude oil refineries with a combined capacity of about 440,000 barrels of crude oil per calendar day.81 The Pine Bend refinery, located in the Minneapolis-St. Paul suburbs, is the nation's 13th-largest oil refinery and the largest refinery located in a non-oil-producing state. It can process about 335,000 barrels of crude oil per calendar day. It produces transportation fuels that are delivered to markets throughout the Midwest.82,83 Minnesota's other refinery, St. Paul Park, is located along the Mississippi River. St. Paul Park, built in 1939, expanded over the years and now processes about 105,000 barrels of crude oil per calendar day. That refinery produces a variety of refined products from U.S. and Canadian sweet and sour crude oils, including motor gasoline, distillates, asphalt, heavy fuel oil, propane, and refinery-grade propylene.84,85 Petroleum product pipelines cross the state and distribute refined products from Minnesota's refineries and from refineries in other states to Minnesota markets.86
Minnesota's per capita petroleum consumption is near the midpoint of the states.87 The transportation sector consumes 72% of the petroleum used in Minnesota, and motor gasoline accounts for almost half of the state's total petroleum consumption.88,89 Minnesota was the first state to require the use of ethanol in motor gasoline and is one of only two Midwestern states (Missouri is the other) that requires the statewide use of oxygenated motor gasoline blended with at least 10% ethanol.90,91 In February 2024, federal regulators approved the sale of gasoline with up to 15% ethanol throughout the year in Minnesota and seven other Midwest states starting in 2025. Previously, so-called E15 gasoline was banned during the summertime due to concerns that it caused smog during hotter temperatures.92 Minnesota has almost 400 public-access fueling stations that sell E85, a blend of 15% motor gasoline and 85% ethanol. The state has the second-highest number of E85 fueling stations, after California, and it has about 8% of the nation's total.93 The industrial sector is the second-largest petroleum consumer in Minnesota and accounts for almost one-fifth of the petroleum used in the state. The residential sector accounts for about 7% of Minnesota's petroleum consumption. About one-eighth of Minnesota homes heat with petroleum products, mainly propane.94,95 The commercial sector uses about 3% of the petroleum consumed in the state. A small amount of petroleum is used by the electric power sector.96
Natural gas
Minnesota does not have any natural gas reserves or production.97,98 Although several natural gas pipelines cross the state, no natural gas market centers are in Minnesota. The state does have four U.S.-Canada natural gas pipeline border crossings capable of handling hundreds of billions of cubic feet of natural gas each year.99,100 Interstate pipelines deliver natural gas to Minnesota, primarily from South Dakota, Canada, North Dakota, and Iowa. Three-fourths of the natural gas that enters Minnesota continues on to other states. Almost all of it goes to Iowa and Wisconsin on its way to markets in the Midwest and beyond. A small amount of natural gas is delivered back to North Dakota and Canada, and some is placed in Minnesota's one natural gas storage field, which has a storage capacity of 7 billion cubic feet.101,102
The industrial sector consumes the largest share of natural gas delivered to consumers in Minnesota and accounts for about three-tenths of state consumption. The residential sector, where two out of three Minnesota households heat with natural gas, uses about one-fourth of the natural gas delivered to consumers in the state. The commercial sector accounts for more than one-fifth, and one-fifth goes to the state's electric power sector.103,104 Natural gas use for power generation in the state has substantially increased during the past decade, and in 2024 the sector consumed a record amount of natural gas in the state. Minnesota's electric power sector used almost four times more natural gas than it consumed in 2014.105,106
Coal
Minnesota does not have any operating coal mines or economically recoverable reserves.107,108 However, the state plays a key role in the nation's coal shipments. Coal from the Powder River Basin travels across Minnesota by rail to the Port of Duluth-Superior, where it is transferred to vessels for shipment on the Great Lakes and through the St. Lawrence Seaway for delivery to utilities and manufacturing plants along the Great Lakes in the United States and Canada and some overseas markets. Coal accounts for about 19% of the tonnage handled by the Port of Duluth.109,110 Wyoming and Montana supply almost all the coal Minnesota consumes. About 90% of that coal is used by the state's electric power plants, and most of the rest goes to industrial users.111 Minnesota had about 3,100 megawatts of coal-fired generating capacity as of mid-2025, but almost 2,100 megawatts of that capacity is scheduled for retirement by 2034.112
Endnotes
1 NETSTATE, 50 State Rankings for Size, accessed September 15, 2025.
2 Infoplease, Minnesota: Geography, accessed September 15, 2025.
3 U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), U.S. Crude Oil and Natural Gas Proved Reserves, Year-end 2023 (June 25, 2025), Table 6, Crude oil and lease condensate proved reserves, reserves changes, by states and areas, 2023 and Table 8, Natural gas, wet after lease separation, proved reserves, reserves changes, by state and areas, 2023.
4 U.S. EIA, Natural Gas Gross Withdrawals and Production, Gross Withdrawals and Dry Production, Annual-Million Cubic Feet, 2019-24.
5 U.S. EIA, Annual Coal Report (October 30, 2024), Table 1, Production and Number of Mines by State and Mine Type, 2023 and 2022.
6 U.S. EIA, Minnesota Profile Overview, Interactive Map, Minnesota, Layer List: Natural Gas Pipelines, Crude Oil Pipelines, accessed September 15, 2025.
7 U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, Mississippi National River and Recreation Area, Minnesota, Mississippi River Facts, updated February 15, 2025.
8 Explore Minnesota, Mississippi River & the Headwaters, accessed September 16, 2025.
9 Minnesota Department of Transportation, Ports, and Waterways, Commercial waterways, The Mississippi River System, accessed September 15, 2025.
10 Geology.com, Largest Lake in the World & Largest Lake in the United States, accessed September 15, 2025.
11 NETSTATE, Minnesota, Minnesota Base and Elevation Maps, updated February 25, 2016.
12 Minnesota Department of Transportation, Ports and Waterways, Commercial waterways, Lake Superior/Great Lakes / St. Lawrence Seaway, accessed September 15, 2025.
13 Duluth Seaway Port Authority, Port of Duluth-Superior, Port Statistics, Port of Duluth-Superior Docks/Terminals, accessed September 15, 2025.
14 Minnesota Department of Transportation, Crude By Rail/Rail Safety Improvement Study, What is Crude by Rail?, accessed September 15, 2025.
15 Eleff, Bob, Minnesota's Petroleum Infrastructure: Pipelines, Refineries, Terminals, Minnesota House of Representatives, House Research Department, updated October 2018, p. 2.
16 U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, WINDExchange, Wind Energy in Minnesota, Maps & Data, Minnesota Land-Based Wind Speed at 100 Meters, accessed September 15, 2025.
17 NETSTATE, Minnesota, The Geography of Minnesota, The Land, updated February 25, 2016.
18 University of Minnesota, Forests & Ecosystems, accessed September 15, 2025.
19 U.S. Department of Agriculture, 2024 State Agriculture Overview, Minnesota.
20 U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, Farm Income and Wealth Statistics, Cash receipts by commodity State ranking, Cash receipts by commodity, state ranking, 2024, Nominal (current dollars), select corn.
21 U.S. EIA, U.S. Fuel Ethanol Plant Production Capacity (September 26, 2025), Detailed annual production capacity by plant is available in XLSX.
22 Ethanol Producer Magazine, Ethanol Plant List, accessed September 15, 2025.
23 Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Lakes, rivers, and wetlands facts, accessed September 16, 2025.
24 U.S. EIA, Minnesota Profile Overview, Interactive Map, Minnesota, Layer List: Hydroelectric Power Plants, accessed September 15, 2025.
25 NETSTATE, Minnesota, The Geography of Minnesota, Climate, accessed August 16, 2024.
26 U.S. EIA, State Energy Data System, Table P3, Total Primary Energy Production and Total Energy Consumption Estimates in Trillion Btu, 2023.
27 U.S. EIA, State Energy Data System, Table C14, Total Energy Consumption Estimates per Capita by End-Use Sector, Ranked by State, 2023.
28 U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Interactive Data, Regional Data, GDP and Personal Income, Annual Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by State, SAGDP2 GDP in Current Dollars, Minnesota, All statistics in table, 2023.
29 U.S. EIA, State Energy Data System, Table F35, Total Energy Consumption, Price, and Expenditure Estimates, 2023.
30 U.S. EIA, Electricity Data Browser, Net generation for all sectors (thousand megawatthours), Minnesota, Annual, 2001-24.
31 U.S. EIA, Electricity Data Browser, Net generation for all sectors (thousand megawatthours), Minnesota, Annual, 2001-24.
32 U.S. EIA, Minnesota Electricity Profile 2023, Table 2A, available in XLSX format.
33 U.S. EIA, Electricity, Preliminary Monthly Electric Generator Inventory (based on Form EIA-860M as a supplement to Form EIA-860), Inventory of Operating Generators as of August 2025 and Inventory of Retired Generators as of August 2025, Plant State: Minnesota, Technology: Conventional Steam Coal.
34 Kennedy, Ryan, "Xcel Energy approved for expansion for 710 MW solar project," PV Magazine (September 23, 2023).
35 Hamilton, J. Drake, "Touring Sherco Solar, the largest solar farm in the Upper Midwest," Fresh Energy (June 23, 2025).
36 U.S. EIA, Electricity, Preliminary Monthly Electric Generator Inventory (based on Form EIA-860M as a supplement to Form EIA-860), Inventory of Operating Generators as of August 2025 and Inventory of Planned Generators as of August 2025, Plant State: Minnesota, Technology: Solar Photovoltaic.
37 U.S. EIA, Minnesota Electricity Profile 2023, Tables 2A, Table 2B, available in XLSX format.
38 U.S. EIA, Electricity Data Browser, Minnesota, Plant Level Date, Coal (Sherburne County), Nuclear (Prairie Island), Annual, 2021-24.
39 U.S. EIA, Minnesota Electricity Profile 2023, Table 10, available in XLSX format.
40 U.S. EIA, Electricity Data Browser, Retail sales of electricity (million kilowatthours), Minnesota, Annual, 2001-24.
41 U.S. Census Bureau, Tables, Table B25040, House Heating Fuel, Minnesota, 2024 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates.
42 U.S. EIA, State Energy Data System, Table C17, Electricity Retail Sales to Ultimate Customers, Total and Residential, Total and per Capita, Ranked by State, 2023.
43 U.S. EIA, Monthly Energy Review (September 2025), Appendix F monthly state file, XLS, Public Ports only and Public & Private Ports combined.
44 U.S. Department of Energy, Alternative Fuels Data Center, Alternative Fueling Station Locator, Minnesota, accessed September 16, 2025.
45 Minnesota Department of Transportation, National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Program in Minnesota, accessed September 16, 2025.
46 U.S. EIA, Electricity Data Browser, Net generation for all sectors (thousand megawatthours), Minnesota, Annual, 2001-24.
47 U.S. EIA, Electric Power Monthly (February 2025), Tables 1.3.B., 1.14.B., 1.17.B.
48 U.S. EIA, Electric Power Monthly (February 2025), Table 6.2.B.
49 U.S. EIA, Minnesota Profile Overview, Interactive Map, Minnesota, Layer List: Wind Power Plants, accessed September 17, 2025.
50 McCabe, Kevin, Distributed Wind Energy Futures Study, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Technical Report NREL/TP-7A40-82519 (May 2022), Table 10, p. 41.
51 U.S. EIA, Electricity Data Browser, Net generation for all sectors (thousand megawatthours), Minnesota, Annual, 2001-24.
52 U.S. EIA, Electricity Data Browser, Net generation for all sectors (thousand megawatthours), Minnesota, Annual, 2001-24.
53 U.S. EIA, Electricity, Preliminary Monthly Electric Generator Inventory (based on Form EIA-860M as a supplement to Form EIA-860), Inventory of Operating Generators as of August 2025, Plant State: Minnesota, Technology: Landfill Gas, Municipal Solid Waste, Other Waste Biomass, Wood/Wood Waste Biomass.
54 U.S. EIA, Minnesota Profile Overview, Interactive Map, Minnesota, Layer List: Biomass Power Plants, accessed September 17, 2025.
55 U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census: Minnesota Profile, Population Density by Census Tract.
56 Koda Energy, LLC, Koda Energy, Clean, Renewable, Friendly, accessed September 17, 2025.
57 U.S. EIA, Monthly Densified Biomass Fuel Report (August 20, 2025), Table 1, Densified biomass fuel manufacturing facilities in the United States by state, region, and capacity, April 2025.
58 U.S. Census Bureau, Tables, Table B25040, House Heating Fuel, Minnesota, 2024 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates.
59 NETSTATE, The State of Minnesota, accessed September 17, 2025.
60 NETSTATE, The Geography of Minnesota, accessed September 17, 2025.
61 U.S. EIA, Electricity, Preliminary Monthly Electric Generator Inventory (based on Form EIA-860M as a supplement to Form EIA-860), Inventory of Operating Generators as of August 2025, Plant State: Minnesota, Technology: Conventional Hydroelectric.
62 U.S. EIA, Electricity Data Browser, Net generation for all sectors (thousand megawatthours), Minnesota, Annual, 2001-24.
63 U.S. EIA, State Energy Data System, Table P4B, Primary Energy Production Estimates, Biofuels, in Thousand Barrels, Ranked by State, 2023.
64 U.S. EIA, U.S. Fuel Ethanol Plant Production Capacity (September 26, 2025), Detailed annual production capacity by plant is available in XLSX.
65 U.S. EIA, Minnesota Profile Overview, Interactive Map, Minnesota, Layer List: Ethanol Plants, accessed September 17, 2025.
66 Natural Resources Research Institute, Minnesota Natural Resource Atlas, Cropland NASS 2023.
67 Ethanol Producer Magazine, Ethanol Plant List, accessed September 17, 2025.
68 U.S. EIA, U.S. Biodiesel Plant Production Capacity (September 26, 2025), Detailed annual production capacity by plant is available in XLSX format.
69 U.S. EIA, State Energy Data System, Table P4B, Primary Energy Production Estimates, Biofuels, in Thousand Barrels, Ranked by State, 2023.
70 U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Alternative Fuels Data Center, Laws and Incentives, Minnesota, Biodiesel Blend Mandate, accessed September 17, 2025.
71 U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Alternative Fuels Data Center, Alternative Fueling Station Counts by State, accessed September 17, 2025.
72 U.S. EIA, State Energy Data System, Table F29, Biodiesel Consumption Estimates, 2023.
73 NC Clean Energy Technology Center, DSIRE, Minnesota Renewable Energy Standard, updated November 18, 2024.
74 Dawson, Madeline, "Minnesota Joins 20 Other States in Pursuit of 100 Percent Clean Energy," Environmental and Energy Study Institute (April 21, 2023).
75 U.S. EIA, U.S. Crude Oil and Natural Gas Reserves, Year-end 2023 (June 25, 2025), Table 6, Crude oil and lease condensate proved reserves, reserves changes, by states and areas, 2023.
76 U.S. EIA, Crude Oil Production, Annual-Thousand Barrels per Day, 2019-24.
77 U.S. EIA, East Coast (PADD 1) Receipts by Rail from Midwest (PADD 2) of Crude Oil (Thousand Barrels), 2010-24.
78 Enbridge Inc., Enbridge in Minnesota: Clearbrook Terminal, accessed September 18, 2025.
79 Enbridge Inc., The Mainline Pipeline System (April 2024).
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83 Flint Hills Resources, LLC, About the Flint Hills Resources Pine Bend oil refinery, accessed September 18, 2025.
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85 Marathon Petroleum Corporation, St. Paul Park Refinery, accessed September 18, 2025.
86 Eleff, Bob, Minnesota's Petroleum Infrastructure: Pipelines, Refineries, Terminals, Minnesota House of Representatives, House Research Department, Information Brief (October 2018), p. 9-10.
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88 U.S. EIA, State Energy Data System, Table F16, Total Petroleum Consumption Estimates, 2023.
89 U.S. EIA, State Energy Data System, Table C3, Primary Energy Consumption Estimates, 2023.
90 Minnesota Department of Agriculture, Ethanol in Minnesota, accessed September 18, 2025.
91 Southern States Energy Board, U.S. Gasoline Requirements, updated January 2018.
92 "EPA Approves Year-Round Sales of Higher Ethanol Blend for Illinois, 7 Other Midwest States," Associated Press (February 23, 2024).
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96 U.S. EIA, State Energy Data System, Table F16, Total Petroleum Consumption Estimates, 2023.
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98 U.S. EIA, Natural Gas Gross Withdrawals and Production, Gross Withdrawals, Annual-Million Cubic Feet, 2019-24.
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101 U.S. EIA, International and Interstate Movements of Natural Gas by State (Million Cubic Feet), Minnesota, 2018-23.
102 U.S. EIA, Underground Natural Gas Storage Capacity (Million Cubic Feet), Total Number of Existing Fields and Total Storage Capacity, Annual, 2018-23.
103 U.S. EIA, Natural Gas Consumption by End Use, Minnesota, Annual-Million Cubic Feet, 2019-24.
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106 U.S. EIA, Minnesota Natural Gas Deliveries to Electric Power Consumers (Million Cubic Feet), 1997-2024.
107 U.S. EIA, Annual Coal Report (October 30, 2024), Table 15, Recoverable Coal Reserves at Producing Mines, Estimated Recoverable Reserves, and Demonstrated Reserve Base by Mining Method, 2023.
108 U.S. EIA, Annual Coal Report (October 30, 2024), Table 6, Coal Production and Number of Mines by State and Coal Rank, 2023.
109 Duluth Seaway Port Authority, Duluth-Superior Harbor Statistics, Net Tons (2,000 lbs.), 2024. p. 6.
110 Orenstein, Walker, "As energy use changes in the Great Lakes, so too does the Port of Duluth-Superior," MinnPost (April 28, 2020).
111 U.S. EIA, Annual Coal Distribution Report (October 30, 2024), Domestic distribution of U.S. coal by: Destination State, consumer, destination and method of transportation, Minnesota, Table DS-19, Domestic Coal Distribution, by Destination State, 2023.
112 U.S. EIA, Electricity, Preliminary Monthly Electric Generator Inventory (based on Form EIA-860M as a supplement to Form EIA-860), Inventory of Operating Generators as of August 2025, Plant State: Minnesota, Technology: Conventional Steam Coal.
Other Resources
Energy-Related Regions and Organizations
- Petroleum Administration for Defense District (PADD): 2
- Regional Transmission Organization (RTO) and Independent System Operator (ISO): Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO)
- North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) ERO Enterprise: Regional Entities: Midwest Reliability Organization (MRO)
Other Websites
- Minnesota Department of Commerce, Energy & Utilities
- Minnesota Department of Commerce, Energy Assistance Program
- Minnesota Public Utilities Commission
- Minnesota Department of Agriculture
- Minnesota Department of Commerce, Weatherization Assistance Program
- Minnesota Biofuels Association
- EIA Minnesota Flickr Album
- U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Minnesota
- University of Minnesota Energy Transition Lab
- Alternative Fuels Data Center, Federal and State Laws and Incentives
- USA.Gov, Get help with energy bills
- NC Clean Energy Technology Center, Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency (DSIRE)
- National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC)
- National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO)
- National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), Energy
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Geospatial Data Science, Data and Tools
- U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Publications
- Western Area Power Administration (WAPA)
- U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, An Office of the Administration for Children & Families, Office of Community Services, Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
- U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Maps
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Energy Flow Charts
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), SLOPE: State and Local Planning for Energy
- EIA Status of U.S. Nuclear Outages
- EIA Natural Gas Storage Dashboard
- EIA Energy Disruptions Maps
- U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Rural Development, Energy Programs
