Thirty years ago some of the most important topics I covered for the Independent involved renewable energy and rural development.

The 1990s were an exciting time for it in the Marshall area and throughout the Upper Midwest. One reason was Minnesota Corn Processors, which became the world’s second largest producer of ethanol fuel.

MCP branched out from Marshall to establish a second plant in Columbus, Nebraska, in the early 1990s. It then undertook a major expansion in the area of corn based sweeteners. MCP fell on hard times in 1996 due to high corn prices, which led to a 30 percent sale to Archer Daniels Midland in 1997 and a full sale in 2002.

MCP was helped in the early 1990s by federal mandates for blended fuel containing ethanol. It guaranteed that corn would be used extensively in the fuel industry, and led to the start-up of new ethanol cooperatives.

Meanwhile wind energy was taking root on southwestern Minnesota’s Buffalo Ridge. The first 73 commercial sized turbines were built south of Lake Benton in 1994.

Like ethanol, wind energy was bolstered by a government mandate. Northern States Power Company, one of the nation’s major energy suppliers, wanted permission to store nuclear waste in dry casks outside its Prairie Island nuclear plant near Red Wing.

Legislators saw a need for a greater commitment to renewable clean energy. They mandated that NSP organize the construction of wind turbines along much of the Buffalo Ridge. New construction phases took shape in the mid 1990s.

Wind was one of several types of renewable resources that drew interest. Other developments included advances in solar power, an alfalfa energy cooperative, and interest in converting former Conservation Reserve Program acres into sites for crop based biomass energy. Ideas included everything from hazelnuts to hybrid poplars.

Rural utilities also expanded. The Lincoln Pipestone Rural Water system established a new well field in western Yellow Medicine County near Burr. It led to water service for Porter, Taunton, Minneota, Ghent, Green Valley and about 700 rural users starting in 1993.

It was truly an exciting time. Looking back on it leads me to draw a contrast between those years and our current situation.

The year 2025 was a slow year for renewable energy and conservation. There have been efforts to cut back on government sponsorship of renewables.

Instead President Trump has kept aging coal plants open, called for wider petroleum exploration, and favored renewed mining in locations such as Minnesota’s Boundary Waters Canoe Area. He focuses on non-renewables. He seems determined to exploit Planet Earth.

The situation in 2026 is no different than it was 30 to 35 years ago. We still have considerable dependence on non-renewable resources. The demand for energy is high, and it could outpace efforts to increase non-renewable capacity.

There’s a need to continue with a national market for ethanol blends. There’s also a need to diversify our electrical generation with more wind energy and solar power. Other new ideas should be explored.

It will take major investment. There are cooperatives and energy developers that want to grow. They need a good starting point, a chance to acquire a growing share of their energy market and thus furnish a larger share of our nation’s energy supply.

Even if energy diversity regains traction, there will be a need to conserve. Any technology improvement that could lead to more efficiency should be pursued.

Sometimes we might just need to use less energy. It might be worth planning ahead to have fewer shopping excursions. It might be worth wearing warm sweaters in the winter to save on heat, and staying cool in the summer without constant air conditioning.

Energy and utilities management involves a partnership between suppliers and consumers. Success depends on involvement from both sides of the partnership.

We as consumers need to do our part. We need to welcome the potential of energy diversification. We also need to do as much as we can to consume in responsible ways.

— Jim Muchlinski is a longtime contributor and reporter with the Marshall Independent