Dakota Skies Project Officially Dead

A major biodiesel plant project in the works near Minot is officially dead That news came late yesterday afternoon in a press release from Dakota Skies Biodiesel The company had been promised land by the Minot Area Development Corporation to locate its oilseed crushing and biodiesel plant on Minot s east edge According to Dakota Skies the MADC recently withdrew that offer In release this morning the MADC said that A lack of progress from the plant s parent company stimulated MADC to focus its efforts and funds on projects more likely to come to fruition in Minot We talked with Jeremy Dockter the CEO of Dakota Skies this morning while he was on the road He said that when the land grant offer was pulled his company still wanted the land and he told MADC President and CEO Jerry Chavez of the company s interest in purchasing it Jeremy Dockter CEO - Dakota Skies Biodiesel I responded to Jerry asking to purchase the land from the MADC and he responded saying that the MADC did not wish to sell the land to Dakota Skies Biodiesel either so that was even more perplexing from where I stood that we would not even be allowed to purchase the land that we had been developing We talked to Jerry Chavez this morning and asked him about that land He told us after dealing with Dakota Skies for two years the company had not provided enough evidence that the project would work Jerry Chavez President - Minot Area Development Corporation Once that evidence was in place then that land transfer does occur Whether they buy the land and we give that land up for other projects becomes a policy decision within the board of directors The board decided it was not in the best interest of the MADC to give up that piece of land thus putting an end to the Dakota Skies project Dakota Skies CEO Jeremy Dockter says there is no way for the project to be revived at this point