Producers in Minnesota face yet another challenge from the Arctic blast as they try to finish their harvest -– the natural gas supply for commercial corn dryers was shut off Monday in an effort to keep enough supply on hand for homes and schools, reports KDLT.
Temperatures in the state are nearly 20 degrees below normal.
The average home uses about 870 therms of gas a year, while grain dryers could use 20,000 to 500,000 therms in that same amount of time.
Having the gas supply shut off is a rare occurrence, it last happened in 2009.
Minnesota Energy Resources reports the gas will remain shut off for commercial grain dryers in the state until further notice.
