The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced the 21 states that will receive grants through the Biofuel Infrastructure Partnership (BIP).
Through BIP, the USDA will award competitive grants, matched by states, to expand the infrastructure for distribution of higher blends of ethanol, such as E15 and E85, at vehicle fueling locations. Since launching the program earlier this year, the agency has received applications requesting over $130 million, outpacing the $100 million that is available.
With a more than 1:1 match from private and state resources, the USDA estimates that the BIP grants will support nearly 5,000 pumps at over 1,400 fueling stations across the country. The agency also estimates that this investment will more than double the number of stations that offer intermediate blends of ethanol, mainly E15 fuel levels, nationwide.
‘The quality and geographic diversity of the applications, backed by supportive state and private partners, demonstrate the strong demand across the country for cleaner, more affordable fuel,’ says Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. ‘The Biofuel Infrastructure Partnership is one approach USDA is using to aggressively pursue investments in American-grown renewable energy to create new markets for U.S. farmers and ranchers, help Americans save money on their energy bills, support America's clean energy economy, cut carbon pollution and reduce dependence on foreign oil and costly fossil fuels.’
For a preliminary list of state finalists and estimated pumps, click here. The USDA says it will announce funding amounts for each state at a later date.
