The US Department of Agriculture has announced the recipients of $26 million in grants under its Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program (HBIIP), designed to increase the use of biofuels derived from US agricultural products,
A total of 34 grants were awarded under the scheme, many directly to consumer fuel stations to add dispensers and storage tanks for higher biofuel blends. Distribution and terminalling companies also received a number of grants to improve biofuel infrastructure.
“Investments increase opportunities for American consumers to make climate-smart decisions and move the country closer to president Biden’s goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050,” said deputy undersecretary for rural development Justin Maxson. “By expanding the availability of higher-blend biofuels, we’re giving consumers more environmentally-friendly fuel choices when they fill up at the pump and stimulating an important market for US farmers and ranchers.”
The HBIIP was launched in 2020 and has so far invested $66.4 million in biofuel projects. In 2020, the HBIIP delivered $22 million in grants by October, with then-US agriculture secretary Sonny Perdue saying that the grants would increase annual ethanol demand by 150 million gallons (568 million l) and strengthen rural economies. In total, the projects funded so far are expected to increase biofuel consumption by 1.2 billion gallons per year.
For more information visit www.usda.gov
