*12 Recipients Receive $9** M**illion for Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency Projects*
On August 8, 2006, Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns announced that 12 recipients from three different states received over $9 million in loan guarantees and grants from the US Agriculture Department’s (USDA) Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency program (Sec. 9006 of the 2002 Farm Bill (P.L. 107-171). While the total appropriation for FY06 was $23 million, the Feb. 13 solicitation provided for $11.385 million for grants and $176.5 million for guaranteed loans. Grants totaled $2,595,437 and guaranteed loans totaled $6,481,279 -- this leaves* $8,789,563* and* $170,018,721* remaining, respectively. It is expected that more awards will be announced before the end of the fiscal year (September 30, 2006). The announced loans and grants will be used to fund renewable energy and energy efficiency projects in Iowa, Kansas and Oregon. Examples of projects receiving funding awards include installation of an anaerobic digester, installation of a biomass high pressure boiler, and construction of a biodiesel facility. See full recipient list below: *FY06 Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Recipient List* *State Recipient Loan Guarantees Grant Amounts Purpose* IA Amana Farms, Inc. $1,065,850 $500,000 Anaerobic Digester IA Amaizing Energy, LLC $250,000 $250,000 Energy efficiency improvements IA CK Processing Co., Inc $214,349 $214,349 Biomass wood burner drying system IA Green Prairie Energy, LLC $250,000 $280,000 Wind turbine IA Northeast Iowa Cooperative $104,248 $104,248 Grain dryer IA North Central Cooperative $98,175 $98,175 Grain dryer IA Synhorst Livestock and Grain, Inc. $38,827 $38,827 Grain dryer IA Tri-City Energy, LLC $2,000,000 $500,000 Biodiesel production facility KS Hayes Sight and Sound, Inc. $26,000 $26,000 Replace HVAC system and lighting KS White’s King Co. Inc. $48,830 $48,838 Replace refrigeration and lighting equipment OR Harts Nursery $35,000 $35,000 Greenhouse energy efficiency improvements OR Rough and Ready Lumber Co. $2,350,000 $500,000 Boiler/turbine system for wood drying and power generation *Remaining Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Funding for FY06* * Loan Guarantees Grant Amounts * Total Funding $6,481,279 $2,595,437 Available Funding 176,500,000 11,385,000 *Remaining Funding ** $170,018,721 $8,789,563 ** * Under the terms of the original solicitation, after August 1, 2006 any guarantee loan funds that were not obligated are to be pooled and revert to the National Office reserve for grants. The USDA is in the process of evaluating the potential for a direct loan program; therefore, for FY06 the program is limited to grants and loan guarantees. As was posted in the solicitation, guaranteed loans will be awarded on a continuous basis. _Click here to view USDA press release_ <http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usdahome?contentidonly=true&contentid=2006/08/0282.xml> _Click here for USDA PDF of Recipient List_ <http://www.usda.gov/documents/Energy_Efficiency_Funding_Recipients.pdf> _Click here for original solicitation_ <http://www.eesi.org/publications/Press%20Releases/2006/usda_9006_solicitation_2.13.06.pdf> _Click here for PDF of this Press Release_ <http://www.eesi.org/publications/Press%20Releases/2006/8-21-06_Sec_9006_awards1.pdf> *USDA** and** DOE Award $5.7 Million for** Genomics Biofuels Research* On August 9, 2006, the Department of Energy and Department of Agriculture jointly awarded nine grants totaling $5.7 million to accelerate the development of biobased fuels through research, specifically genomics that will allow biomass and plant feedstocks to be grown in large quantities to produce renewable fuels. This is the first year in which USDA’s Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service (CSREES) and DOE’s Office of Biological and Environmental Research (OBER) have awarded these grants. These awards are not part of the DOE and USDA joint solicitation for the Biomass Research and Development Initiative, although they are similar. DOE is funding six projects for a total $3.9 million and USDA is providing about $1.8 million for three projects. Projects will have support for up to three years. Awards have been given to: · Purdue University, Ind., $1.4 million · The Noble Foundation, Okla., $800,000 · Texas A&M University, Texas, $800,000 · USDA-Agricultural Research Service, University of Wisconsin, $333,000 · Carnegie Institute of Washington, $359,100 · Brookhaven National Laboratory, NY, $300,000 · North Carolina State University , $700,000 · Kansas State University, $700,000 · University of Georgia, $445,000. _Click here to view USDA & DOE press release_ <http://www.energy.gov/news/3918.htm> _Click here for a PDF of this release_ <http://www.eesi.org/publications/Press%20Releases/2006/8-21-06_doe+usda_awards.pdf> If you have questions, please email or call Jetta Wong at [EMAIL PROTECTED] <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> or (202) 662-1885. ### The Environmental and Energy Study Institute is a non-profit organization established in 1984 by a bipartisan, bicameral group of members of Congress to provide timely information on energy and environmental policy issues to policymakers and stakeholders and develop innovative policy solutions that set us on a cleaner, more secure and sustainable energy path. _______________________________________________ Biofuel mailing list Biofuel@sustainablelists.org http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 messages): http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/