DOE and USDA Award $12.6 Million for Biomass Energy Research

October 12, 2005

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced on October 6th that 11 biomass research, development, and demonstration projects have been selected to receive $12.6 million in funds for the Biomass Research and Development Initiative, a joint effort of DOE and the USDA. The projects will be carried out in Florida, Idaho, Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, North Carolina, New York, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Washington, D.C., and include producing biofuels and bioproducts from woody biomass sources, such as straw, switchgrass, and corn stover; converting biofuel byproducts into useful chemicals; gasifying biomass; combining a biomass digester with a cogeneration system; and examining possible incentives for biomass energy. See the USDA press release.

In late September, the USDA selected 171 projects in 42 states to receive more than $14.6 million under its Value Added Producer Grant program. Of those, 32 projects in 14 states were related to biofuels and renewable energy. Businesses and producers in California, Colorado, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, Oregon, Washington, and Wisconsin will receive grants to assess the feasibility of marketing ethanol, biodiesel, wind power, and other types of renewable energy. See the USDA press release and the full list of recipients (PDF 24 KB). Download Adobe Reader.