Ethanol Blog

USDA Thursday announced the payment of about $15.5 million to 188 entities in support of the production of advanced biofuels, as part of the latest payment installment of the Advanced Biofuel Payment Program, according to a news release from USDA.

USDA Rural Development Acting Under Secretary Doug O'Brien made the announcement as part of a keynote address at the National Advanced Biofuels Conference in Omaha Thursday.

The program was established in the 2008 Farm Bill. Payments are made to eligible producers based on the amount of advanced biofuels produced from renewable biomass other than corn starch.

The money supports biofuels production using crop residue, animal, food and yard waste, vegetable oil and animal fat, to name a few.

"Producing advanced biofuels is a major component of the drive to take control of America's energy future by developing domestic, renewable energy sources," O'Brien said during his address.

"These payments represent the Obama administration's commitment to support an all-of-the-above energy strategy."

So far more than 290 producers in 47 states and territories have received $211 million in payments since the program's inception. It has supported the production of more than three billion gallons of advanced biofuel and the equivalent of more than 36 billion kilowatt hours of electric energy.

For example, Riverview, LLP, a Minnesota-based company, will receive an $8,040 payment to help offset the cost of producing electricity from two anaerobic digesters.

The digesters use manure from two of the company's dairy operations to produce electricity, which is sold to Great River Energy.

American Biodiesel, Inc., in Encinitas, Calif., is receiving $47,186 for production of biodiesel from a variety of sources, including canola and soybean oil.

Read the USDA list of recipients here, http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/….

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