WASHINGTON- Chuck Grassley today said that the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Rural Development awarded payments totaling $1,644,242.64 to Iowa through the Bioenergy Program for Advanced Biofuels.
"It's great to see the Department of Agriculture working with these Iowa biofuel companies to help lessen our dependence on foreign oil by continuing to develop advanced biofuels here at home," Grassley said.
The Department of Agriculture will distribute the funds as shown below.
· Central Iowa Energy in Newton will receive $114,239.69 to help support and ensure an expanding production of advanced biofuels and to help provide economic incentives for increased production of advanced biofuels through the use of soybean oil and other oils.
· Iowa Renewable Energy in Washington will receive $216,592.82 to help support and ensure an expanding production of advanced biofuels and to help provide economic incentives for increased production of advanced biofuels through the use of soybean oil, other oils and animal fat.
· Maple River Energy in Galva will receive $9,742.32 to help support and ensure an expanding production of advanced biofuels and to help provide economic incentives for increased production of advanced biofuels through the use of soybean oil and other oils.
· Renewable Energy Group in Ralston, Iowa and Houston, Texas will receive $727,132.93 to help support and ensure an expanding production of advanced biofuels and to help provide economic incentives for increased production of advanced biofuels through the use of canola oil, soybean oil, other oils and animal fat.
· Riksch Biofuels in Crawfordsville will receive $10,401.22 to help support and ensure an expanding production of advanced biofuels and to help provide economic incentives for increased production of advanced biofuels through the use of soybean oil, grease oil and animal fat.
· Sioux Biochemical in Sioux Center will receive $13,961.87 to help support and ensure an expanding production of advanced biofuels and to help provide economic incentives for increased production of advanced biofuels through the use of soybean oil and other oils.
· Western Dubuque Biodiesel in Farley will receive $253,695.87 to help support and ensure an expanding production of advanced biofuels and to help provide economic incentives for increased production of advanced biofuels through the use of vegetable oil and technical tallow.
· Western Iowa Energy in Wall Lake will receive $298,475.92 to help support and ensure an expanding production of advanced biofuels and to help provide economic incentives for increased production of advanced biofuels through the use of waste vegetable oil, oils, greases and animal fat.
According to the Department of Agriculture, the Bioenergy Program for Advanced Biofuels provides payments to eligible in rural areas to support and ensure an expanding production of advanced biofuels. Payments are based on the amount of biofuels a recipient produces from renewable biomass, other than corn kernel starch, such as cellulose, crop residue, animal, food and yard waste material, biogas, vegetable oil and animal fat.
Each year, thousands of local Iowa organizations, colleges and universities, individuals and state agencies apply for competitive grants and loans from the federal government. The funding is then awarded based on each local organization or individual's ability to meet criteria set by the federal entity.
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