by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The USDA is scheduled to open a new $100 million, 90-day application window for the Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program on Aug. 23, according to a document published in the Federal Register on Aug. 22.
The HBIIP is a competitive grant program that aims to significantly increase the sales and use of higher blends of ethanol and biodiesel by expanding the infrastructure for renewable fuels derived from U.S. agricultural products. Investments made under HBIIP aim to help transportation fueling and biodiesel distribution facilities convert to higher ethanol and biodiesel blends by sharing the costs related to the installation of fuel pumps, related equipment and infrastructure. Under the program, higher blends include ethanol blends of greater than 10 percent and biodiesel blends of greater than 5 percent.
Grants made under the program can cover up to 50 percent of total eligible project costs, up to $5 million. According to the notice, the USDA has set a targeted assistance goal that aims to make approximately 40 percent of funds available to applicants that own 10 or fewer fueling stations/locations. The USDA may also target applicants located in markets that are currently underserved by higher blends and give preference to first time applicants to the HBIIP program, according to the notice.
The USDA has already made three rounds of awards through the HBIIP. The agency awarded $22 million under the program to 40 recipients in 14 states in October 2020, $18.4 million to 23 recipients in 20 states in April 2021, and $26 million to support 34 projects located in 23 states in August 2021.
A full copy of the notice can be downloaded from the USDA website. READ MORE
Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program (U.S. Department of Agriculture)
$100 Million Grant to Renewable Fuels Will Bring ‘New Wave of Growth’ (AgWeb)
Vilsack makes biofuels announcement in Illinois (Farm Progress)
USDA Rolls Out Next Phase of Higher-Blend Infrastructure Funding (Renewable Fuels Association)
Watch now: Vilsack, Duckworth announce funding to expand biofuel presence at gas pumps (Quad City Times; includes VIDEO)
Funding To Increase Availability of Clean Fuels Mirrors Axne Provision in Inflation Reduction Act (Office of Rep. Cindy Axne (IA-03) )
$100 Million Grant to Renewable Fuels Will Bring ‘New Wave of Growth’ (Scoop)
Growth Energy Welcomes $100 Million USDA Investment in Biofuel Infrastructure (Growth Energy)
Ethanol groups applaud new round of USDA HBIIP funding (Ethanol Producer Magazine)
USDA offers fresh $100M for biofuels infrastructure (Agri-Pulse)
Vilsack in Illinois to Announce Major Biofuel Infrastructure Investments (American Ag Network)
Sen. Duckworth, USDA Secretary promote federal biofuel program (WCIA)
You’ve Got a Friend in Me: USDA makes $100M available for Biofuel Infrastructure Grants (Biofuels Digest)
Vilsack, Duckworth announce biofuel funding at Illinois gas station (Farm Week Now)
ACE Ready to Help Retailers With HBIIP (Energy.AgWired.com)
OPINION: Time for another higher blend infrastructure push (Ethanol Producer Magazine/Renewable Fuels Association)
FUEL RETAILERS, FARMERS TO BENEFIT FROM BIOFUELS INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT (Brownfield Ag News)
USDA clarifies information on eligible applicants for HBIIP (Ethanol Producer Magazine)
Excerpt from NACS: Smaller retailers are at the forefront of the program. About 40% of the funds are intended for applicants owning 10 or fewer fueling stations. The goal is to exhaust this funding.
Another consideration focuses on geographical diversity and markets underserved by higher blends. This would generally be in states west of the Mississippi and throughout New England, though an applicant outside of those areas would not automatically be excluded.
“We harped on that when we went to the stakeholders meeting,” said Ron Lamberty, senior vice president for the American Coalition for Ethanol. “In order for E15 to be considered a ‘normal’ fuel—not an alternative fuel—it has to be everywhere.”
Volume potential is also a consideration so that the program generates the most bang for the government buck.
“They are saying we have got the money, but you need to demonstrate that you’re going to drive higher sales of E15,” said Mike O’Brien, vice president of market development for Growth Energy. “So, they’re going to look at the annual sales volume of existing sites for the last three years. They are going to look at the projected sales volume with new sites. And then, based on the data that we have on best practices, they’re going to start applying some of that criteria to the scoring system so they can project out how much more volume they will see out of the upgrades.”
He noted that one touchpoint will be the number of dispensers selling E15 relative to the total number of dispensers at a site. “If you put in one dispenser out of 12, you’re going to have a very low sales rate,” said O’Brien. “If you put 10 out of 12, it is much higher. So that is going to be something they’re going to look at.”
Interstate and highway locations are also going to be given advantages in the grant process to help promote cross-country availability.
Hurdles Ahead
While the new program is more thought out and diverse than the one that preceded it, industry leaders do find shortcomings.
“A gallon of E85 and a gallon of E15 are treated the same,” Lamberty said. “One of the things we would have liked to have seen is a preference given to the much higher blends, because that moves quite a bit more ethanol. But for right now, if we are going to get E15 selling at reasonable levels, there are going to have to be a lot of conversions.”
Cassie Mullen, director of market development for the Renewable Fuels Association, finds the process overly burdensome. “If I could turn back the hands of time, I would beg USDA to change the onboarding process for applicants,” she said. “A process like this is overwhelming in general, but add to that our new reality of living in a pandemic world and you have mass chaos. I personally wish the requirement of having a SAM CAGE code wasn’t a piece of the puzzle.”
The System for Award Management (SAM) is a web-enabled government registry to collect information on organizations applying for grants and contracts. The Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) Code is a five-character ID that provides a standardized method of identifying a given legal entity for a pre-award survey.
“Obtaining one in normal circumstances can take two to three weeks—add to that a COVID19 landscape and all bets are off,” said Mullen. “I would have liked the advantage of more time—in all honesty time is what we need.”
Unlike ethanol with its focus on retail, the primary focus with biodiesel is on terminal upgrades. Roughly $14 million of the grant funding will go to transportation fueling facilities and fuel distribution facilities (including terminal operations, depots and midstream partners). This will be used to implement higher blends of biodiesel greater than 5% (B5), such as B20.
Application Process
The fund availability is not guaranteed—a retailer or terminal operator must apply through a defined grant process to be in the running. Grant proposal writing can be an involved and aggravating process, even for entities that regularly use grant funding to support their operations. It can seem overwhelmingly intimidating for those who have never applied for a government grant.
“Retailers regularly see incentive programs, such as those from their oil company,” Lamberty said. “This might be a bit difficult for them, like it was with the BIP program. That’s why we’re hiring somebody to help us give the proper guidance to people so they’re more likely to get the grant.”
As with ACE, the other trade groups that are directly focused on the downstream biofuels markets are undertaking a range of efforts (short of writing the grant proposals themselves) to support retailers and terminal operators in successfully working through the process.
“With the help of National Corn Growers Association, we have secured funding that will allow us to assist in grant writing costs, surveys, marketing etc. We have been assisting all over the country with grant writing, application particulars, details, etc.,” Mullen said. “We also have a longtime working relationship with USDA, along with an extensive history with securing grants for our industry.”
Mullen noted that beyond those efforts (including a webinar series that drew more than 200 participants), RFA has assisted state petroleum marketers’ associations, such as Ohio, in helping their respective members understand the process.
“According to the USDA, it will take 78 hours of work to put together a single application,” O’Brien said. “It’s a commitment, but it’s worth it. The larger the retailer, the more resources they are going to have. It is the smaller retailer that I think may have some struggles. We’re doing our best to advise them on the actual application process.”
Should a retailer who is not currently providing E15 consider supporting the product?
“Pioneers like QuikTrip, Casey’s, Kum and Go and many others have paved the way and have proven unequivocally that not only can you offer a higher octane, lower cost fuel, but you can do so while gaining market share without sacrificing margins,” said Mullen. She also noted that some of the upgrades might help those facing the overwhelming costs associated with EMV.
For all the potential irritation involved, retailers and terminal operators should strongly consider making the effort. While it is not guaranteed, if a company’s profile meets the general requirements it is a far safer bet than rolling the dice in Vegas.
Read the full story at Fuels Market News. READ MORE
Excerpt from Ethanol Producer Magazine: The USDA on Nov. 15 published a notice clarifying information regarding eligible applicants for the current funding cycle for its Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program, which opened in August. Applications for this round of HBIIP funds are due Nov. 21.
According to the notice, the funding opportunity announcement (FOA) issued Aug. 23 omitted clarifying information regarding eligible applicants for the funding. The FOA is being updated to clarify that hybrid applications, or those including transportation fueling facility implementation activities and fuel distribution facilities implementation activities, are ineligible. The notice clarifies that applicants can only apply for one of the two applicant types and those successful applicants will only receive the funding associated with one applicant type.
The HBIIP is a competitive grant program that aims to significantly increase the sales and use of higher blends of ethanol and biodiesel by expanding the infrastructure for renewable fuels derived from U.S. agricultural products. Investments made under HBIIP aim to help transportation fueling and biodiesel distribution facilities convert to higher ethanol and biodiesel blends by sharing the costs related to the installation of fuel pumps, related equipment and infrastructure. Under the program, higher blends include ethanol blends of greater than 10 percent and biodiesel blends of greater than 5 percent.
Grants made under the program can cover up to 50 percent of total eligible project costs, up to $5 million. According to the notice, the USDA has set a targeted assistance goal that aims to make approximately 40 percent of funds available to applicants that own 10 or fewer fueling stations/locations. The USDA may also target applicants located in markets that are currently underserved by higher blends and give preference to first time applicants to the HBIIP program, according to the notice.
The USDA has already made three rounds of awards through the HBIIP. The agency awarded $22 million under the program to 40 recipients in 14 states in October 2020, $18.4 million to 23 recipients in 20 states in April 2021, and $26 million to support 34 projects located in 23 states in August 2021.
A full copy of the Nov. 15 notice is available on the Federal Register website. READ MORE
More than 50,000 articles in our online library!
Use the categories and tags listed below to access the nearly 50,000 articles indexed on this website.
Advanced Biofuels USA Policy Statements and Handouts!
- For Kids: Carbon Cycle Puzzle Page
- Why Ethanol? Why E85?
- Just A Minute 3-5 Minute Educational Videos
- 30/30 Online Presentations
- “Disappearing” Carbon Tax for Non-Renewable Fuels
- What’s the Difference between Biodiesel and Renewable (Green) Diesel? 2020 revision
- How to De-Fossilize Your Fleet: Suggestions for Fleet Managers Working on Sustainability Programs
- New Engine Technologies Could Produce Similar Mileage for All Ethanol Fuel Mixtures
- Action Plan for a Sustainable Advanced Biofuel Economy
- The Interaction of the Clean Air Act, California’s CAA Waiver, Corporate Average Fuel Economy Standards, Renewable Fuel Standards and California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard
- Latest Data on Fuel Mileage and GHG Benefits of E30
- What Can I Do?
Donate
DonateARCHIVES
- November 2024
- October 2024
- September 2024
- August 2024
- July 2024
- June 2024
- May 2024
- April 2024
- March 2024
- February 2024
- January 2024
- December 2023
- November 2023
- October 2023
- September 2023
- August 2023
- July 2023
- June 2023
- May 2023
- April 2023
- March 2023
- February 2023
- January 2023
- December 2022
- November 2022
- October 2022
- September 2022
- August 2022
- July 2022
- June 2022
- May 2022
- April 2022
- March 2022
- February 2022
- January 2022
- December 2021
- November 2021
- October 2021
- September 2021
- August 2021
- July 2021
- June 2021
- May 2021
- April 2021
- March 2021
- February 2021
- January 2021
- December 2020
- November 2020
- October 2020
- September 2020
- August 2020
- July 2020
- June 2020
- May 2020
- April 2020
- March 2020
- February 2020
- January 2020
- December 2019
- November 2019
- October 2019
- September 2019
- August 2019
- July 2019
- June 2019
- May 2019
- April 2019
- March 2019
- February 2019
- January 2019
- December 2018
- November 2018
- October 2018
- September 2018
- August 2018
- July 2018
- June 2018
- May 2018
- April 2018
- March 2018
- February 2018
- January 2018
- December 2017
- November 2017
- October 2017
- September 2017
- August 2017
- July 2017
- June 2017
- May 2017
- April 2017
- March 2017
- February 2017
- January 2017
- December 2016
- November 2016
- October 2016
- September 2016
- August 2016
- July 2016
- June 2016
- May 2016
- April 2016
- March 2016
- February 2016
- January 2016
- December 2015
- November 2015
- October 2015
- September 2015
- August 2015
- July 2015
- June 2015
- May 2015
- April 2015
- March 2015
- February 2015
- January 2015
- December 2014
- November 2014
- October 2014
- September 2014
- August 2014
- July 2014
- June 2014
- May 2014
- April 2014
- March 2014
- February 2014
- January 2014
- December 2013
- November 2013
- October 2013
- September 2013
- August 2013
- July 2013
- June 2013
- May 2013
- April 2013
- March 2013
- February 2013
- January 2013
- December 2012
- November 2012
- October 2012
- September 2012
- August 2012
- July 2012
- June 2012
- May 2012
- April 2012
- March 2012
- February 2012
- January 2012
- December 2011
- November 2011
- October 2011
- September 2011
- August 2011
- July 2011
- June 2011
- May 2011
- April 2011
- March 2011
- February 2011
- January 2011
- December 2010
- November 2010
- October 2010
- September 2010
- August 2010
- July 2010
- June 2010
- May 2010
- April 2010
- March 2010
- February 2010
- January 2010
- December 2009
- November 2009
- October 2009
- September 2009
- August 2009
- July 2009
- June 2009
- May 2009
- April 2009
- March 2009
- February 2009
- January 2009
- December 2008
- November 2008
- October 2008
- September 2008
- August 2008
- July 2008
- June 2008
- May 2008
- April 2008
- March 2008
- February 2008
- January 2008
- December 2007
- November 2007
- October 2007
- September 2007
- August 2007
- June 2007
- February 2007
- January 2007
- October 2006
- April 2006
- January 2006
- April 2005
- December 2004
- November 2004
- December 1987
CATEGORIES
- About Us
- Advanced Biofuels Call to Action
- Aviation Fuel/Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF)
- BioChemicals/Renewable Chemicals
- BioRefineries/Renewable Fuel Production
- Business News/Analysis
- Cooking Fuel
- Education
- 30/30 Online Presentations
- Competitions, Contests
- Earth Day 2021
- Earth Day 2022
- Earth Day 2023
- Earth Day 2024
- Executive Training
- Featured Study Programs
- Instagram TikTok Short Videos
- Internships
- Just a Minute
- K-12 Activities
- Mechanics training
- Online Courses
- Podcasts
- Scholarships/Fellowships
- Teacher Resources
- Technical Training
- Technician Training
- University/College Programs
- Events
- Coming Events
- Completed Events
- More Coming Events
- Requests for Speakers, Presentations, Posters
- Requests for Speakers, Presentations, Posters Completed
- Webinars/Online
- Webinars/Online Completed; often available on-demand
- Federal Agency/Executive Branch
- Agency for International Development (USAID)
- Agriculture (USDA)
- Commerce Department
- Commodity Futures Trading Commission
- Congressional Budget Office
- Defense (DOD)
- Air Force
- Army
- DARPA (Defense Advance Research Projects Agency)
- Defense Logistics Agency
- Marines
- Navy
- Education Department
- Energy (DOE)
- Environmental Protection Agency
- Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC)
- Federal Reserve System
- Federal Trade Commission
- Food and Drug Administration
- General Services Administration
- Government Accountability Office (GAO)
- Health and Human Services (HHS)
- Homeland Security
- Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
- Interior Department
- International Trade Commission
- Joint Office of Energy and Transportation
- Justice (DOJ)
- Labor Department
- National Academy of Sciences
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
- National Research Council
- National Science Foundation
- National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB)
- Occupational Safety and Health Administration
- Overseas Private Investment Corporation
- Patent and Trademark Office
- Securities and Exchange Commission
- State Department
- Surface Transportation Board
- Transportation (DOT)
- Federal Aviation Administration
- National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
- Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Admin (PHMSA)
- Treasury Department
- U.S. Trade Representative (USTR)
- White House
- Federal Legislation
- Federal Litigation
- Federal Regulation
- Feedstocks
- Agriculture/Food Processing Residues nonfield crop
- Alcohol/Ethanol/Isobutanol
- Algae/Other Aquatic Organisms/Seaweed
- Atmosphere
- Carbon Dioxide (CO2)
- Field/Orchard/Plantation Crops/Residues
- Forestry/Wood/Residues/Waste
- hydrogen
- Manure
- Methane/Biogas
- methanol/bio-/renewable methanol
- Not Agriculture
- RFNBO (Renewable Fuels of Non-Biological Origin)
- Seawater
- Sugars
- water
- Funding/Financing/Investing
- grants
- Green Jobs
- Green Racing
- Health Concerns/Benefits
- Heating Oil/Fuel
- History of Advanced Biofuels
- Infrastructure
- Aggregation
- Biofuels Engine Design
- Biorefinery/Fuel Production Infrastructure
- Carbon Capture/Storage/Use
- certification
- Deliver Dispense
- Farming/Growing
- Precursors/Biointermediates
- Preprocessing
- Pretreatment
- Terminals Transport Pipelines
- International
- Abu Dhabi
- Afghanistan
- Africa
- Albania
- Algeria
- Angola
- Antarctica
- Argentina
- Armenia
- Aruba
- Asia
- Asia Pacific
- Australia
- Austria
- Azerbaijan
- Bahamas
- Bahrain
- Bangladesh
- Barbados
- Belarus
- Belgium
- Beliz
- Benin
- Bermuda
- Bhutan
- Bolivia
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Botswana
- Brazil
- Brunei
- Bulgaria
- Burkina Faso
- Burundi
- Cambodia
- Cameroon
- Canada
- Caribbean
- Central African Republic
- Central America
- Chad
- Chile
- China
- Colombia
- Congo, Democratic Republic of
- Costa Rica
- Croatia
- Cuba
- Cyprus
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Dominican Republic
- Dubai
- Ecuador
- El Salvador
- Equatorial Guinea
- Eqypt
- Estonia
- Ethiopia
- European Union (EU)
- Fiji
- Finland
- France
- French Guiana
- Gabon
- Georgia
- Germany
- Ghana
- Global South
- Greece
- Greenland
- Guatemala
- Guinea
- Guyana
- Haiti
- Honduras
- Hong Kong
- Hungary
- Iceland
- India
- Indonesia
- Iran
- Iraq
- Ireland
- Israel
- Italy
- Ivory Coast
- Jamaica
- Japan
- Jersey
- Jordan
- Kazakhstan
- Kenya
- Korea
- Kosovo
- Kuwait
- Laos
- Latin America
- Latvia
- Lebanon
- Liberia
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Macedonia
- Madagascar
- Malawi
- Malaysia
- Maldives
- Mali
- Malta
- Marshall Islands
- Mauritania
- Mauritius
- Mexico
- Middle East
- Monaco
- Mongolia
- Morocco
- Mozambique
- Myanmar/Burma
- Namibia
- Nepal
- Netherlands
- New Guinea
- New Zealand
- Nicaragua
- Niger
- Nigeria
- North Africa
- North Korea
- Northern Ireland
- Norway
- Oman
- Pakistan
- Panama
- Papua New Guinea
- Paraguay
- Peru
- Philippines
- Poland
- Portugal
- Qatar
- Romania
- Russia
- Rwanda
- Saudi Arabia
- Scotland
- Senegal
- Serbia
- Sierra Leone
- Singapore
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Solomon Islands
- South Africa
- South America
- South Korea
- South Sudan
- Southeast Asia
- Spain
- Sri Lanka
- Sudan
- Suriname
- Swaziland
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Taiwan
- Tanzania
- Thailand
- Timor-Leste
- Togo
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Tunisia
- Turkey
- Uganda
- UK (United Kingdom)
- Ukraine
- United Arab Emirates UAE
- Uruguay
- Uzbekistan
- Vatican
- Venezuela
- Vietnam
- Wales
- Zambia
- Zanzibar
- Zimbabwe
- Marine/Boat Bio and Renewable Fuel/MGO/MDO/SMF
- Marketing/Market Forces and Sales
- Opinions
- Organizations
- Original Writing, Opinions Advanced Biofuels USA
- Policy
- Presentations
- Biofuels Digest Conferences
- DOE Conferences
- Bioeconomy 2017
- Bioenergy2015
- Biomass2008
- Biomass2009
- Biomass2010
- Biomass2011
- Biomass2012
- Biomass2013
- Biomass2014
- DOE Project Peer Review
- Other Conferences/Events
- R & D Focus
- Carbon Capture/Storage/Use
- Co-Products
- Feedstock
- Logistics
- Performance
- Process
- Vehicle/Engine/Motor/Aircraft/Boiler
- Yeast
- Railroad/Train/Locomotive Fuel
- Resources
- Books Web Sites etc
- Business
- Definition of Advanced Biofuels
- Find Stuff
- Government Resources
- Scientific Resources
- Technical Resources
- Tools/Decision-Making
- Rocket/Missile Fuel
- Sponsors
- States
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawai'i
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Midwest
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Native American tribal nation lands
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Puerto Rico
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- Washington DC
- West Coast
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
- Sustainability
- Uncategorized
- What You Can Do
tags
© 2008-2023 Copyright Advanced BioFuels USA. All Rights reserved.
Comments are closed.