USDA Seeks Public Input on IRA’s Biofuel Infrastructure Funding: November 3-4, 2022 Listening Session -- Public Comment DEADLINE November 28, 2022

by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The USDA has announced it will host a virtual listening session on Nov. 3 that focuses, in part, on Section 22003 of the Inflation Reduction Act, which provides $500 million in biofuels infrastructure funding. A 30-day public comment period is also being opened.

President Joe Biden on Aug. 16 signed the IRA. The expansive legislative package addresses a wide range of issues, including inflation reduction, domestic energy production and manufacturing, carbon emissions reductions, Medicare and health care costs, and tax loopholes.

Section 22003 of IRA appropriates $500 million to support the development of biofuel infrastructure, including infrastructure improvements for blending, storing, supplying or distributing biofuels; installing, retrofitting or upgrading fuel dispensers to supply higher blends of biofuels; and for building and retrofitting home heating oil distribution centers to supply biofuels.

The Nov. 3 listening session aims to provide an opportunity for stakeholder and other interested parties to offer their comments and input. In addition to Section 22003, the listening session will also focus on IRA Section 22001, which provides $1 billion in budget authority for loans and renewable energy infrastructure, and Section 22002, which provides $2.025 billion for the Rural Energy for America Program. Biomass energy systems, including those utilizing anaerobic digesters and solid biomass fuels, are among projects eligible to apply for REAP funding.

A separate listening session scheduled for Nov. 4 will focus on IRA Section 22004, which provides $9.7 billion in budget authority for loans, grants, loan modifications and other financial assistance to support purchase of renewable energy, renewable energy systems, zero-emissions, and carbon capture systems to deploy such systems or make energy efficiency improvements to generation and transmissions systems of eligible entities.

In addition to the listing sessions, the USDA is opening a 30-day public comment period regarding the implementation of IRA Sections 22001, 22002, 22003, and 22004. That public comment period is scheduled to open following the publication of a notice in the Federal Register. The USDA is scheduled to publish that notice on Oct. 28. A pre-publication version of the notice was made available on the Federal Register website on Oct. 27. READ MORE

Excerpt from Federal Register: The Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBCS) and the Rural Utilities Service (RUS), agencies of the Rural Development (RD) mission areas of the United State Department of Agriculture, announce that they are hosting listening sessions for public input regarding implementation of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of 2022. Specifically, these listening sessions will provide an opportunity for stakeholders and other interested parties to offer their comments and input.

Written Comments: Interested parties must submit written comments on or before November 28, 2022. All written comments received will be publicly available on www.regulations.gov.

Listening Sessions: Two virtual listening session will be held from 2-4 p.m. ET on Thursday November 3, 2022, and 2-4 p.m. ET Friday, November 4, 2022.

November 3, 2022 —This listening session will focus on Sections 22001, 22002, and 22003. The session is aimed at rural communities, rural small businesses, and agricultural producers including renewable energy generation providers, distribution utilities, transportation fueling facilities, fuel distribution facilities, environmental, community and consumer groups, industry associations, and Federal, state, and local government and agencies. To participate interested parties must register at https://www.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_l_ptMftKRU2zlJPMdiXF9A.

November 4, 2022 —This listening session will focus on Sections 22004. This listening session will be targeted at rural electric cooperatives and related stakeholders as described above. To participate interested parties must register at https://www.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_HeGqpB7YTYOG6tmBjDyx7g.