Big Island Biodiesel on Tuesday was awarded $7,817 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to support the production of advanced biofuels.
The funding for the Keaau-based biodiesel production facility is among $5.6 million in grants awarded Tuesday by the USDA to 220 producers across the nation through the department’s Advanced Biofuel Payment Program, which was established in the 2008 Farm Bill, according to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.
Under the program, payments, which are intended to encourage expansion of biodiesel production, are made to eligible producers based on the amount of advanced biofuel produced from renewable biomass, other than corn kernel starch. Examples of eligible feedstocks include but are not limited to: crop residue; animal, food and yard waste; vegetable oil; and animal fat.
“Producing advanced biofuel is a major component of the drive to take control of America’s energy future by developing domestic, renewable energy sources,” Vilsack said. “These resources represent the Obama Administration’s commitment to support an ‘all-of-the-above’ energy strategy that seeks to build a robust bio-based economy. Investments in biofuels will also help create jobs and further diversify the economy in our rural communities.”
Through the program, the USDA has made more than $280 million in payments to more than 350 producers in 47 states and territories since the program’s inception. These payments have supported the production of more than 5.8 billion gallons of advanced biofuel and the equivalent of more than 58 billion kilowatt hours of electric energy, according to the USDA.