The United States Department of Agriculture Rural Development Kentucky today announced USDA awarded $2.3 million in grants to help expand the availability of higher-blend, renewable biofuel in Kentucky and Ohio.
Kentucky is one of 23 states in which USDA is investing $26 million through the Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program .
“Investments like these increase opportunities for American consumers to make climate-smart decisions and move the country closer to President Biden’s goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050,” said Deputy Under Secretary for Rural Development Justin Maxson. “By expanding the availability of higher-blend biofuels, we’re giving consumers more environmentally-friendly fuel choices when they fill up at the pump and stimulating an important market for U.S. farmers and ranchers.”
150 London KY LLC will use a $1.725 million grant to construct a fuel distribution terminal to distribute ultra-low sulfur diesel and various blends of biodiesel ranging from B6-20 to B100 at a facility in Somerset, Kentucky. This project is expected to increase the amount of biodiesel sold by 21.9 million gallons per year.
United Dairy Farmers Inc. will use a $634,000 grant to replace 21 dispensers and four storage tanks at four fueling stations, as well as install 13 dispensers at two fueling stations in Ohio and Kentucky. Stations are located in Blanchester, Ohio; Cincinnati, Ohio; Mason, Ohio; Sharonville, Ohio; Delaware, Ky.; Ohio, Ky.; and Taylor Mill, Ky. This project is expected to increase the amount of ethanol sold by 4,380,450 gallons per year.
Today’s announcement includes investments in California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Texas and Wisconsin.
Today’s announcement marks the one-year anniversary of the Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program. To date, USDA has invested $66.4 million for projects that are expected to increase biofuels sales by 1.2 billion gallons annually.
Through this program, USDA helps transportation fueling and biodiesel distribution facilities offer higher ethanol and biodiesel blends to customers by sharing the costs to install fuel pumps, equipment and infrastructure. For more information on the program, visit www.rd.usda.gov/hbiip.
Under the Biden-Harris administration, USDA Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities, create jobs and improve the quality of life for millions of Americans in rural areas. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements; business development; housing; community facilities such as schools, public safety, and health care; and high-speed internet access in rural, Tribal and high-poverty areas. For more information, visit www.rd.usda.gov.
The USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. In the Biden-Harris administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, ensuring access to healthy and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate-smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean-energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America. To learn more, visit www.usda.gov.