MASON CITY – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development Senior Advisor Cindy Axne announced this week that USDA is awarding a $2,247,011 grant to Golden Grain Energy LLC, an ethanol plant near Mason City, to increase the availability of domestic biofuels and give Americans additional cleaner fuel options at the pump. The funding comes through USDA Rural Development’s Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive program.
“Biofuels are homegrown fuels,” said Axne. “The Biden-Harris Administration is leading the way in expanding the availability of higher-blend fuels as one more choice for American consumers. Our Iowa farmers, our rural economy, and our hard-working neighbors all benefit when these cleaner, more affordable options are easy to access, right there at the gas pump.”
Axne made the announcement while touring the ethanol plant near Mason City with company and industry leaders and with Theresa Greenfield, USDA Rural Development State Director in Iowa.
Axne also noted that Pilot Travel Centers LLC is receiving a $481,768 grant through the Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive program to expand the sale of renewable fuels with the funding to be divided between locations in 16 states, including Iowa.
Tuesday’s announcement is part of a larger national announcement detailing $5 billion in support for projects in rural America. A full list of projects is available online. The announcement is part of President Biden’s Investing in America efforts to rebuild the physical infrastructure of our country to grow the economy for decades to come, create good-paying jobs, and better position rural America to compete in a global economy.
(TOP PHOTO: Representatives from the USDA came to recognize Golden Grain Energy’s recent HBIIP grant to support higher ethanol blends in the local north Iowa communities. Via @ggecorn)