ALTOONA, IOWA – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack announced today at the Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit that USDA is awarding $19 million in grants to U.S. business owners to increase the availability of domestic biofuels in 22 states and give Americans cleaner, more affordable fuel options at gas station pumps as part of President Biden’s Bidenomics agenda to lower costs and invest in America.
Blending ethanol into gasoline has helped reduce fuel costs by approximately 25 percent, contributing to falling gas prices across the country. Gas prices are now under $2.99 in more than half of U.S. states and saving the average driver more than $100 per month relative to peak prices. HBIIP increases the number of Americans that benefit from falling prices by expanding the use of ethanol-based fuels at gas stations around the nation.
The Department is making the awards through the Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program (HBIIP), made possible with funding from President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act.
“President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act is giving people in rural areas the historic opportunity to expand clean energy and build an economy that benefits working families,” Vilsack said. “By increasing the supply of biofuels made here in the U.S., we are strengthening our energy independence, lowering costs for American families, creating new streams of income for agricultural producers and bringing good-paying jobs to people in rural communities.”
Secretary Vilsack made today’s announcement during his visit to the Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit in Altoona. Secretary Vilsack was awarded the Lifetime Champion of Renewable Fuels Award by the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association during the Summit.
Through this most recent tranche of awards, business owners are receiving $19 million to expand access to domestic biofuels in 22 states and strengthen America’s energy independence. For example:
- Casey’s will use a $5 million grant to install ethanol blend fuel dispensers at 111 fueling stations in Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, Nebraska and South Dakota. Using these investments, the company aims to increase the amount of biofuels it supplies by 50 million gallons a year.
- Piasa Enterprises Inc. in Illinois will use a $200,000 grant to install two 30,000-gallon biodiesel storage tanks and associated piping at their Hartford fuel distribution center. The company projects an increase in the amount of biodiesel sold by 2 million gallons per year.
- In Maryland, AC&T Inc. will install two ethanol fuel dispensers and one ethanol storage tank. Through this project, AC&T owners aim to expand the amount of ethanol they supply by over 106,000 gallons a year.
The full list of states to receive funding is: Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas and Wisconsin.
Since the start of the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA has invested more than $96 million nationwide to increase access to biofuels at fueling stations. $11.6 million of this has been invested in Iowa.
(PHOTO via U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack; in Altoona on January 11, 2024.)
