The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development is investing in eight Oregon companies to boost the production of advanced biofuels and sustain jobs at renewable energy facilities, announced State Director Vicki Walker today. Nationwide, USDA is awarding nearly $9 million to producers across the country.
“Not only will these payments help increase production of advanced biofuels,” said Walker, “they will also protect the environment and create jobs by expanding the renewable energy economy in rural areas.”
The funding announced today is being provided through USDA’s Advanced Biofuel Payment Program, which was established in the 2008 Farm Bill. Under this program, payments are made to eligible producers based on the amount of advanced biofuels they produce from renewable biomass, other than corn kernel starch. Examples of eligible feedstocks include crop residue; animal, food, and yard waste; vegetable oil; and animal fat.
Nationally, USDA is announcing payments to more than 100 advanced biofuel producers in 39 states, including more than $116,000 to eight Oregon companies:
- SeQuential Pacific Biodiesel
- Bear Mountain Forest Products, Inc.
- Blue Mountain Lumber Products, LLC
- West Oregon Wood Products, Inc.
- Pacific Pellet, LLC
- Frank Pellet, LLC
- Stahlbrush Island Farms Products, Inc.
- Ochoco Lumber Company
Through the Advanced Biofuel Payment Program and other Rural Development programs, USDA is working to support the research, investment, and infrastructure necessary to build a strong biofuels industry that creates jobs and broadens the range of feedstocks used to produce renewable fuel.
For instance, SeQuential Pacific Biodiesel is helping to meet demands for both domestically produced energy and reductions in harmful emissions that contribute to climate change by converting used cooking oil from the West Coast’s food industry into a local source of biodiesel. Through today’s announcement, SeQuential Pacific Biodiesel will receive just over $110,000 from USDA to incentivize the production of more than 6.48 million gallons of biofuel in 2016. The environmental benefit will be significant with an estimated 122.2 million pounds of carbon being offset. At the same time, SeQuential Pacific Biodiesel is helping to create jobs, having added approximately 60 new family wage positions this year to the 100 already established at their business.
In addition to large-scale production, small-scale producers with anaerobic digester and wood pellet operations in Oregon are also benefitting from the program. View the list of producers nationwide receiving payments of $500 or more.
Investments in renewable energy and the biobased economy are a leading part of USDA’s commitment to mitigating climate change and promoting a clean-energy economy. This month, the Department is examining what a changing climate means to agriculture and how USDA is working to reduce greenhouse gases. For more information, visit Chapter 5 of https://medium.com/usda-results.
USDA is working to strengthen and support rural communities and American agriculture, an industry that supports one in 11 U.S. jobs, provides consumers with more than 80 percent of our food, ensures that Americans spend less of their paychecks at the grocery store than most people in other countries, and supports markets for homegrown renewable energy and materials. USDA has made $308 million in payments to 382 producers in 47 states and territories since the Advanced Biofuel Payment Program began. These payments have produced enough biofuel to provide more than 391 billion kilowatt hours of electric energy. These payments build on USDA’s historic investments in rural America over the past seven years.
Since 2009, Rural Development (#USDARD) has also invested $11 billion to start or expand 103,000 rural businesses; helped 1.1 million rural residents buy homes; funded nearly 7,000 community facilities, such as schools, public safety, and healthcare facilities; financed 185,000 miles of electric transmission and distribution lines; and helped bring high-speed Internet access to nearly 6 million rural residents and businesses. To learn more, visit www.usda.gov/results.