Opportunities: Federal Government Funding for Biobased

The federal government supports the growth of biobased manufacturing in the U.S., as shown by these funding opportunities:

(1) The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently announced available funds for the production of advanced biofuels, renewable chemicals, and biobased product manufacturing. The Biorefinery, Renewable Chemical, and Biobased Product Manufacturing Assistance Program (formerly known as the Biorefinery Assistance Program) provides loan guarantees of up to $250 million to construct and retrofit commercial-scale biorefineries and develop renewable chemicals and biobased product manufacturing facilities.

(2) USDA also announced funds available from the Biomass Crops Assistance Program for farmers and forest landowners who grow new sources of biomass for energy or biobased products.

(3) The U.S. Department of Energy recently announce $9 M in support of  projects to improve three cellulosic biorefineries in Iowa and Kansas as part of the Department’s commitment “to promote the commercialization of environmentally sustainable advanced bioenergy that reduces carbon emissions and enhances national security.” Read the full press release here.

These examples show that the federal government supports biobased manufacturing projects, and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack has commented on Maine’s potential as a producer of biobased products, according to an interview conducted by the Portland Press Herald. Secretary Vilsack was correct in pointing out that biobased manufacturing can revitalize rural economies, and programs like these that support the construction of new facilities, the growth of sustainable biomass, and the commercialization of new products, can help Maine and the U.S. respond to the surging global demand for biobased products.