The Biden administration awarded $90.3 million in grants to projects in 26 states, from California to Connecticut, to install blender pumps, storage tanks, and other equipment for the sale of fuels, such as E15, with higher-than-usual blends of biofuels, said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. With the grants, the USDA has used $221 million of the $500 available through the Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program.
Vilsack announced the grants during a visit to Minnesota that included a stop in Inver Grove Heights, about 15 miles southeast of Minneapolis, where The Corner Store will use a $518,250 HBIIP grant to install four E15 pumps, four E85 pumps, and two ethanol storage tanks. The latest HBIIP grants were divided among 89 projects.
In addition, the USDA announced $9.2 million in loan guarantees and grants to 71 projects in Minnesota through the Rural Energy for America Program. REAP helps small businesses and farmers expand their use of clean energy and to increase the energy efficiency of their operations.
A list of HBIIP and REAP projects was available here.