“Incentives will resume this summer for farmers, ranchers and forest landowners interested in growing and harvesting biomass for renewable energy,” said the USDA in announcing a “restart” of the Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP). It shares the cost of harvesting and transporting biomass to facilities that convert the agricultural or forest residue into energy as well as underwriting some of the cost of establishing biomass crops near a processing plant.
Facilities are eligible for $11.5 million “to support the delivery of biomass materials through December 2015,” said the USDA. Proposals for designation of new BCAP project areas will be accepted through this fall with selection and enrollment in spring 2016. The USDA said up to $8 million will be paid to growers in existing BCAP project areas this fiscal year. There are more than 50,000 acres in 11 project areas at present. Last year, 19 biomass facilities in 10 states took part in BCAP. Congress created BCAP to encourage development of non-food crops as feedstocks for bioenergy.