Ethanol producers from the Dakotas are not among the 188 producers receiving funds through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Advanced Biofuel Payment Program announced Thursday.

However, producers in the surrounding states of Minnesota, Iowa and Nebraska received payments ranging from $319 to $2.3 million.
USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack and USDA rural development acting undersecretary Doug O’Brien announced the $15.5M in payments in Omaha, Neb. at the National Advanced Biofuels Conference.

"Producing advanced biofuels is a major component of the drive to take control of America's energy future by developing domestic, renewable energy sources," O'Brien said. "These payments represent the Obama administration's commitment to support an 'all-of-the-above' energy strategy."

The funding is 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 produced from renewable biomass, other than corn kernel starch.

Examples of eligible feedstocks include but are not limited to: crop residue; animal, food and yard waste; vegetable oil; and animal fat.

Through the Advanced Biofuel Payment Program and other USDA programs, the department is working to support the research, investment and infrastructure necessary to build a biofuels industry that creates jobs and broadens the range of feedstocks used to produce renewable fuel.

More than 290 producers in 47 states and territories have received $211 million in payments since the program's inception. It has supported the production of more than 3 billion gallons of advanced biofuel and the equivalent of more than 36 billion kilowatt hours of electric power.

Regional entities receiving payments:

IOWA:

  • Energy Tec, LLC--$319
  • Link Energy, LLC--$1,223
  • BFC Electricity, LLC--$10,600
  • Permeate Refining, LLC--$36,652
  • Iowa Renewable Energy, LLC--$94,431
  • Western Dubuque Biodiesel, LLC--$188,464
  • Western Iowa Energy--$235,648
  • Renewable Energy Group, Inc.--$2,324,193

MINNESOTA:

  • District 45 Dairy, LLP--$1,979
  • Riverview, LLP--$8,040
  • Ever Cat Fuels, LLC--$37,287
  • MN Soybean Processors--$353,966
  • Cargill, Inc.--$506,504

NEBRASKA:

  • Cornhusker Energy Lexington, LLC—$1,809
  • Kaapa Ethanol, LLC--$4,176
  • Ag Processing, Inc.--$1,235,366
  • View the complete list of producers receiving payments here.

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