VCC News

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture intends to make available up to $100 million in competitive grants for activities designed to expand the availability and sale of renewable fuels. Funding like this has helped fleets and fuel sites in Virginia and can help you gain access to these lower emission biofuels.

The Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program (HBIIP) consists of up to $100 million in funding for competitive grants or sales incentives to eligible entities for activities designed to expand the sale and use of ethanol and biodiesel fuels. Funds will be made directly available to assist transportation fueling and biodiesel distribution facilities with converting to higher ethanol and biodiesel blends by sharing the costs related to and/or offering sales incentives for the installation of fuel pumps, related equipment and infrastructure.

USDA is making the grants available under the Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program (HBIIP). The program is intended to increase significantly the sale and use of higher blends of ethanol and biodiesel by expanding the infrastructure for renewable fuels derived from U.S. agricultural products.

Grants for up to 50 percent of total eligible project costs, but not more than $5 million, are available to vehicle fueling facilities, including, but not limited to, local fueling stations/locations, convenience stores, hypermarket fueling stations, fleet facilities, fuel terminal operations, midstream partners and/or distribution facilities.

USDA offering approximately $86 million for implementation activities related to higher blends of fuel ethanol, and approximately $14 million for implementation activities related to higher blends of biodiesel. Higher biofuel blends are fuels containing ethanol greater than 10 percent by volume and/or fuels containing biodiesel blends greater than five percent by volume.

For application information and other program details, see page 26656 of the May 5 Federal Register (PDF, 302 KB), or visit the Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program web page.

Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program: Overview and Application Process

USDA will be hosting a series of training webinars on HBIIP for applicants and stakeholders. The agency will facilitate these webinars events using Global Meet. These webinars will provide an overview of the program and help you become familiar with our Online Application System and processes.

The webinar dates and topics are as follows:
HBIIP orientation and enrollment emphasis:           Tuesday, May 12
HBIIP fueling station and fleet facility emphasis:     Tuesday, May 19
HBIIP fuel distribution facility emphasis:                  Tuesday, May 26

To add to your Outlook or Google calendar, click on the link(s) below and then click ADD TO YOUR CALENDAR. There is also a dial-in-only number with a passcode for each webinar.  You may register at any time before and during the program, however, there is a limited capacity of registrants. You will receive a confirmation email upon registration.

May 12, 2020 | 2:00 – 3:00 pm (EDT): HBIIP Orientation and Enrollment emphasis
https://globalmeetwebinar.webcasts.com/starthere.jsp?ei=1315175&tp_key=d2cb2016d2
Dial-in Only: 1-706-418-5005 (United States)
Passcode: 72-734-457#

May 19, 2020 | 2:00 – 3:00 pm (EDT): HBIIP Fueling Station and Fleet facility emphasis
https://globalmeetwebinar.webcasts.com/starthere.jsp?ei=1315527&tp_key=e0679cfe74
Dial-in only: 1-706-418-5005 (United States)
Passcode: 02-530-265#

May 26, 2020 | 2:00 – 3:00 pm (EDT): HBIIP Fuel Distribution Facility emphasis
https://globalmeetwebinar.webcasts.com/starthere.jsp?ei=1315542&tp_key=a5034e0138
Dial-in only: 1-706-418-5005 (United States)
Passcode: 95-496-687#

Further topics:

If you have a project idea or would like more information contact VCC Director Alleyn Harned at 540 568 8896 oraharned@vacleancities.org or schedule a team call at www.calendly.com/alleyn